Bets time to have a baby with respect to schooling

fluffnutter

Gillyx wrote: »

Whenever you can conceive. I wouldn't go out of my way to wait for a specific date. For some it's not as easy as deciding a month or saying yes Id like to get pregnant the 14th of January please. You get what you're given and youre happy with it. Parenting can shape how well a child does at school, not just the month they're born.

Couldn't agree more. It took me nearly a decade to conceive my little boy. Worrying about what month he would be born in seemed a little churlish

nikki&asha

May be worth considering what the intake policy for your local schools is (although it may change).

Round here there are 2 intakes for Nursery -

September (children born between 1st September - 28th February)

January (Children born from 1st March - 31st August)

My daughter was April so only did 2 terms in Nursery (Jan and Apr terms) then up to reception.

She did do 3 terms in Pre-school before that, but bear in mind also that the child is not entitled to 3 year old funding until the term after they turn 3.

This, in combination with the 2 intakes can mean it is harder to get a full 15 hours of Pre-school for the Apr term due to the spaces being taken in Sept/Jan byt the older children and then no one leaving until July.

So I believe there are advantages to being one of the oldest in Early education, later on I think parenting and nature have a greater influence - although good parents usually want choice/access to good quality care and education from the start, however they choose to get it.

HTH xx

balletshoes

our area has one intake for the whole year. So if you're starting reception at school, your are starting in September, no matter if you are a September birthday or an August-the-following-year birthday. It was the same when I went to school too, and I was one of the youngest in my class.

Tigsteroonie

miss_independent wrote: »

However...can you really control these things? What if the child is premature? Or born with special needs?

:wave: Our son should have been born in November, and become one of the older children in the class. Instead he was born in August, so is going to be the youngest ... and at an SEN school too

onlyroz

From an academic point of view it is better to have a child in September because they will be the oldest in the class and so will find it easier to learn. From a financial point of view it is better to have a child in August because you will have a whole year's less nursery fees to pay.

fluffnutter

Tigsteroonie wrote: »

:wave: Our son should have been born in November, to become one of the older children in the class. Instead he was born in August, so is going to be the youngest ... and at an SEN school too

That's the thing.. with the best will in the world, things don't go according to plan. And there's nothing like having a baby to make you realise that plans can easily go awry!

Seriously OP, if you're stressing about trying to conceive a baby at the right time to maximise its early academic potential what happens when the pesky thing arrives and it's thick as pigshit anyway? Life's not that controllable, unfortunately

miss_independent

Tigsteroonie wrote: »

:wave: Our son should have been born in November, and become one of the older children in the class. Instead he was born in August, so is going to be the youngest ... and at an SEN school too

Almost identical to my second cousin! He was born extremely premature in August and, as he was born in Scotland, started school in the August when he had just turned 4. He really struggled and the school decided this was because he was nearly 3 months premature and, if he had made it to term he would have still only been 3 in the August so they said to try him again the following year when he was 5. He still struggled academically though but he is very talented in other ways. All grown up now and doing great - absolute giant of a guy too!

Good luck to your little lad.

notanewuser

My DD was due in September but born in mid October, like me. My sister was due in September but born right at the end of August. She definitely had a much tougher time in school as half the class were almost a whole year older.

rachbc

As an august born I may be biased but I suspect its hogwash. I always did well at school and have better academic qualifications than my feb born oh

Torry_Quine

miss_independent wrote: »

Almost identical to my second cousin! He was born extremely premature in August and, as he was born in Scotland, started school in the August when he had just turned 4. He really struggled and the school decided this was because he was nearly 3 months premature and, if he had made it to term he would have still only been 3 in the August so they said to try him again the following year when he was 5. He still struggled academically though but he is very talented in other ways. All grown up now and doing great - absolute giant of a guy too!

Good luck to your little lad.

That doesn't sound the usual to me. In my experience Feb/March is the cut off so a child born in August would be starting school in the August when they are 5 as the norm. Children born between August but before the end of the February cut-off can start the previous August so 4 and months but still nearer 5 or wait till the next August.