School starting age

Key Stages 1-2 and SATs advice

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Amber
Posts: 8058
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:59 am

School starting age

Post by Amber »

I shall post this without comment as I have made my views on this clear already so many times on this site. But a tiny little bit more support for my opinions. As someone on the generally horribly predictable comment thread said, a voice in the wilderness - but worth trying to publicise it anyway.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/ed ... -says.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Yamin151
Posts: 2405
Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2013 8:30 am

Re: School starting age

Post by Yamin151 »

Completely, utterly, wholeheartedly AGREE!!
berks_mum
Posts: 939
Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2013 4:52 pm

Re: School starting age

Post by berks_mum »

+1. I would say we should wait till 7yrs i.e DCs should start school after their 7th B'day.
My grandmother used to say that first seven years of life are very important and children should have full freedom then they will develop the right body-mind capacity to learn. Right, wrong, discipline, education, manners and etiquettes should start after 7th birthday.
Peridot
Posts: 2195
Joined: Thu May 16, 2013 5:02 pm

Re: School starting age

Post by Peridot »

I am aghast at the idea of a formal baseline test at the age of four. Absolutely they should be playing at this age. It is completely wrong that children are expected not only to attend school in Reception but to stay at school all day.

Before mine went to school they attended a fantastic (and sadly now closed as the owner had had enough of OFSTED) old fashioned nursery school two or three mornings a week where they played indoors and out, sang and socialised with each other. They loved it and learned so much about being human beings. It's the lack of play and socialisation that seems so damaging to me about starting formal school so early.
magwich2
Posts: 866
Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2008 5:33 pm

Re: School starting age

Post by magwich2 »

DDs experience doing a placement before beginning her teacher training course was that many of the reception children spent much of their time crying or looking sad because they wanted to be at home. Really cruel to send them to an institution at the age of 4 or 5 or 6 - reminiscent of the victorians and they don't really learn anything for umpteen years anyway. Whatever they painfully learn in infant school will be picked up quickly enough in year 3.
All 3 of my children would have failed baseline tests miserably!
magwich2
Posts: 866
Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2008 5:33 pm

Re: School starting age

Post by magwich2 »

DDs experience doing a placement before beginning her teacher training course was that many of the reception children spent much of their time crying or looking sad because they wanted to be at home. Really cruel to send them to an institution at the age of 4 or 5 or 6 - reminiscent of the victorians and they don't really learn anything for umpteen years anyway. Whatever they painfully learn in infant school will be picked up quickly enough in year 3.
All 3 of my children would have failed baseline tests miserably!
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