AIBU to think my son would benefit from staying back a school year?

[itswhereitsat]

We are moving back to the UK and my 12-year-old will go to a UK school for the first time. He is bilingual but Engish is weaker than his other language. He was a summer baby (end of July) and in the country, we are living, they start school a year later than the UK. So effectively he's had one year less of schooling that UK children. He's also about to have major surgery that means he will have a month off school.

By the time we return, he will be ready to go into Year 9 but I think it would be much better for him to enter Year 8 as it would give him a better chance of getting on an equal footing with his peers. When we apply for schools, do you think its worth trying to do this based on the reasons above? Do you think this is an adequate reason for putting in such a request?

Any advice, much appreciated.

OP I don't think it is unreasonable at all, even though my kids are not bilingual or have had the moving difficulties. My DD is a summer baby, and I was told by everybody I needed to start her in reception "in year", and that the Local Council would not allow her to be held back, and there is no question in my mind that it was a mistake, and I subsequently discovered that there were numbers throughout the years in our primary school and elsewhere of more savvy mums who had held their kids back, and were out of year.
And schools are much more receptive to it now than they were - especially when you are coming from overseas and there are all those adjustments to make. I think it would be far more sensible to put him into Year 8, and I reckon most sensible schools would support you. One thing I really agree with is that it would be best if you could speak directly to the head teacher at any and all the schools you might contemplate, ideally before putting in an application, and see what they say, and get a feel for the pastural care in the school or schools (ideal if there is more than one, as you can then compare which is likely to be best for you). A school that can see a child as an individual, and not a statistic, is a school worth looking at, and you can ascertain that by a conversation on this topic. Ideally you would only put in your "out of year" application once you have discussed with your chosen school. Do check and see whether your Local Authority has an "out of year" button if you want to apply out of year - my does, I discovered. Some Local Authorities are reasonably OK with summer baby deferrals now (and some are not), if you have choice about where to live in the UK, you might want to look at that too (somewhere on line i saw statistics as to which Local Authorities now give permission for anyone with a summer baby to defer starting reception, some that needed some form of reasoning or justification but gave fairly freely, and some that pretty much always rejected. Those statistics are out there, and might help you decide where to live if you are undecided).

It's hard when you are doing it on your own, it will be much easier when you are living in the UK (then you will be posting for advice on how to maintain his Arabic ). Your son will get there - it will take a bit of adjustment and continued input from you, but I'm willing to bet you'll be surprised by how quickly he adapts.

It could be possible to hold him back a year, it depends on your local authority. Definitely worth asking if you decide that's the best option. I don't think that a child out of year gets bullied - there's a few in my children's school & I don't think my kids have even realised that they "should" be in another year group.

There will (or should - probably been somewhat a victim of funding cuts) resources to help a child with English as a second language in school.

I'm surprised how often people are saying it won't happen.

When we have international transfers we talk with parents about the best year for them to enter when they look to apply. Often that's in the same year and because we are heavily oversubscribed part of it means having to be up front about where the places are, but we've had people join in y10 who should be y11 by chronological age. At the end of the day, schools want children to achieve their potential and where there's mitigating circumstances then sometimes out of year starts are appropriate.
There are also some students who've moved back and forth between Scotland and England and joined different years in primary and have then moved up to secondary with their y6 peers regardless of age, so we get them with the rest of their primary cohort.

@Naem
Thanks for that. Yes from what I know of my son, he would be best off in Year 8 when we return, this gives him two years to find his wings before GCSEs. I think it would just all be too much to start a new school in a new country and then be choosing his options when he gets there.
The return back is an unexpected move otherwise we would have planned things differently.

@LolaSmiles

Really appreciate you positive input
It really makes such a difference when people write upbeat responses. It is scary enough as it is.

Please... PLEASE.. Please... Ignore the comments sayings he will have to go into his age cohort. Schools can and do put children in circumstances like yours (especially when moving from a country with a different system) into the year below. I wish people wouldn't comment unless they actually know what they are saying! Schools have always taken children out of chronological cohort, and it is becoming more common as since 2014 Summer Borns have been able to apply to start reception a year later. Next September will see the first of those children start secondary school out of chronological cohort. Some Local Authorities and Schools will be more open to allowing you to do this than others e.g Hertfordshire. You need to speak to your new Local Authority School Admissions team as a first port of call. You need to prepare yourself so have a clear argument as to why your child should go into the year below...

I agree Lou.

OP It may be worth asking MN to move this to the secondary education board.

this is about the third thread today on education in AIBU where posters are being given really unhelpful or inaccurate advice in places

It can be done. My dd is 15 and should be halfway through her GCSE's. But halfway during year 9 we pulled her out of school due to mental health worries and possible aspergers diagnosis. She was off for most of that year then joined a new school, but started back in year 9, although officially she should have been in year 10.
On the paperwork I put her date of birth, and then stated I wished her to join year 9. She was also a July baby which might have helped; but honestly no one even questioned it. None of the other kids even knows exactly when her birthday is or how old she is, why would they?

@Louloulovesyou

Thanks for that. Yes, if I had gone by the information on here I would have been led to believe that there wasn't much point asking in him moving down a year. The county will be Derbyshire and I looked briefly online and there is a form for requesting that a child enters a different year group so it must happen otherwise, why the form? I personally think that his background is a perfect reason to go back a year. Also until he was 7 he went to a German International School so was speaking English, Arabic and German during the school day.

We've known several students who have come from abroad and entered into a different year because they are coming from a system that doesn't match. It's unusual to do if a child has been in the uk but not if coming from abroad. Call the council.