i am looking at my options for education for my daughter, she is an august baby so will be thw youngest at school (have already had one august child go through school) but i think that just gone 4 is far to young to be starting school, i have read that i can defer her starting until the sep that she is 5 and i wondered if anyone had taken this option or would take it given the chance

I've read about this same thing Mary so I know what you mean and I know you are not alone.
I can't help, but I can say that I was the youngest in my year and came out in the top 5 of my year for grades, so although it might seem early, the long term effects are not always apparent.
I think I would consider it if I were in the same position but it would depend entirely on my kids, with my twins one is desperate to do everything in the world right now and she would benefit from school now at just 2.5, anything to keep her busy. The other likes peace and time to absorb things at her own level, she's much more the baby (despite being the oldest) and would prefer to stay home with me. So it comes down to what you think is best for your child, you know them better than anyone.

Compulsory education age is the beginning of the term following the 5th birthday. They like children to start before this age, but legally no one can insist.

I didn't take this option but, with hindsight (ahh, a wonderful thing), I wish I had for my youngest. She is one of the younger children in her year and she has multiple learning disabilities. She really wasn't ready to be at school until she started in Y2.

Only very recently, through reading books on the subject, scouring the internet and attending seminars, have I come to realise how important free play and exploration are to the development of young children and babies. And how damaging it can be to try to push them onto the next stage before they are ready. The three Rs can definitely wait. I believe many children in other parts of Europe don't start formal education until they are 7. Very sensible IMHO.

Thants true hun our education system is to ridid and all children are not the same, we as parents should have alot more say on how our lo start to learn and more flexibilty in when this should start for example i think we should be able to start school at 5 or stop in a more nursery education enviroment until they are a little older but then the goverment wont hit their self imposed targets

The only prob. is they would go straight into Y1 and skip reception... as you can't change their year groups without massive appeal process and grounds such as medical probs. ie. prem. baby, disability or something very 'big' that means they wouldn't cope in their own year group. My 3 year old, will be 4 bank hol weekend and starting school Sept 4th!! I considered keeping her at nursery but didn't want her to miss out on the reception year - if she doesn't cope, will take her out and put her back in nursery until she is more ready

hi hun i am just waiting to hear back from the education to see if she can do half days in reception, i am not to bothered about her missing reception as i will just keep her in nursery until year 1 and they things they learn in reception i can teach her at home anyway

i am looking at my options for education for my daughter, she is an august baby so will be thw youngest at school (have already had one august child go through school) but i think that just gone 4 is far to young to be starting school, i have read that i can defer her starting until the sep that she is 5 and i wondered if anyone had taken this option or would take it given the chance

As a teacher, previously in a private school I have seen September birthday girls put in school a year ahead as they are only just too young and also August brithday girls held back a year. The younger ones would somtimes struggle a little- in their understanding and behaviour and ability to concentrate. The older ones in my opinion managed much better. It depends on your child of course, but I would opt for deferring if I were you.

The only prob. is they would go straight into Y1 and skip reception... as you can't change their year groups without massive appeal process and grounds such as medical probs. ie. prem. baby, disability or something very 'big' that means they wouldn't cope in their own year group. My 3 year old, will be 4 bank hol weekend and starting school Sept 4th!! I considered keeping her at nursery but didn't want her to miss out on the reception year - if she doesn't cope, will take her out and put her back in nursery until she is more ready

I had no idea that was the case. I thought they just started a year later in Reception. Are you sure? Also as your daughter is only 4 in August, how come she starts in September? I thought if you were born after Feb 29th you started in the January instead.

thats was my understanding too sept to jan will start sept and feb to august start jan

Not if there is no mid year intake

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p.s and yes they would effectively miss reception and go straight in at Y1 - I was told that deferred places had to be taken up the last term before the year end i.e. after Easter or else the place for the child was lost and they'd be at the back of the queue in September, with no guarantee of a place. Not sure if this was spin/scaremongering however!

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I'll be very interested to join this conversation when I'm back from holiday and not texting in. I too have strong concerns about my son being stuffed into school too early. In fact I have serious reservations about the education system as a whole and no means to stay home and educate my kids myself. It feels the least I can do is ensure they are ready. Boys in particular can suffer educationally if forced.
Catch ya Sunday/Monday.

This is the reply i got this morning from the education department
Dear Mrs Batham-Tomkins,



Thank you for your enquiry. You are correct that legally, your child does not have to begin school until the term following their fifth birthday, which would be September 2010.



I do not know whether the information that you have accessed made it clear, that if your child was to begin school in September 2010 they would be expected to start with their correct academic cohort in the Y1 year group. Please could you clarify whether this was your intention, because my advice about how you should proceed will be different depending on whether you want your child to begin in the Reception year group 2010, or the Y1 year group 2010?
i have mailed them bk because i have been told that it is possible for a young child to do part time hours in reception so i will let u know as soon as i get a reply

my daughter sounds like she was born around same time as yours. she will be 4 on 27th august, so she's only a few days away from being in the year below. I was a bit worried about how she'd cope as a few children in her class are the opposite, they'll be 5 a few days after they start back at school. she's been in the school nursery, just afternoons for the last year, and ive had a few chats with the teacher about how shes getting on and especially compared with those almost a year older. but they told me shes fine, gets on well with everything she's asked to do and is actually ahead of those that are older. they said that the common problems with 'young' children in the class is more about their social skills and how they interact with others. emily is fine all round and they say they wouldn't even know she was one of 'the young ones' but if she was having problems i'd definately consider keeping her in a nursery setting. its all about what you feel is best for your child, i know emily would be bored stiff in a nursery, she needs to learn anything and everything, but not all children are the same.

i was one of the youngest in school growing up and i didnt like it, never any problems but it was just that everyone could do everything before me lol not sure how i would have liked knowing i was in the year younger though either, knowing that i could have left school but still a year to go etc.

the only problem i have had with emily in school is that she has sometimes fallen asleep at the end of the day, not sure if this is because she is the youngest though. but she will start full days in september so not sure how she'll cope, if it is a problem though school are willing to let her slowly go from half days to full days, so maybe they would do something similar in your situation.

my son is also an august birthday he is 17 tomorrow and he left school in the top 5% in sheffield, i am not worried about her progressing but kieron sarted school at easter so only had 3 months in reception and it did him no harm at all, it would be better in my opinion if they brought easter reception back

This is the reply i got this morning from the education department
Dear Mrs Batham-Tomkins,



Thank you for your enquiry. You are correct that legally, your child does not have to begin school until the term following their fifth birthday, which would be September 2010.



I do not know whether the information that you have accessed made it clear, that if your child was to begin school in September 2010 they would be expected to start with their correct academic cohort in the Y1 year group. Please could you clarify whether this was your intention, because my advice about how you should proceed will be different depending on whether you want your child to begin in the Reception year group 2010, or the Y1 year group 2010?
i have mailed them bk because i have been told that it is possible for a young child to do part time hours in reception so i will let u know as soon as i get a reply


That sounds a bit like you can choose to put her into reception 2010 after all? It's all confusing!

This is something that I need to think about as my DD is an August baby. I thought I would see how she is in herself and if she's the type that would be happy at school being so young.