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In New Zealand, children typically start school on or after their fifth birthday, with some schools choosing to do cohort entry where multiple new students start at set dates throughout the year. However, children legally have to be in some sort of formal schooling by age six – a physical school, homeschool or one of the growing number of online schools. This gives parents 12 months of wiggle room to keep their child at home or in an early learning centre for longer.
There is limited data on what age New Zealand’s children start school and whether there is a trend towards delaying the start of school. In the Australian state of Queensland, the percentage of children with a delayed school start has more than doubled between 2014 and 2024, from 4.9 percent to 12 percent, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. US data shows a fluctuation year-on-year for redshirting.
Every year, Lucy Naylor, the principal of Millford School in Auckland, notices one or two parents who delay the start of school for their child.
“I certainly wouldn’t say it is a trend. It isn’t something that has spiked.
“The ones that we have that choose to delay have a very legit reason…”
This might include learning difficulties, behavioural challenges or even severe food allergies.
A mother of a neurodiverse child who also runs an Auckland-based support group for parents says most of the parents she knows delay school start for their neurodiverse students. Often, it’s to give their children more development time before a big change or that a school is not ready to accommodate the child’s unique needs.
Pari Sabetian, an educational psychologist who lives in Auckland, delayed the start of her two daughters’ formal learning without delaying the start of school by sending them to a Steiner school. A key tenet of the Steiner education philosophy is that children learn more through self-directed play until the age of seven, which is more inline with Sabetian’s native Bolivia, where children start school at age six.
Her daughters are now 13 and 15, and it is a decision she doesn’t regret.
“Four-year-olds, five-year-olds, they need to be running, climbing trees, making castles, digging holes in the sand, looking at birds, you know, touching leaves or whatever. They need to be doing … something with their hands.”
What does the evidence say about redshirting?
There is mixed evidence if an older school start age has any long-term benefits, so delaying school start can simply be avoiding a challenging but inevitable transition, says Dr Karen Harris, a senior lecturer in education psychology at Massey University.
“It is really hard, and of course, every single parent is just wanting to do the best for their child.
“So when you’re seeing lots of messaging like that, absolutely, everyone stops and thinks, ‘Oh, what’s this about? Is this something I need to think about? Is this something I should be doing?’”
Dr Karen Harris a senior lecturer in educational psychology from Massey University.
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Researching the topic is difficult, and any bias in research likely has a “socioeconomic gradient” given that wealthier families are in a better position to pay early education fees or stay out of the workforce longer, says Dr Michael Johnston, a cognitive psychologist and senior fellow from the New Zealand Initiative.
Studies that looked at this issue often found an increase in math and literacy results in the short-term, “but that tends to wash out quite quickly, actually, [and] certainly by the time they’re teenagers and adults,” he says.
Boys can have a more difficult adjustment period because there are expectations that come more naturally to many young girls, including sitting still and being quiet, says Johnston.
Parents who spruik the benefits of redshirting often hold up Scandinavian countries like Finland, where children start at age seven, as a model. And yes, Finland has historically had a reputation for an outstanding school system, but their international ranking has slipped in the last two decades , says Johnston.
On the flip-side, the research shows no disadvantage to starting school late, according to Johnston.
Harris from Massey University pointed to potential social disadvantages if a child’s friends were progressing to school and the disruption of those relationships.
And New Zealand schools and teachers are much better incorporating play-based learning into those younger years, Harris added.
“They’re not suddenly being asked to obviously, you know, sit at desks in a row and all.”
Dr Michael Johnston, a Senior Fellow at The New Zealand Initiative.
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What about neurodiverse children?
It’s complex but “in general, if a kid has a disability, it’s a disadvantage to start school later, it would seem from the data,” says Johnston.
Despite the experience of some parents with neurodiverse children – autism, ADHD, dyslexia, etc – schools should be able to assist parents in organising support, he says.
However, that experience can differ greatly depending on the school due to a stretched education system, says Harris.
With situations like ADHD and dyslexia, teachers often have a role in identifying indicators potentially leading to early intervention, says Johnston.
“If they’ve started school younger and it’s picked up earlier because of that, that’s probably a helpful thing.”
However, this can increase the risk of a misdiagnosis and an unnecessary Ritalin prescription.
“Now, that misdiagnosis is less likely to occur if they start school older because they’re more mature, and so kind of their normal behaviour is less likely to be mistaken for ADHD symptoms.
Harris, the educational psychologist from Massey University, recommends the following points to make the school transition as smooth as possible:
Build a positive picture of school by looking at picture books, sharing your positive memories and answering questions honestly.
Get to know the school and people by going to new-entrant visits and introducing your child to key adults at the school, including office staff and principal.
Practise everyday independence, such as looking after their own belongings, self-care, including toileting and putting on shoes, and food routines like showing what items are for a snack and for lunch.
Build social and emotional readiness by practising simple games that have rules, helping your child verbally express their feelings and creating calming strategies like deep breathing and drinking enough water.
Establish calm routines, such as moving gradually towards a “school day” schedule, including bedtime and wake-up times.
Stay connected by informing your teacher of your child’s strengths and interests, and passing on information and reports from early childhood teachers.
Look after yourself too by keeping farewells short and calm, and connecting with other parents whose kids are heading off to school.
