Primary school-what’s your opinion on delaying their start to primary?

My LG turns 4 and week later starts school. We aren't deferring her, reception is a lot like nursery with learning through play and I am sure she will love it once she settles in. From what I was told by the headteacher if we deferred a year, she would start straight in yr 1 so it's always worth checking with local authority

I haven't done it but I'm writing this from a UK teacher perspective. I work in EYFS, and I cannot tell you how vital those initial months are. Schools tend to do transition days etc. which will ease your child into the classroom. They get to meet all their classmates and create those first bonds and friends, which may be tricky if they join school whenever they turn 5 as relationships will already be formed. That first year at school is not like the other school years, they don't sit at tables for long and their lessons are incredibly short. Most of their learning is focused on play and they are allowed to choose what they play with and when. This slowly introduces them into a more structured school routine later in the year. Again, if your child only joins when they turn 5 they will miss on all this slow transition and will essentially be thrown into the deep end.

Also, just to clarify, in the UK, I do not believe the school will allow you to 'defer them a year', unless there were medical reasons. They would just allow you to wait until your child turns 5. But the child will have to be enrolled with the school for the September start date (even if you choose not to send them until their birthday). As they do not legally have to start school till 5, but once they are, the school will be forced to intervene and ensure that some form of education is being provided and you will have to prove it.

It’s worth knowing that if you don’t send them to school and wait until they’re 5 they will skip reception and go straight into year 1 which i think would be very difficult for any child, reception is much like nursery a lot of play but also a small amount of learning to get them ready for year 1 x

As a parent of a child that started school preverbal school has made a massive difference of giving her the help and support she needed. Being part of nursery obviously made that transition easier. I also have an autistic son who was a July baby and although academically he was fine it was more the social and self care side he struggled with. Again him being at school enabled us to fight for the support he needed. That said they did originally suggest he went part time.

We were thinking about it and almost went through with it but was told that if we defer that when we do send him he could risk skipping reception year and going into year 1. This is my experience with it.

The government website says that they don’t need to go straight to year 1 if you delay your child’s school start. You just need to request admission out of the normal age group with the local authority. It does state they the local authority gets to decide whether they should be admitted to reception or yr1 but they have to make the decision in the child’s best interest and state that it’s not usually in their best interest to miss reception. My son is an August baby and I’m definitely thinking of deferring until after his 5th birthday. I feel like at that age developmentally a year can make such a difference. I know that it definitely depends on the child and some will be fine after just turning 4. I wouldn’t want him to miss out on reception because, as others above me said, it makes the transition easier and everyone would have already been building friendships and I’d hate for him to feel left out. But if he can start from reception a year later I don’t really see a downside

Don’t skip Early years education, it’s an extremely vital part of their development; socially, emotionally not just educationally.

@Oliwia often times that year needs to be 'caught up' at a later point and on admission to secondary you would have to make the request again to be admitted out of normal age group into year 7. From what I have read/heard, most secondary schools will refuse so the child will be placed in year 8. I (July baby) skipped reception and went straight into year 1 age 5. I don't have particularly great memories from primary school, more so because of particular peers, and I was super shy/introverted (the reason my mother delayed) but I do remember spending year 1 whispering or not taking and hiding under my coat at playtime haha. It took a while to make friends as groups had already established.

Personally I wouldn't defer, as it sets her behind her peers. Kids all catch up by year 1, so I'd just send her and let her enjoy her time 🙂

I would also never defer, ultimately there has to be a cut off, if everyone decided their August babies were too young and deferred them then July babies would then be the youngest and where would it end. Reception is such an important year, they make their friends for the next 7 years and beyond potentially, and they come on so much, my daughter started in September and now can read all by herself, it’s crazy! Also it’s a complicated thing, either they are going to skip reception year altogether which would be at their detriment, or if you do manage to wangle them starting reception a year older then you come in to issues when it comes to secondary school. Age becomes really irrelevant as the school years go on in terms of ability.

My August 2020 started last September. And she’s too young emotionally. I really regret it. My second August born ( 2024) will start after her 5th baby. There is a period of time that’s necessary for them to really understand concept and how to express themselves. My personal experience as well as the fact she is the only child from her preschool her birth month who started school and all the rest will all start September 2025. Being intelligent /smart is different from emotional intelligence. I have 3 December babies so they all started at 4 years and 9 months. It’s such a huge difference.