Delaying and deferring reception admission

[BettyandDon]

I have taken part in several discussions on Mumsnet regarding this issue and wanted to share the following which was featured on BBC this week.

[[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-25726538]]

There is a closed Facebook group entitled Flexible School Admissions for Summer Borns which also may be of interest to many. Their report was featured on the BBC.

It has become apparent that many LAs are largely ignoring or are unaware of DoE advice from July 2013 on the matter of deferring and delaying reception entry. They appear to be using a variety of tactics involving misinforming parents to force children into starting reception at 4. For example, misinforming that children would have to miss reception year and start at compulsory school age 5 in Y1.

I do hope I have managed the link correctly. I have found it most useful.

Spectacular fail on the link!! Aargh why wont it work

[[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-25726538]]

I give up, please check out the facebook group or search under Education section on BBC

The Government's recent statement was only to say that a Council must not have a blanket policy, but must consider cases individually. That does not make it any more likely that any individual child will beagle to receive schooling outside the usual age cohort.

There is no new substance in the policy and no new rights have been given. Unless in truly exceptional circumstances, a child who is 5 before 1 Sept will still go in to year 1.

And a reception place can only be deferred to a start date at some point in the reception year and cannot be carried forwards.

There is a lady at the DoE who is working with some parents to delay the start of the reception year by suitably informing the LA on the matter, so I believe it is worth pursuing. You are right that the guidance in July 2013 was useless, that is what is being highlighted in the report that was produced. It's worth a read if nothing else.

I asked to delay our DDs entry to next year and was told that it was impossible which isn't true. They just tried to put me off the idea with spin and a few untruths.

Well our LA told me a straight no and did not inform me of any procedures by which they would officially consider a request. Charming IMO!

Or actually in more detail they said it was nothing to do with them and to wait until we get an offer then discuss with a school. This is for a delay not a defer.

They did tell me to apply this year and to include my concerns in the social category and to express a preference for a school we thought would meet our needs. Our child does not have special needs is just small with a mild speech problem and confidence issues. I have no confidence whatever that it will be considered as such, so it's a waiting game until April.

Some parents are having success though I think it's more prevalent in areas where there is less demand unsurprisingly!

Tiggytape, what's your opinion on children born very prematurely?

Do you know of any cases where premature birth has counted as an exceptional circumstance?

So Betty, do you want your child to stay in their birth year but not start in September?

I would prefer to start reception at age 5 yrs and 1 week old.

Do you know of any cases where premature birth has counted as an exceptional circumstance

(I know this was addressed to Tiggytape but...)

Not on its own but I do know of cases where an LA has accepted premature birth linked with delayed development as a circumstance that would allow a child to enter Reception a year later than normal.

tethersend, have a look at the Facebook group, there are a few parents on their where this had been made possible. It varies a lot on the LA where you live.

I'm actually considering having my summer born in a preschool rather than reception. Her issues are largely social and emotional and I think a nursery setting would be better placed to build confidence because of the ratios. I'm could teach phonics and what not at home.

its not that different from say moving from overseas IMO. just another option!

I know of a child who was premature, and had a range of additional needs, who was allowed to start Reception a year "late".

I'm actually considering having my summer born in a preschool rather than reception

If you are thinking of delaying a full year you need to be aware that your daughter will probably go straight into Y1 and you will have a very limited choice of schools. It is true that some LAs are more flexible than others but most will only consider allowing a child to enter Reception a year late if there are significant additional needs that justify a delay.

Thank you all for information.

Those cases that you know of where children with additional needs have been allowed to start YR a year late, will this apply for the whole of their school life, or might there be issues later on when transferring to secondary school, for example? I know that this has happened in the past.

I imagine the child I know of will not attend a mainstream secondary school so not sure if things would be different.

Re limited choice of school; this already exists IMO. I hardly know of anyone in our borough who is in the distance criteria for more than 1 school. Church goers maybe have more choice though but they are a small percentage of the overall demand.

Twinkle the problem is that someone who applies for an in-year admission to Year 1 may not even be able to get into their closest/catchment school. If all places are allocated in the reception year, and no one leaves, they may end up being given the school 3 miles away which still has a place.

This is why many parents of summer-borns don't really have the choice of waiting until after their DC turns 5- they have to start them by the summer term of reception.

Surely then a school 3 miles away or 45 mins whatever is reasonable is therefore deemed unsuitable for a 5 year old and the LA need to increase spaces?

It is the same for people moving in. There just isn't enough capacity.

It's funny that in areas of less demand there is more flexibility. Not unconnected IMO and not the fault of the child.

It's also deeply unfair that older children get a longer funded time in preschool. Talk about a double whammy.

I think there needs to debate and a relook at the system. There needs to be honesty and transparency across boroughs, not scare tactics such as saying well you won't get a place unless you apply now without even consideration of individual circumstances. That is what is happening now to a lot of parents. Why should we be forced to send our children to school a whole year under compulsory school age? It's absolutely bananas IMO.

You only have to send them a term under compsulsory school age.

Not sure what the alternative is - holding back some places for a year (or more) in case someone moves or wants to start late?

It comes down to cash and space - most LAs cannot operate half empty classes, many schools don't have space to build extra classrooms.

I was told by the LA that I had to negotiate a start date within the academic year with the HT. One school had a blanket policy saying only Sept starts were possible. The thing is it is very hard for parents to judge which school they will end up at certainly in our borough anyway. People change and move on waiting lists up until the final moment. I asked our local schools how they manage summer born entry and had 6 different answers. You can not be guaranteed a certain school with a preference for a particular entry system. Effectively you have no choice.

I actually think that the real problem is the compulsory school age legislation. Someone should decide once and for all if it is 4 or 5, then there would be no room for the massive misinterpretation and mismanagement of the current guidelines. If I had a crystal ball I would predict the age gets lowered eventually...

Rant over

Legally, you have a right to delay your (summer born) child's start until the summer term without losing the Reception place, even if the school prefers a September start.

Compulsory school age is very clear - the term after their 5th birthday.

"One school had a blanket policy saying only Sept starts were possible."

This is now illegal.

There isn't a compulsory school age Twinkle ... children in England must be in education (not necessarily in school) from the term after their fifth birthday. The present government gave parents the right to full time education for 4 year olds (due to start education in that school year) in 2014 but there was a big fuss last year when Mr Gove seemed to withdraw that right.