Starting school but just 4 days a week?

[Fuschia]

I do

My phone has a mind of its own!!

[Moos]

Ah.

[cuppa tea]

I know that you are able to defer a school place until the term after the child is 5, but does anyone know if you can put them back a year from the beginning, so they start a whole year later? I am assuming not. Also would be interested to hear if anyone has deferred a place and how it worked out.

[Fuschia]

You can defer for a full year but then the child would go straight into year 1 and you would have to take your chance on getting a place.

I think in practice deferring a term is about as much as would be sensible, and you would need to weigh up the pros and cons

[cuppa tea]

So they would go back into their year to fit their age group? Can they go into the year below and you re-apply for a school place? I am guessing they would consider this to be sort of an unfair advantage? But presumably if you can defer until the term after your child's 5th birthday, then those born in August would start the following September? Am I making any sense at all?!!

[Fuschia]

You're right ct

A child who is 4 next month can start school in sept 2011 ... Or defer any time until the beginning of the term after they're 5 ... So sept 2012

But they would go straight into year 1 if they did that, and the place wouldn't be kept open that long

[cuppa tea]

Hmmmm, so it's dubious how helpful deferring really is then. Interesting though.

[Fuschia]

I think deferring for a term

Or two is an option but there would be lots of things to consider

[Moi23]

My son will start reception in september too. A large aspect of the first few months in my mind is the social relationships that develop. I believe schools are very reluctant to allow children to be away during these months because they end up missing out on these developments. Establishing good friendships could totally shape the attitude of the child towards school.

The reason I say this, is when my son was younger I had terrible difficulty settling him in 2 days at nursery. When he went to the school nursery I was really dreading it, but actually the daily continuity really helped and to my surprise he loved going to school. Of course every child is different and you have to always take that into account. Perhaps a good chat with the teachers (do they do home visits?) to figure out whats best for your daughter and keep an open mind either way.

Can't help agreeing that however wonderful and stimulating the home environment can be, it will never quite offer the same as a classroom. It is all part of the process of growing up and gaining independance, otherwise I almost feel you're holding them back.

[The Nappy Lady]

ladywotlunches, I am in the same boat as you - DD2 is an early Oct baby & would have started nursery this coming January 2012 but now under the single intake she has to wait until September 2012 when she will be weeks off turning 4.

Doing the school run with her sister every day she is desperate to start already poor girl & many of her playmates who are just weeks older than her are starting this Sept.

I know there has to be a cut off somewhere but I wish there was a better way.

[Fuschia]

NL, she is entitled to her free 15h from Jan 2012 still.. so if a place comes up in the school nursery she could be admitted (schools tend to go by birthdate)

The knock on effect for school nurseries of the single point of entry to reception, is a problem for both parents of autumn born children, and for schools in some areas, who predict nursry vacancies

[BB100]

There can be a lot of advantages to deferring a school place. The adult-child ratio in preschools and nurseries are much better and so a child can receive much more attention than in a Reception class. The resources and activities provided tend also be more varied and less formal, the day can be much more interesting for the children and there tends to be more freedom. Of course, that does depend on what nursery and also what Reception class but I've spent a lot of time in many different Reception and nursery classes and the children always seem much happier in nursery than in Reception.

[cuppa tea]

BB100 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> There can be a lot of advantages to deferring a

> school place. The adult-child ratio in preschools

> and nurseries are much better and so a child can

> receive much more attention than in a Reception

> class. The resources and activities provided tend

> also be more varied and less formal, the day can

> be much more interesting for the children and

> there tends to be more freedom. Of course, that

> does depend on what nursery and also what

> Reception class but I've spent a lot of time in

> many different Reception and nursery classes and

> the children always seem much happier in nursery

> than in Reception.

Thanks for this. My gut instinct is to postpone school as long as possible. It's the freedom aspect that I am most concerned about really. To lose all that freedom at 4 is just too soon. The 'play' that they do in reception doesn't seem to be free play to me...it's pretty contrived.

[BB100]

katgod Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

To be honest I

> am/was a sceptic about learning through play, but

> it works, they learn by osmosis somehow.

There is an enormous amount of research on learning through play, which I won't bore you with, but the theory is that children learn and operate at their highest level during play because it makes sense, is more interesting and the experences are richer and more complex.

The most enriching type of learning through play is with adult support and extension rather than just letting children play freely. This is what Reception is meant be, but there are very few teachers that actually understand early years.

[Renata Hamvas]

Just to clarify on the rules on this, if your child is 4 before the 1st September, ie due to start school this September, their entry can be deferred to the term after their 5th birthday. You can't, however, defer to September 2012 if you child has a summer birthday as this means they lose their allocated place at primary and are starting with a different school year (You would have to reapply for primary schools). Probably the latest reasonable time to start would be the start of Easter term for spring-summer birthday children. You need to inform the school that your child will have a deferred entry so that their place is held. Remember also, if you defer, as well as missing learning to read/write with the rest of their class, they will be missing out on the early social interaction with the peers they will be spending their primary years with.

Renata

[cuppa tea]

Renata Hamvas Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Just to clarify on the rules on this, if your

> child is 4 before the 1st September, ie due to

> start school this September, their entry can be

> deferred to the term after their 5th birthday. You

> can't, however, defer to September 2012 if you

> child has a summer birthday as this means they

> lose their allocated place at primary and are

> starting with a different school year (You would

> have to reapply for primary schools). Probably the

> latest reasonable time to start would be the start

> of Easter term for spring-summer birthday

> children. You need to inform the school that your

> child will have a deferred entry so that their

> place is held. Remember also, if you defer, as

> well as missing learning to read/write with the

> rest of their class, they will be missing out on

> the early social interaction with the peers they

> will be spending their primary years with.

> Renata

Yes I understand this. What I did want to know was if I don't put my 4 year old in school this September and re-apply for a school place...which year will they put him in? Will he go into reception? Or will he go into the year that matches his age?

[Fuschia]

cuppa tea Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

>

> Yes I know all this. What I did want to know was

> if I don't put my 4 year old in school this

> September and re-apply for a school place...which

> year will they put him in? Will he go into

> reception? Or will he go into the year that

> matches his age?

The latter

[cuppa tea]

Bummer!

[Renata Hamvas]

Cuppa Tea,

your son would go into year 1, ie would miss reception. Also be aware that primaries in this area tend to be full, so you would be relying on a child leaving after reception for your child to get a place (with a deferred entry, the place at your allocate primary wouldn't be kept open a full school year, so your child would lose their place).

Renata

[cuppa tea]

Thanks for that Renata. I guess it makes sense, otherwise I would imagine plenty of people would want to put their kids back a year and it would cause chaos. Shame though. The boys just seem so much younger in general.