Deferring a Reception Place

[LondonSuperTrooper]

Hi

I have just been told by the council that if I defer my DC's reception place from September to January, then I would lose that place.

Is this correct?!

Surrey seem to be having trouble this year with lots of people and as PRH says it will not be helped if the "advice line" are giving out what is clearly advice that is legally incorrect.
Having said that i can understand why the schools want all reception age pupils to start in September and therefore they will push parents to do this as much as possible. But there is a clear line between suggesting what is possibly best for the schools and LA and what is a blatant illegal advice.
When you do get to talk to the school you will for sure be asked to consider the negative aspects of deferring your child's start and the biggest one for me is the belief that the rest of the class will have formed friendship groups by Christmas that your child will then find difficult to break into. I think you do need to think through this aspect very carefully and be prepared to answer those questions when you speak to the school because they are bound to want to follow Surrey's policy that all start in Septemebr if at all possible.

Why are you deferring ? Speaking of the parent of a now just 18yr old end July child it would have done her no favours. She was ready socially and academically to start school at just 4 and has thrived with older peers to " chase" academically and in the end top them!
I worry that a child entering late into a settled class with no formal education will struggle to get into the group socially and catch up on all the non academic stuff they already kmow - eg simple things like what happens when we change for pe , how lunches work etc

Hi All,

I am currently doing an Enquiry Project for the third year at University on the Primary School Application process and have studied the legal side of the Admissions docs plus 3 Local Authorities Admissions docs (Kent CC, Bexley and Essex CC). I'm also a Mum to a 5 and 1 year old and went through the Admissions process last year, so I feel your pain!

The advice you have been given by other members is correct. Currently the 2009 Admissions Code is the Law and the there is a new one under consultation as the moment, meaning it is not law until 2013. You are allowed to defer a place in the Reception year WITH CONSULTATION WITH THE SCHOOL. Schools do have sway to impose their own take on this, but the law states that you can defer within THE SAME YEAR that your child accepted a school place for, so within this September 2011 and up until the last term next year 2012. You are not permitted to extend this to the following September, as someone correctly pointed out this would take you child into Year1 and although by law children in the UK are not permitted to start school until the term after they turn 5, the reality is they have to start in the Reception year at somepoint and age will depend on birthdate!!

My experience of the Admission helplines from the 3 boroughs I have dealt with is mixed and confusing advice, as well as from school to school. They are misinformed and not certain on the law and the rules themselves. You can push to get your child deferred, but if the school like all children to start at once or at the very best defer for just one term, then they can do this if this is how they see fit. Perhaps that's how the teachers and staff are geared and they do not like children to start later. Of all the schools I enquired to, the advice was again mixed and varied some allowed a one term defer and some made the summer born's defer.

The new governement in power now from the 3 LA's I dealt with have all changed entry now so that ALL CHILDREN HAVE TO START IN SEPTEMBER regardless of age! It doesn't match what the law states but it does kinda match the admissions process in that you have to consult with the school.

Basically it stinks, sucks, causes lots of sleepless nights and doesn't make sense. Good luck!!!

PS for the my last paragraph basically the ruling has changed for this admissions year 2011 so that all schools now are starting children in 2011. This was a new decsion made by the coalition governement, you can thank Nick and Gordon for this!!

Sonita,
Where are you getting this info that the ruling has changed for this admissions year 2011 from, that all children have to start in september?

Even the new code under consultation does not say that, it still gives the parent the opportunity to request defering entry. The phrase "admission authorities must provide for the admission of all children in the September" is about ensuring there are enough places, not that everybody starts in September from what I have been told.

2.16 Admission of children below compulsory school age and deferred entry to school  Admission authorities must provide for the admission of all children in the September following their fourth birthday. The authority must make it clear in their arrangements that: (a) parents can request that the date their child is admitted to school is deferred until later in the year or until the child reaches compulsory school age and (b) parents can request that their child takes up the place part-time until the child reaches compulsory school age.

CHANGES TO SCHOOL ADMISSIONS CODE OF PRACTICE FOR
ADMISSION OF CHILDREN BELOW STATUTORY AGE
A government review recommended that 4 year olds should start school in the September following their fourth birthday. A revised School Admissions Code will come into force on 10 February 2010, and will require all admission
authorities to provide parents with this choice of a school place for entry from September 2011. The changes affect two paragraphs of the current Code, which are detailed below:

Admission of children below compulsory school age
2.65 For admission to the 2011-12 school year, and subsequent years,
admission authorities for primary schools must provide for the admission of all
children in the September following their fourth birthday. When determining
the arrangements for primary schools the admission authority must make it
clear that:

a) the arrangements do not apply to those being admitted for nursery
provision including nursery provision delivered in a co-located children's
centre;
b) parents of children who are admitted for nursery provision must apply for a
place at the school if they want their child to transfer to the reception class;
c) attendance at the nursery or co-located children's centre does not
guarantee admission to the school;
d) parents can request that the date their child is admitted to the school is
deferred until later in the school year or until the child reaches compulsory
school age in that school year;
e) parents can request that their child attends part-time until the child reaches compulsory school age.
Deferred entry to primary schools

2.69 Admission authorities must allow parents of children who are offered a
place at the school before they are of compulsory school age to defer their
child's entry until later in the school year. Where entry is deferred, admission
authorities must hold the place for that child and not offer it to another child. The parent would not however be able to defer entry beyond the beginning of the term after the child's fifth birthday, nor beyond the academic year for which the original application was accepted. This must be made clear in the admission arrangements for the school.

Dear LondonSuperTrooper,

Your head must be spinning with us all throwing clauses of text at your from various Admission Code booklets! The long and short of it is that like many other aspects of English Law, practice does not always match what the law states.

You really have to just decide what's best for your child with regards to school start date and go from there. As long as you don't defer past a year and you have accepted your place (which you have told us that you have) then you will have a place. Yes the schools will tell you that your child will miss out on important friendships and peer bonding etc, but I don't think a term is going to hinder a child's friendships for the rest of their primary years. If you feel that a term will help your child's development and maturity then you stick to your guns and go for it! The school will just have to suck it up and accept your decision. You are Mum and you do know best!

Hi

For those that are interested and who helped me on this issue, this is an update on the situation.

I have been told that I CAN defer my DC reception place until January 2012 :o :o

I'm so happy & many thanks for all the help that I've received x

Hooray! Well done for sticking to your guns to get the outcome you wanted.

Thanks :)