Child not being offered place in Reception

onlyroz

My boy was born May '05 and will be starting school in Jan '10. Sounds like your child is due a Sept '10 entry.

egon

Both my boys will be the youngest in the class. I rather DS1 wouldn't go to school until Jan 2010, but our schools do no January intake!

Enjoy the time you have with them. THey grow up way too quick.

I am from Germany, and they don't start school until they are 6! At least they have a childhood. I find 4/5 still too early.

michelefauk

Hi
My DD2 was born 18th September 04, so missed going to reception this year by a couple of weeks. Of course, lots of her friends from pre school who turned 4 before September had moved up to school, and I was worried that she would go back to pre school and wonder where her friends had gone! She has been fine, her pre school are making a big thing about her being the "big girl", she helped the new ones who just started by showing them around and looking after them, and the staff are really bringing her on with her sounds, numbers etc. At her parents evening last week, her key worker remarked that she knows so much about everything, she is a joy to work with. I would far rather have a child who is the oldest in the class rather than the youngest, especially as all reception places are now full time, previously the younger ones in the year could go part time for the first term, but that has stopped, so you get little dots who were 4 the day before coming in to school and having to do a full day, which I think for some children is way too much.

I am making the most of her last year at home with me, even though she goes to pre school every morning and I work part time, the afternoons we have together are very precious. As the mother of a 17 yr old and 14 yr old too, I know how quickly the time will fly once she starts school, and I am in no rush!

inamess200

Hi - my eldest daughter's b'day is 5 September so she was 5 before she even started reception. She was ready for it and has thrived from the begining (she is now 11 and so proud to be the oldest inthe school as she gets to light an advent candle) my middle daughter is a june birthday so was just 4 when she started school and she struggled for the first year or so - when she got to 7 she started having confidence in her own abilities - the older they are the better when they start school in my opinion.

Enjoy the time you have now cause once they start school it is not the same

katym79

missjennipenni wrote: »

People actually avoid having babies in August so that their child is not the youngest in the school year! Older children preform better, so let your DD enjoy another year at home & nursery having fun before sending her to school in 2010, when she will probably do well

hi, sorry to crash in - but is this true? my DD was born 30 August 07, so of course shes still only 15 months but do you think she will suffer from being the very youngest in the school year? i'm dreading leaving her at the school gates already......!:eek:

Cissi

I can relate to how you feel, as my youngest DS is also an October baby so will be almost 5 by the time he gets to start. We got it the wrong way round in a way, because DS1 has a late July birthday, so started Reception at just 4. For him it's been brilliant and I'm so glad he didn't have to wait any longer, he was more than ready to move on from preschool. He loves school and is thriving, but I can see how it could be tough on some little ones. On the other hand I'm a bit upset for DS2, as he sees his 2 year older brother go off to school everyday and can't understand why he isn't allowed in - and he'll have another 3 whole years to wait.

We're lucky that DS2 got a place at a local preschool for a couple of mornings a week, aged just 2 (although we have to fund it ourselves until he turns 3). He's loved it from the first day and is so proud to have his "own" school. In another 2 years' time he's pretty sure to get a place at the preschool attached to the local school, but by then he'll be almost 4 and I sort of wish that he could start reception by then instead. But I do see that there has to be a cut-off point, and as has been pointed out, being one of the oldest in the class has some advantages.

In any case there is nothing you can do to change the rules, but do make sure to apply for a place at preschool for Sep -09.

bestpud

DD is an October child to and I was worried about how she'd cope with another year in nursery, while at the same time thinking she wasn't quite ready for school. As it was, she enjoyed being one of the eldest at nursery and they took the older three aside and did numbers and letters with them, which was great for her. I have to say though, she was getting restless by the summer term.

I think they are better off being the eldest tbh - it doesn't seem such an issue later on but at this age the difference is quite apparent imo. I don't think it necessarily holds them back being the youngest, but they are less mature in many ways and this does have an impact with some of them.

katym - please don't worry too much. They can find it a bit harder in some ways but the difference is so much smaller a couple of years in. Plus, an awful lot depends on the child anyway.

You don't have to start her until the September after she is five, if you don't want to, and then she'd be the eldest...?

Penny_Watcher

DS1(14)'s birthday is early September. Being one of the oldest in the year at primary school gave him a real head start on the August birthday children almost a year younger than him. He'd had another year to get to grips with his ABCs etc and also chool didn't make him quite so tired as the littler ones.

I think in Scotland that, although the school year still runs Sept to Aug, the intake is March to Feb - or am I confused. Again.

Hawthorn

katym79 wrote: »

hi, sorry to crash in - but is this true? my DD was born 30 August 07, so of course shes still only 15 months but do you think she will suffer from being the very youngest in the school year? i'm dreading leaving her at the school gates already......!:eek:

My son was a July baby.....and he thrives at school A lot depends on the child, to be honest.
You can't change the rules of school admissions, so do your best, enjoy the time you have, and don't worry about it too much. Worrying isn't going to change a thing, honestly

sooz

katym79 wrote: »

hi, sorry to crash in - but is this true? my DD was born 30 August 07, so of course shes still only 15 months but do you think she will suffer from being the very youngest in the school year? i'm dreading leaving her at the school gates already......!:eek:

It depends on the child.
When my eldest was in reception, apart from the first week of being tired after school he quickly settled it, & enjoyed doing his (non-compulsory)reading 'homework'. Speaking to the mums of some of the youngest kids, they remained tired after school for most of the school year, & most of them still napped after school. So, whilst they really enjoyed it, it took a little more out of them, & as such they didn't read as many books for homework, as they were too tired.

The differences get less as they get older. Now in year 1, the same children are perhaps 2 reading book levels behind my DS, but he's not at the top either. Some of his class are already reading year 2 books.

I am worried about my youngest. He too is an August baby, & doesn't yet look anywhere near ready to start nursery in Sept, but he has a big brother, so his speech & play is more advanced than I remember his brother's being at the same age. He'll also have a big brother in the same school to look after him!