Deferring entry to Secondary School

[Cookie17]

I need advice ... I have been battling to defer the entrance of my little boy to secondary school for over a year now. One step forward, three steps back all the time. Has anyone else successfully gone through this process?

My son is the youngest in his year with severe dyselxia (as diagnosed in his EP report) which, historically, has meant he has struggled with literacy at school. He also has perfectionist tendencies, again highlighted in the EP report, which has exasperated the problem.

Since his primary school kept him back in year 2, which he repeated in Sept 2014, he has been thriving and made notable progress. The benefits have been on-going. He feels confident and the advantage of being the oldest in his class, offsets the disadvantage of his dyslexia. He was born early and as such, just seems to "fit-in" as a 4 student, it allows him to work at his level and in his comfort zone. Whereas he would be completely out of his depth in his "birth year-group," Year 5.

I feel it is important to stress that we do not question the fantastic support given to SEN pupils at both his primary school and future secondary school but that our main concern is our sons well-being and future development. The impact of missing year 6 at primary school and the subsequent impact of joining a secondary school in 2018, we believe will result in psychological damage and adversely affect his confidence and learning potential to the extreme.

Following a discussion with a schools appeal admission lawyer the fact that he has been kept back for such a long time by the school is a massive consideration. This is now his peer group and where he has made the most progress.

At this point, I would like to draw your attention to the Admission to Schools in Suffolk policy, where on p.20 it states:
"Children out of year group:
It is expected that children will normally be educated within their chronological year group. However, admission authorities will make decisions on the basis of the circumstances of each case and in the best interests of the child concerned in line with the School Admissions Code (December 2014)"
//www.suffolk.gov.uk/assets/children-families-and-learning/schools/2016-08-03-Admissions-to-Schools-in-Suffolk-2017-18-Final.pdf

I need to get the LA to fund the extra year. I am having a meeting with the secondary school tomorrow. Any advice gratefully received.

[Mary21]

Does he have an EHCP. I have known children have it stipulated on their statement or EHCP that they are to be educated out of their year group.
Children are entitled to free education up to age 19. Often this end up being used to do a 3 year sixth form. GCSE retakes then Alevels/Brecht or AS retakes etc. Something to be aware of. I do know some back years student who have managed to get funding for 3 year sixth form . So nothing is impossible. All did have statements or EHCP,s

[Cookie17]

Thank you Mary21. Unfortunately despite my best efforts, he does not have an EHCP. Apparently, according to his primary school, you can no longer get one for dyslexia? But I didn't know about the entitlement of free education up to 19yrs, that's a milestone in my arsenal! Where could I find that on-line to print out and take with me

[Foxyloxy1plus1]

I worked in Surrey which was very very opposed to pupils being out of year. It sounds as though it should be straightforward, but lots of other considerations come into play. As far as exams are concerned, the pupils are only counted for the academic year in which they 'should' take them. That has an impact on data and, as you probably know, schools are judged on data! So there would be two years when your child's results wouldn't count- the year he should be in and the year he actually takes exams. So it's not so much for h free education until 19, it's the skewed results.

No help to you, but there are rationales for this seemingly arbitrary decision. I feel for you, particularly as he's not in the academic year he should have been anyway. To be honest, if there's no EHCP, I don't think you'll get anywhere with it. It

[Cookie17]

Thanks Foxyloxy, I have already had a discussion about GCSE. My counter-argument for that is that many children take some GCSE's early, as well as many re-sitting them the following year. Therefore, is it not conceivable that he takes a few subjects that he's good at in the correct year and take the majority the following year? He's not particularly sporty so, the team ages, are not relevant either.
But appreciate your comments. Trouble is it's all bureaucracy, there are all sorts of systems in place that make it difficult to do but nothing that actually addresses or considers the best interests of the child ... which is in their admissions statement itself.

[pigcon1]

How did you get on Cookie 17?
I’m looking at this for one of my children.

[NewElthamMum13]

I don't know much about the deferred start, but can fill in some detail on the information you've been given above for 16+ funding.

There is full funding at 16-19 regardless of whether he's still doing GCSEs at that point or starting Level 3 courses. You are funded under this scheme if you are aged 16-18 when you start the course, so even if you turn 19 while studying, your funding will continue. I know teenagers who started their A-levels aged 18 and they are still funded until the end of the course. Once you are 19 at the start of a course, you move on to Adult Education funding, which is different.
Here is the relevant government guidance on funding at 16+ :
"39. To maintain eligibility for funding for individual students during a learning programme, a wider definition is used by the funding bodies. A student who was aged 16, 17 or 18 on 31 August at the start of the funding year when they began a learning programme, as recorded on their learning agreement, continues to be funded as a 16- to 18-year-old student. If they become 19 years old during their learning programme such students are funded at 16 to 18 rates to complete their learning programmes."

Reference for 16-19 funding:
Education & Skills Funding Agency, Funding guidance for young people 2017 to 2018 Funding regulations Version 1.0 published April 2017, p16

If you turn 19 and still have not achieved the equivalent of 5 GCSEs and 2 full A-levels, you are entitled at ages 19-23 (up to age 25 with an EHCP) to fully funded courses until you pass these qualifications or equivalents. Adult Education funding summary.

[NewElthamMum13]

The Department for Education's guidance on summer-born children seems to cover this.

It says:

^"Funding for children educated out of their normal age group
Primary schools are funded for the number of pupils they have on roll, regardless of their
age, though local authorities may choose to weight that funding according to age.
Similarly, secondary schools are funded on the basis of the number of pupils they have in
years 7-11, regardless of their age, which again may be weighted according to age by
local authorities. "^

And:

^"Tests and performance tables
Children are assessed when they reach the end of each key stage, not when they reach
a particular age. There are no age requirements as to when children must take their
GCSEs or other assessments.
The department reports on pupils’ performance when they reach the end of a key stage –
regardless of age."^

There is also a report on deferred admission for summer-born children which may be of interest to you.

[pigcon1]

NewElthamMum13

Thank you - very useful to have and I will look at the report now. Good to know about the flexibility at A’level.