What's age got to do with it? A study of patterns of school entry and the impact of season of birth on school attainment

Abstract

Summary This research collected information from English and Welsh local education authorities (LEAs) on primary/first school entry policy; and the academic achievements of children in relation to their ‘season of birth’. The findings indicate that LEAs are adopting a range of policies, the most common of which are annual (44 per cent), termly (25 per cent) and biannual (23 per cent) patterns of entry. Most schools take four‐year‐olds, and just under a third of LEAs have changed their policy recently, all in favour of admitting younger fours. The main reason given for changes in entry policy is to address the needs of ‘summer‐born’ children, who are thought to be disadvantaged by spending less time in school than their older classmates. Data from key stage 1 (KS1) and General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) assessments confirm that children who are older in the year‐group perform best (although there are some anomalies evident in the month on month trends). It is argued that these findings are due to the differences in age when taking the tests, but may also be influenced by ‘age‐position effects’ and entry policies. A number of strategies are outlined, aimed at reducing the disadvantages suffered by children who are the youngest in the year‐group.