Don’t send children to school at four, warn experts

New research says stress of formal schooling could put them off for life.
Plans to lower the mandatory school starting age to four could trigger a wave of stress and anxiety among children according to new research which suggests starting formal lessons so early can damage some youngsters’ education for life.

A government-backed review recommended last year that children start school at four instead of five because of concerns that summer-born babies get fewer terms of schooling and their achievement suffers permanently as a result. Many local authorities already take children at four.

Today’s research, conducted by Cambridge Assessment, Cambridge University’s exam board, suggests that the move may do more harm than good by distressing four-year olds and putting them off school permanently.