Please sign this petition regarding when summer-born children start school [headline edited by MNHQ]

[Sootball]

Yes I'm posting for traffic. But this is important. It really is. Because very few people know that the UK government are currently consulting on whether to change the guidance for allowing summer born children to defer a year.

And yes I know many start school at 4 and are ready, they have no problems, that they are the top set. But the research evidence does now show that socially and emotionally the summer born effect lasts for some into adulthood. This is simply about allowing those children who are NOT ready for school, whose self esteem and confidence will be impacted to wait a year.

If you care or have faced this issue then please can I ask you to take a moment and respond using this link >www.gov.uk/government/consultations/changes-to-the-school-admissions-code

Even if you are not sure what to write I have been advised in a box 5 the following will suffice Parents who wish their summer born (April 1st – August 31st inclusive) child to enter Reception class at compulsory school age must submit an application for the relevant academic year. The application must be treated equitably with children starting school prior to compulsory school age, and the child can remain with that year group cohort for the remainder of their education.

AND THANK YOU

Can I safely assume you are in Scotland then?

Somewhere where there are no grammar schools, and no shortage of places that regularly leads to people having no school place, where no one is allocated a place miles away from where they live, or where no one feels the need to fake religion for years or move house or rent for a year just to get a decent school place? Because these things do actually happen in areas that this proposal affects you know.

You might be in an area where deferment actually happens, and it might work well there because of the absence of other issues. But where there are other significant issues to consider, then surely you can accept that it might not work so well?

WooWooOwl, I miss typed yesterday. I should have said that the current research on summer born children is based on children with 2 fewer terms of education, not months.

combust22, I also think you are spectacularly missing the point. You are basing your arguments on your own personal experience and not looking at the bigger picture.

I hope that if this goes through, deferment means placing your child in reception a year later, not missing reception and going straight into year 1 which defeats the whole purpose

What I cannot understand is why this system isn't child based. In the us, and canada, if your child isn't achieving the levels he should be, he will be held back. Here, he will be pushed forward. This makes No sense and is "system lead" rather than "child lead". Another reason for me to leave the uk.

Allisgood1, the research from the US indicates that any initial academic advantage from redshirting (delaying entry to kindergarten) disappears by the end of elementary school and that, by high school, disadvantages begin to accumulate.
This is an interesting article on the subject of delaying education in the US and Canada.

Bunny, I'm referring to children whose parents don't defer but who are achieving below their peers. Teachers can call for them to repeat that year and thus be held back for the remainder of their education. I'm not talking about parental choice to defer.

I think the possibility of repeating a year would also be a huge step forward, firstly if the children are struggling and not making progress it would benefit them to recap the work.

It will also stop the issue of students coasting for 2-3 years and then thinking oh I should have done some work and have a lot to catch up on, whcih for some is just not possible.

I am still interested in seeing the research showing the life long impact on Summer borns starting at 4.

Noodle, me too. Although I suspect that because every child is different there won't be a consistent finding. All I know is that I will make sure we are not in the uk when it's time for DS to start school (late aug birthday). It's just not fair on him, especially as the uk already start a year or two earlier than other countries.