We live in Kent and want my DS to be put back a year. What are the hurdles/challenges with this?

[moneytree]

Hi,

My DS is in Year 3 and is an August baby (came 2 weeks early) and has been diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder/ADD hence there is a slight developmental delay. He is doing well but is struggling academically and all of his friends are in Year 2. We strongly believe that it would be in his best interest (both socially and academically) if he was put back a year. As you can appreciate, we do not want him to be lost in the shuffle.

I would be very grateful for any advice you can give or a list of challenges we will need to overcome. We want to be prepared before we start this process

Your help/comments would be most appreciated!

Different county but hopefully this is helpful.

speak to the head, if he/she agrees it will make it a lot easier.
don't say anything about lack of academic progress - that isn't seen as a good reason (you can kind of see why from their perspective). Use the August birth date, premature argument.
Ring up your local LEA and see if you they have any documents like "advice to head teachers for teaching children out of year." If they aren't forthcoming you may need to use Freedom Of Information request.

Make sure your son is good with this, he could get teased. Also prepare your self - I don't know why but teachers really don't like children being taught out of year. It offends them for some reason, we've had all sorts of sillyness from teachers over the years.

Thank you! It really would be a lot less stressful for my son and he would be delighted to be put back a year as ALL of his friends are in that year or in year 1.

I think there might be a funding issue too or something similar? I do not understand the reasons why they are so reluctant when it is very obvious that it is the best option for that child....I really want to get to the bottom of it before we proceed. If we were in a different country then I would not have to have this conversation...it is a bit frustrating but am willing to take this on!

I don't think it's funding .. I think it's some collective memory of the 'bad old days' when children would be kept down almost as punishment if they didn't learn their tables or whatever. Or they think that you're trying to give your child an unfair advantage. Don't know why really.

But there should be a policy document and it's that you need to get hold of. If it helps I could try to find the one from my county.

You will also need to consider the consequences for transfer to secondary school - will they require transfer at the age appropriate (rather than adjusted year) point or might they put your child back into the correct age appropriate year into year 8 and not year 7. You cannot assume that if a year adjustment is agreed at primary school it will be maintained throughout your child's education.

Thanks KATTT, appreciated. Wish I had a friend in the LEA that could get hold of the policy document for Kent.

Thanks JWIM - I have heard something similar....seems a bit mad if it is the case - are they not under the same LEA? Would getting the LEA to agree not resolve this issue? If this is true, then we will have to remortgage to put him in private secondary education as it is our understanding that they are more flexible?

Umm I think you will find it very difficult at secondary transfer even if a drop down is agreed now. Ealy in his teaching career DH taught year 4, with a very special needs year 5 in his class ( with a near full time one to one). She was obliged to transfer with her peers - so he had to sort out al, the secondary transfer stuff ( which neither he nor parents were really ready for) in order o have it sorted by the start of the year in which this child turned 11. Fortunately it was easy really as everyone agreed shed be best placed in the local special needs secondary. I can't imagine how a child with some special needs but not enough to Be statement could possibly transfer effectively from yr5 o yr7.

Btw for all you parents who worry about special needs kids that are really severely affected in mainstream primaries- I know academically it is hard , but DH noticed some amazing stuff in his class- in the Christmas play everyone had a part and the class nudged/ lead / held hands so this kid was in the right place on stage etc without any prompting. He nearly cried in PE when it was x's turn and there was almost comedy repositioning of goal and goalie so she could actually kick the ball into the goal. They were all so proud of x and protective!

Theas18, thanks for your feedback and heartwarming story. My DS is not severe enough to be statemented nor go to a specialist school. We are relying on the good nature of our school to help him along. You are right, he could not effectively transfer from year 5 to year 7 either. There must be way to get round this?!!!? She says whilst banging her head on her desk!

Moneytree - ask about secondary transfer, if you get hold of that document, get the LEA's agreement and it should be alright. It was for us.

I was given the scare story about having to transfer from 6 to year 8 as well... it didn't happen. Why would a secondary want an ill prepared and unhappy year 8 child?

You really should be able to get hold of the document - I got it just by ringing up the LEA and asking.

As, I say if they are funny, FOI requests are dead easy to do, use this template..

politics.guardian.co.uk/foi/guide/0,,1379201,00.html

Thanks KATTT, you are a star.

Thanks KATTT, you are a star.

The only person I know who did this successfully has a dd with late August birthday, cerebal palsy with deafness and who had a statement.
2 weeks early isn't significantly premature to affect development and usually they only correct for this for dcs born at 32 weeks or earlier. (The reason I know this is that my dd was born 13 weeks early).
Children can often catch up with their peers and it could be that he needs extra support rather than to be moved down a year. What would be the consequences if he moved down to Y2 and you suddenly found he was working at the level expected for Y4 for example.

Thanks crazymum53 for your feedback, appreciated. Fortunately he is getting extra support at school but is still behind and constantly swimming against the stream. He has had speech therapy, occupational therapy & on the waiting list for more, brushing therapy, BEAM therapy, writing therapy - on going, literacy 1 to 1 - on going, in a social group therapy (they are treating him as if he is on the spectrum) and one to one reading every day. As one other Mum put it "he truly is in a world of his own". I think going down a year would give him the boost he needs and replace some missing links. It something that we have given a lot of thought to and those who know him wholeheartingly agree.

That puts things more in context - the slight development delay in your original post did not sound very serious.
Usually developmental delay due to prematurity is only taken into account up to the age of 3 and after that if there are still difficulties then doctors investigate other conditions. Basically in addition to the suggestions given above re approaching the school/LEA I would also try to get medical evidence to support your case as well such as an assessment by the community paediatrician. I suspect that the school are doing their best to meet your child's needs but perhaps there is some underlying medical condition causing the processing condition that you are not aware of and a more accurate diagnosis of this may help.

Thanks crazymum53 - I think I mentioned in my original post he was diagnosed with ADD caused by Sensory Processing Disorder - this was diagnosed by the Consultant Community Paed. It has been a frustrating journey (I sound so cliche, don't I, lol) just to get that diagnosis. The school is now taking us seriously but we are relying on their good will since we do not have a statement. Putting back a year would just help things along.

Have you tried kent parent partnership service, they maybe able to help. 01622 755515 email [email protected] www.kenttrustweb.org.uk/kpps. hope this helps

Thank you iwanttoscream - haven'theard of these and will def it a try!