Delaying school entry - does anyone have experience?

[dani747]

I am mum of twin girls who were born at 26 weeks gestation in August 2008. They will therefore turn 4 in Aug 2012 and expected to start reception in September 2012. The law states that children do not have to start school until the term after they turn 5 (i.e. Sept 2013) but I'm getting pressure from their school (nursery) that they must attend next year (2012). The local authority have been deflecting my queries ... does anyone have advice or experiencing in delaying their child's education until the child turns 5? (really only relevant to those who have summer born children or premature children's who early birth results in them expected to start school a year earlier than they should have).

This PDF from TAMBA (twins and multiple birth association) has some information about premature birth, multiples and school entry:
www.tamba.org.uk/document.doc?id=236
It might be worth contacting them to see if anyone can give you some ideas/information/experience on deferral?

Hi Dani,
This all sounds very familiar to me! We too have twins, born prematurely who were due in the september but appeared mid August. They both had then and do still have problems with respiratory distress - spending a couple of weeks in intensive care, and at least a dozen hospital trips a year since.

When I came applying for schools, we just knew it was not right for them. They still slept every afternoon and our catchment school refused summer term entry and also point blank refused part time. We applied for an out of catchment school who agreed they would go for Jan or Easter entry - so we decided to homeschool until then. It was such a great experience, they were happy, learning, had TONS of friends, joined clubs and activities etc and when it came to easter we decided to continue with our home ed journey. The girls are now 5, in Y1 (at home!) and thriving.

Unless your twins have some major learning needs or developmental delay, you will never get them moved into a different year group, so don't waste time or money doing this. A line has to be drawn and if you don't like it then home educate. Either this or put them into school part time in the summer term, for them to join Y1 in the autumn.

I would do the same thing in your shoes - hell I'd keep them back if they were August baby and not prem! I wouldn't have the option to relocate to Australia, but I'd put them in private if it was the only way to delay their school start for a year - and I don't mean defer, I'd want them to stay a year back. It can be done in the state sector in some areas and can only benefit a child! Good for you doing what your kids need rather than being scared of the system.

Not a twin's situ but my DD was due end sept and appeared early (Awful late August birthday in terms of the school year) Anyway she started in pre prep, attending full days since September. I was massively concerned in many respects as to how she would cope etc etc, but she is absolutely flourishing, seems to have more energy at the end of the day than most of the autumn borns and positively loves going to school.

Obviously if their are health / developmental issues i totally understand wanting to keep them back but my brother was held back a year (late july birthday, independent school) and he always says he wished my parents had not consented)

Kids are very resilient and so many of my doubts keep being thrown out the water by my DD.

Reception teacher's teach many summer born children and should be prepared to make any necessary allowances in both their academic and PSED at this stage (obviously this needs to be questioned when visiting the schools)

My DS was also a 26 weeker, due october and born in june, and we'll encounter exactly the same issue in a couple of years time.

Can I suggest you come over to the bliss messageboards? There are people there who have indeed succeeded in getting their prem child into a different year group, and who are generous with their advice to others wanting to challenge their LA. In my recollection, it was by no means an easy process, involving threatening to take the LA to judicial review etc etc.

I don't think some of the posters on this thread who 'just' have August babies have any sense of the extra complexities that come with having an extremely premature baby. I sympathise hugely with your predicament.

Hi libelulle, thanks for the info on looking up messageboard in bliss. will do that, hopefully get some good advice on how to approach the LA, we dont really want to leave the country or go to Scotland, we just want to stay here, where we are otherwise happy.

Haven't read all of the replies as too full if cold but want to mention two friends who's children were a Aug b'days - 1)started at 4 but still wasn't coping by the Oct half term so she negotiated with the school & he did just mornings for the rest of Year R which meant he was with his peer group & now doing well in Year 1 and 2) a boy in my DD1's Year R class is an early Aug b'day & 5 - so oldest in her year. The headmaster reserved him a place even with her year being over subscribed.

So it seems to me to be largely up to the head of the school (since the legal req is 5) & there are options. I'd say you need to talk to the heads in the schools near you. Good luck

It comes down to each child, doesn't it? And whether you think they're ready. Dani has good reasons why she doesn't think her twins will be ready.

I am in a similar situation - DS2 was prem with bleeds on the brain causing hydrocephalus. Should have been a September baby but arrived in July and needed neurosurgery at 5 months.

Through great care and the skin of his teeth, he has no developmental delays. He is a third child and I think this has helped him socially and emotionally.

Weirdly, I worry less about him starting school just after he turns 4 than I did his older brother who is also a July baby (and not premature!)

It's a shame that there's no flexibility in the system for those who fall outside the box/rules.

dani747, I understand - August born lad with developmental delays here (not prem but language development stalled for a year).

Bradford let us year-defer properly ie start him in reception at 5.0 (long story) and it has transformed his life-chances, for all the reasons you outline. He is thriving now and all of us (parents, teachers, nursery workers head, health professionals) just feel delighted with the (unanimous) decision we made.

Sir Jim Rose - mentioned above - came on mumsnet and, after great pressure, admitted that he had never meant there to be no exceptions to the rule.

Here in Bradford, you now need the support of professionals to year-defer. Find out how it is in your LEA (prepare to be fobbed off), see if you can enlist health professionals on your side and good luck to you. If you have made a firm decision not to apply for a school place I think that will help you. It was only after the deadlines had passed for the 1st intake year that Bradford realised I was deadly serious. Having foreign friends and relatives helped - they were all utterly disgusted by the English system. I would also have moved abroad had it come to that.

I do have confirmation from bradford that his education will be offset throughout his whole school career. But even if I found I had another fight on my hands to get him into year 7, not year 8, I would have no regrets.

sorry, should add caveat - just because this was right and necessary for my child doesn't mean I'm suggesting other August-born children won't thrive.

Here you don't have to start them till the term after their firth birthday BUT they WILL have to go into the year they should have been in origionally - so for your girls they would have to go straight into year 1. This means that various peer groups will have formed and your kids will have to play catch up with numbers/letters. The latter isn't a big deal though.

You can only start them a year late if your kids have special educational needs - complex ones at that. You will neds lots of backing.

I would recommend that you apply for the school you like. Then let them attend part time - three or so full days a week or long mornings only. This way they make friends, get used to the school environment/teacher, learn some letters/numbers and play. Most heads would prefer full attendance but what you can say is that you are going to play it by ear and listen to your kids needs. My class teacher was more supportive of my sons part time timetable.