August 30 birthday, school thinks he's SN

[noreallyitsnothing]

Does anyone have experience of summer babies and SN?
My son has an August 30 birthday and is behind in year one at school, where they want to put him on the SN register. They say he doesn't have learning difficulties and is bright, but that he's behind the rest of the class. But the rest of the class mostly have Autumn term birthdays, so isn't he expected to be behind?
From our point of view, he's where he should be at his age - reading phonics books no problem, learning trickier words one by one, contributing in class, doing simple maths. It's not his fault if he's behind the older kids.
The school says I'm worried about labeling, but it's not that at all. I just think they're complicating a problem when they could for instance just move him down a year (they say the local education authority wouldn't allow this).
If he'd been born two days later and was in the year below, his progress would be sufficient or more than sufficient.
I've read a lot about summer babies being put on the SN register more than other children.
Anyone have any similar experience? Your advice/experience would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

What will happen if he is put on the SEN register?

Will it mean that he gets additional support to help him make more progress?

If so, then it sounds like a positive thing to do.

It shouldn't be about labelling, it should be about identifying those areas where your ds needs support. It sounds like this is what the school are trying to do.

They are right in that it is almost impossible to get the LEA to hold him back a year. Anyway, would you really want him to be separated from all his friends?

Thanks for your post littlefish!

Yes friends is a big consideration. But his closest friend is leaving this year to emigrate, so his social group will change anyway.

The thing is, the gap between his work and that of the Autumn-born kids has always been there since starting school, and I think he would thrive and get his confidence back if he were around kids his own age and ability.

He keeps saying he's stupid-- his best friend (the one who's leaving) is a full 11.3 months older and the constant comparison gets him down. Also his teacher gets quite cross with him when he can't do things.

He doesn't have special needs, he's underachieving compared with the rest of the class, probably because of lack of maturity. This is really common in August born boys.However if they put him on the SEN register hopefully they will give him some extra help to go with it.
You don't say what year he is in, but in my (long) experience of teaching young children many summer born boys make rapid progress later on when they are more mature, often in Yr 2 or even in the Junior School.
It is not intended that if children are put on the SEN register they will stay on it for ever- in fact the opposite, that the school will give extra help and enable them to make progress.
In your position I would take all the help that is on offer for him.

Good post from happycamper.

The lack of self-esteem is would worry me. His teacher should not be getting cross with him for not being able to do things. I think perhaps that this is the issue you need to be discussing with the school.

Thanks happycamper.
Yes, I think if we stay at the school, then going into year 2 with all the special needs help he can get is definitely what we'll do. I think maturity is a massive part of it. Just simple things like ball handling skills he got the hang of a full six months or so after everyone else.
The thing is, I've read a lot of posts by people who say they really wish they'd moved their summer-born boy down a year at this stage, because it can be the making of them, rather than struggling to keep in the same year group throughout school. Research shows that summer-borns can take ten years or more to 'catch up', if ever.
Being where he is is having a worrying and worsening affect on his emotional state. It's heartbreaking to hear him say daily how stupid he is and I'm not sure I can bear seeing his view of himself deteriorate any more in year two.
I am tempted by two other options: he has been offered a bursary to a lovely local private school (yes it would still be a big squeeze financially) where class sizes are 15:1 (as opposed to 30:1) and they would be happy for him to move down a year if they think he needs it. Given his best friend is leaving school anyway, this may not be as traumatic socially as staying at school, strangely, as he will notice the absence of his friend. Or home schooling, which I have always been a fan of.

And yes I did talk to his teacher about her getting cross. In particular she was constructing an oppressive atmosphere, for intance saying the children could play once they'd finished their work, and he and the other summer-born boy would miss play because they'd still be working, not being as fast as the others.

It's good that you have other options noreally.

The only thing I would say about moving him back a year in independent/private schools, is to consider what would/might happen if he went back into the State system. Can you afford for him to stay in the private system right the way through secondary as well?

If not, you would probably find that if/when he returned to the state system, he would have to skip a year and return to his correct chronological year group.

I'm not trying to be negative, I just wanted to make sure you had thought it all through.

That's a really good point, thanks littlefish.
Private school would be a massive commitment, as bursaries aren't always continued year after year, and financial stress at home can be as detrimental to children as being in the wrong school I imagine.

I got put down a year at school. I started reception a year early for reasons that presumably made sense in the seventies but wouldn't wash now, and then had to repeat a school year at age 6 I think, to get back into the right year group.

Anyway, it was hell. Not educationally (other than being v bored doing the same stuff all over again) but socially. At this age, kids form quite tight groups and aren't good at the social niceties of welcoming a newcomer. It took me the best part of a year to forge new friendships and in the meantime I was very very lonely.

Anyway, my point is, putting them back a year once they have already started school is no free lunch.

Re: being "on the register" bit of a misleading term really. The register part is pretty much non-existant, the important thing is the extra support. I guess what you have to consider is how long is it going to take him to catch up naturally? And in the meantime (being as he is, unfortunately, in a class weighted towards the "old" end) is that going to affect his confidence and what he gets out of school? You know him best.

I'm not sure what the SN register is (only know about school action and school action plus - maybe this is the same thing?), but could you see it that because he is an August baby, he does have a special need - to be taught at his own pace. If the school is prepared to support this that is a good thing.

One of the disadvantages of the state system is that to a large extent you have to fit in with what is available.

I have a July birthday, but my school had mixed year groups so I wasn't always the youngest in my year. On the other hand some people hate mixed year groups. Hopefully at some point your son will appreciate the fact that when the autumn children were 5 they were still only doing reception work. SN covers a huge range of difficulties these days. Labels aren't always a good thing, but identifying that some children need more help than others is.

I have another idea - move to Australia where, as far as I understand, the school year starts in January/Feb!

Thanks guys for some really good perspectives on this. I think it must be school action that the teacher was refering to, although she used the term SN register, but she was saying that initially any action would be taken within school.
I do think, yes, that being an August baby is his main need, and perhaps if the school phrased it like that it would make sense to me. Unfortunately the school SN teacher says 'you can't always say it's an August birthday problem' and I know you can't always, but then again sometimes you can.
I think once my DS is - ironically - mature enough to understand that he is moving at a good pace but the older kids are simply older, then he won't judge himself so harshly. It's the fact that he's so down on himself - and I've looked after loads of children in my time and rarely come across such negativity - that is making me panic a little. He used to be happy in his own skin and it seems to me that being behind on the education curve has had a lot to do with that changing.

Hi - I year-deferred my Ds2, he starts in September in reception and I understand your problem. You would have a mighty battle to put him down a year now and it might be a bit late to do it in this school - because it's one thing to start reception later, another to move down a year (peers might tease, etc). But starting at the private school sounds like a positive option if you can afford it.

I think your your teacher means the SEN register - check this. If so, this in itself is no big deal. At one point I think 12 out of 30 kids in DS1's class were on it!

As you'll know from your research and mumsnet testimonies, the summer-borns who struggle long-term tend to have the double whammy of their birth date AND a maturational lag (slower developers). By the time they are ready to learn particular things, they've already decided they aren't clever or struggle to have high self-esteem. Mine would have had a triple whammy as he had a very significant language delay (though probably not a lifelong disorder), hence the significance of the choice to defer (transformative).

A little boy I know here has moved down a year, but that's because his epilepsy made it very hard to learn for a year. That's the kind of extreme circumstance that justifies a move down in the same school.

I would learn about the special educational needs register for yourself - I think it will be reassuring - it's not like being diagnosed with something or other or anything like that. And I would think seriously about the private school if you feel he does have that troublesome "double whammy" of being a late bloomer plus an august boy

Please don't worry. My son is the 2nd youngest in his class and last year we had a discussion with his teachers as we felt he may have special needs as I'm dyslexic and I had concerns as he was in the bottom groups of the class for everything and was uspet at this. School reasured us he was just young not thick and to reassess it this year. Anyway on a positive note we are now coming to the end of year 2 and he's middle to top group for everything with no extra help, I feel he's just matured enough to deal with it all. I did read an intresting artical about maturity being related to adult teeth coming in, and that in many european countrys this is related to a child ability to learn. It certainly seems to apply in my sons case. His birthday is the end of May and I expect to have simmilar issues with my daughter who's a July birthday.

The other thing to consider is that to have your child "officialy" held back a year & remain in that year group throughout their school life it has to be approved by the LEA & they usually only do this if the child has continued not to make progress in their correct year group & if it is considered appropriate, as far as I know this is only done with children identified as having SEN. So the school putting your son on their SEN register may be the first step in getting what you feel your son needs.

Also do not do it by informal agremeent between yourselves & the school as when your son reaches the correct age to move up to his next school the LEA will insist that he moves & will not recognise any informal arrangement within a school where achild has been allowed to be taught in a different year group.

As lingle says, I think your teacher will mean the SEN register. My dd - July born and immature for age - is on this, and as a result receives extra help. I'm glad about this as she's been behind the rest of the class since day 1 of reception. Her current teacher has been very patient with her, giving appropriate work for her level and praising each small bit of progress she makes.
She moves up to Juniors next year and isn't ready, but they won't keep her down a year - I did ask.
Interesting point about the adult teeth jamimmi - I had heard that before somewhere. dd hasn't lost any baby teeth yet and will be 7 in July.

I have a late August birthday and I was very behind at school and as a result, felt thick and under confident. At one point, a teacher suggested I had special needs. Aged 14 or so, I caught up and overtook many children and went to University in the end (though I never could do Maths)!

All I needed was extra help which I was not offered, so please do take this if offered - it could make all the difference.

jamimmi
i appreciate you're trying reassure op.

so glad your son caught up. Mine probably won't but i'd prefer not to have kids like him described as thick.

Sorry mummysaurus I find your last post highly offensive. Those of us with children on the SEN register do not have thick kids. Some are highly intelligent but struggle, because they have special needs. Einstein is one obvious example who would probably have been on the special needs register.

Most summer borns do catch up. Also if you go to a country where they frequently keep children back a year, you will find parents fighting it, because it does children damage to be kept back. Being taught the same thing twice in the same way does not help anyone who is struggling. You need to teach them in a new way.

perhaps read my post again muumytime? my son is on register and is not thick - he does have developmental delay. i was responding to jamimmi's post above

O great so now if your child has a SPLD they are thick? []

I'm NOT SAYING anybody's kid is thick!! I AM SAYING we shouldn't use that term about children
[gives up and leaves thread]

your point was quite clear mummysaurus.

I don't live in the UK, so forgive me, but... from what I understand the teachers have realised your son needs some extra support, is the only way to get this support by registering him as having special needs?

Surely the school should be able to give this help to NT children? I don't understand why they want to register him as having SN.

O great so now if your child has a SPLD they are thick? []