Delayed/deferred entry into Reception - HELP!

[awhistlingwoman]

This might get long, sorry!

DD was born nearly four months prematurely, right at the end of August 2008, so she is due to start school this September. She is not in bad shape all things considered.

She was in hospital for the first four months of her life, on oxygen for a further five months and has some problems with movements, speech and developmental delay. She is still an outpatient at the hospital and has physio and SALT. She isn't toilet trained at the present time. But I think that she will, eventually, 'catch up.'

She knows her numbers, her colours, some letters, she can retell stories from books we've read (when I can make out what she is saying!) and she is generally a cheerful, happy, independent little soul. She done so well but she is, really, in most regards closer to the three year old she actually still is than a four year old.

I have TRIED to have her returned to her 'chronological' school year (where she would have been had she been born on her due date in December) but it looks as though, despite the fact that there is provision to do so in the LEA's policy, that this is, in reality, impossible. Grrrrr.

The school have suggested that we get her a statement which would include provision to change her school year. I don't think this is going to work as I just don't think she will get a statement of special educational need. Admissions seem doubtful also.

So now the school have suggested continuing to send her to preschool until Christmas or Easter rather than starting full-time in September with the other children. She's my first child to go to school and I've no idea of how the reception year is structured. I'm just worried that I might, by holding her back, compound the problems as she will be joining a class where everyone else knows the drill? Just desperately want to do the right thing by her but my preferred option seems to be off the table :(

Any thoughts on being the only one starting school part way through the year? Should I just send her along in September and hope that she copes with being the youngest in the class by a fair old margin?

Oh and as much as I would love to home educate that would be impossible financially :(

My DD has just finished reception and there was a child in her class who also had a similar situation to your DD. He started gradually and has only joined the class full time since about Easter.

To be honest, there have been issues for him - some physical - toilet issues in particular, and also social problems as he is very clearly much "younger" than the others.

Having said that, he is as much part of the class as the others. There has certainly not been any problem with integration (well other than that he doesn't really speak English - but thats another matter completely!).

I do think there should be some provision to move your DD back a year, but I think its more to do with when they get to the end of junior/start of senior where they pose a problem by being too old to be in junior school.

will she be at nursery if she defers the place? ds did not start schoool in reception at all, but at the beginning of year 1 - he's an august birthday too. it was actually not initially through choice but because we mis-timed a move back to this country, and didn't get a place at the local school we wanted for reception. we did get a place at the excellent sure start centre nursery and it seeemed a much better option to just keep him there for the year - better staff ratios, and he had a nursery room supervisor who was a trained primary school teacher and did some one-to-one letters and numbers with him so he was not behind. no problems at all integrating at start of y1 when he legally had to be at school, at that age they all want to sit next to the new kid and it worked out fine - but if he hadn't been somewhere so good in the meantime I might have been more worried.

I would give it a go in reception this year. She sounds like she knows more than my ds knew when he started reception. He had a speech delay and had trouble concentrating etc but he managed ok in reception and then thrived in year 1 which he has just finished. I would talk to the school and they should be able to support her. She will obviously be "behind" girls who are almost a full year older than her but that is something you just have to wait for that to even out (2-3 yrs IMO).

Thank you so much for all the responses. I think it has given me the courage to give her a go this year and to stop my (largely pointless!) efforts to get her delayed. Although Bliss (the premature baby charity) mention this as a possibility and it is does get a mention in the LEA admission policy, I think they've set things up to make it incredibly difficult to actually do!

And it looks like this is the same in many places - thanks tiggytape at least I know it wasn't just because I didn't push hard enough. I think part time might suit her and I'll look into that with the school. She has been in nursery for two years and preschool for one year so perhaps the transition to reception might not be as difficult as I fear. Like you say, it wouldn't be a major shock to the system.

snoopers It's good to hear that the little boy in your DD's class has integrated well.

tiggytape yes I believe that we would be very tied to the LA as the policy states that children can be considered for entry outside of their chronological year if they have already been admitted to that year by another school in the SAME LA. And, I agree, it would be far worse to be skipped into Year 8 than to start reception year a little too early.

A staggered or part-time start is not offered as a general option at the school but they have been lovely and supportive so far. I'm sure that they will look favourably upon any request I put in. I think that, as far as suggesting the statement goes, they are going on the letters they have received from my DD's paediatrician rather than on knowledge of DD herself.

sununu It's reassuring to hear that your son found going into Year 1 easy and that his nursery were so good. That must have been a bit of a panic, moving back to this country and finding you did have a place at the local school. Sounds like it has all worked out just fine though

blueglue I think you're right, it will all even out in the end. Glad to hear that your DS managed ok in reception. I have a feeling DD will be the same, that she will manage reception in September and then will thrive in Y1/2.

Thank you so much for the advice - I feel far more confident now that if I send her this year, either September or later, maybe part-time, that it won't be a terrible mistake

We have similar issues with DD1 starting reception. Nursery firmly believe she needs another year to mature but our LEA policy is not to allow her to delay entry until the following year. A friend wrote to the Minister of Education who (or at least his office) told her the decision regarding the delaying of entry lies solely with the head teacher. LEA policy can be over ridden by her but should you change schools you may find she is put in the 'correct' year. We spoke to the head and reception teacher who both said that she will find it more difficult to settle into a new class 6 months down the line especially as she is so emotionally immature. They have suggested she do 3 mornings a week until half term, then mornings only until Feb half term then mornings plus lunch until easter and finally 3 mornings and 2 full days until the end of the year. A long and complicated settling in but thankfully I am not working right now so we can give her all the time she needs to settle.