The month in which we are born affects our experience of and progress through the education system and is known as the relative age effect. This study reports on a project in which the author conducted mixed methods research into the impact of different birth months on enrolment patterns and participant experiences within further education in…

This paper explores national patterns of entry to primary school in England over the past decade. It focuses on deferred entry (where children begin Reception with the cohort below) and delayed entry (where children miss some or all of Reception, and enter Year 1 with their 'normal' cohort). In 2014, the Department for Education's (DfE's) guidance…

This paper explores the experiences of twelve children and their parents from diverse minority ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds during their first school year. Drawing on sociological and educational conceptualisations of resilience, findings highlight protective factors for children's resilience at four levels, including family and school…

The School Admissions Code ('the Code') requires school admission authorities to provide for the admission of all children in the September following their fourth birthday. This is when children usually start school, but a child does not reach compulsory school age until the "prescribed day" following their fifth birthday (or on their…

This small-scale interpretative study, carried out in the reception classes of three English primary academies, examined educator perceptions of summer-born children, their expectations of children on entry to reception classes and whether those expectations were age differentiated. It also investigated the support and intervention strategies used…

This study investigated the effect of children's first formal school years on mathematical skill profiles, measured by a variety of arithmetical skills and Spontaneous Focusing On Numerosity (SFON) tasks. By using person-centered approach the aim was to investigate whether the amount of formal schooling is associated with mathematical skills in…

This report provides information on the structure of mainstream European education systems, from pre-primary to tertiary level for the 2020/21 school and academic year. It includes national schematic diagrams and a guide to reading the diagrams. It also contains a map visually showing the main organisational models of primary and lower secondary…

This report provides information on the structure of mainstream European education systems, from pre-primary to tertiary level for the 2019/20 school and academic year. It includes national schematic diagrams and a guide to reading the diagrams. It also contains a map visually showing the main organisational models of primary and lower secondary…

This report provides information on the structure of mainstream European education systems, from pre-primary to tertiary level for the 2018/19 school and academic year. It includes national schematic diagrams, an explanatory guide and a map showing visually the main organisational models of compulsory education. They also reveal that there are…

Apart from one amalgamation there are as many grammar schools in England as when Labour took office in 1997. Selection at age 11 still influences English education and unless there are changes its effect is likely to increase. Legislation introduced in 1998 which could have ended selection had no effect. The pressure from the right-wing minority…

Background: The youngest children in an academic year are reported to be educationally disadvantaged and overrepresented in referrals to clinical services. In this study we investigate for the first time whether these disadvantages are indicative of a mismatch between language competence at school entry and the academic demands of the classroom.…

Data from 102 of 108 local education authorities in England showed a trend toward earlier admission to school (age 4). Provision of appropriate conditions for four-year olds had been a low priority in many districts. Factors influencing the trend included government policy, funding changes, and lack of high-quality preschool facilities. (SK)

Compared arithmetic knowledge and calculation strategies of children in England and Slovenia in relation to existing policy and practice regarding school entry age. Found that English children scored significantly higher than Slovenes at age 6 on basic arithmetic; by 7 there were no differences. English 6 and 7-year-olds scored higher on…

Noting the importance of procedures for welcoming and admitting children younger than 5 years of age into English Infant schools, this paper presents the results of a survey which compared the ways three schools work with parents before and after children's school entry. Personnel from the three schools were asked questions concerning the nature…

Third in a series of publications of the New Jersey State Department of Education, Division of Research, Planning and Evaluation, this paper compares and contrasts the historical paths traveled by two contemporary, highly technological countries (the United States and England) in determining a prevailing age for entry into schools. Through…