AIB Bonkers - to not send ds to school this year?

[oodlesofdoodles]

Ds 5.1 slightly jumbled language/poor non verbal communication/rubbish motor planning.
We're in Scotland so he's already been deferred one year After a rubbish year at bog standard nursery he's having a lovely year at montessori nursery. I want to keep him there next year. But there's no guarrantee of a place at local school in p2.
People tell me that he will have a hard time joining after p1. I think he will have a hard time joining at p1, when he could ne having a jolly time in nuturing little nursery for a bit longer.
Ed psych could not/would not countenance him joining p1 next year (2013).
Feel like we are damned if we do, damned if we don't.
Any advice mnetters?

Thanks zzzzz.
Yes I was thinking to put his name down for scouts, should get on with that.

I'm also in Scotland and I deferred my son too (Feb birthday) and would love to have deferred him another year. I did suggest it but told not possible but that would have been to go into P1 the next year. I didn't think of straight into P2. My son has Autism and learning difficulties but didn't have Autism diagnosis at that point. I knew he could not cope with school but he went anyway and it was not a good experience! Not for my son or me or the school come to that! Will the Montessori nursery accept him for another year? In your position I would be very tempted to send him to nursery again this year. I think it will be a bit harder for him to start straight into P2 when the other children will have been used to the structure of school BUT that would have to be weighed up against his ability to access school this year. You could maybe do some basic P1 work with him at home if you felt he was ready for this.

Have you spoken to the local school to see how many children they have enrolled for August? They can't guarentee a place next year but if they have for example only 40 children enrolled and school can take 60 there would probably easily be a space in P2. If however they have their full quota of children and it would rely on someone leaving in order for you to get a place.

Difficult decision for you. How do the nursery feel about his readiness or otherwise for school?

Thanks for your replies.

Our local school is very popular (and populous) so all the places will fill in p1, someone would need to leave. But there are three other primary schools within walking distance that aren't technically catchment.

The big local school prides itself on being good with ASL kids. But he's so happy where he is now and the nursery goes to age 6 and beyond. The montessori is naturally set up for small group activities and OT type work so ds isn't stigmatised.

Dh and I had a semi serious discussion yesterday about moving to South Africa for a few years where they start school at 7.

Nursery are very diplomatic. They don't feel he's ready for school but would be supportive if he was going now.

Dreamtosell I hope your ds is happier now.

We have no connections in SA so I think the stress of moving and the social isolation would outweigh any benefits.

Apparently Finnish schools spend ages 3 - 7 singing nursery rhymes. Sounds idyllic and great for kids with communication problems, but that's probably even less likely that SA.

DS is a December birthday and I so wish I had deferred him now. His P1 year has been a disaster so far.

If you're happy that his nursery can provide appropriate progression for another year (sounds like they can) then you have an ideal set-up.

Worth knowing that P1 classes in Scotland are capped at 25 pupils, but this then rises to 30, so a full P1 class is not a full P2 class (IYSWIM).

Thanks bookbird, the problem is that our local school is allowed to flout that rule and regularly has p1 classes of 30+.

I hope your boy's school get their act together for him.

A massive (illegal) class of 30+ P1s sounds like yet another reason to stay put with your montessori nursery oodles. Best of luck!