"Being summer-born doesn't hold me back"

Children who are born in August can be almost a year younger than their peers in Reception. Read our vox-pop to see how big the problem really is and what help is available

Summer baby

Research shows there is a ‘birth penalty’ against children born during the summer months, who can enter school almost a year younger than their peers. This has prompted Schools Minister Ed Balls to recommend that parents should be given the choice as to when their summer-born children can start school.

At the moment, the latest children can start primary school in England is the beginning of the term following their fifth birthday. Mr Balls doesn’t plan to change this, rather to introduce greater parental choice.

We did a vox-pop of parents and teachers to see if this would really address the issue.

The summer-born child

“Harry (my four-year-old) was born June 21 and in the first couple of terms he really struggled compared with the older five-year-olds. He kept falling asleep in class and I had to go home to collect him!

"I think kids should start school at five because younger children struggle to keep up, physically as well as mentally. It took Harry between three to six months to catch up with the other kids.”

Simon, commercial manager

The summer-born mum

“I'm a June baby and so is one of my three kids. I don't think it has made a difference, certainly not in the long run. At first, the older ones may seem more mature/advanced, but this has never been reflected in their academic progress.

"As for me, I went to an fiendishly good nursery school, so by the time I started infant school I was way ahead of the rest of the year, bored stupid and formed a lifelong habit of staring out of the window assuming I knew it all already...”

Deri, magazine editor

The primary teacher

“My son was a summer-born child and when he started school we definitely noticed the difference between him and the other children. He noticed it too, throughout school, and he decided to take a year out before he began university so that he wouldn't always be the youngest.

"As a teacher, I’m very aware that summer-born children need more individual attention because if you don’t they can suffer badly and have gaps in their learning. In the Foundation year we always have both a teacher and teaching assistant in the classroom. The younger, summer-born children are kept in Foundation/Year One class for a further year, unless they’re gifted, to give them extra support/play, so they don’t struggle in the next class. This first class is so important – if they don’t have a strong foundation they’re likely to fail as they go through the school.”

Carole Stanton

The special needs teacher

“I believe it would be far more appropriate if children were allowed to start school when developmentally ready rather than chronologically.

“In the former Czechoslovakia, two simple tests were used to assess school readiness: Could a child draw a circle in both a clockwise and anti-clockwise direction? (This is the basic movement involved in forming letters when writing). Could the child touch one ear with the opposite hand and repeat this on the other side? (This shows whether a child is able to cross the midline of the body: a skill needed for the act of reading.)"

Mary Mountstephen, Millfield Preparatory School, Somerset

The September born child

“I was born in September and was definitely more confident, bigger and good at getting others to do my homework!”

James, advertising executive

"Being a summer-born child has pushed him on"

“My son Julian, who is nine, was born in August and is the second youngest in his class. I'm not sure it's held him back – if anything, it's pushed him to keep up. I do think it depends on the child, though.

“Julian’s school knows he is not as emotionally mature as many of the other boys in his class and this is great because it’s obvious sometimes!”

Megan

"Spring-born children are at a disadvantage"

“I have kids aged nearly 17 and 13. Both are March birthdays and even being in the second half of the year group affected them.

"The elder one went to a state village school until she was eight. They had two classes for three year groups and she was automatically kept in the lower group while the older half went up to be with older kids. That group forged ahead compared to the younger ones – which was one of the main reasons for moving her out of the state system.

“Even when they are 17 or 18 the summer kids are at a disadvantage learning to drive and getting into pubs and clubs!"

George, Wiltshire

Case study

When parental choice goes awry: "She should have gone to school later"

"My daughter Amelie was born in September and was a very bright little girl who needed masses of stimulation, so we sent her to school in the private sector a year early. She could keep up academically, but there were always emotional issues that dominated – being bullied, feeling left out, lacking in confidence.

“Her headmistress was adamant that Amelie should repeat the academic year at Year 6, however Amelie’s form teacher was totally opposed to this. As parents we went to see the head to discuss. We said that my husband had been very bright and went up to Oxford a year early. She said 'but how much better would he have been at Oxford if he had been emotionally mature'.

“We took her point, and Amelie repeated the year. She’s now at Oxford, with confidence, and managing all the external issues as well as the academic matters in a pretty balanced way. Looking back she should have gone to school later.

“I have know that some women go to elective caesarian sections, in order to get their baby born before the end of August, to have a child going early to school. Although childcare and Mum's time is taken up with kids an home for longer, in the end I do think it is best for the child to be as mature as they can.”

Selina, Wiltshire

Have your say

Do you have a summer-born child? What, if anything, has the school done to help and has it worked well? Let us know by posting a comment below