So its impartiality is open to query. Not surprisingly, perhaps, the findings have never been replicated in any other study. The second piece of evidence cited in support of the foundation year guidance is the fact that children start school later in many other European countries. Some begin at six, and some even at seven. Again, the detail does not support the claim.
Children starting later do so in countries with more regular languages.
In France, where the spelling is as irregular as English, school starts just as early. A better basis for policy is the fact that children who start early hold their lead. Parents want their child to have an early start in learning to read, and it is perverse to have a curriculum that undermines that. My concern is that the foundation year guidance will lead to under-achievement in the most vulnerable children. I see it being accepted most readily in urban schools, less so in suburban and rural schools, and least of all in independent schools.