school children in england

[Midnight_Fairy]

Sorry put England as not sure its the same in Scotland or Wales?

Do you think children start school to young? I mean some children that are born May-August start school so young

We have the youngest starters in Europe.

Do you think this is possibly why boys do not tend to do aswel? Because they mature slower and miss important play years?

 

[Blah11]

No, I don't. They don't NEED to go when they're 4, you can keep them back another year if you think they're not ready anyway..

I was born in November so I went to school in the August when i was 4 and 8 months. The youngest girl in my class was born in the Feb and she was 4 and 5 months. The oldest boy was born in the january before making him 5 and 8 months so quite a big variation in ages.

 

[AppleBlossom]

No I think the fact they start younger is better as they can absorb more social skills as well as basic education

 

[Dragonfly]

They start at 4 here, never thought of it actually as I thought everyone was the same. I think its ok . Whats the stats on rest of the world then?

 

[HannahGraceee]

I don't think so, i started when i was 4 but everyone under 5 had there own playround and weren't allowed out to the big one untill our 5th birthday plus they absorb things better at a young age x

 

[PeanutBean]

I think it's fine. Reception year's only like nursery anyway so unless a child has been at home top school they'll already have had much the same experience.

I suspect the reasons for boys now doing less well are many and varied. Not least in recent years the education system has been opened up to girls in a way it previously wasn't and teaching styles have naturally adjusted to accommodate them perhaps in some cases at the expense of boys. I dunno. There is a whole big issue with young males underachieving. If there was answer answer I think there wouldn't be an issue!

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

No, I don't. They don't NEED to go when they're 4, you can keep them back another year if you think they're not ready anyway..

I was born in November so I went to school in the August when i was 4 and 8 months. The youngest girl in my class was born in the Feb and she was 4 and 5 months. The oldest boy was born in the january before making him 5 and 8 months so quite a big variation in ages.

In England, you can keep them home until they are 5 legally but they will have to start into the year they would have started (my son was born august 2004 and I could have legally kept him until he was 5 BUT I was not allowed to put him into year R, he would have had to have started into year 1 with all the other kids his age. This is ridiculous as obviously friendship groups would have been made) I did appeal to my LEA but this was the verdict, so yes its legal but its not as straight forward as people think. You cant just decide. You have to appeal your case.

I personally think there is a huge difference in the girls that are nearly 5 and the boys that are only just 4 in the same year.

My son was 4yrs 3 weeks when he started. Year R was fine as mostly play. Year 1 was fine but year 2 he is really struggling. He is only just 6 (last month) and he is preparing for his SATS. he is only just 6!! Academic wise he is fine and above average for many many things but I know him and a lot of boys (and few girls) in his class are struggling with the strict change from year 1- year 2. He is just not ready for all work no play.

I personally think just 4 is TO young. I don't know why the rest of Europe and other places in the world start them later apart from us?


I would have never thought it would be a problem until my son actually started school. Are there any other mums here of July or august babys who felt different when they started? As I think it affects you more when its a personal thing.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7234578.stm

 

[PeanutBean]

I think SATs are ridiculous at any age!

If I recall correctly I think there is evidence that the maturity gap between girls and boys levels out by GCSE. It's a bit foggy as it's been a while since I did my PGCE work.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

I agree with the sats thing.

Socially doesn't make a huge amount of difference as they get that at preschool but I think its just to much too soon sometimes.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7178969.stm

 

[marley2580]

I do think that they start too early. I think they would be better starting about 6, but in this country so much emphasis is on getting the kids into nursery then school in order to allow the mum to go back to work. I think there's less pressure on mums to go back to work in other countries (IMO).

 

[PeanutBean]

I think we probably have some of the best statutory maternity benefits though plus the new government is swiftly making it impossible for people to be able to afford childcare. Not to start a row but I resent the assumption that women should be staying at home. Perhaps women in other countries are pressured to give up work, that's certainly the case in Japan. The only pressure for us is financial, apart from my sister I am the only mother I know who works full time. If we get no government support for childcare after my next mat leave DH will have to give up work to look after the kids.

 

[indy and lara]

Things work quite a bit differently in Scotland. If your 5th birthday falls between the 1st of March 2010 and the 28th of February 2011 then you can start school in August 2010. You can defer due to age if your LO is a January/ February birthday and they can do another year at nursery.

Most children are able to cope in P1. I have found that often those who are deferred are fine for the 1st few months of the next year in nursery but become quicklt bored. P1 here is active learning based but it is far from play all day. If your LO is deferred they just join the next P1 intake the following August.

I had a parent who had a LO who didn't fit the deferring criteria who chose to do it anyway but she did not get a place in our nursery. I also had someone who insisted her LO should go to P1 when he clearly wasn't. This was because she wanted him in a FT place and that wasn't available in the Nursery. he has now had to repeat P1 and this was a lot more damaging to his self esteem than doing another year in Nursery would have been. He is aware he couldn't manage.

 

[marley2580]

I certainly did not say that women should stay home and bring up the kids, but I do think that it should be an option open to women without any pressure either way. If it's so good for kids to go to school at 4/5 why do our kids come out unable to read and write? Why do other countries outperform us?

 

[PeanutBean]

I don't think that many kids come out illiterate and I doubt it will be directly linked to age of starting school, there are so many other factors in their 11 years in education. Do other countries out perform us? I'd like to see some tables. I doubt we're at the top but I'll bet we're quite high up out of all countries in the world. There are lots of good and bad things about our education system, I think it would be difficult to pin the blame for underachievement on age starting school. There are lots of social and indeed parental factors that have a negative impact on children's individual education regardless of how their school is.

 

[Aidan's Mummy]

No I don't think its to young. At four they are in reception. In their first year of school it is mostly play centred
Children learn through play and the staff will set up differnt activitys so they can learn the topics they have to in play
Xx

 

[Blue_bumpkin]

In answer to the original post.. yes I feel that 4 is just a tad young.

Adam was a february baby so will probs end up being one of, if not the youngest in his class.

God Adam starting school is a scary thought!

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

No I don't think its to young. At four they are in reception. In their first year of school it is mostly play centred
Children learn through play and the staff will set up differnt activitys so they can learn the topics they have to in play
Xx

Yes this is true and as I stated it is fine for year R and year 1 but in year 2 they are expected to suddenly sit down alot more and its no longer as fun as it was. My son has just started year 2 he has only been 6 for about 3 weeks and I am really noticing that he would be fine in year 1 but year 2 is a struggle and its not just my son. I am sure he will adapt but its not the point.

I think its different when you have a child going through it. Before it was my child I would probably say no we dont start to young but when you see cause and effects its a bit difference (no offence lol)

 

[coccyx]

My daughter was 3 in July and in the September started foundation stage. She goes to school 8am to 1pm. Loves it. At the end of her first year she knew all her letters and counted to 20. Most of the learning experiences involved play, but attends school assembly and some formal structure to the day.