New admissions - impact on those in other year groups

[Spycat007]

Hi

Just looking for any guidance on what the new admissions procedure will mean for other year group children

Context is that my son is very young for his year. He is currently in year 3 as a 7 year old ( had is 7th birthday days before school started)

Does anyone know if there may be provision ( even by appeal) to allow us to drop him back a year group bearing in mind the recognition of issues regarding youngest children for the forthcoming September intake ( ie that they can be held back and join the younger year group)

Sons school is an academy school so I'm hoping we may be able to campaign for this!

Thanks in advance

[louisejxxx]

I'm pretty certain that it won't be done in retrospect (although I happily confess that this is mere speculation!)...It would cause havoc in terms of class sizes, infant class size restrictions etc.

[Spycat007]

Thanks, assuming too they won't want to open floodgates but just wondering if anyone knew of a policy..

[Spycat007]

Mm, ok. Who would I speak to? Would it be the council?

[SunnySomer]

Actually. I know someone it happened to (pre change to admissions rules) BUT there were serious SEN issues involved (so child was born v late in school year, but was also born seriously premature and had developmental and maturity issues as a result). So a lot more complex than just being very young in the year.

[PeterParkerSays]

Are you planning on moving your child to a different school? I asked DH about this, as DS is struggling and an August birthday, but he was horrified at the idea as DS would know that he'd moved back a year in with the children a year below him and would feel that we were punishing him in some way for not working well enough last year so he'd been taken away from his friends. I didn't want that for him. It would be less noticeable if he moved to a different school.

In reality though, I suspect that we've just been stuffed by a system that clobbers summer born children if we have kids who are already in year 1. In our case DS was stuck in a mixed year class with kids 2 years older than him - great way to demloish your kid's self esteem.

I feel for you OP but there are so few options to help if your child isn't going into Reception next year.

[ladygracie]

I don't know how simple it is but you'd need to speak to the head & the sendco at your school.
Also I believe that sometimes children have to be moved up to the correct year group before secondary school so that will be an enormous jump.

[Spycat007]

Great feedback thanks all!

Son is in split classes so youngest of two year groups in class now ( some are two years older essentially as a result) that's my concern. He's more friendly with younger year also and would be happy to be with them.

So speak with HT as it sounds like it could ( long shot maybe) be possible and then LA...?

Could you give more detail about move to secondary school please ladygracie?

PeterParkersays - def feeling clobbered !! What does OP stand for?

Thanks all - really helpful!

[Spycat007]

Ps believe they can be held back in private school so what would happen if they then went to secondary not private?

[titchy]

The LEA is unlikely to fund an extra year of education unless he has SN so he'd have to start secondary with his cohort, so missing out year 6 entirely which would probably be disastrous.

[Spycat007]

Thanks all. Really helpful. Really just trying to find out if there were any new policies that anyone knew about as a result of the changes.

I'm not sure you can be so sure that it's NOT going to happen since the policies are changing next year, which you didnt seem sure about. I am listening ( why would i bother to post otherwise?:)) merely listening to everyone's in put. Thanks again for yours

[titchy]

Changes apply to new reception. They're not retrospective.

[Spycat007]

Thanks :)

[PeterParkerSays]

Spycat, OP is Original Poster, to make it clear that I was replying to you rather than any of the other posters.

[PeterParkerSays]

We are lookig seriously at moving DS next year. He was in a mixed year class for Yr 1 and looks like he'll have one again for yrs 3 and 4 if he stays at that school. We cannot allow that to happen to him again.

[Spycat007]

Thanks PeterParkerSays that's really interesting. My son is in Yr3 and with Yr4s. That's why I'm so concerned. This is the second time he's been the youngest of the two year groups. Hadn't thought about moving schools tho tbh. Be interested to hear what you decide. Our secondary system is very devisive locally so I'm ultimately concerned as to where this all may lead.

[ladygracie]

In a private school it is at the discretion of the school as far as I know. So a child could stay in the year below right through to year 11. And at sixth form it isn't an issue.
When I worked at a state school there was a child who was in the year below & he skipped year 5 I think in order to be caught up. My understanding was that in the past (although not relevant now) was that one of the reasons was that if s child was a year behind then technically they could leave school before they took GCSEs because they would turn 16 in year 10 not year 11.

[M4blues]

Because he is y3 there is probably even less chance of it happening, certainly during this academic year. Assuming the school is full, they will not prejudice infant class sizes. For the school to agree to this would mean employing another teacher.

[M4blues]

You also need to keep in mind that there are currently no new admissions procedures. There is only a consultation on a likely to happen policy. As things stand, nothing has changed.

[noblegiraffe]

A boy moved down to my DS's year, repeating Y1 because he was struggling as a very late August-born, so it can happen. My DS's year group was under numbers though so it didn't impact their year. No harm in asking.

[bemybebe]

First of all, you should speak to the head teacher. As far as I understand, they have the powers to decide on the year group. But I guess you

If the HT does not agree, you need to check your Local Authority's policy on education out of chronological year. I believe it must be published on their website, but I may be wrong. I understand that as a parent you can always apply for your child to be taught out of chronological year, but it is the admission authority who will be making the decision.

The legislative changes will focus on admissions of the summer born children, who are legally allowed to start school in September after their 5th birthday, but then forced by many Local Authorities to miss Reception (the foundation year of phonics and maths) or ANY YEAR further down the road. This is a different story.

Your child is a summer born already at school, but you may still find it useful to join the Facebook group Flexible School Admissions for Summer Borns

[bemybebe]

"But I guess you ..."
But I guess you have done it already. Sorry don't know why the end of sentence has dropped.