My son is a June baby.  Friends told me right from the outset that, due to his birthdate, in Australia I would have a choice about when to send him to school.  He could start at 4 1/2 or 5 1/2.

In NSW, if your child turns 5

on or before 31st July they can start school (ie Kindergarten) in the January of that year.  However, they are not required to be at school until they are 6.  So this gives you some flexibility.  Many parents I have spoken to do not know this and assume if their child is 5 or turning 5 that year they must go to school.

Note that each Australian state has different requirements and dates - and you can find them here.

As my son is a very bright child I kind of assumed he would be ready to start school at 4 1/2 (as I did), but as I looked into it I encountered so many opinions on the matter I got very confused.  So, for other mums in the same situation I thought I would share our journey.

First of all, my son went to preschool from age 3 1/2 - so he had two years of preschool before he started school.  I found this great for his learning and socialisation.  The preschool were very helpful about starting school.  They had some information sheets on things children should be able to do  before they start school.  All good - at 4 1/2 he could do everything on the two sheets.  He could read and write his name, talk clearly, dress himself, count, follow instructions, use scissors etc... 

However when I approached his teachers they said a resounding NO.  Academically he was ready, they said, but not emotionally.  They said that they would recommend another year of preschool and that it would give him a more confident, assured start to school.  I knew they had years of assessing children so I inclined to trust their judgement, but just to be sure I followed up a few more avenues.

I spoke to friends who are teachers and they all confirmed that as far as boys are concerned they felt it is better for them to start closer to 6.  They are more confident, more able to concentrate and keen to learn. 

Most parents I spoke to who had been in the same situation opted to go for a later start and none told me they had regretted it. Several parents pointed out to me the difference it made during the HSC (final year of school) to be 18 rather than 17.  This hit a chord for me as I did my HSC 2 months after I turned 17.  I did very well academically, but struggled with the decisions we needed to make, the social pressures etc....  and took a year off before I started uni.  Throughout school I lacked confidence socially, though I did well mark-wise, but I found uni just wonderful.  That year made a big difference to my maturity.

I did speak to a few parents who started their children at 4 - and most of them felt that was right for their child.  Some children (especially second or third children) wanted to start school early, so their parents felt they should try it.  Some children are more confident than others and are ready sooner. One family I spoke to started their son early as he has medical issues and would need time off throughout school, so they were giving him time to repeat later in school.

I found a couple of parents who had regretted starting their child when they had just turned five as they had lots of struggles and had to repeat.

It seems to be a very individual decision. 

My overall understanding was that later is better, but that each parent needs to decide for their child, with good advice from their child's carers/teachers.  For us, I decided to keep my son at preschool until he was 5 1/2.  He was really ready for school and had gone from being anxious about it to excited about it.  Not to say that we haven't had some tantrums, but I think that is personality rather than age.  He is quite sensitive and creative and I am glad he had the extra year to play and explore the world on his terms.

He has now started at a small rural school with children he has known since toddlerhood and he is loving it. 

My daughter is in the same situation.  She will turn 5 in the May - so could start at 4 1/2 or 5 1/2.  So, when her turn comes, I will be talking to her preschool teachers and to her about whether she is ready - both academically and socially.  Our decision could well be very different, but I hope that I feel the same sense of certainty that I do about my son.