Starting school at 5- anyone else heard this?

[klc106]

Hi

One of our parents went to drop her older child at school this morning and said to the teacher that her little one will be starting next September, the teacher then asked how old she is (4 in June next year) and the teacher replied saying children won't be starting school until they are 5 so it will be the year after!

 

Has anyone else heard anything like this?? We are based in Leicestershire and I haven't heard anything like it.

 

Thanks

[Mouseketeer]

I was reading that they are saying children shouldn't miss out on the reception year IF parents defer their place, think it may have been in the under 5 mag, but can't quite remember.

[lsp]

Isn't parental choice? I thought parents will have the right to defer their summer born children for a year but they will then go into reception rather than year 1? That's how I understood it but I could be wrong?????

[blondie]

thats what i understood too - if a parent wants to defer a summer born child they will go into year r rather than year 1 which is what happens now - i know this because a parent who wanted to defer her child moaned to me about it saying" if only she was going into school next september because she wouldn't be - i would be deferring her "(hope that makes sense?)

[Fredbear]

Yes that's my understanding. Not that all children will be starting at five.

[klc106]

Thanks all, that makes sense now as I have heard that. Parent must have misunderstood.

[catma]

Indeed. Statutory school age is 5. Children have to be in education (school or home educated) the term after 5th birthday. For some that meant they might skip reception and go sttraight into Yr1. Although children can be out of year group this is at the discretion of the LA and the school. Parents can currently hold a reception place and defer starting their child until term after 5th birthday but the school does not have to hold the place beyond the reception year so the parent might have to reapply for a school place and risk not having their school of choice.

The current Govt proposal is to allow parents of summer born children (1st April - 31st Aug to defer for a full year and their child would start school already aged 5 in the reception year instead.

 

Might be OK with the parents at that point but I wonder about the thoughts of the 18yr old going on 19 who will have to remain at school to complete A levels and how they might feel then...being a child who was out of year group by being a year ahead(so although autumn birthday I was the very youngest) it did make a difference.

Cx

[BroadOaks]

Thanks to this post it has answered a question i got asked just this morning regarding this issue. So it's the term after, that a summer born child reaching the age of 5, can then start School, but in Year 1. I feel a good way to solve this would be to baseline a child starting school for 4 - 6 weeks then decide if they need to do a term or 2 in reception to complete the EYFS stage, or go into Yr1 and start KS1.. because after all every child is unique!

[Conker]

I thought there was a difference between deferring and delaying for summer born children, it then poses problems in later school life as a lot of sports insist children play in their age group not their year group. Also depending on the secondary school they can insist the child misses out on year 7 and goes straight into year 8. It also poses problems in additional literacy and numeracy for the end of the foundation stage for us as a setting if the child then goes straight into year 1.

[finleysmaid]

this is still in discussions...the government has not put anything in place yet. The plan (TMK) is that if a child delays entry till the next year that they will stay in this year group for the whole of their school career. There will be no swop at a later stage.

There is a difference between delay and defer. All parents have the right to delay until after their child's 5th birthday deferral often has to be agreed by the lea and the school. The child will not go in to year one but in to reception ( I suspect that this will be more for those children who turn four JUST before entry)

[MarshaD]

Thanks to this post it has answered a question i got asked just this morning regarding this issue. So it's the term after, that a summer born child reaching the age of 5, can then start School, but in Year 1. I feel a good way to solve this would be to baseline a child starting school for 4 - 6 weeks then decide if they need to do a term or 2 in reception to complete the EYFS stage, or go into Yr1 and start KS1.. because after all every child is unique!

Indeed, they are all unique. One of the brightest children I ever taught was born on 31st August.