Research Focus: Does Deferred School Entry Address the August Birth Penalty?

This webinar discusses scientific evidence on the August birth month penalty, deferment policies, and the benefits of schooling in reception class. It is based on an original piece of research involving representative data from household surveys and official school records, which followed children over time from reception class entry up to age 11. By discussing the evidence base, the webinar aims to enable school leaders to take informed decisions on the important topic of deferred school entry.

The UK is one of the countries with the earliest onset of primary schooling, at age 4-5 in reception class. At the same time, it is well known that the youngest children in a cohort tend to perform less well at school than their older classmates, which is sometimes referred to as the August birth month penalty. Against this backdrop, schools and local authorities sometimes face decisions about deferred or delayed entry into reception class.

In this webinar, Thomas Cornelissen, an internationally renowned expert with a research focus on the effects of early childhood education on child skill development, evaluates the evidence as to the existence of the August birth month penalty and provides an overview on the research results of study on the benefits of early schooling.