School starting age, please advise

blue_savannah

My daughter has just finished reception class, she was 5 last December.

I cannot believe the amount she has learnt this year. She can read very confidently, can write and make up short stories, she can count to over one hundred, she has learnt the basics of time and can do all of the o'clocks, she can do basic maths like adding up the value of 4 x 2p pieces. She has done electronics like making a lightbulb light up and some geography and other sciences.

There is no way on this planet that I would not have sent her to reception. She would have so much to catch up on with her peers, like having to learn to read when her classmates could read confidently etc.

My youngest daughter is in the nursery attached to the school. She has one more year to go until reception as she is 3. Next year they do number recognition and learn to write individual letters and their name but that is it. She will be prepared for reception when she starts in Spetember 2012 when she will be 4.5.

balletshoes

OP following the advice you've been given by a couple of posters here, have you applied for a year 1 place for your daughter at your preferred school? I think you should.

elisebutt65

I do have to take issue with the poster who said that ALL research states that kids benefit from starting early. Where is this research? I'm only on my phone and have some of my own research to do later, so can't look into it too deeply right now but I seem to recall some Scandinavian studies. In fact I don't even think they start until about 6 in Norway or Denmark?

Found a guardian article here though for starters. http://m.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/feb/14/starting-age-four-school?cat=education&type=article

bestpud

balletshoes wrote: »

bestpud do you send your children to school? I'm just wondering, because whether you think its a valuable life lesson or not, if children are to go to formal education, they do have to learn to carry food trays, they do have to learn to sit still (ish) and pay attention etc.

If you don't send your children to school, I can understand that these are issues which would not affect you or your children in the same way. I'm not having a go at you bestpud, I am just curious - as whether its age 4 or age 5 for starting school, once they are there they do have to conform to the rules - and whats wrong with that?

For what its worth, I don't treat school as free childcare, never have (if you're a working parent school hours can actually mean more issues than having a nursery place does). My DD enjoys school and learning, she always has, and I think its the right environment for her.

I know what you mean and I don't see you as having a go.

I guess my point is, they won't suffer a long and painful death if they put this off until 5 iyswim?

It's only one more year and it could be argued they will pick it up quicker at 5 than they will at 4.

It's the idea they must learn this before they enter year one which I find astounding tbh.

If I was that worried about my child missing out on the skill of carrying a tray (I mean - come on!), I'd teach them at home.

They will also socialise just as well at 5 as they would at 4 and sitting still is something they will also pick up very quickly at the age of 5. If it takes a year to learn basic stuff like that, then it is because they weren't ready for it.

saidan

soniclord
my son is younger than your child - he just turned 4 in june so is one of the youngest in nursery.
he starts full-time school in september - this is normal in the UK.

if you have not applied for a school by now you may find that the council simply appoint your LO to the nearest school where there is place.

of course legally your LO does not have to go to school till the 5th birthday - but when she does start in will be in the age appropriate class - eg she would have to start next may in reception class. then finish in july for the summer, then start year 1 the following september.
if she does not go this september she will miss 9 months of school which she will not get back.
if applying for year 1 only - you may find all the 'nice' schools have no spaces available.

re moving - you may find your ideal school is now full for the reception class especially if it is a 'nice' school. while you can go on a waiting list places will rarely come up. this means if you don't want her to go till she is 5 in may, you may struggle to find a suitable school as they may all be full for that year.

if i were you i'd contact the LEA immediately and they can tell you which schools have places available.

i hope that helps,
saidan

bestpud

blue_savannah wrote: »

My daughter has just finished reception class, she was 5 last December.

I cannot believe the amount she has learnt this year. She can read very confidently, can write and make up short stories, she can count to over one hundred, she has learnt the basics of time and can do all of the o'clocks, she can do basic maths like adding up the value of 4 x 2p pieces. She has done electronics like making a lightbulb light up and some geography and other sciences.

There is no way on this planet that I would not have sent her to reception. She would have so much to catch up on with her peers, like having to learn to read when her classmates could read confidently etc.

My youngest daughter is in the nursery attached to the school. She has one more year to go until reception as she is 3. Next year they do number recognition and learn to write individual letters and their name but that is it. She will be prepared for reception when she starts in Spetember 2012 when she will be 4.5.

This isn't the case for all children. Some in the class will have been put off learning already as they've been pushed into it too soon.

There is also a difference between 'learning' that ticks the boxes and proper understanding of the subject.

Some argue maths is pushed onto our children too fast and they are 'doing' sums before they have truly internalised the meaning of number. This is fine for some, but can be a problem for others later on, as they are ill prepared for the more advanced stuff they have yet to encounter.

I mean, ask yourself why our education system is failing so many children if learning all this at 4 is such a great thing? They should be brilliant by the time they reach higher education, so why aren't they?

balletshoes

bestpud wrote: »

I guess my point is, they won't suffer a long and painful death if they put this off until 5 iyswim?

yes I agree with you there - although I think its fine for most reception year children, clearly some are not ready for school at 4 years old. I remember one child in my DD's class who did start in reception with her, but subsequently spent most of the school year crying and being picked up a lunchtimes by her mum, or spending half her school day in nursery with the 3-year olds.

OP as long as your daughter is mentally stimulated at home and at nursery this next year, and you can apply for and get a deffered place for her at your preferred school, I don't think theres anything wrong in what you are planning to do.

plumpmouse

bestpud wrote: »

I mean, ask yourself why our education system is failing so many children if learning all this at 4 is such a great thing? They should be brilliant by the time they reach higher education, so why aren't they?

Personally I think some of this responsibilities lies with parents.

School and parents should work alongside each other to develop children. If there is a lack of support from either than the system falls down.

There are an awful lot (not aimed at any prior posters on this thread BTW) of uninterested parents who offer no support at home and don't help help their children to their full potential. Schools can only do so much.

bestpud

plumpmouse wrote: »

Personally I think some of this responsibilities lies with parents.

School and parents should work alongside each other to develop children. If there is a lack of support from either than the system falls down.

There are an awful lot (not aimed at any prior posters on this thread BTW) of uninterested parents who offer no support at home and don't help help their children to their full potential. Schools can only do so much.

Exactly! We should not place so much emphasis on school places as they play quite a small role at this stage and some parents are vastly overestimating the value of reception class!

The OP's child is already reading and writing, so how is the OP going to damage their child be not sending them to school in September?

Reading is a skill that relies on parental contribution, so why will a child not learn that at home? Or why won't they catch up very quickly if the parent is on board?

plumpmouse

bestpud wrote: »

Exactly! We should not place so much emphasis on school places as they play quite a small role at this stage and some parents are vastly overestimating the value of reception class!

The OP's child is already reading and writing, so how is the OP going to damage their child be not sending them to school in September?

Reading is a skill that relies on parental contribution, so why will a child not learn that at home? Or why won't they catch up very quickly if the parent is on board?

I do agree but from my own personal experiences my son was more than ready for school (he is one of the eldest) and would actually have done better going a year earlier than he did at nursery. Don't get me wrong the nursery we used was fantastic but by the end he was bored. He too could read and write before school but during his first year at school this progressed even more than I feel he would have just by being at home and nursery.

So for me using my own personal experiences (which really is all we do) I cannot imagine keeping a child behind a year.

OP sorry to have gone off topic. I would also second what has been said by others about contacting the school/LEA even if you don't intend to start your child this year.