Summerborn deferral

[Smellysaurus]

We are considering deferring our summerborn DD and having her start reception a year later at just gone 5. We are in England in a super selective area.

We may consider independent schools and I guess my question is how independents view deferral? I'm sure it'll depend on the school but would be good to hear other people's experiences on whether they are open to it.

Also, how is the 11+ treated for deferred summerborns?

[llhj]

There isn't a huge amount of precedent tbh. The tests are age adjusted so they'd have a big deduction there. I'm really not sure.

[llhj]

Do you feel that your dc is very disadvantaged?

[Smellysaurus]

Possibly.

We live abroad and will most likely move back in a few years as she goes into what should be Y1 but we would prefer her to start in reception. She would've attended nursery/preschool but it will not be in English and in our current location they start reading/writing etc a bit later (6/7).

[llhj]

I would phone the admissions team in your borough and talk it through with them. Don't necessarily expect to receive any guarantees though.

[Smellysaurus]

Thanks, and yes I'd totally expect a lot of caveats.

Anyone have any first hand experience of this?

[LIZS]

The only ones I've known in private schools had Splds , who repeated rather than started out of year, or from abroad at secondary level with educational systems that don't quite correlate. It is probably too early for this to be common enough that selective issues have been formally addressed. Usually only those born within the specified dates can take 11+.

[rockat]

One of mine started a year late but it was a nightmare in the end because we moved house to new area, and the new school disagreed with the old schools decision. Long story short he went from year one at Easter time, did summer term in year two and starts year three in September. Nuts. Forcing him to skip a whole year when they go on about missing a week for holidays being detrimental, hypocrites.. I'm not bitter, not bitter at all..

[Smellysaurus]

Splds??

rockat that sounds v stressful. Though I think I would be ok about my DD being moved up and down if she showed ability and we weren't in an 11+ area......

[rockat]

He got moved up despite struggling academically and socially. Keep in mind she may have difficulties etc even if you don't expect her to, so missing a years teaching could be harder than you'd expect.

[Smellysaurus]

God that's awful.

Tbh I'd hoped to defer her anyway but the lack of UK preschool and English around her has convinced me it's the right thing to do.

[mrz]

SpLDS specific learning difficulties - it would be unusual to defer on grounds of Splds more common for child with SLD sever learning difficulties.

LAs have to consider each request to defer but there is no guarantee request will be granted I'm afraid. It's also possible that child may miss either Y6 or Y7 at the point of transfer to secondary.

You would need to freckles 11+ rules in your area but it may mean taking test at correct age even though you have deferred

[TooTweeOrNotTooTwee]

We asked local private schools this question (DD late August born) and none offered delayed entry. One school did suggest, as a pp has mentioned, that children could repeat the reception year if they were really struggling, but my understanding was that this is very uncommon.

[EyeoftheStorm]

It's hard in the state system to defer. In most cases, you would need some kind of evidence why your DD should defer and even then it would depend on which council/county you're in. It can be quite a fight, but it can be done. But it does seem that another crunch time comes at 11+ and you might need to fight the fight all over again.

If you are able to go private, there might be more flexibility though it depends on the school. DS2 deferred at a private school which goes through to 18, so there will be no problem with him staying in the same year.

[littlepinkmouseofsugar]

There is a fab Facebook support group (flexible school admissions for summer borns) with accurate info regarding which local authority does what - they all seem to react differently re summer born policies but there are a lot of success stories. So if it is a an option it might be worth considering which area you live in when you move back to the UK.

In theory the govt is looking at changing the legislation to make it more clearcut re the school starting age for summer born children. There have been more children approved for starting later once they are actually five rather than just four years old, and this seems to be on the increase.

Anecdotally, I know of a couple of children who have gone back a year when they changed schools into the private system and they have thrived and have become more confident and are doing well.

I'm all in favour of summer born children starting later- while reception might all be play based there is massive leap up to the level of work expected in year one and the new curriculum has made things a lot more complex for younger children which can really affect self esteem when a younger child just doesn't get something because they are not developmentally there yet.

[Smellysaurus]

Thanks all.

I would be prepared to really fight for the deferral, but on looking into it the 11+ entry criteria is what is perhaps more of a concern.

I'll make some phone calls when term starts back up again and see what's what.

Just joined that FB group - thank you.

[Smellysaurus]

littlepinkmouse do you know when the govt changes are supposed to take place?? We've got a few years yet so fingers crossed it'll be by then!

[littlepinkmouseofsugar]

Nobody knows, hopefully in the next year or so is the guess... The govt has made announcements to the effect that it's going to be discussed, but no date has been set yet. Again any updates are posted on the Facebook group.

NB on the Facebook group there has been mention of 11+ issues at various points. Advice seems to be contact the grammars in your area as they seem to all have differing interpretations of the situation. I imagine as more and more summer born children start at age 5 instead of age 4, by the time your child is at an stage/age to sit 11+ (and given the govt now in theory might open more grammar schools?) then the issue re delaying a year and when to sit the exam will be sorted out.

[Smellysaurus]

I really hope so. I feel so strongly about it (whether she is grammar-calibre or not). Our catchment comp is great but v over subscribed and we are on the outer edge of the catchment so it's likely she won't get in. The next alternative comp is horrendous.

[SisterViktorine]

As it stands in the state system I think having a child able to gain entry to a super-selective and having a child they would agree to defer are probably mutually exclusive.

However, as PP have said, things might change over the next few years.

We have talked to DSs Prep about him repeating a year (he has just finished Y1) and they would let us do it. We are not going to because he would be mortified- he loves his class and is doing well socially and academically although his writing is quite behind. However, we will definitely 'drop' him down a year when we relocate. It is blatant 'red-shirting' but I know it will be best for him.

[DoctorDonnaNoble]

You can enter the 11+ early if taught in that year group (happens every couple of years). However, I have never known anyone older enter the 11+.

[PotteringAlong]

How old is your daughter? She's obviously less than 4 so i would make no judgements about secondary schools - a lot can change in the years until she starts.

[AllPizzasGreatAndSmall]

As it stands in the state system I think having a child able to gain entry to a super-selective and having a child they would agree to defer are probably mutually exclusive.

I agree with this, if a child at four is going to struggle so much in reception because they are a few months younger than some of the others then they are not children who are likely to be getting high marks in 11+.

The 11+ is a test aimed at children born within a specific time-frame e.g. September 2005 - August 2006, the year they are in at school or if they even currently attend school is not an issue, their score is weighted based on their age so children born in August are not disadvantaged.

[chameleon43]

It's an interesting question. I don't think that offering deferral to summerborns is because they are going to struggle academically per se. It's just that they would struggle academically with a peer group who are all older than them.

If these children were given the same advantage as September borns and allowed to be the oldest in the year they may excel.

There is no specific provision for this in most 11+ exams currently but as deferral looks to be offered more widely surely it can't be long before grammars (and independents) come up with specific policies on this?

Allpizzas - agree with the age weighting thing. Surely if they can moderate scores so that September kids don't get an advantage, they could do the same for the July/Aug deferrals who would become the oldest?

[mrz]

They will be disadvantaged if they've had a full years less education