Deferring school for summer born

You do what's best for your child. If I had the brains I would home school. Expensive getting tutors. I'm glad your little boy is happier. My little is ready for school, intelligent. but can struggle emotionally. He also thinks his nursery teachers are going with him :( If you lived Scotland, they wouldn't be starting until next August anyway. Sorry I haven't got better advice buy good luck and enjoy your little boy at home for another year. Xx

Hey , we are home educating our little girl we pretty much decided this not long after she was born . If you’ve decided to defer you could spend this year home educating and see how you feel by this time next year and that might help your husband too . There are some really good home education groups on Facebook if you use it and you will probably find a group local to you too . Good luck with your journey 😊

Do they actually start reception next year though? I was under the impression that they had to start in year 1 with their year group and skip reception which is what put me off deferring 🫤

I'm not exactly sure. We've submitted an out of year admission. So I think it means it starts reception but out of his current year group who would go to reception this September. But the headteacher said he would be able to skip reception and go into year 1. Which might be fine as we plan to home ed this year. So he'll probably be ready for that.

@Eli In almost all cases where a summer born child defers, they are ‘educated out of year group’ and would do their reception year rather than go straight into year 1. A school has to prove it would be in the child’s best interest to miss reception, which of course it usually isn’t and would be detrimental. In my experience in teaching we have had a few children defer (it is becoming more common now though) and all of those children have started in their reception year. The only real sticking point can comes later, where a secondary school doesn’t have to allow a child that’s previously been educated out of year group to continue to do so, as you have to re apply to the local authority to have it continued. But again, bar a few scarce examples where a child has been put back in the correct cohort, most will end up being educated out of year group for their entire schooling.

@Chloe thank you so much. This is really useful. I feel 4 is too young for him to be in school. And in all honesty if they skipped him ahead to year 8 when he is doe at primary I don't see that being an issue academically unless he's really behind. I feel it levels out as they get older but I'm just not keen on him being so little in with kids nearly 9 months older than him and being assessed as if they are all the same. A friend of mine is a teacher and she suggested he'd be bored in reception if I keep him back when he goes at age 5 years and 3 months but it seems not as there would still be foundational stuff covered there and it would ease him in more.

I just don't understand how they could even fit him into a full year one class unless someone leaves. Also what's the likelihood of him not getting a place at this school again next year? We live 5 minutes walk to the school. A teaching assistant lives on our street also who works at the school. That's my main concern although we have budgeted for and put him on a waiting list for a private forest school which is three days per week. So that would be our back up if there was any issues.

The research does indicate that it indeed levels out later on. And you are absolutely right in that they’re all held to the same standards and no allowance is made for the fact that some children are almost a year older than others, whilst they are assessed as individuals, ultimately, at the moment at least, they’ll all be assessed against the same early learning goals as having met or not met them. I don’t agree with your friend, there is so much to gain from a foundation year; even if your child has had home ed for a year before. And absolutely agree one of the main benefits would be a smoother transition, with children all new to the school, rather than finding his feet in an already established classroom and peer group where relationships have already been made- of course it’s possible and lots of children do it successfully, but given the choice, I would want my child to have the reception year. In terms of likelihood of getting a place again, I’d say if it’s an average..

Sized primary and you live within catchment, pretty likely. Unless there’s an exceptionally high birth rate next year, lots of LAC or EHCP that are allocated as a priority etc that could bump you down the list, but a 5min walk is very close for catchment.

@Chloe ah wish I knew that before! The thing is though, academically he is ready, it's just emotional and social that's the issue but he's been referred for ASD anyway which the school knows about so it potentially wouldn't make much difference. If anything I probably would have only wanted to do it until after Christmas term rather than a whole year so wouldn't really be in his best interests. But thanks for the information x

I am not deferring but I agree with your reasoning and desire to keep your kid at home for one extra year of play. I also think 4 is waaay too young, in many other European countries kids start much later and I feel in the UK the schooling is organised in the way that works better for the system and government and public finances, not for the kids’ development. There is a lot of value in free play at this age so pro-longing that is great