Do you have a summer born child? Have you considered decelerating their school start? Did you even know it was an option? If your child is born between 1 April - 31 August, they will not reach compulsory school age (CSA), until the Autumn term after they turn 5. During that academic year, there are options for you to decelerate or attend on a reduced timetable.
I have to say when I learnt of my daughters due date, I was horrified..... 31st August! Surely, I could hold on, surely I would go past term. Daughter number one was 10 days late but daughter number two had other ideas. My waters broke early and there was no amount of leg crossing that would keep her in. Right from the start I knew I wanted to provide her the time and space she needed. I didn't want to rush her childhood and end up in formal education too early.
"She'll be fine!" When we started inquiring about deferring, this was the response from most people. "Fine" wasn't good enough for me. Yes, she might "cope" or "get used to it," but that wasn't enough. I didn't want my little girl starting out her school life working harder than others to keep up and just be"fine". As a teacher, I'd seen how often summer borns came into school but were just not ready.
I wanted her to thrive! Thriving was my objective. Fine just didn't cut it. I wanted my little girl to be able to mature in her own time. I wanted her to; develop greater self awareness, have confidence in expressing her needs and, most importantly have the stamina to do it. There's a huge difference between a child who has just turned 5 year old and one who has just turned 4! My just turned 4 year old was only just sleeping through the night. She was only just at the point of meeting some of her most basic needs. Poor sleep meant she couldn't concentrate, she had a shorter temper (I think the same could be said for us all) and that easily led to overwhelm and meltdowns at the end of each day. In my opinion she wasn't ready.
Fortunately, our school were very receptive to our request and our admissions authority were supportive too. I wrote the letter requesting our deceleration in January 2020, not knowing what was about to come. Writing the letter was cathartic in itself. I could get all my thoughts and concerns down on paper, edit them and create a succinct crystallised view of why deceleration was in the best interest of our daughter. When I showed others, it was the first time I felt they understood what we were trying to achieve. I just wanted time. Time for her to grow, mature, play, go deeper with her understanding and broaden her experiences. I didn't want to rush her through her childhood, set her up to fail and find her labelled right at the beginning of her school journey.
Roll forward to September 2021 and my daughter, at 5 years and 11 days, confidently started her school career. I have no regrets. We had given her the time she needed and she was now ready.
Whilst it won't be for everyone, I'd encourage you to investigate this option. If you are interested, check out the points to consider below.
You might like to consider:
Get talking. Talk to the nursery, talk to prospective schools, talk to your parter, talk to trusted friends and family. What are the pro and cons in your unique context?
Get the facts. Heads, Early Years Teachers, Nurseries and friends might not have the facts.
Here's the law: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-admissions-code--2?fbclid=IwAR2wGmV33WSbcoBDXzE0YqNjkmy692DAgwOIPrII4QFwDT-5YhBFTYcwk8s
Here's the guidance for parents: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/summer-born-children-school-admission?fbclid=IwAR2v1-_rupDH84tc-OT3reA8y4Q8o7fQnSFPzHIAOS0tq1D7u_2E-A0kVwI
Know the admissions authority for each school you are applying to: https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/
Learn the language
Summer Born = 1 April - 31 August inclusive
Defer / Deferral usually refers to an age 4 start but later in the academic year
Delay / Deceleration usually refers to starting in Reception class at Compulsory School Age (CSA)
Be aware that some admission authorities use the above terms interchangeably or might use their own terms.
Focus on the main question. "When my summer born child starts at compulsory school age (CSA) is it in their best interests to be placed into Reception or go straight into Year One?"
You don't have to decide right now. You can apply for a school place and deceleration concurrently.
Get clear on what your child needs. You are the expert on your child and best placed to know what they need. Check out my advocacy blog for more tips.
Get in touch Jo@theearlyyearscoach.com I'm really happy to do a free 30 minute call to see how I can help or if I can signpost you to another professional.
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