Allowing children to start school later 'a relief'

Parents in Guernsey will now be able to choose whether their children start school at age four or five for those born in the summer months

A mother who campaigned for more flexibility on when children start school in Guernsey says it is a "relief" that the rules have been updated.

The Committee for Education, Sport & Culture has now changed its policy so parents can choose whether their children start school at the age of four or five.

It means families with children born between 1 July and 31 August, or prematurely, can decide if they start school after their fifth birthday.

Previously, children would have either started reception soon after turning four, or waited a year until they were five, but joined school in Year 1.

'Blossoming'

The mother, who has asked not to be named, described her son who was born prematurely as "young for his age".

Her child would have joined reception last September when he had only just turned four, despite requests to hold off for a year.

"We were looking at emotionally, not being ready to cope with a full day of school or missing out on the vital start to his educational career. Both choices weren't very good.

"He's developing every single day in confidence and independence and that interest in learning what surrounds him. He's just blossoming and surprises us every day with different things that he is interested in."

The change now aligns Guernsey's education policy with the UK.

Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen, the President of the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture, said she hoped it was "a better policy for having had the engagement" with the family.