# What age to start Primary school?



## bren1916 (26 Jan 2009)

Folks,

I have my eldest son ( he'll be 4 in March ) down to start in the local Primary school next September.
We are now having second thoughts as we've had advice from a National School Principal amongst others that boys should not start school until at least 5yrs old as they aren't ready for it.
I'd appreciate any advice from parents who've been through this although I 'm aware a lot depends on the child himself..


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## car (26 Jan 2009)

All discussed recently


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## bren1916 (26 Jan 2009)

car said:


> All discussed recently


 
That previous discussion/question was in relation to a girl...I think you'll find there is a subtle difference between the two - specifically emotional differences.


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## car (26 Jan 2009)

..but the anecdotal experiences will be the same, ie, depends on the educational and emotional maturity, some children (boys and girls) will be ready at 4, others wont, some who started at age 4 will be held back later in their school life, others wont,  only you will know your child and whether theyre emotionally ready.    
From reading the other thread, not all about girls, there doesnt seem to be a strong case for either waiting or going ahead so it all depends on the parent and what you think.


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## Smashbox (26 Jan 2009)

It would depend on how well he is getting on with other kids. Is he in a playschool right now? If he can do well at playschool, I think he would be fine for 'big school'


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## Happy Girl (26 Jan 2009)

Just purely from my own experience I have son who was 4 in April and I decided not to start him in school the following Sept. He did one year in playschool and one year in Montessori (as I personally feel 2 years in the same playschool does them no favours as they become bored easily). He is now 14 years old and started secondary school last September. While it may not be down specifically to waiting until he was five to start school we have never had any issues. He was so ready for secondary school last Sept whereas the previous year I do not think emotionally or socially he was fully ready for the "big bad world" of secondary school. It has been such a smooth transition this year. Anyway this is just my take on it for what's its worth. At the end of the day all I would say is go with your own instincts either way. Trust your own instinct.


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## Smashbox (26 Jan 2009)

Happy Girl said:


> Trust your own instinct.


 
Definatly the best advice to go with


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## michaelm (26 Jan 2009)

bren1916 said:


> I'd appreciate any advice from parents who've been through this although I 'm aware a lot depends on the child himself..


We started our eldest boy (February born) at 4 and 7 months.  It was too young.  Although he was bright he was very immature (even for his age) and had trouble concentrating.  We worked hard with him re homework etc but it was a struggle.  We we're lucky that a place became available and we were able to have him repeat 1st class.  He's doing well now.  If we had it over we would have kept him until 5 years.  Our second boy and first girl started at 5 years and have no problems.  Our second girl will be 4 and 8 months starting. My view is that boys (and maybe girls if it's the first child) should wait until they are 5 years.  Younger siblings seem to be brought on by their elders and girls are miles ahead of boys.  I think that being a year older starting Secondry and doing exams will benefit a child also.


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## Mar123 (26 Jan 2009)

Our little boy will be four and a half this September, we have decided to wait until next year to send him to school, at 5 1/2 years. Even though his development is fine, and he is very sociable, we thought it best to wait. Our reasons are that he is a boy, and the bit of extra maturity will help him cope down the line. If there are problems like dyslexia, dyscalculia etc, they can't really be determined until he is at least 8, so if these problems arise, again he will have that bit more maturity do deal with them. Schools do not hold students back anymore, so better safe than sorry, for the sake of one year.


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## joanmul (26 Jan 2009)

From my experience with our son, the later you start boys the better. It's not really fair on them to keep them back a year somewhere down the line, as they've made their friends already, and some feel a stigma to being kept back. Our son's birthday is at the end of September, and we started him in September when he was not even 4. I thought at the time that he would be better in school then in playschool but didn't really know any better at the time. He was so so immature, especially for maths.


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## bren1916 (27 Jan 2009)

Many Thanks folks, I was all for starting him this Sept but I'll go with the wife and the general view out there that 5 is a better age for boys.


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## j26 (27 Jan 2009)

Hi, I was the OP on the girl thread.

What we've decided to do is start her in Naoinra and let the people who will be teaching her advise us as to the best course of action.

Mrs 26 is still looking for reasons to hold her back, but she has agreed that the experts will be the people who spend time with her and can judge how ready she is.

She started yesterday (big moment for her) but seems to be settling in fine.  Funnily enough, it's her friend in the class who is stopping her from playing with other children.

Best of luck in your decision, and for what its worth, if it was a boy I'd be more inclined to hold back (but would still look for the advice of the people who know him).


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## eheveran (27 Jan 2009)

My son started school when he was four (birthday 1st Aug, started school 28th Aug). Big mistake.  Looking back, he was mature enough for the school, and able to socialise well, but he struggled with basics like writing letters and numbers.  the muscles in his hands weren't sufficiently strong to cope with the tasks. And he found it exhausting - as I did after many many nights colouring in his homework!! He repeated junior infants and is flying now.  Incidentally my daughter started school when she was four and never looked back.  Big difference between boys and girls.


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## Joe1234 (27 Jan 2009)

Mar123 said:


> Our little boy will be four and a half this September, we have decided to wait until next year to send him to school, at 5 1/2 years.



Does anyone know what age must the child legally be at school?


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## PaddyBloggit (27 Jan 2009)

Children are not obliged to attend school before the age of 6.

6 is the magic number.


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## Joe1234 (28 Jan 2009)

PaddyBloggit said:


> Children are not obliged to attend school before the age of 6.
> 
> 6 is the magic number.



Thanks for that.  I knew there was some age, but was not sure exactly what it was.


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## bren1916 (28 Jan 2009)

Thanks folks, the overwhelming consensus seems to be 5 for the boys!
I started myself at 4 and a half but sure then again it was the 70's so it was wither school or sit and watch yer woman doing x's and o's on BBC2 all day..


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## el88s (29 Jan 2009)

i have had 4 kids, the ones that started at 5 did better. i had one who was 4 in the april,and i sent him.it was a disaster from beginning to end ..definitely leave him for another year. even if he is clever. it will pay off in the long run. i promise.


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## part-timer (30 Jan 2009)

Hi,
I just want to say that of the little part-timers (all boys) the middle child started school at 4yrs and 4months. He is the youngest in his class.  We got a little hassle from junior infant teacher at the begining as she said he was too young but after getting to know him even she admitted he was well able and would have been bored with another year in play-school/montessori.  He is constantly in the top in the class (academically) and is very popular with all his class-mates.  I'm not one for singing my own kids praises - I have two others and they were older going to school (4 yrs 9 months and 5 yrs 1 month) and they are fine but not as good (academically) - So it really does depend on the child and only you can make the decision. It annoys me when people make sweeping gereralisations about what age children should go to school!!


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## june (31 Jan 2009)

Hi , my son's 4th birthday was last february. Even though he had done playschool I knew he was much too immature in himself to start school. It had nothing to do with intelligence by the way. He would also have been among the youngest. He would always be competing right up to leaving cert with his older classmates. I sent him to a new montessori which seems to suit him well.  I am a teacher and I didn't want my child to be struggling and to be stressed in what is the most special year of their education inmho. They actually do quite a lot in junior infants. Also it does look very like there will be cuts to classroom conditions .  Support like english teachers for children who do not have good english for example.
In a nutshell you will have more children needing more attention from one adult. 
I wanted my child to be well placed to cope in the class.  

I do think that any child coming to school should have lots of experience of colouring, holding a crayon correctly and colouring with strength, holding a paintbrush and being confident in using it, cutting with scissors. Playdoh or marla is crucial for pre writing skills. It develops the little muscles and the strength of the hands to grip and use the pencil. My son loves to use a chalkboard that I have in the kitchen. 

Best of luck with your decision because it is your decision and no one else can make it for you. Each to their own I think.


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## becky (31 Jan 2009)

bren1916 said:


> Thanks folks, the overwhelming consensus seems to be 5 for the boys!
> I started myself at 4 and a half but sure then again it was the 70's so it was wither school or sit and watch yer woman doing x's and o's on BBC2 all day..


 
I started at just over 4 and a half - I would have been sent the year before but I was still 3.  

Lord ye were posh with bbc.  We only had rte 1 and 2.  I was 7ish before I knew what colour boscos hair was, it being when we got a colour tv and afraid of our lives we'd go blind from watching it.


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## tina4 (1 Feb 2009)

Hi, my youngest son ( have 4 boys eldest 14) was 4 on the 30 august he actually started on the 27th august. He is flying realy loves it is well able and would be in the top range in his class (28 in class). I knew he was ready for school but i was still scared. He was in cresh from 3 months and then went on to playschool. He was getting very bored in playschool and would cry most mornings. I was dreading he would cry in school but not once. Also i have 2 others in same school one in senior infants ( his birthday in november so he was almost 5 starting) and one in 6th class so id say that helped. The youngest is coming on better than his brother did last year. so what im realy trying to say is trust your own instinct. If you think he is ready then send him if not leave him. It can be a very though choice so best of luck.


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