Repeating Year 6 - from furious mum!

[Melzie7]

Hello
I need some advice and what better place to come (I hope). To cut a long story short, on Friday I was met at the school gate (I never usually get to the school gate as I'm always at work) by DDs head who casually said 'I've been talking to (DD) about repeating Year 6 as she's getting really anxious in tests'. I know DD struggles with tests but she is a bright girl (I'm a secondary teacher) who needs extra time as she is a slow processor (undiagnosed). Whilst the school has flagged up things in the past, I've been told she is dyspraxia, has ADHD, etc etc but when asked about intervention nothing has been done and another year passes. To be told on Friday that she should repeat the year left me gobsmacked and I didn't know what to say other than 'we should meet after half term to discuss'. When I got home I was furious, and still am. My DD is an October birthday (today actually) and quite socially mature so this would be devastating for her confidence. I wouldn't mind (well I would actually) but she is really quite a clever girl and in terms of emotional intelligence she is streets ahead of many other kids in this respect. I really don't know what to say to the school without going off on one.......any advice out there? I think it probably comes down to lack of funding for extra support but surely having a child in the school for another year costs the school more?

Could you suggest a laptop for written work? My son yr 5 has just been given one as his hyper mobility and general pencil control make hand writing too difficult.

Agree sounds like hypermobility, which can coexist with dyspraxia etc. Can she use a slope for writing - try the side of an A4 file filled with paper . She may benefit from sitting better and well supported, both feet flat on the floor. Ask gp to refer for occupational therapy, although there would be a wait on nhs.

She'd get extra time if she had a diagnosis.

Can you tutor her yourself in English, Maths and Science so she can do the Y6 SATS ok? And tell the HT that with an October birthday it would be devastating for her to repeat so you'd like to proceed with you helping her. I can't help but feel that battling over paperwork and ed psych sort of stuff won't help immediately. Why would you have to pay for the EP?

I would have killed for a sensible head to have offered that for my DC who has severe spld. At any time during their primary stage. However they are late summer born with other undiagnosed needs. That flexibility would have helped them enormously with confidence and a chance to shine.

Sounds totally different to your child's situation where it doesn't sound appropriate at all. In fact I am not sure I even quite believe it. I think there must be a misunderstanding some where.

What is there to appeal against though? Shouldn't you just put your application for secondary school in and wait to see outcome of that. Apologies if I've missed something. This just seems really odd though

Not read the whole thread but just wanted to say to those saying that it is unusual in the uk to repeat years. My dd is in reception and in her class there are two children repeating reception (both have sn) as they were not ready to move up to year 1. I know this it slightly different to repeating year 6 but It is obviously something that does happen. This is a state school in London btw.

I don't think that a primary school gets to decide stuff like that tbh. It's not like you have to "pass" Y6 to move on

I'm amazed that they have the power to/thought to offer it

If they even had the ability to suggest it I would have thought it would be a lengthy process of negotiation and consultation with parents, the LEA and involving Ed Psych etc.

Given that most LEAs have schools especially for children with SEND of massively varying abilities and also that many will have mainstream schools with kids with a whole range of different needs, it just seems really weird.

TBH I'd try to find her a place in a different school that seems like they give a toss about her.

But wouldn't that be at the request of a parent? Making a child repeat to the point that they kiss moving up to secondary school with their peers and the LEA talking about an appeal (of What? Surely there's nothing to appeal unless a formal decision has been made and this so far has just been a chat with the child and brief mention to the OP at the school gate) sounds very unusual

“But wouldn't that be at the request of a parent” yes although the school would need to support the request and provide evidence that the child is significantly behind emotionally or academically which I’d imagine they’d find difficult without evidence that they’ve provided additional support over a considerable period of time.

I do think it comes down to SATS results. It's only a small class (with a lot of high achievers) so if they can disapply the two weakest this year they stand a VERY good chance of excellent results overall. I'm now looking into getting DD to a behavioural optometrist as I've heard they can identify things that other testing can't. Again all this costs a fortune which I don't have but if it's a case of DD being happy or me being hungry (it's not quite that bad btw) then I'd pick her happiness any day. Fortunately I live in an area where there are a couple of practitioners but once again this will mean problems for me in terms of getting her to/from appointments as I have to work full time. My work is already very unhappy with the fact I take DD to CAMHS appointments each week so not sure how they would react if I had to take more time out.

We have just had my y2 dd diagnosed with dyspraxia via consultant and OT.

It is very mild however I know that the impact will grow as she gets up the school so wanted it formalised in case more support if needed. I had also wondered about ADHD but at the moment the consultant feels that all her attention problems are linked to the processing issues.

They advised though that to get ADHD diagnosed is a CAMHS issue not them.

Just seen your other post about her thumb - we discovered in our review last week that she has very bendy fingers and thumbs - they bend back 90 degrees to her hand with no strain. This is common in dyspraxia (hyper mobility?) and also causes issues with writing. This where the pen grips benefit her.

"I do think it comes down to SATS results."

They just can't make her repeat year 6 because of their SATS. Honestly, you need to talk to the school and find out what's going on before you do anything else.

You need to fill in the CAF for your dc’s secondary school place (deadline next Tuesday)
The school may be trying to nudge you into moving your dc so that SATS are not adversely affected (this would be awfully cynical though, but I can’t think of any other explanation)
It really is very unusual for children to be taught out-of-year (and move to secondary out-of-year) Have a look at the secondary transfer information for your LEA: the material is very likely to say that children may only defer entry to secondary if they have been educated out-of-year for most of primary. Your dc could end up having to join Y8 when she transfers to secondary.
The school should be providing support to your dc to enable her to reach her potential within her year group. Your dc is entitled to that support.
If your dc has such severe learning difficulties that the school cannot meet their needs, you should be looking at a named alternative school, perhaps a special school, on the EHCP.
But what confuses me is that your dc hasn’t got an EHCP and the learning difficulties do not appear to have caused enough delay in progress for the school to arrange help.

I can only conclude this is about SATS or that something has been lost in translation somehow. Your best bet would be to leave your dc where she is and insist she remains in Y6. The school will then be forced to make the effort needed to get her the best possible SATS result, and provide her with the support she needs before starting secondary.

“so if they can disapply the two weakest this year they stand a VERY good chance of excellent results “ disapplying pupils doesn’t improve the schools results it actually means they are starting with two zero results so in a small cohort results would plummet

Would it actually do her any harm? Surely it is better than sending her to secondary school where the environment will be far more high pressure before she is able to cope with it. The school clearly isn't interested in catering to her needs so, unless you want to move her to a different school or pay for private educational therapy, allowing her the time to develop the skills that she needs herself may be the best thing.

Will it benefit her to spend another year in school that isn’t meeting her needs?

I work in a school, I would think this is purely down to Sats. You need to fill out the secondary forms by Tuesday, I would do this, so at least her next school choice is processing, in the meantime you can go down different routes that will help her.

mrz 's point is very good.

I'd also repeat a point raised by an earlier poster, education in the UK is only free up until the age of 19. Repeating a year has serious ramifications for poster's child, family, and any secondary school in which a child might later be a pupil.

Having said that, I really can't believe the HT is in a position to make this decision, at this stage.

If they are a high achieving state school how can they have a small class?

Also the YouGov website says this (speaking about the UK):

The idea of allowing UK schools to keep underachieving children back a year – and potentially allowing very bright students to skip a year ‒ has been variously discussed in Parliament but never taken up; despite many countries worldwide, including the US, France, Spain and Germany, having this system.

My local school is Ofsted outstanding with 100% pass in SATs and a PAN of 10. To disapply 2 children would take results to 80%.

Just apply for your dd to go to secondary school. Tell the head you are not going to hold your dd down a year. If she kicks off, go down the complaints procedure. (I'm an ex EP and I think it sounds like your head is nuts.)

“ I work in a school, I would think this is purely down to Sats” how will it help the school with SATs?

You need to apply for secondary even if you agree to allow your child to repeat Year 6 as this would have to be agreed.