Will they put DC up a year?

[Ohnoivebecomethatmum]

My dc has just started in reception in a private school, due to having younger sibling and me not returning to work, they didn't attend nursery. DC is very bright for their age, even when looking around private schools this was commented on, along with other parents stating this. They are reading and writing and adding and subtracting already and they are a late summer baby. I don't say this to boast, but to give context. Anyway, they have been at school for a week and we've had the plan for the rest of the month and none of it will stretch my DC. Am I being ridiculous to ask if they will put DC up a year? Or should I just wait and see and ask for some stretch/challenge tasks?

Your child is bright - good. But are they are a year further than the rest of class after one week?

Of course they aren't. Op doesn't even know where the other students are working at.

OP, be careful what you wish for. A long time ago but a friend of the family was put up a year because they were very bright. They were a summer baby so they were almost 2 years younger than the oldest in his class. Yes they were intelligent but were emotionally behind the other children. When they went to senior school they were bullied by the other children because they were young, small, bright and more babyish than the others. They did not enjoy their time at school.

He’s barely 4. Don’t do this. Why does he need ‘challenging’?? His challenge right now is starting school. Playing and learning alongside others. Making friends and trying new things. My DD is an August baby. At 16
I notice the difference between her and her peers socially. She has lots of friends but they all seem a bit more grown up than her and all her friends outside school are a year below as that’s who she’s comfortable with. She is not immature but small age differences matter when you’re a child. Let him go to school and have some fun. So he’s ahead of the others in some ways. Lucky him. Stretch him at home with books and clubs. Music etc.

Let him settle, let them get to know hm. You should have a parent’s evening this term. Discuss it then.

If they are a good school they absolutely will not put them up a year. They are already the youngest. They don't need the social issues that come with being two years younger than their peers.

But you don’t know this against her peers I. A social context and while ‘bright’ to you in some things she may struggle with others.

Wait until parents evening in October and discuss t otherwise you are being ridiculous.

Most bright kids don’t excel all through school in everything and it evens out.

And no they won’t put your kid up - the fact you are asking after a well is kinda making you that parent.

Hopefully @Ohnoivebecomethatmum has got the message

Nooooooooo

A good school will stretch an able child and in the nicest possible way by the end of reception it is more than likely that the rest of the kids will have caught up and your child will be average within his cohort. Moving him to an older class will be unlikely to do him any favours socially, that class will already have made friends and a child a year younger is unlikely to be welcomed.

Yes this the older children will be more mature and ops child will be a social outcast.

Stretch - in reception 😂😂😂

I'm a nursery teacher and had a parent if their child could go up to Reception with N2 cohort as he was September born (was due to return to nursery) and knew all of his letter and numbers and lots of knowledge. I pointed out he wasn't toilet trained, refused to do any mark making and that day had had a meltdown when I asked him to put his own coat on. Education is about more than just academics. He returned to nursery and absolutely flew. He made friends and developed independence. He started Reception with his peer group and was absolutely a much more well rounded individual.

September birthday? If so ask if not forget it.

Be careful about stretching. It can pull children out of shape.

My child is mature, you've not even met them - how can you say that? And yes, they need stretching if children are learning letters/to count past 50 and they are past that - not stretching past what they already know, but being given adding and subtracting sheets because they can do that and reading books.
Secondly, my child is very sporty and is the class up in football and swimming. Finally, they have been toilet trained day and night and can dress themselves since 2.5. I have many friends with children my child's age and older and I have friends who are educators and also have two paediatricians as friends. My child is super sociable and always making friends. I am not purely basing this on academics.
Anyway, I feel some of the catty comments are unwarranted. My username is due to being self aware and not wanting to be that parent but also wanting advice from those who have been in a similar position to my child or have taught in private schools. I wanted to know if they would or could put DC up a year or is it too early to ask them to give work that is at DC's level which would stretch their knowledge rather than making DC less engaged and bored at school, as I really want DC's experience of school to be engaging and fun. I'm not teacher or school bashing, I love the school, I searched very long and hard for the right school - I just had higher expectations for what they were being taught and perhaps I didn't realise just how advance dc was until I saw the month ahead learning plan. Anyway, I will wait it out until parents evening and see what the class teacher says and hopefully they will know my DC a bit better and see their potential.

Playing with older children is not a sign of maturity. It can indicate the opposite.

Exactly

it can indicate your peers are sidelining you
so you are forced to tag along and invariably just watch the older ones

I don't need to meet your child to know they are not mature. They were 3 a matter of weeks ago. I appreciate you're excited about how much your child is learning and you want to encourage that but you're going about it in completely the wrong way.

Or that you like being babied.

Socially advanced children play with their peers and are super popular with those peers.

He is 4 years old. He has been in school a week and is still learning how school operates, and all about the other children and his teacher.

I am sure your boy is delightful, but give him some breathing space to get used to this very big change in his life.

Raptors and watermelonyea you sound very petty. I think my four year old is more mature than you both put together. God forbid a mother has done a great job at raising their child and wants the best for them. Yikes.

After a week is way too early. Many teachers at this point are focusing on managing the transition and making sure the children are socially and emotionally ok.

a surprisingly high number of children go into school already able to read some books.

I’d expect the teacher to have got a sense of where each child is by about a month in and that’s when you should start getting reading books home at their level.

eyfs as delivered in reception usually has adult led activities and child led activities as well as a certain amount of free play. The teacher will be seeing what each child can do, both when with an adult and on their own.

give her a bit of time.

OP, if your son is in a private school then I am sure they will want to stretch him. Schools like to get their pupils into the top senior schools.
I can’t believe you didn’t send him to nursery. I was a SAHP yet my children went half days just to socialise with other children and be in a learning type setting.

My dc plays with children their own age and children older out of school. We go to the park or softplay every day. They are not being babied, they initiate conversation and say hi my name is xxx do you want to play xxx game. But yes, you know my child best.

@Ohnoivebecomethatmum I did not say your son was babied. I was saying that playing with older children is not a sign of being socially advanced as an earlier comment of yours said, that it can indicate the opposite.

Your son may have brilliant social skills, you know him, I don't.

But he is only just four. This is a massive change for him. Give him space to learn how school works and to settle in.

Op I know to you your baby is super mature smart clever and all round fabulous. But take a breath and give it more than 5 bloody days! They need to get used to school environment.