Anybody know anything about deferring school entry for a child with SEN in England?

[emkana]

Ds is just sooooooooooooooooo not ready to go to school. I really really really want him to have another year at preschool and then enter reception when he's 5. Is there any way of achieving this?

Does he have a statement?

No he doesn't.

Which LEA? Surrey won't.

Gloucestershire.

It just makes me so CROSS.

Get a statement, if you start the process now you may get it in time for the summer.

I know a few parents which have managed to do it but we are in Dorset.

Dd2 starts school in september too and i am worried sick, hopefully she will be statemented and have full 1:1, if not i will chose to home ed her (if i can't keep her in nursery).

Have you seen the educational psychiatrist?

Surely it's worth trying, some LEAs are slowly changing perhaps your will be one of them.

hi my little boy got early entry to a sn school he was 2.9 he loves it he only goes 5 mornings ,but has a great big on face when the bus turns up ,could he not just go mornings

Yes a friend of mine deferred entry for her DS who had SN (general delay with no real diagnosis) - he went into reception aged 5.

He was very very young in the year tho (aug) which helped I think. They also had a big argument, but had support of ed psych, paed etc etc.

Why does yr DS not have statement?

yes it can be done, get Ed Psych referral - through preschool if poss, otherwise you refer him through the LEA. You as his mum know best what he can cope with and what his needs are, so stick to your guns. (I've namechanged for something else, you'd recognise me if I hadn't ...but then so would other people...)lol

btw, If you are not already aware of it, go and learn read the SEN code of practice here - or various other providers who have done an easy-read version. It will just give you a bit of an advantage if you know what your / your dcs rights are, and where the education authority or school will be coming from. hope it helps.

but the SEN COP doesn't really touch on deferring entry - general views are mainstream children start in reception, or miss a year and go to Year 1 as far as I know.

there is a poster on here that took on her lea and got them to change the rules, I cannot remember her name though...

Look in the SN section, she may have been form Leeds... gosh I wish my memory was better.

Kent have a blanket policy on this and we are currently going to a Tribunal for the same.

speak to LEA, see what their views are, and see if you can get ed psych or paed on side. I know you've had a very worrying time healthwise recently, so can appreciate that the statementing etc malarkey would have gone on back burner, but as Marne says, now is the time to get started with it. have you spoken to pre-school about this at all?

Thanks for messages everybody, was away over weekend, otherwise would have replied sooner.

The reason I haven't applied for a statement so far is that I have been told that his needs are not severe enough to justify a statement. The ed psych met him once and said she didn't see too many problems,and his preschool feel as well that he is doing okay. And he is doing okay in the context that he is in, but I still don't think he is ready for school in September! Or rather, he would probably get through it, but find it very hard, and need lots of support, whereas if he could have that extra year he would find it much much easier. Will give ed psych a call...

My friend eventually got her LEA to agree that her child should start school a year late, but it took more than one hearing before they agreed - and that was for a child with severe disabilities. The policy is so weighted in favour of keeping children with their age group that, unless your child has quite significant needs, the odds of a deferral are very low. That's not to say you shouldn't try.

Emkana, the 'not serious enough to get a Statement' seems to be the standard reply.

I was told this by the LEA Special Needs nursery my DS had been lucky enough (and SN enough) to get a place at.

As it happens it seems his needs are so severe that my LEA will only contemplate a SN school for him (they are arses and wrong btw) so they cannot both be right.

Ask a small school to register him with Year 1 for the purposes of paperwork and keeping him with age cohort on paper at least, but teach him with Reception, perhaps? Best done in a tiny primary with mixed aged classes, but possible in larger ones too.