Would our son be allowed to retake year 10

If the school is good then it may be oversubscribed. In which case, they may already have other students looking to enter into the new year 10, and they wouldn't be able to bump your son up the list.

The school will have a set number of students allocated to each year group (and it may be different for each year group) which they cannot go over. You should find out this number, and what capacity the school are at with regards to the year group. If there isn't space, then there really isn't anything you can do. If there is space, then I would be asking them why he cannot redo the year when they have places available.

@Pascoe6869
It would be better to start a new thread about your daughter's situation; hopefully you'll get more responses that way.

My daughter wishes very strongly to resist year 10 due to the fact that she missed some of year 9 and all of year 10 because of illness is this possible.

Summer I do think that Noble's point re maths and English being harder for current y9s is well made. Noble is a secondary maths teacher and always gives very good advice.

However, you know your son best, and what grades you think he can attain. If you do continue with trying to repeat the year, then I suggest you get your SW (you said you still have one I think) to try to plead special circumstances.

Mind you, judicious dropping of a GCSE can free up timetable time for catching up, and also can free up revision time later. DD (adopted) dropped a GCSE after y11 mocks, and I honestly don't know how she would have coped this summer if she had continued with it.

I think the idea of carrying on with his current group but without pressure to achieve, knowing he can retake his GCSEs in the future, is a very good idea. My friend did a year at a 'resit college' between GCSEs and A levels. She found it really helpful and enjoyable. She was mentally in a much better place second time around. Best of luck to you and your son, you sound like a lovely family.

I would strongly recommend putting him through with his current year group so that he can take the old GCSEs.

This is a very good point. If a student is already struggling, then definitely better to sit Maths & English in the summer of 2016 rather than 2017.

There is a pupil where I work who is a year younger as they had lived abroad so it is possible. I have previously taught a child who was also a year behind (screws up the statistics at GCSE a bit). So it does happen - perhaps there is a possibility of a new school? He would probably find that easier too

If he does repeat the year then he will be in the first year group to take the new, harder, English and maths gcses. The pass grade for these new GCSEs will be set higher than the current GCSE (more like a low B). If he is likely to be a C/D borderline pass, I would strongly recommend putting him through with his current year group so that he can take the old GCSEs. If he could drop some subjects to catch up in the important ones (pupil premium money could fund tutors), then I would seriously consider this over retaking Y10. Most schools will have already started teaching the new GCSE maths course in Y9 so he would have to catch up missed work there anyway.

Summerwood it seems extremely odd that the school won't consider it. From what you've said, it seems by far the most sensible option, especially if he's been moving schools during Y10. I certainly know that there have been students repeating a year at our school if there's been a significant need. If I were you I'd be fairly insistent that a proper conversation is had at the very least and at the highest level - it seems absolutely appropriate in the circumstances. The school is there to do its best by your son, and if his best interests are served by repeating the year, then that's exactly what should happen - no buts.

A friends son restarted year 11 in a state school after missing the majority of a year due to health reasons. He did not count in the league tables for his correct year group, as he had already been re-registered in the year below, so that is not the issue. The funding is also not an issue as children can be placed in the wrong year group if there is a good reason (summer birthday children who successfully get placed in the year below do not run out of funding once they reach year 11! )
Either this is the school concerned about setting a precedent, or it is connected to the change in gcse syllabus. Who is that has said no, HOY, headteacher, LEA or the governors?

They do get funding for under 19s but the goverment decided it was unfair that sixth form got the same amount of funding as an under 16 year old student when a college received less money so they reduced the money per student in sixth forms.

Would the school allow him to sit a lower number of subjects. In our school we have just done this for one student who had to move at the beginning of year 11. She has done 6 subjects instead of the usual 11, and has spent the lessons she is not in class self studying. It will depend if your son will work independently. It may also show the school that although he may have problems he is willing to work hard to catch up. Good luck.

good boy you have there summerwood - do not forget to remind that if he 'fluffs' any GCSEs he can retake later....

another issue for the school is that he want sit his gcses next year as he is supposed to and so the school will get a pupil with no qualifications on their results which impacts on league tables etc. Not very fair on your son I know

oh one of those schools is it?
does it begin with an F by any chance?
summerwood, without wishing to offend, do you think with all his issues, pressure to 'achieve' is going to help?
And if he has to drop, say History, does it really matter that much?

there is still time in year 11 to get good grades...

Does the school have a 6th form ? If so now they receive funding to 19 as they have to be in education or training longer.