In the News

What is most interesting about some of these articles is the readers’ comments at the end, which contain numerous examples of children that would have benefited from a delayed school start.

• Note: You can see all our TV and Radio coverage here (including live interviews and pre-recorded films on BBC television and radio, ITV and Sky News).

 

*2016 October 12 Plan for summer-born children to start school a year later delayed by fears their parents might play the system at best schools. The Telegraph (Christopher Hope)

*2016 October 12 Children born in summer could play the system as parents get TWO chances to put them into their favourite school. Daily Mail (Stephanie Linning)

*2016 October 12 Plans Delayed For Summer-Born Children To Attend School Following Year. The Huffington Post UK (Amy Packham)

*2016

*2016 May 6 Sidcup mum wants to defer son starting school for 12 months but claims he’ll have to skip reception – and Year 7. This is Local London (Jake Bacon)

*2015 October 14 Summer Born Children. Kirklees School Choice Advice

*2015 October 14 The easy way to help kids born in summer keep up at school. New Scientist

*2015 October 13 ‘Let down’ Merton mum who relocated to Bristol to defer summer-born son’s schooling welcomes policy change. SW Londoner (Sara Oldfield)

*2015 October 12 Summer born babies to start school later. Your Local Guardian (Pippa Allen-Kinross reporting on Merton Council)

*2015 October 5-18 All about… Summer borns. Nursery World (Charlotte Goddard)

*2015 October 1 Head welcomes challenge on summer babies. Derby Telegraph

*2015 September 28 Is Your Summer Born Child at a Disadvantage at School? RoomToGrow (Jane Thomas)

*2015 September 26 Our Children May Not Get Full Education. Newton News (S. McCormick Letter to Editor)

*2015 September 25 Education chiefs to assess English admission changes. IsleofManToday

*2015 September 24 Grant Woodward: School age muddle leaves children playing catch-up. Yorkshire Evening Post

*2015 September 23 My Summer Born Babies. MojoMums (Carolynne)

*2015 September 22 Parents praise promise to end summer-born child quandary. Oxford Mail (Naomi Herring)

*2015 September 22 Tamworth mum welcomes new rules over when summer-born children should start school. Tamworth Herald

*2015 September 22 Parents praise promise to end summer-born child quandary. Oxford Mail

*2015 September 22 Parents praise promise to end summer-born child quandary. Banbury Cake

*2015 September 21 Summer babies are schooled in low self-esteem. The Conversation

*2015 September 21 Who benefits when summer born children start school later? The Conversation

*2015 September 21 Summer born babies: school admissions. Britmums.com

*2015 September 20 Tunbridge Wells mum fights for her summer-born daughter to delay school start. Kent and Sussex Courier

*2015 September 19 Summer Born Children Given Right to Start School Later. Familiesonline

*2015 September 16 Guest post: Summer Born – Why the unfair and unpredictable postcode lottery needs to end. SchoolsImprovement.net (Pauline Hull)

*2015 September 16 Guest post: “We won our fight to start reception at five“. Mumsnet (Rosie Dutton)

*2015 September 16 Take the heat off summer babies. Standard Issue  (Justine Brook)

*2015 September 15 Why My #Summerborn Babies Won’t Start School At Four. OneChicMom (Kay Robins)

*2015 September 15 Government announces plans to help parents delay a child’s school start. Charity Today

*2015 September 14 Admission changes criticised by Leicestershire head teacher. Leicester Mercury

*2015 September 12 ‘Winchester MP backs school entry age changes. Southern Daily Echo

*2015 September 12 Summerborns and Winterborns. Upstart

*2015 September 12 Stanley mum hails victory to Government U-turn in summer born school age row. Newcastle Chronicle

*2015 September 12 The changes we need to help summer-born and premature children succeed. Conservative Home (Stephen Hammond MP)

*2015 September 12 My life as youngest in the class: how four summer babies coped. The Guardian

*2015 September 11 At age two, my August-born son is already being marked out for failure. The Spectator

*2015 September 11 Summer-born admissions change raises questions about post-16 costs. Schools Week

*2015 September 11 Post-16 funding implication will be examined for summer-born change. FE Week (Freddie Whittaker)

*2015 September 10 Everything parents with summer-born kids need to know about primary school admissions. Liverpool Echo (Gemma Jaleel)

*2015 September 10 ‘Summer-born children to get the right to start school later’. teachingpersonnel.com

*2015 September 10 Parents know the best time for summer-born children to start school. Power to the Parents

*2015 September 10 Should summer babies start lessons a year later? These mothers battled to stop their darlings being youngest in their year. Wise parenting – or mollycoddling? Daily Mail

*2015 September 10 Holding children back a year in school is not the right start. Special to The Globe and Mail (Leah McLaren)

*2015 September 9 Summer born children to have the right to start school at 5. ‘I’m jealous!’ says this Mum who packed off her son to school at barely 4. School Guide Blog (Katy Hancock)

*2015 September 9 Why summer born children are scarred for life. The Telegraph (Flic Everett)

*2015 September 9 Opinion: Delaying starting school? Let common sense prevail. Birmingham Mail (Emma McKinney)

*2015 September 9 Start school a year late if you are born in summer. The Times (Nicola Woolcock, Education Correspondent)

*2015 September 9 Summer-born children will have ‘the right to start school later’. daynurseries.co.uk (Ellie Spanswick, News Editor)

*2015 September 9 Liverpool’s summer-born children can now start reception class aged five. Liverpool Echo (Gemma Jaleel)

*2015 September 9 “Summer-born” children will now be free to start Reception in the school year in which they turn six – so why aren’t we ecstatic? Good Schools Guide (Janette Wallis, Senior Editor)

*2015 September 9 Summer-born children can delay school entry by a year.  ITV Report (Dave Thompson PA Wire)

*2015 September 9 Should summer-born children start reception at age four or five? Ipswich Star

*2015 September 9 Summer babies win right to reception places aged five thanks to Mail campaign. Birmingham Mail (Emma McKinney)

*2015 September 9 School admission loophole on ‘summer-born’ children to be closed. Birmingham Post (Emma McKinney)

*2015 September 9 Debates about the right age to send kids to school preoccupy those who are already advantage. The Guardian

*2015 September 9 Nick Gibb signals move to change school start for summer-borns. Nursery World (Catherine Gaunt)

*2015 September 9 Born in Summer. The Times (letter to the editor)

*2015 September 9 Summer babies to be allowed to delay starting school under new education rules. Made for Mums

*2015 September 9 Got a summer-born baby? These changes will affect YOUR child. Netmums

*2015 September 9 Summer Born Children To Start School Later. MumsInTheKnow

*2015 September (undated) Summer-born children given option to delay their entry to school. UK Mums TV

*2015 September 9 Summer-born kids ‘could start school later’. Boots WebMD UK Health News

*2015 September 9 Education should not be a competition in which children are pitted against one another. New Statesman

*2015 September 9 Summer babies should go to school when they are ready. The Telegraph (The decision to hold my child down a year at school is probably the very best I’ve made as a mother, writes Allison Pearson)

*2015 September 9 TELL US YOUR VIEWS: Summer-born children to start school later. Maldon Standard

*2015 September 9 TELL US YOUR VIEWS: Summer-born children to start school later. Braintree and Witham Times

*2015 September 8 Summer babies’ parents will choose what year they start school under Tory plans. The Daily Mirror

*2015 September 8 Summer-Born Children ‘To Get The Right To Start School Later’. The Yorkshire Times

*2015 September 8 New ‘summer-born’ school rules will leave poorer children behind. The Guardian (Richard Adams, Education editor)

*2015 September 8 Summer-born children – what age is best to start school? Education Media Centre

*2015 September 8 Should summer-born children be allowed when to start school. Liverpool Echo (Mike Price)

*2015 September 8 Summer born children to be allowed to start reception at five-years-old. Dewsbury Reporter

*2015 September  8 Summer-born children to have the right to start school in Reception at the age of 5. TES (Helen Ward)

*2015 September 8 Summer-born children now have the right to start school later! AshleighMoneySaver

*2015 September 8 School starting age should change, says minister. BBC News online (Judith Burns Education reporter)

*2015 September  8 Give summer-born children the right to start in reception at the age of 5, minister says. The Telegraph (Javier Espinoza, Education Editor)

*2015 September 8 Parents of summer-born children get right to delay start of school. The Guardian (Sally Weale, Education correspondent)

*2015 September 8 Nick Gibb to amend school admissions code for summer-born children. Schools Week (Freddie Whittaker)

*2015 September 8 Summer born children to be allowed to start reception at five-years-old. Yorkshire Post

*2015 September 8 Summer-born children MUST be allowed to delay starting school, says minister in attack on councils’ treatment of parents. Daily Mail (Matt Chorley, Political Editor)

*2015 September 7 Councils plotting to block summer-born children delaying their school start because it is ‘neater’. Daily Mail (Gerri Peev)

*2015 September 7 Stephen Hammond MP: Minor changes can have a ‘significant impact’ for summer-born children. Politics Home (Stephen Hammond)

*2015 September 6 Give parents automatic right to send summer-born children to school a year later to prevent ‘post code lottery’, says Tory MP. The Independent (Matt Dathan)

*2015 September 6 School shake up to help pupils born in summer. Sunday Express (Caroline Wheeler)

*2015 August 6 Merseyside Mum Wants Schools Admission Process Changed For Summertime Babies. Radio City News

*2015 July 22 Good News For Parents Of Summer Born Children. Top Mums

*2015 July 21 My son could be labelled ‘naughty’ because of summer-born policy fears Northamptonshire mum. Northamptonshire Telegraph (Nick Spoors)

*2015 July 19 When should children start school? Answer differs around the world. Sydney Morning Herald (Colleen Ricci reporting on summer born issue here)

*2015 Jul 17 Parents could get automatic right to delay school for summer-born babies. The Telegraph (Christopher Hope, Chief Political Correspondent)

*2015 July 17 Alliance welcomes schools minister’s promise to address summer‑born admissions issue. Pre‑school Learning Alliance

*2015 July 17 Schools Minister’s pledge on summer babies policy ‘loophole’ forcing pupils to miss ENTIRE reception year. Birmingham Mail (Emma McKinney)

*2015 July 17 Schools minister promises action on summer-born admissions. Nursery World (Katy Morton)

*2015 July 17 MPs pledge to give more help to pupils born in the summer after research shows they are ‘more likely to have special needs. Daily Mail (Eleanor Harding, Education Correspondent)

*2015 July 17 Nick Gibb pledges action to help summer-born children. TES (Helen Ward)

*2015 July 17 Summer-born children more likely to be labelled special needs, minister claims. The Independent

*2015 July 17 Schools label summer-born children as special needs. The Times (Greg Hurst)

*2015 July 17 Schools minister admits concern over admissions of summer-born children. Express and Star

*2015 July 17 Schools minister admits concern over admissions of summer-born children. BT.com

*2015 July 17 Schools minister admits concern over admissions of summer-born children. Belfast Telegraph

*2015 July 17 Schools minister admits concern over admissions of summer-born children. The Northern Echo

*2015 July 17 MPs are promised action on summer born admissions. Education Committee

*2015 July 17 School admissions policy gets reviewed. ITV GMB

*2015 July 16 Are Summer-born children st a disadvantage? The Resident (Mark Keeble)

*2015 June 26 Summer babies should not be at school until they are ready. Eastern Daily Press (Rachel Moore)

*2015 June 23 David Cameron reveals struggle to prepare August-born daughter for school. Schools Improvement (Tony Harbron)

*2015 June 22 It was ‘challenging’ getting Florence ready for school this year, says Cameron ahead of review on rules for summer-born children. Daily Mail (Matt Chorley, Political Editor)

*2015 June 14 Summer Born Children: Should School Entry Rules Be More Flexible? Top Mums

*2015 June 5 It shouldn’t matter what time of year children are born. The Telegraph (Lucy Denyer)

*2015 June 5 Children Born In The Summer Months Are More LIkely To Struggle At School, Study Reveals. The Huffington Post UK (Amy Packham)

*2015 June 4 New study calls for radical shake-up of the Early Years curriculum to help boost achievements of summer born children. Science Daily

*2015 June 4 ‘Radical shake-up’ of EYFS needed to help summer-borns. Nursery World (Katy Morton)

*2015 June 4 Summer-born children in danger of being left behind, says school study. The Guardian (Richard Adams)

*2015 June 4 Summer-Born Children Being Left Behind In Class – Should They Start School Later? Yahoo News (Alison Coldridge)

*2015 June 3 Summer-born children are being left behind in class due to impossible curriculum targets. International Business Times (Joe Millis)

*2015 Jun 3 Pupils born in summer struggle as school starts. The Times (Greg Hurst, Education Editor)

*2015 June 2 Too much, too young for summer-born children forced into ‘big school’. Schoolsimprovement.net (Tony Harbron)

*2015 Jun 2 Too much, too young for summer-born children forced into ‘big school’. The Guardian (Fran Abrams)

*2015 Jun 1 Summer Born Campaign. MBK Training (Matt Stanford)

*2015 May 19 School life of a #summerborn – Starting my #summerborn daughter in school at compulsory school age. Easy, right? sjmccormick76

*2015 May Kids of summer Under 5 magazine (Michelle Melson & Pauline Hull)

*2015 May 6 Early Academic Training Produces Long-Term Harm. Psychology Today (Peter Gray)

*2015 May 5 BBC Look East television (watch here). Alex Dunlop reporting (parents Zoe Wordley and Rosie Dutton interviewed)

*2015 April 30 Fight goes on for Tamworth mum campaigning for ‘summer born children’ legislation change. Tamworth Herald (By Elise Chamberlain)

*2015 April 30 Conservatives to ‘look again’ at delaying school start for summer-borns. Nursery World (Katy Morton)

*2015 April 28 Parents of summer-born babies to get the right to delay entry to school, under new Tory plans. Daily Mail (Daniel Martin)

*2015 April 24 Summer-born Olivia gets a reception place. Schools Week (Sophie Scott)

*2015 April 20 8 reasons why summer babies face an uphill battle at school and in life. BT (Nel Staveley)

*2015 April 20 7 myths about the advantages of starting school at 4 years old. Jenni Hooper, child psychologist, wellbeing coach and author of What Children Need to be Happy, Confident and Successful: Step by Step Positive Psychology to Help Children Flourish

*2015 April 20 Big Issue: Parents can choose when ‘summer babies’ start school. The Stoke Sentinel

*2015 April 18 Mother wins right to let her summer baby start school a year later. Daily Mail (Eleanor Harding)

*2015 April 18 Mother’s Fight for Parents of Summer Babies. The Daily Telegraph (John Bingham)

*2015 April 17 Mother’s victory opens way for thousands of ‘summer babies’ to start school late so they aren’t the youngest in class. Daily Mail (Steph Cockroft)

*2015 April 17 Girl, 4, wins right to start school late – floodgates could open for ‘rising five’ parents. The Express (Rob Virtue)

*2015 April 17 Mum wins landmark ruling for summer-born daughter to enter reception class rather than go straight into Year 1. Daily Mirror (Tom Belcher)

*2015 April 17 ‘Summer baby’ Olivia Dutton will start reception class a year late after mum wins battle with council. Daily Mirror (Emma McKinney)

2015 April 16 Primary school admissions: ‘Summer baby’ Olivia Dutton wins battle for reception place. Birmingham Mail (Emma McKinney)

*2015 April 10 ‘Disgrace’ as Sutton Coldfield parents denied desire to delay ’emotionally unready’ son’s schooling Sutton Coldfield Observer (Dan Newbould)

*2015 April 4 Summer-Born Kids Face School Postcode Lottery. Sky News (Correspondent Adele Robinson)

*2015 March 20 MPs call for parents’ right of appeal over summer-born school start. Nursery World (Anna Pujol-Mazzini)

*2015 March 19 Don’t make children born in the summer start school too early, MPs appeal. The Independent (Education Correspondent Sarah Cassidy)

*2015 March 19 Summer-born pupils’ late start wins MPs’ backing. BBC News (Education Reporter Hannah Richardson)

*2015 March 19 ‘Schools should offer flexibility to premature children,’ MPs say. The Telegraph (Education Editor, Javier Espinoza)

*2015 March 9 ‘Summer baby’ Olivia Dutton, 4, one step closer in battle for reception place. Birmingham Mail (Emma McKinney)

*2015 March 9 Parents struggle to delay school start dates. Nursery World (Katy Morton)

*2015 March 9 Parents who delayed their twins starting school by a year because they were born in late August are told they’ll have to skip reception class and go straight into Year One. Daily Mail (Matt Chorley, Political Editor)

*2015 March 5 Nick Gibb may champion parents to delay school start to age five – but no further. Children & Young People Now (Cath Prisk)

*2015 March 5 ‘Allow summer-born children to start school a year later,’ says education minister. Parent Dish (Keith Kendrick)

*2015 March 4 Summer born children SHOULD be allowed to start school later if it is in their interests, says education minister. Daily Mail (Matt Chorley, Political Editor)

*2015 March 4 ‘Delay primary and miss secondary school start’. BBC News online (Hannah Richardson)

*2015 March 3 Longitudinal evidence features prominently in Education Select Committee’s investigation into summer-born children. Closer

*2015 March 1 Should Children Born in Summer Start School Later? Get the Right School (Louise Tobias)

*2015 March 1 Camilla Tominey on… summer born babies Sunday Express (Camilla Tominey, Royal Editor)

*2015 February 28 Tamworth mum vows to fight school’s placing decision. Tamworth Herald (Elise Chamberlain)

*2015 February 26 Why should August’s child be full of woe? The Times (Jenni Russell)

*2015 February 25 When should summer-born children enter the classroom? The Independent (Sarah Cassidy)

*2015 February 24 Mum campaigns for summer babies to start school a year later. theworkingparent.com (Siobhan Harmer)

*2015 February 24 Should you decide when your kids start school? ITV GMB

*2015 February 23 Bitter education battle for 250,000 ‘summer babies’ who may be forced to miss entire year of school Daily Mirror (Education Correspondent Emma McKinney) Includes Yes/No Poll Vote: Should Olivia have to start school in Year One?

*2015 February 23 Is 4 Too Soon To Start School… Should We Have The Chance To Defer? Play Pennies (Heidi Scrimgeour)

*2015 February 23 Thousands of summer-babies could start school a YEAR later if this mother wins battle with council over daughter she claims is ‘not ready for class’ Daily Mail (Martin Robinson)

*2015 February 23 Woman who claims daughter ‘is not ready for class’ could force others to start school a year later Daily Mail (Martin Robinson)

*2015 February 23 Parents of ‘summer baby’ who turned four just weeks before start of school year locked in bitter fight to delay her admission to reception for a year Daily Mail (Martin Robinson)

*2015 February 23 ‘Councils undermining parents if they force ‘summer babies’ to start school in Year 1‘ Birmingham Mail (Education Correspondent Emma McKinney)

*2015 February 23 ‘Summer baby’ Olivia could miss her entire reception year if school demands she begins in Year 1 Birmingham Mail (Education Correspondent Emma McKinney)

*2015 February 2 Too much too soon: The Ideal school-starting age. The Express Tribune (Saif Asif Khan)

*2014 December 16 Changes to Northern Ireland’s school starting age rules don’t go far enough: claim Belfast Telegraph (Harriet Crawford)

*2014 December 15 Fears that PVI settings could lose children under new Schools Admissions Code [Summer-borns] Nursery World (Catherine Gaunt)

*2014 December 15 Northern Ireland: Consultation on deferral of school starting age launched ni4kids

*2014 December 1 Should teachers boycott baseline tests for four-year-olds? (online poll at daynurseries.co.uk)

*2014 November 28 Stratified at seven: in-class ability grouping and the relative age effect. TES Magazine (research paper by Campbell, T British Educational Research Journal, October 2014)

*2014 November 27 Babydemics: What do these kids gain or lose starting early? Nigerian Tribune (Modupe George)

*2014 November 20 Attainment gap remains between autumn and summer born children. Day Nurseries (Julia Corbett)

*2014 November 15 Halifax play expert’s call to raise school age. The Yorkshire Post (Fiona Evans)

*2014 November 13 Should Scottish children start school at the age of 6? BBC News (Jamie McIvor)

*2014 November 13 Debate on school starting age should be about more than money. The Herald

*2014 November 12 ‘School at six’ debate welcomed. BBC News

*2014 November 12 The woman who struck a chord when she asked: ‘What are we doing to our children?’ The Independent (Barbara Scully)

*2014 November 4 Children are at their most challenging for mum and dad as they turn five, a study has revealed. (Chas Early)

*2014 October 29 Public sector ‘is far less ethical’: Study says box-ticking culture means organisations encourage staff to hit targets rather than do what’s right. Daily Mail (Louise Eccles)

*2014 October 20 ‘Shocking’ number of Bradford children start school unable to go to toilet or put on coat by themselves. The Telegraph and Argus (Councillor Ralph Berry)

*2014 October 16 Four-in-10 children ‘not ready for school’ at the age of five. The Telegraph (Graeme Paton, Education Editor)

*2014 July 1 Summer-born children shun academic subjects. CERP (Anne Pinot de Moira)

*2014 July Starting School for Summer Born Children. Gentle Parenting

*2014 June 17 Meltham mum-of-three claims summer’s child is losing out in Kirklees school admissions. The Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Linda Whitwam)

*2014 June 14 Summer-born children ‘bullied’ into early school start. The Telegraph (Graeme Paton)

*2014 May 19 Using Data Properly: Which side of March 2nd? Icing on the Cake – An education blog

*2014 May Summer Born Children Starting School. Best Buggy blog (cases of children with Down’s Syndrome denied access to Reception class)

*2014 May 12 Government forced to clarify ‘summer-born’ school start date confusion. Relocate Magazine (Rebecca Marriage)

*2014 May 12 Summer-born children can start school a year later. Parentdish (Keith Kendrick)

*2014 May 10 Let summer-born pupils start at five, schools told: Children can start a year later to stop them being at a disadvantage. Daily Mail (Laura Clark)

*2014 May 9 Summer-born children ‘allowed to delay start of school’. The Telegraph (Graeme Patton)

*2014 May 1 Starting School for Summer Born Children. Gentle Parenting

*2014 April 13 Delay start of formal schooling until age seven, says NUT. The Telegraph (Graeme Patton)

*2014 April 7 Romanian PM calls for ‘real debate’ on start age for mandatory education. Romania Insider

*2014 April 3 Children should start school at two, says chief schools inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw. The Independent (Richard Garner)

*2014 March 29 Reading and numbers tests for two-year-olds. The Telegraph (Graeme Paton)

*2014 March 27 Four-year-olds to be tested within days of starting school. The Telegraph (Graeme Patton)

*2014 March 21 Poor parent-child bonding ‘hampers learning’. BBC News (Hannah Richardson)

*2014 March 21 Victory for mum who refused to let her son start school: Being born on August 28 ‘made him too young’. Daily Mail

*2014 March 20 Mother wins victory for boy ‘too young for school’. The Telegraph (Edward Malnick)

*2014 March 20 Four days too old: Mum wins school battle with council to hold son back a year. Yorkshire Post

*2014 March 7 More four years olds starting school, and huge differences across Scotland. Taking Parents Seriously

*2014 March 02 Call for Scottish pupils to start school aged 4. The Scotsman (Chris Marshall)

*2014 February 26 An age-old problem: Why can’t summer-born children start school later? The Independent (Sarah Cassidy)

*2014 February 4 School admissions/summer born confusion. Footsteps Nurseries (Rosie Dutton’s personal story)

*2014 January 26 Experts warn starting school too young harms learning, wellbeing. The Age (Amy McNeilage)

*2014 January 19 Flexible School Admissions for Summer Born Children: New Report. Family Friendly Working

*2014 January 17 Parents confused over summer-born school starting age in England. Relocate magazine

*2014 January 17 Struggling summer-born children – how an international approach could help. Relocate magazine

*2014 January 17 School entry confusion for summer-born children. Redfish

*2014 January 15 Campaign calls for ‘more flexibility’ over school starting age for summer-borns. The Telegraph (Josie Gurney-Read)

*2014 January 15 Confusion over school entry for summer-born children. Nursery World (Katy Morton)

*2014 January 15 2014 Confusion over school starting age means ‘summer born’ are ‘the children policy makers forgot’. Day Nurseries (Julia Corbett)

*2014 January 15 Campaigners call for end to school admissions ‘postcode lottery’. Local Gov (Dan Peters)

*2014 January 15 Summer-Born School Admissions: New Report Published. Early Learning HQ (Peter Samuel)

*2014 January 15 Campaigners claim that unclear admission rules will see summer-born children in England starting school too early or missing a year of education. The School Bus.net (Maryann Thomas)

*2014 January 15 ‘Confusion’ over summer-born school starting age. Sunderland Now (Connor Morgan)

*2014 January 15 ‘Confusion’ over summer-born school starting age. BBC News (Katherine Sellgren)

*2014 January 15 Flexibility plea for summer-born. Press Association

*2014 January 15 ‘Summer-born pupils face emotional and academic problems due to unclear admissions code’. TES (Helen Ward)

*2014 January 15 Clarity call for summer-born children. Yorkshire Post

*2014 January 15 Summer babies skip school year: Children whose parents take advantage of rule delaying starting lessons are being then put straight into Year One. Daily Mail (Andrew Levy)

*2013 December The summerborn effect. Teaching Times (Chris Smith, research coordinator at SSAT, the national hub of active network of heads and teachers in the UK)

*2013 December 10 If UK children start school too early it could damage their learning for life. The Guardian (Wendy Ellyatt)

*2013 December 4 How the month you’re born affects learning. IOL (Andrew Levy, Daily Mail)

*2013 November 22 Summer babies fall behind after the first year at school: Two thirds born between May and August do worse in reading, writing and maths. Daily Mail

*2013 November 21 Primary school stats: children born in autumn perform the best. The Guardian

*2013 October 23 Right age to start school in spotlight. The Star

*2013 October 8 ‘We don’t want our son to cope; we want him to have the opportunity to thrive’, says a mum fighting to keep her summer-born child from starting school at four. Daynurseries.co.uk (Ellie Neville)

*2013 September 21 Summer-Born School Admissions. Early learning HQ (Michelle Melson)

*2013 September 21 Australia: Debate rages about ages. NT News (Sarah Blake)

*2013 September 21 Australia: Ban kids from starting school until they turn five to ensure they don’t fall behind, experts say. News Limited Network (Sarah Blake)

*2013 September 20 Come on Stormont, let our kids start school at age six. Belfast Telegraph (Jane Graham)

*2013 September 16 Do children who start school later perform better? FullFact.org (Federica Cocco)

*2013 September 16 Born to Win. The London Magazine (Tabitha Lasley)

*2013 September 14 Starting school at four – is it too much too soon? parentdish (Liat Hughes Joshi)

*2013 September 14 Pressure on children is getting too cruel for school. The Mirror (Fiona Phillips column)

*2013 September 13 Failure to acknowledge the concept of readiness in education – this is the tragedy. The Telegraph (Headmaster Peter Tait)

*2013 September 13 Is formal schooling too much for children under seven? Yorkshire Post (Sarah Freeman)

*2013 September 13 Starting school too young could be damaging to kids, say experts. MSN

*2013 September 12 School starting age: Your comments. BBC News (Jeremy Gahagan)

*2013 September 12 Formal school lessons should start ‘above age of five’. BBC News

*2013 September 12 ‘Too much, too soon’: Children should not start school until age six or seven, say education experts. Daily Mail (Sara Smyth)

*2013 September 12 Flexibility urged over admissions for summer-born. Sec Ed (Pete Henshaw)

*2013 September 11 Start schooling later than age five, say experts. The Telegraph (Graeme Paton, Education Editor)

*2013 September 11 The Government should stop intervening in early education. The Telegraph (Letter from multiple signatories) See also response from Education Minister Elizabeth Truss: If we care about the poorest children, education must start early

*2013 September 11 John O’Dowd indicates new school age rules likely. BBC News Northern Ireland

*2013 September 09 MPs debate flexibility of school start for summer-borns. Nursery World (Katy Morton)

*2013 August 01 Academic urges flexible schooling for summer-born children. Children and Young People Now (Gabriella Jozwiak)

*2013 July 30 Government advice clarifies position on summer-born children’s school start. Nursery World (Katy Morton)

*2013 July 30 Government clarifies rules on summer‑born children admissions. Under 5 magazine

*2013 July 27 Is there a magic ‘age’ for kids to begin playing sports? Freeport Journal-Standard (Brenda Young)

*2013 July 24 Are the school odds stacked against summer babies? BBC News (Sean Coughlan)

*2013 July 23 The July Royal Baby – Does the Month of Birth Predict a Child’s Future? Huffington Post (Dr Raj Persaud and Dr Nicholas Morris)

*2013 July 10 Bright kids should start school at the age of six to counter pushy parents, says academic. Parentdish (Keith Kendrick)

*2013 July 9 Under-fives need more time to play, say carers as they warn of ‘schoolification’ of children’s early years. The Independent (Emily Dugan)

*2013 July 8 What can five-year-olds be expected to learn? BBC News (Hannah Richardson)

*2013 June 14 Flexible school starts urged for summer-born children. BBC News (Hannah Richardson)

*2013 May 31 Cracks appear in ‘brick wall’ over school starting age. TES magazine (Darren Evans)

*2013 May 26 ‘Redshirting’ in Kindergarten Still Subject to Debate. ABC News (Dina Abou Salem)

*2013 May 10 Sun doesn’t shine on summer-born children. TES magazine (Helen Ward)

*2013 May 10 September babies have an advantage in education – and that’s just the way schools like it. The Independent (Philip Hensher) What these findings really indicate is how much education – and the testing of achievement – has been run by institutions for the benefit of institutions

*2013 May 10 Autumn-born teenagers should be set higher GCSE pass marks, says report. The Guardian (Jessica Shepherd) Institute for Fiscal Studies says pass marks should be  lower for those born in the summer

*2013 May 03 Northern Ireland education minister considers flexible school starting age. Nursery World (Katy Horton)

*2013 May 01 Flexibility is needed to give kids best start at primary school. Belfast Telegraph

*2013 April 30 P1 school starting age for some Northern Ireland children may be deferred for year. Belfast Telegraph (Lindsay Fergus)

*2013 April 24 The ”Tesco-isation” of England’s Early Years: The Choices before Us. Nursery World (Dr Richard House, Senior Lecturer in Early Years University of Winchester)

*2013 March 8 Summer-born children suffer educational inequality, study finds. The Guardian

*2013 March 8 Summer-born hit by school streaming. BBC (Angela Harrison Education correspondent)

*2013 March 02 Parents now waiting extra year before sending children to school. Irish Independent

*2013 February 27 Month of birth affects chance of attending Oxbridge. BBC

*2013 February 03 Summer born children at bottom of the class, warn experts and parents. The Telegraph

*2013 January 31 Stanley mum in row over when son should start school.  Chronicle Live

*2013 January 14 Parents win deferred school entry for daughter. Nursery World

*2012 Dececember 28 Summer-born children being wrongly classed as having special needs. The Telegraph

*2012 November 23 Summer-born children ‘struggling with maths’. The Telegraph

*2012 November 23 Poorest pupils ‘weaker at maths’. BBC News
“…the children were 50% more likely to speak English as an additional language and 35% more likely to have be summer born.”

*2012 July 23 How to build a champion: Be born at the right time. BBC

*2012 May 16 Bright children should start school at six, says academic. The Telegraph (Graeme Paton)

*2011 November 2 The Disadvantages of Summer Babies. Freakonomics

*2011 November 1 School odds stacked against summer babies, says IFS. BBC (475 comments)

*2011 November 1 Summer-born struggle: Why August children suffer at school. BBC

*2011 June 1 Younger Children Disadvantaged at School. UTV article

Vice principal: “the system is not flexible enough“.

*2011 Does it matter in which month you were born? Independent Thinking

*2010 June 10 August-born children are ‘less likely to go to university’. Daily Mail

*2010 February 3 Birth month can influence sports success, study says. Reuters

*2009 December Starting school: is four too young? NI4Kids

*2009 October 19 All four-year-olds to be offered school or nursery place. The Guardian

*2009 October 16 Start school at six, key schools report recommends. The Guardian

*2009 April 21 Growing up fast. The Guardian (Elisa Morris)

*2009 January 16 Sir Jim faces revolt on September start for all. TES

*2009 February 16 Not all children are ready for school when they turn five. The Age (Kathy Walker, author of What’s the Hurry? Reclaiming Childhood in an Overscheduled World)

*2008 February 8 Is five too soon to start school? BBC

*2008 January 9 Summer-born to start school later. BBC

*2003 April 17 Classroom ‘trauma’ for four-year-olds. The Independent