A UNSW-led study of more than 100,000 children is the largest ever to examine who delays starting school in New South Wales, and how a child’s age when they start school relates to their ‘readiness’ in terms of development.

One in four families delay school entry until the year their child turns six – with striking geographical and social variation, a study of more than 100,000 NSW Kindergarten children has found. The data also indicates a strong relationship between age and developmental skills in the first year of school.

The published study in Early Childhood Research Quarterly: 
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0885200619300110

The Conversation article:
https://theconversation.com/which-families-delay-sending-their-child-to-school-and-why-we-crunched-the-numbers-111826

The SMH article:
https://www.smh.com.au/education/a-gift-of-time-children-who-start-school-later-fare-better-study-finds-20190408-p51bw1.html

ABC radio segment with Dr Kathleen Falster and Associate Professor Ben Edwards:
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/am/one-in-four-nsw-families-delay-school-start-for-a-better-outcome/10983184

SBS news coverage 
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/starting-school-later-is-better-for-children-landmark-study-shows