What is all this in the news about children being required to start school age four? All of mine started at that age, so what is changing?
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why o’h why do we need to send our children to school at this age. Did we not have them to spend time with them? A lot of children may be ready educationally wise but NOT emmotionally. They still find it hard to hang coats up let alone do them up when they have them on. Social skills still need to be learnt…… sitting still at the food table,using a knife and fork ect. I hear a lot of you saying,” they will learn this by all sitting together” this is true, but just imagine a table of 6 children x that by 20 and you then have a lot of children to encourage to do these things. As good as the dinner ladies are lets face it they want the children fed and out of the hall so it can be cleand up in time. Children of this age need to be away from the school enviroment other wise they are instatunalised at such an early age….. they may land up spending 17 years or more in education. Where are thier life skills comming from? Where are the kisses and cuddles comming from at four years old? Come on people enjoy your children… they are not with us for long!!
I COULD NOT AGREE WITH YOU MORE. TO. ME ITS ABOUT KISSES AND LOTS OF LOVE THAT MAKES CHILDREN OF THAT AGE AND OLDER THAT MAKES THEM THRIVE
I think it may be different in different parts of the country. In Dorset children all start in the September before they turn 5 so some start 11 months before they turn five. We used to have staggered intakes through the year I think (years ago). I think it is a bit unfair on the smaller ones to start this soon. In answer to your question, I don’t know.
I think it does vary a lot around the country, and maybe there should be a standard for everyone. If the EYFS is being implemented properly, then they should all have a similarly low key, play orientated approach to their learning until Key Stage One anyway, which is what they need at four, but certainly, mine struggled with the full time nature of it. We were allowed to collect them at lunchtime if they were tired, but mine didnt want to leave their friends and miss out on what was happening. So they just ended up over-tired!
In the UK children must attend school from the age of 5. Failure to send you child to school at this age will raise concerns from the local authorities. However, many parents choose to send their children from aged 4. Aged 4 is optional, Aged 5 is not. I presume all the chatter is about lowering teh compulsary start date to 4 years old.