Starting primary school pre statutory school age?

thegirlintheattic

Bumpmakesfour wrote: »

So theoretically "if" they started a year early would they repeat reception year to then slot into the "correct" year?Or go through the whole of their schooling a year ahead/younger than their peers?
The admissions criteria are pretty clear to me and even though my youngest was more than ready to start a year ahead I'd never have even considered trying to get her in a year early.Blimey they're so little when they start at barely 4/5 and have years and years ahead.With my very mature 4 year old we just made sure we did lots of activities on top of her free nursery hours to occupy her till she started school.

I assume they would move up each year as normal. I have to stress I have not had experience of it happening but my understanding is that there is no law regarding age in each year - for example I know people that have started secondary at the age of 10, has been in Year 9 at the age of 16 and gone to university at 17.

jjblondie

I didn't do reception class and thus went to uni at 17. It never did me any harm (I don't think!), but I didn't have a sibling in my class. That could really cause some difficulties with socialising if they always want to stay together, or conversely, can't be near each other.

custardy

PoorCharleyBear wrote: »

my little one started school in September and will not be 5 til next year.
She is settling in OK and is learning BUT I still would have preferred her to stay back another year. She is only little. She has 12-14 years of schooling ahead and one extra year will make no difference to her overall life.

She gets tired and would definitely benefit from more play time and just doing nice things with me.

Finally, from a social perspective, the difference between 4 and 5 year old is vast. I would hate anyone younger than my daughter to struggle with keeping up with older kids- learning to share, express emotions etc is all as critical as learning.

(How does your friend know allocations are full for next year? Close out date for applications is mid Jan, and allocation of spaces is after this)

thats why we have made the choice to wait till next year for my boy.
I personally think its too young for him.

bylromarha

My baby was 4yrs and 3 weeks when he started full time school. He was very ready for it. So I get that they can be ready.

However, he is an August baby - so he could start school at that time. Had he been born a couple of weeks later he'd have had to have had another year at home. Just meant we have had more fun and learning through play at home. Would never have pushed for him to start school a year early! They learn FAR FAR FAR more at home. 1 adult to 1 child at home vs 1 adult to 30 children at school. Know where I'd prefer them to be.

Now that he's 7, the "early" start never did him any harm at all - top of the class for reading and maths.

silvercar

The small schools that have mixed years are a law unto themselves. If the school has a combined nursery and reception class, there is no reason why both could be in it. Come the following September, when the elder should move up and the younger remain, it would be for the school to decide. Some schools are flexible, some are not.

savagevixen

I can't understand why anyone would want to send their child into school a year before they needed to go. My eldest was a January baby so he started in Sept, he coped fairly well and enjoyed the experience of Reception. DD1 and DD2 are March and May babies so where we lived when they started school, they started as part of a January take in. This system was fantastic for the kids as it ensured they were all around 4.5 when they started school. We then moved to another county, DD3 is a December baby and she started at 4yrs9m, I was horrifed when I realised that DD4 was expected as a March baby to start in a Sept!!! I was so sad I missed a term with her. The August babies that start are so tiny. DD5 is a March baby as well. I am just greatful that they were 4.5yrs old.
I would keep them at home if I could for that year, but they wouldn't be able to start Reception a year late, they would have to go into yr1. Children born in other countries who start school at 7, do so much better in their education overall.
I can only assume that the only reason people would want to do this is the crippling costs of nursery etc. which I completely understand. I don't think any child is really ready at 4 for the enormity of school 9am-3.15pm, 5 days a week. The playground, and a class of 30 children your own age is pretty intense. Things like going down the corridor to the big scary toilets and holding open the big doors, and washing your hands and getting told off for being confused, and playing like unsupervised 4 yr olds do... my poor son had no idea what to do when he had accidents trying to clean himself after using the toilet, and then tried to hide his underwear and was traumatised when he had to get ready for pe. They grow up soon enough, school is MASSIVE for 4 yr olds and I wouldn't wish it on them.

Gloomendoom

It was a while ago but I started a year before I technically should have. I had absolutely no problems at all... although, later, it was a bit odd finding out that some children in the year below were older than me.

All children are different but 'traumatic' is not a word I would use to describe my experience. My mother has since admitted that she was a bit put out that I settled in so quickly.

I went on to start secondary school and further education a year 'early'.

thorsoak

My sisters were what was known as "Irish twins" - there was 11 months between them - sis 1 was born in Sept of one year, sis 2 was born in aug the next year, so both were in the same educational year, and both started together and went right the way through their school years together, though at different secondary schools - sis 1 joined me at the local grammar, sis 2 at another secondary school. Howeve sis 2 left school before sis 1, as she left when she was 15 (in actual fact, the July before she was 15) to take up an apprenticeship with quite a famous hairdressing salon (VS).

Janepig

savagevixen wrote: »

I can't understand why anyone would want to send their child into school a year before they needed to go. My eldest was a January baby so he started in Sept, he coped fairly well and enjoyed the experience of Reception. DD1 and DD2 are March and May babies so where we lived when they started school, they started as part of a January take in. This system was fantastic for the kids as it ensured they were all around 4.5 when they started school. We then moved to another county, DD3 is a December baby and she started at 4yrs9m, I was horrifed when I realised that DD4 was expected as a March baby to start in a Sept!!! I was so sad I missed a term with her. The August babies that start are so tiny. DD5 is a March baby as well. I am just greatful that they were 4.5yrs old.
I would keep them at home if I could for that year, but they wouldn't be able to start Reception a year late, they would have to go into yr1. Children born in other countries who start school at 7, do so much better in their education overall.
I can only assume that the only reason people would want to do this is the crippling costs of nursery etc. which I completely understand. I don't think any child is really ready at 4 for the enormity of school 9am-3.15pm, 5 days a week. The playground, and a class of 30 children your own age is pretty intense. Things like going down the corridor to the big scary toilets and holding open the big doors, and washing your hands and getting told off for being confused, and playing like unsupervised 4 yr olds do... my poor son had no idea what to do when he had accidents trying to clean himself after using the toilet, and then tried to hide his underwear and was traumatised when he had to get ready for pe. They grow up soon enough, school is MASSIVE for 4 yr olds and I wouldn't wish it on them.

I always think this is something of a red herring in these arguments about what age to start school. It's not like children in these countries don't set foot inside a school until they're 7 - they go to pre-school/kindergarten, etc.... it's just that there's no legal requirement for them to go until 7, but there is still school before that age. And I would hazard a guess that how well they do at school is down to many factors, not just the age at which they are legally required to attend school.

As I said previously, my two started full time school at 3 and neither have had any issues with it, neither have any of their classmates. Yes there've been toilet accidents (from DD but I don't recall DS having any), DD was found rinsing her knickers out in the sink in the nursery class after an accident, but I would hardly call it traumatising. I remember kids when I was in school having toilet accidents, and the stuff they were given from the spare clothes box to wear, now that was traumatising!!! Now they've just got bits of spare uniform and no-one would know. And why would changing for PE (such as it is) be traumatising? On the requisite days, my two would wear cycling shorts under joggers, with their trainers on and school polo shirt, so they'd literally only have to remove their trainers and joggers.

Also, maybe my view is slightly skewed because of the people I encounter at work, but there are many many children who are far better off at school than at home for any longer than they need to be. Not all of us are earth mothers.

Jx

zoesmummy_2006

My son starts school next september and he'll literally just be 4. His birthday is 27th aug and he'll start school around 7th september. Im dreading it as hes just so little still to me, but hes at playgroup 3 sessions a week, interacts brillianty with all the kids there and i dont want him to miss out on reception class with all the friends hes made at playgroup. Im hoping hes going to have a place where his sister goes, she had a wonderful time in reception, but was 4.5yrs when she started, and seemed more ready than my son does now. Though that may change between now and september, he loves going into school with her-maybe its just me worrying cos hes my 'baby'