To decline my school place?

[LG123]

I'm so cross, just want to yell at admissions (I won't).

My daughter got offered a place outside of catchment as my catchment school os oversubscribed. They wouldn't have to provide transport because she's under compulsory school age so my tiny 4 year old would be expected to walk 2 miles each way everyday.

Bet all the ones that drive got their place at a school round the corner.

AIBU to tell them to jog the fuck on?

Case by case basis, but they do t have to allow adults.

Academies didn’t even exist back in 2007 I don’t think, so no comparison to be made there either.

Anyway, will leave OP to get more information here.

But place declined so it’s all by the by.

Hope you get your chosen school next year OP.

@clarcats there are several reasons I want to delay, I did from the start - she was due in September just came a bit early, she is a bit behind physically and the extra year will be good for her. Its not really anyone's business why I've decided to send her to year r at 5. She will stay at nursery and they still get funding. How do you think they keep a September 1st child stimulated? They will do the same for her. People wouldn't be pushing me to send a year early if she was born 6 days early would they?

And yes, acceleration is possible.

Check out the difference between deferring and offsetting. One is starting reception a year later, the other is skipping reception and moving straight to year 1. Make sure you use the correct terminology, and follow the process to request what you need.

In the meantime though also ask yourself if you would be happy with her attending this coming September if you had got a space at her first choice school. If the answer is yes, then you have a good chance of a wait list place. Don't change all of your plans because of one blip unless it's what you really want.

@Quincythequince

Case by case basis, but they do t have to allow adults.

Academies didn’t even exist back in 2007 I don’t think, so no comparison to be made there either.

This also states even at 19 they are covered. Do you have any links at all that say someone turning 19 in say June is to be kicked out of school?

For info by the way, summer born don't turn 19 until after the school year ends.

@Iamthewalnut

I found out today my daughter hasn't got her catchment school either. She is also tiny (still wearing clothing for an 18-month-old) and our local authority won't offer transport unless the school is more than 3 miles away and they are CSA. The school isn't on a public transport route from where we live so I'm just going to have to put her in the buggy and push her there (8 mile round trip for me each day - joy!)

Even if your LA supports delayed admission, you do realise this means she will have to jump a year at some point, so will leave her peer group behind and have to make friends all over again as well as try and catch up?

Why would she need to jump a year at some point? This is simply not true.

But you were going to take the place at the nearer school and are now delaying because she's been given a place elsewhere. It seems you're now delaying as you've not got what you wanted.

[quote LG123]@Kennykenkencat for me to delay, in my LA I have to withdraw my application for a place this year anyway! I've just done what thr process says![/quote]
I can see how they have come to that decision as legally it is the term after your child turns 5 that you have to have them in Education.

I do know of one little late August born girl who was so tiny that non of the off the peg school uniform fitted her.
I do know if Ds was told he has to go to school a few days after his 4th birthday then he would have still been in nappies.

I do think people who think just because their child was brilliant in school even though they had only started school the week after turning 4 that everyone else should be the same aren’t realising people are different.

I haven't rtft - the last couple of pages look very strange though

OP - great to hear your littke girl will be in nursery. They learn lots at nursery too so there probably won't be a big educational difference by not moving up.

If it were a choice between being at home or school I'd have said take the school place!! They love it, even the youngest! A pushchair would help for the first few months and the fitness would be a brilliant investment in her long-term health!

I try really hard to do 1.5 miles each way to nursery with my 3yo - definitely not easy at first because I was so unfit and her little legs not up to the full distance - but we now love the time together in the fresh air. It's also really helped with my mood and wellbeing too. So if anyone else is in this situation, it's definitely possible (with good raincoats).

@angieloumc

But you were going to take the place at the nearer school and are now delaying because she's been given a place elsewhere. It seems you're now delaying as you've not got what you wanted.

Agree. Totally reasonable to defer your DC's place if that's what you think is truly best for her. Very much a knee jerk reaction to do so on the basis of not having been allocated the school you wanted. She's either ready for school, or she's not.

[quote LG123]@VestaTilley she will stay at nursery with her peers, she will have many more experiences and time to explore. Just because some summer born are fine, today has just reaffirmed I don't want that risk.

Schools aren't made with summer borns mind clearly![/quote]
Reception classes are set up to accommodate the needs of the children they have, support will be given to those who need it and the children will learn with their peers- a bit like nursery but with more experiences. Before you didn't get allocated the place at the school you wanted had you considered deferred entry for her- and why do you think that her going to school in September this year is a 'risk'? If you felt that your child wasn't coping being in school full time then you can discuss with the school only having her there part time. The school will work with you if you make it a 2 way thing and will be open to discussions done with the CHILD'S best interests. These are people who are used to working with small children, and lots of them!
I don't want to seem rude, but you declining the place you've been given because you aren't happy with it (and therefore meaning you have NO place, even if one comes up at the school you wanted) is a bit like you having a strop because you haven't got what you want.
IF you do get transport - are you planning to put your 4/5 year old in a taxi on their own each day to go to school? Think about how you'll manage to make relationships with your child's teachers/parents of her friends if you're not at the school each day?
I was working full time when my daughter started school meaning that she had to go to before and after school care each day. Luckily I was able to take her once a week in the morning so that I at least was in the playground and people knew who I was. Even when she was older and wanted to go down the road on her own (from where I had parked the car, she didn't go to our most local school as I didn't think it would suit her and it didn't have the before/after school care I needed) I'd still make sure I went with her every other week or so.

MRex I think you’ve misunderstood
Go back and read my posts and it explains the age thing.

I have access to a policy but I it’s out of to provide it so can’t post it here.

Academy have case by case rules.

I didn’t say that you wouldn’t get a space if you were to turn 19, just that you weren’t automatically guaranteed it, and especially not if other places are available nearby and a correctly aged child for the academic year could lose out.

They wouldn’t just boot you out when you turned 19, but all things considers when applying to sixth form (as everyone has ro, even if you stay on in the same school/academy) it’s a consideration and not guaranteed.

There is precedent for this. I am aware of two boys who ended up at a local (very good college) rathe than hey spots in the sec dart school. Age was a factor. I can say no more tbh.

I see you’ve delayed her school start op. Sounds like the best decision for you. I think I would do the same if my dc were late August born. I don’t know why some people are so funny about it!

It’s outing

And if anyone is concerned about this because they have an out of year child, it’s advisable to ask about it before making sixth form applications.

They would be able to give you much more information and advise you in their safeguarding procedures too.

@Quincythequince

They may not ask them to leave ancient but they would have to bulge to accommodate a child if challenged.

Schools don’t want to do this and don’t want the aggro, but you have to have policies in place for all eventualities.

If someone complained about it, and it happens, they would have to provide reasonable explanation for accommodating an adult in a full-time secondary school environment from both a safety perspective and potentially at the expense of an eligible child.

Again, I don’t make the rule but am familiar with them.

Anyway, if OP DC will end up in college, then it’s all academic.

They've done it before, I know someone at university now who missed his place by one grade, his offer was AAB, he did get AAB but the subject he got the B in was one he needed an A in so he went back to school part time for a year to redo that A level. It was a total non issue.

The pastoral care at the school is excellent and they will do what they think is best for their students so if redoing a year is the best answer then that is what they do. Being 19 hasn't stopped them in the past and I don't think it will stop them in the future.

I have an early sept born & I remember when she was at nursery thinking as all her friends went to school and she had another year at nursery - that she would have been much to young for school anyway ….3 months later she was very bored at nursery!! They change very quickly at that age and move in leaps!

But you know your child and what’s best for them, I wouldn’t automatically decline the place until you have everything else in place around deferring etc Like you said it’s not around the school transport or even if you where number 1 on the waiting list for the school you would still defer anyway.

ancient glad this case you describe was a non-issue.

I simply stated (as I have repeatedly all along and will do so again now) that there are exceptions to this and and out of year spot is not guaranteed. That’s it, that’s all. It’s no more complicated than that.

Why do you think they explicitly ask for DOB and which academic year when you apply? It’s a consideration.

If you have an oversubscribed academy, turning 19 in year (so being out of year) because of being a place where minors are (from year 11 onwards) can be a factor in admissions.

You examples don’t contradict my statements.

You don’t have to like it - but that’s how it is and there is precedent for this.

Age 11 not year 11

And in your case the person started 6th form in the right year.
That is clearly not what I’m talking about here. Clearly.

[quote LG123]@clarcats there are several reasons I want to delay, I did from the start - she was due in September just came a bit early, she is a bit behind physically and the extra year will be good for her. Its not really anyone's business why I've decided to send her to year r at 5. She will stay at nursery and they still get funding. How do you think they keep a September 1st child stimulated? They will do the same for her. People wouldn't be pushing me to send a year early if she was born 6 days early would they?

And yes, acceleration is possible.[/quote]
but you've only decided now that you haven't got the place that you wanted or you'd have applied for deferred entry to start with.
The September 1st child-depends on the nursery really, some shift them up into the next group after they turn 3 and others keep them in the same group and send them up together so that the pre-school group really is pre-schoolers- and given different experiences to the others. Other nurseries that move them when they're 3 do different things with their pre school children and if that's the case then chances are your child will be doing them again. Also, check the funding, you are entitled to the 30hrs if you are working but I doubt that's completely 'free' so you'll have another year of those costs.
Also, have you discussed things with nursery- how do they feel she's developing compared to her peers? If you feel that she's behind physically, what are YOU doing as her parent to address that?
My 24th August born daughter walked late and when she was 5 I identified that she wasn't quite as confident with climbing etc so I found a 'club' to address that- equally I could have decided that more trips to the park would help but I felt that being with others would benefit her more than being with just me!
No one is 'pushing you' to send your child to school, they're offering advice on your original post and sharing their experiences...

@Quincythequince

ancient glad this case you describe was a non-issue.

I simply stated (as I have repeatedly all along and will do so again now) that there are exceptions to this and and out of year spot is not guaranteed. That’s it, that’s all. It’s no more complicated than that.

Why do you think they explicitly ask for DOB and which academic year when you apply? It’s a consideration.

If you have an oversubscribed academy, turning 19 in year (so being out of year) because of being a place where minors are (from year 11 onwards) can be a factor in admissions.

You examples don’t contradict my statements.

You don’t have to like it - but that’s how it is and there is precedent for this.

If this is factual for a school, then you can show the admissions procedure confirming it. It isn't in the admissions procedure for schools in my area.

Imagine being the child who is a year older than everyone else in their class. Yes it won't mean much to them at 3/4/5 but by the time they are y6 and secondary school age the other children will understand that your child is the 'odd one out'. I know the 2 in my old school who were started a year later were forever bullied for it. I would not put my child through this because I don't want to travel each day.
For your child to be as described you either need her assessed for additional needs or to accept she is no longer a baby and needs to grow up - a 3yr old without additional needs should be toilet trained etc.
Yes the school may need to adapt to how they teach your daughter things etc but they will be capable of doing so - yours will not be the first or last summer child they have, nor will they be the most able or least able. They will be used to handling this, and if they aren't, it's the wrong school for your daughter, regardless of location or convenience for you.

But they wouldn't be a year older than all the others, they would be only slightly older than children born in September. They will be a year older than some children but there will always be children almost a year older even if everyone is in the scheduled school year, that’s the nature of a school year, you can have a child born 1/9 and a child born 31/8 the following year in the same class.

I am not showing it as I have said it would be out to me (as a governor).

I can take the line out and post it here, but then that’s just me typing it, and I’ve already explained it. It would be a stupid thing to lie about really wouldn’t it, and it does affect me at all.

Not all academy admissions procedures for sixth form provision are the same! Why would you think that?

Some schools won’t admit externals and don’t guarantee a set number of places for them either until all their own key stage 4 pupils are placed or rejected.

I think that’s odd too - why would you even bother applying if based on number of spots available the chances are low. But people do.

I don’t think a lot of the admissions rules make sense tbh - and it’s worse now with academies, free schools, secondary Co-operatives etc, standard secondaries, business- funded schools etc

Minefield if you don’t know what you’re doing.