What Age Should Children Start School?

Summary Report of the Event
Early Years Scotland Question Time
What Age Should
Children Start School?
Event held at University of Strathclyde, Court Senate Suite
on Tuesday 20 September 2016, hosted by Early Years Scotland in
partnership with University of Strathclyde

What Age Should Children Start School? Summary Report Of The Event
Introduction
Early Years Scotland decided to host this event in response to the increasing
amount of debate taking place across the country about the optimal time for
children to start school. We are also aware that there is an appetite in the sector
for the provision of an effective and appropriate early years forum which enables
deliberation, debate and discussion.
We were delighted and most appreciative that our colleagues in University of
Strathclyde accepted our invitation to co-host this occasion, especially given their
significant interest in, and important contribution to, the debate.
I would like to extend my most sincere appreciation to Dr Christine Stephen
of University of Stirling, for being a ‘friend of Early Years Scotland’ and for
supporting this event by attending, contributing, and authoring this report.
As we grapple with the challenges of closing the attainment gap, and also expand
Early Learning and Childcare funded provision for all three and four year olds and
eligible two year olds across the country, it is Early Years Scotland’s intention to
use this Question Time experience as a ‘pilot’ to inform our thinking with regard to
whether or not the provision of a subsequent series of Question Time events may
facilitate these aspirations.
Jean Carwood-Edwards
Chief Executive, Early Years Scotland
2 •
Early Years Scotland

What Age Should Children Start School? Summary Report Of The Event
Members of Panel
• Teresa Ashmead, Head of Curriculum for Early Years and Social Care,
Glasgow Clyde College
• Professor Sue Ellis, University of Strathclyde
• Deirdre Grogan, Senior Lecturer, School of Education, University of
Strathclyde
• Dr Elizabeth Henderson, Early Education Consultant and Upstart
Representative
• Joanna Murphy, Chair, National Parent Forum of Scotland
• Anne O’Grady, Head Teacher, Chesters Nursery School, Glasgow
• Linda Reed, Head Teacher, Garnetbank Primary School, Glasgow
Chair: Huw Owen
Starting Points
The debate began with the Chair asking the audience to indicate whether they:
• were satisfied with the current age at which children start school
• want to change the school starting age
• were more concerned with changing children’s experiences in school than
changing the age?
Most people were more concerned with the nature of children’s learning
experiences as they begin school with few wanting to see a change in the
starting age. This position became a recurrent motif across the debate, reflected
in many of the contributions from the panel and audience and this underpinned
much of the discussion.
Panel Positions
Anne O’Grady questioned whether the key issue was about the age at which
children start school, and she went on to argue that what is important is the
learning environment and expectations that children have when they make
that transition. She suggested that what matters is getting the environment
and context for learning right for each child’s physical, social and psychological
needs and engaging fully and meaningfully with the family in which he or she is
growing up.
Linda Reed advocated some ‘blue sky’ thinking about ways of resolving some
of the current tensions being experienced in Early Learning and Childcare
(ELC). She wondered how high quality play opportunities could be assured at
every setting. She also questioned if some of the expectations about children’s
progress in P1 could be postponed until P2. Could staggering school entry dates
for different children help to reduce the impact children experience when moving
from a staffing ratio of 1:8 in ELC to 1:25 in a P1 classroom?
Early Years Scotland • 3

What Age Should Children Start School? Summary Report Of The Event
Deirdre Grogan looked at what we might learn from Finland about the kind of ELC
experiences that underpin educational success. She pointed to the emphasis there
on active learning opportunities, the orientation towards process, and concern that
children should take ownership of their learning. Deirdre went on to point out that
these were also features of the curriculum expectations and guidance in Scotland,
raising questions about the extent to which we actually understand and put our
guidance into practice.
Dr Elizabeth Henderson began by stating Upstart’s recommendation that children
should start school at 7 years old in the context of contemporary anxieties about
childhood. She argued that starting school at 5 years old arose from historical
circumstances not educational evidence and pointed to findings in an OECD
report indicating that starting school later confers educational benefits. Elizabeth
suggested that at age 5 children are not capable of the self-regulation needed for
school, not able to keep up with curricular expectations, and are better served by
play and activities designed to build their self-esteem.
Joanna Murphy was concerned not with the age at which children start school,
but with keeping the focus of practice and policy on the needs of individuals,
play-based learning experiences and achieving consistency of quality across all
locations. She emphasised that parents need to be involved as equal partners in
their children’s learning and concluded that what was needed was attention to play
practices not policy overhaul.
Teresa Ashmead argued that a focus on age alone was too narrow. Her
experience of working with young people at college has left her wondering about
the quality of their educational experiences and she is aware of the responsibility
to ensure that students preparing for a career as early years educators understand
what is needed for successful progress towards Curriculum for Excellence aims.
Professor Sue Ellis cautioned that there are difficulties associated with making
international comparisons about educational outcomes without considering the
socio-economic and political context in which children are learning. She argued
against a skills-based approach to literacy, advocating instead for a knowledge
and content rich curriculum. Sue described the ways in which children’s home
environments can prepare them for learning in the culture of school, but pointed
out that not all children benefit from these advantageous circumstances.
Most people were
more concerned with
the nature of children’s
learning experiences as
they begin school with
few wanting to see a
change in the starting
age.
4 •
Early Years Scotland

What Age Should Children Start School? Summary Report Of The Event
Audience Responses
From invited questions, spontaneous audience comments, and the responses of
panel members, a ready consensus emerged including:
• The nature of children’s experiences in their early years is more influential
than the age at which they move from ELC to school. The current curriculum
policy and practice guidance (Early Level of Curriculum for Excellence; Building
the Ambition) can provide children with the kind of high quality early learning
experiences valued within the Early Years sector. However, there is a need to
review what is happening in everyday practice and to examine what hinders
the implementation of (or reduces the effectiveness of) good practice, or leads
to patchy provision across the country.
• There is general acceptance that parents are important partners in the learning
environment, but we should look beyond the rhetoric to reconsider how parentschool
relationships are enacted, find respectful ways of engaging families in
learning, and sharing what parents and educators know about each child.
There is a need to review whether training programmes for educators are
currently fit for purpose. Initial and continuing professional education and
development for all practitioners working with children within the Early Level
should equip them with a clear understanding of the ways in which children learn.
This should also include a focus on the role of play in children’s learning and
development. Educators should be able to articulate their pedagogical principles
and ensure that their knowledge is enacted in their everyday practices.
Early Years Scotland • 5

What Age Should Children Start School? Summary Report Of The Event
• The Early Years sector could lead the way in debating some big questions
about learning and educational provision. For example, what value is placed
on creativity, time and space for play; should we focus on particular skills or
broader capacities; what outcomes should be prioritised?
• The ways in which children experience transition between ELC and school
settings in the Early Level should be revisited. This should focus on:
(i)
(ii)
how to foster positive relationships between children, educators and
families and
ways in which young learners can be supported through the challenge
of moving to a new, and potentially disadvantaging, learning culture
in school.
• Current policy developments threaten to raise tensions between a responsive
approach to pedagogy in the Early Level and one that is more narrowly
targeted on particular attainments through testing. Early Years professionals
should engage in the debate about what they need to know about children’s
development and progress, and about their capacity to act on that knowledge
in the interests of individual learners.
6 •
Early Years Scotland

What Age Should Children Start School? Summary Report Of The Event
Conclusion and Recommendations
The key messages from the debate and discussion seemed to be consistent
with most participants concluding that children will only be provided with
the opportunity for high quality, appropriate experiences if the following
recommendations are taken forward:
1. Initial and continuing training programmes for all staff in ELC and primary school
settings who work across the Early Level of Curriculum for Excellence should focus
more directly on ensuring that staff have a clear understanding of the ways in
which young children learn. This should also include the role of play in learning and
the importance of pedagogic principles being enacted in everyday practice.
2. Working with parents to enrich and improve children’s home learning
environments should be a core element of practice in all ELC and school settings.
3. There should be a review of the possibility of having a ‘staggered entry to
school’ arrangement, for example would it be better if children could start school
in either August or January?
4. The environments, experiences and staffing ratios in early primary should
be more consistent with ELC and should be reviewed in line with the needs and
interests of young children.
5. Early Years professionals should engage in the debate around testing so that
they can ensure that assessments undertaken in ELC and early primary are
developmentally appropriate and will lead to improved outcomes for children.
Early Years Scotland • 7

Further Information
As the event was recorded, there is a further opportunity for staff, parents and
other stakeholders to view the film of the evening on the Early Years Scotland
website at earlyyearsscotland.org
Notification of further Question Time events will be advertised on the website
with a link to register to reserve a place on a first come first served basis.
Early Years Scotland will disseminate and share this summary report with the
sector by using the website, magazines, e-bulletins, social media and other
communication channels. Policymakers will also be invited to consider the report
in general and the recommendations in particular.
Early Years Scotland
23 Granville Street, Glasgow G3 7EE
Tel: 0141 221 4148 Fax: 0141 221 6043
Email: info@earlyyearsscotland.org
Web: www.earlyyearsscotland.org
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Scottish Charity Registration No SC003725