To send to school in 2015 or 2016

Just after opinions on what I should do.
Sophie will be 5 early January and I was always going to send her to school the year she turned 5. However the school I'm planning to send her to is very pro holding back if you can so Sophie is one of those that can be held back.
I'm torn as what to do.... Do I hold her back a year so she starts kindergarten (nsw) when she's 6 or start her when she has just turned 5?

Has anyone started their child later at the age of 6? If so do you regret not starting earlier?

Thanks

Personally I think it less about the number and more about the individual.

Do you think she is ready for school? Would she enjoy it? Would she emotionally ready? How are her fine and gross motor skills?

Do you think that it might socially awkward for her later on if she is a year older than the others in her class? Is she a physically big girl? Will she massive compared to her peers if she held back (girls in particular get singled out for stuff like that).

I know my DD1 turns five in March and she is busting to start school. She has been going to a pre-kindy morning once a week and loves it. She is bored at daycare and needs 'more'.

I really wouldn't be hung up on age and instead take her individual personality traits and make your decision based on that.

I'm a teacher in NSW and find it very strange that a school would encourage holding back a child who turns 5 in January. That would be extremely unusual unless the child has serious emotional or social problems. It is generally only children born in April, May, June, July (the cut off is July 31st) that there may be a question mark over whether to send them or not.

I think that you should very carefully consider the questions the pp asked. Kids notice who is the eldest in the class as do parents and comment on it - especially when a child is significantly older than the majority of other students.

Does your daughter go to preschool? If so I would talk to them and ask for their recommendation.

I would send her smile

here most kids start school when they turn 5 but are in school legally by age 6. (start date is from bday-not the beginning of the next year) and kids love going to school, if she isnt seeming quite ready, then hold off, can you do trial days at school to see how she likes it?

bear in mind too a girls development is usually rather advanced in comparison to a boy, so usually girls are ready for the new challenges of school

My daughter turned 5 in February this year. She is right in the middle age wise but is in the top 5 of the class. She started school not reading and is already up to level 4 in reading and can read shorts books alone, She is also doing really well in all other aspects of school. There is no way I would have held her back she was more then ready and is doing great. Every child is different though so I wouldn't look at the number so much and look more at wether she is ready or not.

Hi ladies thanks so much for all of your replies. I have read them all and will greatly think about all that has been said.
I think Sophie is ready and I think she would love it. she attends preschool 1 day a week and enjoys it. she is definitely not gifted like some but I definitely don't think she is behind. I do not think she has any major issues socially or emotionally. Socially she is a bit on the quieter side but I do not think it is a major issue. But then possibly holding her back just might give her that extra year to become more confident and to thrive that bit more. I've enrolled her in a few other activities with other children to help boost her confidence and social skills.
Im finding it hard to get my head around holding her back since she will be 5. And that's where I'm struggling about what to decide.
Should I send her because I want to or should I hold her back because that's what has been recommended.
It's not only a recommendation to my child but any child with late dec jan birthdays. The preschool is at the school I'm wishing to send her to.
They are just very pro holding back in general. Reckon older kids will cope better and will thrive better being that bit older in age.
I never gave it any thought until the preschool brought it up. I was all for sending to school but now I just do not know.
I guess as parents we all just want what is best for our children so I'm struggling with this decision because I want to get it right.
Thanks again for all the replies.
I have a lot to think about.
Will let you all know what I decide to do in the end

I'm thankful my older 2 girls are sept/oct so the choice is made for me, but my littlest is march so I will face the same dilemma when she's old enough.

Personally I think her emotional/social maturity is more important than her academics. If you think she is a little lacking in her social/emotional capabilities then I would give her the extra year to build on that.
Dd1 is in year 1 (Nsw) and she has a friend who was 7 in January and another friend who was 6 in march, yet she's not 7 til September.

Hi - we have 2 winter babies - so we have the dilemma of starting Kindy at 4.5 or 5.5 yrs old. Back in my school days, January kids (which would have started Kindy at age 5) were in the middle in terms of age. The eldest in my year were born around Jun/July and the youngest kids were born around May/Jun. Have things changed since then? I have found a article stating "NSW Department of Education figures show 19.5 per cent of kindergarten children were already six when they started kindergarten". Obviously, I am concerned about sending my kids to school at 4.5 when almost 20% of kids are 6 already (ie. 1 in 5 kids would be 1.5 years older than my kids!). But how can 19.5% of kids be already 6 when they start school if it is mandatory to start school when they are 6 - Is this because kids are starting Kindergarten in the middle of the school year when they turn 6? Eg. if Bob is born in May and starts Kindy in May on his 6th birthday, does he only spend half a year at Kindy and starts Year 1 when he is 6.5? And say Mary, who is also born in May, starts Kindy early at 4.5 at the beginning of the school year - she spends 1 year in Kindy as is 5.5 years old when she starts Year 1 - therefore Bob and Mary are only 12 months apart in age (not 1.5 years) from Year 1 onwards?! I'm confused!

Btw, the article concludes that older kids have the advantage in the early years, but things even out after 3 or 4 years.

HappyHead wrote:
As far as I'm aware no one starts in the middle of the school year, they start at the end of Jan/beginning of Feb and must be in school once they turn six.

Don't SA do 2 intakes? One at beginning of the year and another mid-year?

Our cut off in WA is June 30, my dd3 misses out by 5 days (born 5/7) She was more than ready to start Kindy this yr but as she was born after the cutoff she missed out. Fortunately we have been able to enrol her in a Pre-kindy class and she is doing brilliantly. Pre-primary is a must here, all children turning 5 must but enrolled in their local school. DD3 is the oldest in her class and probably will be thru out her school years. She will be starting pre-primary when she is 5 1/2 yrs old. My oldest dds are December babies so they started not long after turning 5. DD1 had a few problems adjusting in Kindy but by the end of pre-primary she loved school, was an excellent reader and was the first child to count to 100. I wouldn't be holding her back either smile