Do Summer Babies Struggle At School?
Posted by: Kevin Mulryne
Sue in Conversation with Tina Stubbs, Life’s Little Bugs
Available until Friday 16th November, after which it will only be available to members of Sue’s Online Parenting Club
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This week’s episode of the Sue Atkins Parenting Show is sponsored by Nexus Education
Full details are below in the Sponsor Section of the Show Notes
In this week’s episode
In this week’s episode Do Summer Babies Struggle At School?
Summer babies: Would you like your child born in July or August to start school later?
Why crying once a week is the secret to a stress-free life
Would you change your child’s surname after splitting from your partner?
Plus …
I’m on BBC Radio talking about Lawnmower Parents!
Connect with Tina Stubbs
Website – Life’s Little Bugs
Twitter – @lifeslittlebugs
Facebook – Life’s Little Bugs
Instagram – lifeslittlebugs
Life’s Little Bugs – Good Habits Start Young
Life’s Little Bugs is an award-winning business providing workshops and training to schools and nurseries, as well as offering online courses to teachers, parents or entrepreneurs looking to run educational workshops as part of a new or existing portfolio.
Their award-winning books and products are all aimed at encouraging and supporting young children in the practice of fundamental habits to help their development into mindful, healthy, confident and caring young adults!
Tina’s range of books include:
- Doodle Bug: Doodle Bug is obsessed with drawing on…everything! Always ready with a spare paint brush in his hat. Read how he upsets others through his disrespect of their things and how a little thoughtfulness gives a happy ending.
- Fitness Bug: Fitness Bug loves nothing more than a healthy meal and a few star jumps to liven himself up. Join him in his story and read how he helps others, like ‘Stan the Frog’ who is too much of a ‘lump to jump’. Read how he helps change their sluggish ways for a more fun and happier life!
- Gum Bug: Gum Bug loves to damage our teeth and gums with his ‘plaque attack!’ But we can prevent this from happening by learning how to stop him giving us bad teeth with his nasty ways by following the simple oral care rules in this book.
- Flu Bug: Colds and coughs aren’t much fun, but Flu Bug thinks it’s all in a day’s work to share himself around! Find out why the pigs don’t want to cough and the birds don’t want to wheeze.
- Hum Bug: Hum Bug is that miserable little bug who always says ‘I can’t!’ Enjoy reading how positive thinking helps Hum Bug to think ‘I can!’ and what a positive change it makes to his life and those around him.
- Tummy Bug: With his swirling tummy of green and yellow, Tummy Bug is a rather unhygienic fellow. Read how Jeff the cat and Mrs Beamer keep him away and learn how you can prevent those nasty illnesses by reading where Tummy Bug Lives and then put into practice doing the things he doesn’t!
For more information on these and Tina’s other products, please visit her online shop
Our Show Sponsor – Nexus Education
Nexus Education is an online community for over 11,000 teachers across the UK sharing ideas, best practise and CPD (all for free) via the form of blogging and vlogging.
Nexus Education also run their acclaimed NeXworking events where they donate £1,000 to school groups in exchange for just 90 mins at a termly meeting. During this 90 mins the schools get to workshop with solutions that have been hand picked to answer their specific needs. Since September 500 schools have already come on board and we encourage you too as well!
Visit www.nexus-education.com/nexworking for more info on how to claim £1,000 for your local school group!
Connect with Nexus Education
Related product:
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View productDon’t Stew – Ask Sue Parenting Q & A
At such a young age, this could represent a significant difference in development. Some parents report not feeling that their four-year-olds are emotionally or physically mature enough to start school yet, and should be allowed to grow up a bit more before starting.
Speaking in December, schools minister Nick Gibb acknowledged there is “a link between the month that your child is born and academic results”, especially in primary years.
There are two main options for parents who don’t think their child is ready for school yet.
If you think your child would benefit from just a few more months at home, you can delay their start up until their fifth birthday.
You might, for example, want your child born in June to start school at the start of the spring or summer term, instead of in September. (Children have to start school, at the latest, at the start of the term after their fifth birthday).
Alternatively, you might want your child to start reception in September the year after they would ordinarily start.
You can request this, if your child is born between April and August – but councils don’t have to grant your request.
At the moment, the decision to let your child defer is in the hands of the individual schools and local authorities.
In 2015, the Department for Education said it would look at changing admissions rules so that children born between April 1 and August 31 would always be allowed to start reception a year later if their parents want – this was reiterated by school’s minister Nick Gibb in December, but changes have not yet been made.
So, for now, parents rely on the discretion of schools and local authorities.
Contact your local admissions department directly, with any evidence you may have which backs up the idea that your child isn’t yet ready for school.
Premature Babies
Options available for children born premature and starting school
One reason you might want to delay your child’s school start is that because of your child’s premature birth they have now fallen into the ‘wrong’ year group.
You may also feel that your child hasn’t reached the developmental level they need to be at to be ready for school.
There is no legal barrier to children starting school a year outside of their chronological age group.
However, schools are often reluctant to allow children to start their first school year when they are five and Government Guidance on the Admission of summer born children stresses that parents ‘can’t insist’ their child is placed out of their normal year group.
Additional Information
Great advice from Bliss
Here is an article I found that might help you:
Summer babies: Can children born in July or August start school later – and is it better for them?
I visited Dubai back in May and was interviewed by Jenny Mollon from Which School Advisor – here is my article based on that interview:
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