When to start School

[megs]

I agree Astrid. My brother says he had to repeat kinder. He didn't he was an April baby and Mum preferred that he started school older. So he just did 2 years of kinder (not as much childcare 30 years ago). It is sad that he feels he has to say that he repeated kinder.

I think their should be a set rule for all states.

[Traveller]

I intend to listen to the podcast tonight once the kids are in bed, but I find the debate of when to start school very interesting. My case is slightly unusual, in that I have twins and (I feel) one is ready and the other is not for starting school in 2013. However I have decided I cannot hold girltwin back as she has been ready for a year now, and I cannot split them up, so they are both starting a week after they turn 5. The school has said they are both ready, the daycare agrees, it's only me who would prefer to hold boytwin back and being January babies I definitely would if it were not for his sister.

[wysiwyg]

Traveller - do you have any insights on the UK system? or get asked the question about the older starting age here (I will stop saying 'later')?

There is someone on here who is returning from UK whose child has been in school for a year over there and then starting here isn't there? Wish I could remember who - would be interested in hearing their perspective - nothing will change when my two will start but I would like to be able to give a decent explanation to people from UK when ask. Especially my mum - who thinks for DD we should move back so she could do a year and then come back for her to start school here in 2015 (something we will not be doing!). She worked in a nursery school ( a bit like daycare) in the UK and so has a good understanding of early years and school in UK - but none over here and doesn't really 'see' the massive jump from day care to school people talk about and as in UK you go when you go there isn't really a concept of 'readiness' for most school environments - and her reflections of my brother maybe doing better starting later are really only in hindsight and it might not have made any difference anyway.

[Traveller]

DS1 started school in Scotland before we moved here and over there it's much more intense from the get go. Academically he made bigger leaps in P1 in Scotland than he did in Prep, but I like the slow start the kids get here. Hopefully it means they won't burn out by the time they get to high school.

[YoYo]

I really want to come back when not on my phone.

We are coming back to oz from the UK. DS started school in sept and turned 5 (the eldest in his class) in October, and will start again (Perth pre-primary) in February. I didn't think 4yrs 11 months was early for him. He was well and truly ready.

More later.... Moving house today!

[wysiwyg]

Yules - I would love to hear your perspective - good luck with the move!

[wysiwyg]

Yules - like your new Avi - was thinking about this thread yesterday after reading lots of registering for school threads from people in the UK - hope your move and Christmas went ok.

[~Gee_Whizzy~]

I know this is an old thread but thought for anyone who's interested, tonight on 60 mins, there's going to be a report on the pros/cons of keeping your child back from starting school. I will be watching with interest as my DD1 turns 5 on 21 Jan 2014 and i'm so undecided as to what to do

[Emma09]

Thanks for letting us know- I will be watching.
My DD turns 5 on jan 19th 2015.

[~Gee_Whizzy~]

Thanks for letting us know- I will be watching.
My DD turns 5 on jan 19th 2015.

It's so hard isn't it!? Socially my DD is ready 110% but i worry that maturity wise, she's not quite there itms? Although she is quite headstrong and independent with us at home (and with ppl she knows/is comfortable with) she's very much a "follower" when at 4yr old kindy. Her 2 'best friends' are basically 1 year older as the 2 of them have both turned 5 over the last two weeks. Just some of the things she's come out with,(eg. She undressed one of her barbies and said "look at her sexy boobies Mum .I asked her where she heard that and she said "that's what B and Z said at kindy"

[Emma09]

There will definitely be pro's and con's either way you decide.
Thankfully I have just under 2 years to decide.

[Olive]

Thanks for letting us know...
DD2 will be 5 in feb 2014 and she won't start til the year after, been a school that has composite classes after prep, you have kids turning 8 with those who haven't yet turned 6 (they started at 4 yr olds) its a big gap

[~Gee_Whizzy~]

Thanks for letting us know...
DD2 will be 5 in feb 2014 and she won't start til the year after, been a school that has composite classes after prep, you have kids turning 8 with those who haven't yet turned 6 (they started at 4 yr olds) its a big gap

Yes this is exctly my concern Olive, I really don't like composites but i know *most* schools are now like this. I was in a composite in 4/5 and loathed it even though i was the grade 5!

[AliBaby]

I am sorry but half of ths stuff on 60minutes tonight is BS.

Every child is different. Birth date has nothing to do with it. There are so many other factors that are put into play.

In all my experience as a teacher, majority of the children who have really been behind the rest of the class and what I would call 'at risk' and have taken their cases to learning support have NOT been young. In most cases they are older and if they are older and 'bigger' in size, then there is absolutely no chance of repetition.


The best advice I can give is do not make a decision to send your child to school based on their age. Schools allow the age entry that they do for a reason. If they thought 'younger' students shouldnt attend then the minimum age for starting school would be increased. Speak to the carers at pre-school, think about your child, take your child to orientation days and listen to the teachers. All of that should determne your decision as to when to send your child to school.

Hope that helps.

[Olive]

Our decision wasn't based on age, it was based on social and emotional readiness.

[~Gee_Whizzy~]

I recorded it so haven't watched it yet.

As i mentioned earlier, my concern for *my* DD is to do with her maturity and her ability to make her own decisions rather than blindly following what her little friends are doing - it has nothing to do with her chronological age. Even if she was turning 5 this year and seeing how easily lead she has been so far at 4yr old kinder, i would STILL be undecided about whether or not to send her next year. It just so happens to be that she will be a "young" 5 if she does start next year.

[*EJ*]

My own personal opinion but... the mother of twins upset me a little by so flipantly saying just keep the child down if it becomes apparent that they aren't keeping up with the rest of the class (being that they started at a younger age). Having being held back in grade 3 it was a very difficult time for me and not one i would ever want to put my own children through. I'm sure my parents and my teacher were doing this in my best interest but emotionally it was so tough, i hated it and i've had to deal with it every since. I believe i started way too young and i paid for that academically, socially and emotionally.

Amoungst other reasons my children will start late and i'm greatful to be able to have the choice.

[wysiwyg]

Is it available online at all? Is becoming increasingly apparent to me I need to understand Aus school system more - this might not be the best thing to watch but at least would bring concepts into my awareness (eg the whole keeping down a year etc that never happened in UK when I went through school, given that children are all different and have different strengths and weaknesses on what basis would you be kept down a year once at school?) Mum asked me today when kids move to high school, and do they start uni younger here and I didnt know the answers.