Please or to access all these features

Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

LA is bulling me to put daughter in lower year

114 replies

NinaKKjones · 30/07/2019 11:27

I really am desperate for advice,
After a relocation due to a forced move i applied to the local school for a place for my daughter for year 10 it was now March 2019 (year 10 start date was Sept 18).
The school did-not see us untill early May and then REFUSED her a place, did not offer an appeal .
I contacted the LA for help they advised there was no other schools in the area they would ask school to reconsider.
We have now reached July no one has any concern as to school missed and im freaking out .
The LA send me an email to say that The school will offer her a place but in year 9, and i HAVE TO ACCEPT IT NO APPEAL ALLOWED.
And if i dont force my daughter to face this public humiliation i will be prosecuted.

Does any one know where i stand have made a complaint but the LA seem to think despite it proven to be damaging to a child this is acceptable.
No where to turn and still no school place

I have tried out of school areas colleges even looked at how i could fund paying

OP posts:
NinaKKjones · 01/08/2019 12:34

well no its not as i keep telling you

OP posts:
NinaKKjones · 01/08/2019 12:30

no she will be 16 in october 4 weeks after the start of year 11

OP posts:
NinaKKjones · 01/08/2019 12:29

sorry we applied for a year 10 place in March 2019 they refused

In july 19 they offered her a year 9 place

ive gone on the presumption this would mean her starting year her 10 again in sept as apposed completing year 11 but due to the fact this decision was made without me im unsure of details

OP posts:
NinaKKjones · 01/08/2019 12:21

If that was the case yea i would encourage anything if thought my daughter needed extra help but she as capable as any other year 11 child
Butr my problem is that these choices are being made not with my daughters welfare in mind but to tick boxes their own procedures are not even being followed

OP posts:
RageAgainstTheVendingMachine · 01/08/2019 12:03

Ah lola I have misunderstood then, the year 9 place is now so year 10 September (repeats two terms but new coursework etc)
2019/20 - year 10 - 16
2020/21 - year 11 - 17
2021/22 - lower 6th -18
2022/23 - upper 6th -19
OP It's a no-brainer. Why on earth would you turn this down?

Joerev · 01/08/2019 11:57

Also though. Your child is being offered an education. Might not be the one YOU want. But we are lucky to have what we have in this country. You need to take what’s offered or HE. Or pay private. Most places it’s £1-4000 per month for private. Plus the extra (6-10,000) per year for trips etc

RageAgainstTheVendingMachine · 01/08/2019 11:54

Lola
It's a different mind set, I do get that. I might even have been like that once before seeing the German system in action. My sister was firmly against the idea of resitting or going back a year when I told her DD was choosing to do it here.
But they all end up where they need to be eventually.
As they get older and some take years out or do apprenticeship years etc it all comes out in the wash. The only thing I would check is whether doing exams a little later means different points allocation for uni applications in the UK where it is seen as a conferred advantage?

LolaSmiles · 01/08/2019 11:52

RageAgainstTheVendingMachine
She's 16 in October so is one of the older ones in the 2019/20 year 11 cohort.

She'll still get level 3 funding from 17-19.

RageAgainstTheVendingMachine · 01/08/2019 11:46

Ah, sorry OP - just seen she is already 16. That changes things for me but only on one criterion - namely that you tell the LA they would have to confirm in writing that she would get post 16 funding for A-levels from 18-20 as opposed to 17-19 otherwise you would be screwed for paying for upper sixth and exam entry and it's expensive.
The 16 among 14 year olds would not bother me - my eldest is 17 and some in her class are 18, some are 15, all of them seem to get on very well actually.

LolaSmiles · 01/08/2019 11:45

RageAgainstTheVendingMachine
So much common sense there.

I can see, given the OP seems to think the school and LA have to spend money to catch her child up, they'll be the first back on MN wanting to know how to complain about the school when their child doesn't get what they want in their mocks, their child is stressed trying to learn 9 new courses in under 2 terms, why isn't the school making their child a priority for intervention and so on.

We've had children out of year and in 6th form it's really common.

I've never seen any humiliation. People just get on with it.

RageAgainstTheVendingMachine · 01/08/2019 11:38

OP
I would be grabbing it with both hands, honestly. Why?

Because she will be at an advantage when it comes to GCSEs
Because she can still access sixth form education at 17-19
Because I am currently in Germany where this is the norm (DD went back a year voluntarily in year 8)
Because unless she is the tallest in her class like middle one no-one is going to notice or least of all care, age is a number
Because any gaps in knowledge will be compensated for
Because most LAs refuse to do this (I have asked for mine) and so I'd be fucking delighted quite frankly
Because it gives your child breathing space for 9 months
Because I, as a teacher and a parent, no longer see a disadvantage

I know you won't believe me but I am Envy - I have the opposite problem in that mine will have to go in the correct group for her age when she is a year behind

LolaSmiles · 01/08/2019 11:33

After a relocation due to a forced move i applied to the local school for a place for my daughter for year 10 it was now March 2019 (year 10 start date was Sept 18).
The school did-not see us untill early May and then REFUSED her a place, did not offer an appeal
If she hadn't been in year 10 since March then she hasn't completed 3 terms on year 10.
She's completed 2 terms of year 10.

LIZS · 01/08/2019 11:31

On what basis do they want her to retake the year, it is very unusual. Is it curriculum based or due to gaps in learning or space at the school? You are overdramatising it by calling it a public humiliation. Not uncommon in independent schools for overseas educated students to be placed out of cohort.

LolaSmiles · 01/08/2019 11:31

My daughter has completed 3 terms in year 10 all-ready she is quite capable of catching up on any work.
It's not that she has a term of catching up to do.
The exam boards, topics and set texts differ school to school. She will most likely have 7-9 entirely new GCSE courses to learn in 2 terms. If you're lucky 2 or 3 might overlap (like maths/science).
Even if the new school does the most popular English board, there's over 20 set texts the schools can choose from. She might find that she's studied one drama text in y10, but her new y11 are studying a different drama text (which isn't the end of the world), but they've already taught their 19th century novel last year and she's had no teaching on it meaning she has had zero teaching in 50% of one exam.

I don't think you realise the sheer amount of work starting in y11 is. Some exams begin before the Easter holidays. She has less than 2 terms to learn, most likely, brand new course and won't get teaching input for most of the content.

Understandably the school does not want to admit her in her peer age group as it may cost them if they had to help support her on any catching up
They don't have to pay to catch her up if she goes into y11. You have to sort that out.

You're focusing a lot on cost and the LA wanting to get out of paying e.g. when you've said they'd try to get out of paying for alternative education, but from what you've said she doesn't sound like a child who would be going into alternative provision.

Where do i stand i here Can we refuse the offer of a year 9 place which we did not apply for .(entering year 10 as opposed to 11 in sept)
So to double check as this has been the confusion for lots of us.
The LA is proposing that instead of studying 9/10 GCSEs in 2 terms in year 11 that your child starts her GCSE courses in year 10 and has the correct amount of time on them?

Why mention y9 places then? That suggests your daughter is being kept back 2 years rather than what seems a reasonable 'child who has only done 2 terms of y10 completes a full set of courses instead of fresh courses in less than 2 terms'.

NinaKKjones · 01/08/2019 11:27

PLEASE i am not the user from WALES who ever this is

please stop giving me advice based on someone else's story

I

OP posts:
NinaKKjones · 01/08/2019 11:25

no im not

OP posts:
NinaKKjones · 01/08/2019 11:25

please stop making presumptions i have never lived in wales i am not whoever you have convinced yourself i am

OP posts:
NinaKKjones · 01/08/2019 11:22

I am not connected to any other post

OP posts:
NinaKKjones · 01/08/2019 11:19

Many tks for all your replies.

No i havent posted here before this is the first time .

I would like to say firstly all my daughter wants here is to return to ANY school in September in year 11 she is well aware shes going to have to catch up on the last term and is prepared for that.

All i want is for her to transition into her new school on the same level playing field as every other child,
In the school year appropriate to her educational social emotional needs and welfare, nothing that will make her stand out more than being the new girl were not asking for extra tuition classes treatment anything she just wants to blend in .

The argument of whether its a positive or a neg to retain a child a year is a separate issue as we will all have very different opinions The really big issue is

Leagally can a La and a school make such important decisions effecting a childs education and welfare without parents permission or even discussions.

If as a parent i wanted to request this for my child to be in a year up or below her age group for whatever reasons tI would have to follow this process

School Admissions Code 2014, 2.17
Parents may seek a place for their child outside of their normal age group, for
example, if the child is gifted and talented or has experienced problems such as ill
health…
…Admission authorities must make decisions on the basis of the circumstances of each
case and in the best interests of the child concerned. This will include taking account of
the parent’s views; information about the child’s academic, social and emotional
development; where relevant, their medical history and the views of a medical
professional; whether they have previously been educated out of their normal age
group; and whether they may naturally have fallen into a lower age group if it were not
for being born prematurely.’
School Admissions Code 2014, 2.17

But yet other people can make this decision about my child without full-filling any of the criteria i would have to

This is actually a very complicated game of tactics and politics between the LA and School and we just happen to be stuck between the 2.

The LA just wants her on any school register otherwise its their responsibility to arrange alternative school education place etc and that will cost them.

Understandably the school does not want to admit her in her peer age group as it may cost them if they had to help support her on any catching up ,
So the LA and school came up with this great plan as to give them both a favourable result

The real issue i need advice on is

Where do i stand i here Can we refuse the offer of a year 9 place which we did not apply for .(entering year 10 as opposed to 11 in sept)

The LA state as i have the year 9 offer we are bound to accept it .
Regardless

This is the only school in the area the school originally refused our 10 application which i would of been able to take to appeal and then all options could of been jointly discussed.

My daughter has completed 3 terms in year 10 all-ready she is quite capable of catching up on any work.

She will be 16 in October put in with 14 year olds now it may not seem much to me and you but i can still remember the kids names in my school who were put back and that was 30 years ago thats how much of a stigma being the kid put back a year was .

It would propbably work in that ideal perfect world but thats not the case our children live in the world of social media all the kids know each other without knowing each other so yes the kids in the new school would be aware shes been put back .

OP posts:
Oliversmumsarmy · 31/07/2019 21:57

I think the issue is the school on offer to go onto year 9 is the school where her peers will be 1 or 2 years ahead of her and I feel there could be some awkwardness to the extent that their is a danger in her not learning anything anyway and it being a huge waste of time.

3dogs2cats · 31/07/2019 20:32

I have a child in this position, it’s worked really well for her, looks like she will get good GCSEs now, probably would have otherwise failed. It’s also been good for her confidence.

IsobelRae23 · 31/07/2019 14:20

Surely you want her to have the best chance to the best grades? That’s not about public humiliation- that’s about your perception.

Would you HONESTLY want her put into the year you want, sitting her GCSE’s and coming out with E, F, G and U’s- because she’s missed over half of the content? You would be setting her up to fail.

Ds has just finished year 9, and already has numerous essays, exams under his belt towards his final GCSE’s- as they start them in year 9 because the content is so long.

JoJoSM2 · 31/07/2019 10:31

I take it the LA want to put her back a year and not two?

It’s the best option if you want her to get good GCSEs. She’d be absolutely screwed going into Y11 having missed most of year 10.

If you feel it’s all about avoiding perceived ‘public humiliation’, then you could home ed or as someone mentioned, see if you might be able to get a place is a FE College.

Oliversmumsarmy · 30/07/2019 15:04

With home ed you are free to choose what gcse's you want to do.

Do maths and English language/literature but then you are free to choose anything else. Whatever interests your dd and looks easy.

Look at Btecs level 1 or 2

The idea being she is so far behind it would be a quick way to catch up.

Oliversmumsarmy · 30/07/2019 14:52

If you are the poster who moved to Wales then back again I think you are being very passive with your dds education.

You are expecting things that are not going to happen.
You either take the year 9 place (I tried to get ds to repeat a year but was told categorically No they don't move people into different years)

Or find a school which will take her miles away (if she us going into year 11 in September then I doubt you will find any school to take her. It is only 2 terms till they take gcse's and she has missed slither curriculum so far)

Or you scrap looking for a school.and HE
She will probably have to spend 2 years doing her gcse's (could concentrate on doing 4 gcse's this year and 4 next or tackling 7 or 8 and doing it all in a year and if she fails any doing the retakes in November or the following June).

She could be 1 year adrift from her normal age range but you are both going to have to pull your finger out and have a different change of attitude.

Waiting around for a LA to provide everything has got you in this situation in the first place

Swipe left for the next trending thread