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I think reception is good to get them used it before they actually start school
They learn so much in reception nowadays that I do feel missing it would be doing a disservice to your child. They learn maths and phonics + the dynamics of a classroom. Also Year 1 is all class based learning and back to back lessons so starting there would be a shock to the system for them. In the end it's up to you but as someone who works in education I would not even dream of doing that.
They still have to be in full time education when they turn 5 though (term after their birthday). So unless they’re one of the youngest in the year, they’d still go into reception (just later in the year). And if you did wait until the following September, they’d go into year 1, with the majority of the children already being in school for the previous year and forming relationships and having an understanding of the school day etc. My little girl starts school in September, she’s more than ready to start, I couldn’t imagine deferring.
Reception is so good for them! Would be harder starting in a year 1 class where friendships have already been made and the school routine is a shock if they aren’t familiar to the setting. Reception is heavily play based while getting to used to school environments I’d say it’s vital!
Reception is the first year of primary school/infant school. Your child legally has to be in school/education once they turn 5yrs old.
My daughter was preverbal when she started. We were able to get an EHCP for her and she then received weekly speech therapy. She would still be waiting on the nhs! She loves it and you wouldn’t know now that she had issues. My son is also autistic and again needed to be in the system to get the right support in place.
Technically, that's not true. Legally they need to be in full time education from the term after their 5th birthday. So the most you get "optional" is the sept -dec term. But also saying that. School is optional. And I don't plan on sending mine in at all until they are at least 7 or 8, I'll be home educating for the first few years at least.
@Ros I have a June baby, and he’s now in yr1 and absolutely loves school! He’s doing so well! Reception is about learning through play ☺️
Thanks so much ladies, we’re also considering home schooling to give some perspective to the question and LO wont be turning 5 for a while being one of the younger ones. LO has matched education wise to the capacity of 6-7 year olds in maths, science and English too without being at school so just worried the change into classroom setting could maybe have a negative impact as they don’t encourage children to go far above their peers (what I’ve been told at schools we visited)
This is one of my reasons for home educating, at least to start, because my 3.5yr old is already doing things that they learn in year 1 (addition and multiplication up to 20 and phonics), without my trying and I know he'll be bored. It may level out as he gets older, and then school might be ok but I don't want him held back because he's already ahead of everyone else his age
@Charlotte absolutely love this! Very encouraging!!! Thank you ❤️
i would definitely send my kid to reception. It prepares them for school life and let’s be honest who doesn’t want a little break from their kid? Unfortunately my son can’t go nursery (to do 15hrs funded) until september because he turned 3 on 2nd of April
Personally I wouldn’t. I’ve been sending mine to nursery since my eldest was 2 and my youngest was 9 months old. Only for 2 mornings per week but honestly they’ve both thrived so much and I’ve had so much support in their development from the nursery. My eldest starts full time in September at the nursery attached to the primary school and I just know she’s going to come on leaps and bounds. I don’t feel guilty about “sending them away” or having someone else look after them as I think it’s so important for them to learn to respect authority figures and get into a school-setting routine. It also gives them access to materials/resources that we don’t have at home. And finally the social aspect is so important to me, I don’t have any mum friends with similar ages so going to nursery/reception is their only opportunity to socialise with kids their own ages.
You could send them in part time but just bare in mind that you may not be eligible for things like the free breakfast and wrap around care. To be honest I think it's good for kids to go to school and have routine
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All school is optional, you can homeschool in the UK x
Reception isn’t optional for all. The law is that they have to have started school the term after they’re 5.. so it’s only optional if their birthday is after Easter
@Katie reception is from age 4 so totally optional. Children born September-December will join year 1 in the January following their 5th birthday. January-March they’ll join in April and April-August they’ll join in September.
@Lizzie Children must be in full time education the term after they turn 5. It is the law. So children born between September and December 31st must start reception full time in the January. Children who turn 5 between January and March 31st must start school in April and children who turn 5 between April and 31st August can start full time education the next school year in September.
@Katie it’s absolutely not a must to be in full time education when they turn 5 as you can be homeschooled and even have flexible schooling. When school offers are sent out, they even ask you to reject the offer if you’re going to homeschool lol
Im not saying those things don’t exist but if you’re choosing not to homeschool then that is the law. Flexi-schooling has to be agreed by the school that they part time attend
@Katie hence my comment. I’ve given term times for children turning 5. Reception isn’t from 5 years old, reception is for 3-4 year olds 🥲 year 1 is full time education (when the child turns 5). Chill hun.
@Lizzie I am chill, you are wrong tho. There is not a single 3 year old in reception. You do not start reception until at least 4 years old. Children start reception at age 4 and have their 5th birthday while in reception.
@Katie sorry yes you’re correct there, no 3 year olds will be in reception. However I still stand by my original comment that children aren’t “at a school age” until the term AFTER their 5th birthday. So my dates are correct 😊 and reception is still optional. Look it up.
@Lizzie I never said your dates are wrong. Your dates are right. The wrong part is you saying that they would go into year one the term after their 5th birthday. If you have a child who turns 5 in February for example they could start reception class the September before that, like most children do. The latest that they can start, by law, is April (term starting after Easter). And they would go into reception, not year one.
@Katie think that depends on the school then as my local council take year 1 students the term after they turn 5 🤷🏼♀️ again, optional to keep them in reception.
@Lizzie Hmmm, I’ve never heard of schools doing that before unless they’re summer babies…. I’d double check that before your child reaches school age
@Katie will do hun 😅
Personally, my daughter thrives off routine so I’ll be sending her as she also goes to nursery so there’s no point getting her used to that then it reverting back to her staying home x