Repeating reception year??

[ChocolateCake79]

My DS2 is 4, born on 24th August and in currently in reception class, we tried to have his entry deferred for a year but were told it wouldn't be possible at the time - despite so called flexibility for summer born children.

He has SEN and the school is in the process of putting a statement application through for him. We feel that he not ready to go into year 1, even with the additional help and would like to put him back into reception in September, (which given his developmental delays would be more along the right age group for him) and give him the chance to learn the fundamentals before going up to year one.

The school SENCO and the reception teacher were both supportive of this until we spoke to the Head. They said that the reception class was full and that the school would probably not be able to provide the support he needs (we have since contacted the education authority who said that the class isn't full) so clearly the head does not want this to happen, which makes the situation more difficult.

Does anyone have any experience of a child repeating reception and if it was a positive experience for them? I feel like he's being written off at the age of 4

Thanks for any advice in advance x

Chocolate,

I have experience (as a teacher) of a child with very significant SEN who repeated reception and then progressed through primary a year behind their chronological age.

A couple of points:

• The child in question had VERY significant SEN. Developmentally was working at c. 18 month levels at age 9, also several physical impairments. oOther statemented children with less severe SEN remained in their own year groups.

• You need to get the mnove agreed all the way through the school system ie transition to junior / secondary BEFORE you do it. In many authorities, children will be required to rejoin their own year group at transition points - so your DS would have to skip year 6, moving straight from Year 5 to secondary. We did get this agreed for the child I am thinking of, and in any case their transition was to a special school for the next stage.

• You bneed to think about your child's development longer term. It may seem ideal now to remain in Reception, as the new children coming into school will be closer to his leve. What will happen next tyear, do you think he will 'keep up with' his new year group, or is it likely that he will progress more slowly? If everyone thinks he is now placed to progress at an average rate but in line with children a year younger, then repeating a year makes sense. however, if his slower rate of progress, due to SEN, will always mean that he will require highly differentiated provision, then that would in the long term probably be best provided in his own year group IYSWIM? A year's deferral won't solve the problem in the latter case, it simply puts it off for a little while.

(I would also be concerned if a school SENCO and class teacher suggested this as the first course of action for a child with SEN - in the same way as I would be concerned if a school suggested acceleration for a very able child without exploring all other avenues first. It implies that they aren't confident in their ability to differentiate carefully for all abilities within the child's proper year group. As I have said, I have experienced it once, but it was in an extreme case, and other summer born statemented children have done well in their own year groups)

If the school feels they can't provide the support he needs, they may be supporting a statement application with the intention that he'll transition to special school. How would you feel about that?

TBH I think it would be lovely for some children to have an extra year in reception. The "wrong year" thing is all to do with NI payments and pensions, which frankly is not massively relevant when we're all going to be working til we're 100.

It's to do with how many years of education funding schools receive - if a child goes to secondary a year late their funding runs out a year early so they have to leave.

I had a friend with a DS who was dyslexic, very late summer born. They wished he could have done an extra year of reception. It is so arbitrary where the school year starts in terms of age. If he was two weeks younger then his 'right' group would have been the year below.

It isn't just about differentiated work, it is about emotional maturity and confidence. Personally, from a confidence perspective, I think it would be better to possibly have less differentiated work and be the oldest child, than need massive amounts of help to keep up being the youngest.

If I was you, I wouldn't be concerned by the teacher and SEN advice, but I would be a little concerned about the unsupportive head.

Good luck

I would try and get him moved permanently into the year below. So he will leave school a year late. Can you pressurise to get him statements and then write to the governors/LEA to request he is moved down s year

Thanks everyone for your advice. After speaking to parent partnership they have advised that I contact the Head of Admissions as it has been done in the past but wasn't an easy process.

I am concerned that the Head teacher's attitude seems to be that they cannot support him which doesn't seem to be very inclusive, given that they aren't really doing very much at the moment and I think it would clearly suit them to have him somewhere else, which doesn't seem to be in line with the SENCO's thoughts. (?!?!??) It is also worrying that the head said the suggestion would be supported if they had the space in reception but that the school was oversubscribed and therefore would not be, when on contacting the LEA I was advised that the class stood at

I know a case of a child who repeated year 1. Have heard at the time that the SENCO person of that school raised concerns (about the child's developmental delays) to the HT & the school's Governing Body. The Governors & SENCO person in charge worked closely with the HT and the child's carers in order to receive support (funds) from the Local Authority. In your case if the HT is not co-operating it is crucial that you put your case forward to the Chair of the school's Governing body. The HT MUST deliver education for ALL children according to their individual needs! It makes me really angry when people in charge of our children's future are so complacent! You must make a lot of 'noise' unfortunately, if your child's needs are not met. As a parent YOU know your child best so if you think that your child will benefit from repeating the year, the LA & HT should listen to your opinion, assess the situation and make the correct decision together with you. Good luck

ChocolateCake79...Sorry just read your reply. Was your child assessed recently? Do you have anything in writing to prove that your child didn't make the expected developmental progress and the SENCO's opinion? By the way, try to avoid informal meetings from now on, please make sure you put everything in writing when asking for help and make photocopies. All the replies should be in writing too. HT's attitude seems to give out a vibe of hopes that you will move the child elsewhere. Ask the Citizen's Advice Bureau's for a more professional opinion. The Admissions should have been informed about your child's need of a school place way in advance. In the case of the child I know, his place was secured by the HT who ensured funds were released by the LA at the beginning of the academic year. (When he repeated Year 1, child I know had a part-time TA employed to work on a 1-1 basis). Please try and ask to speak with the Head of Admissions as well, and remember that they must write (email) to you. Don't allow them to 'pass you' around. Sorry & Good luck again. Update us if you can.

There was a boy in my dd's class who had to leave at the end of year 5. He'd been held back a year but on reaching 11 he had to move to secondary, missing yr 6.

Is that something you need to take into consideration? Would it be more damaging for him to miss yr 6, or potentially struggle in yr 1?

This happened in my DD's school too - a boy who repeated reception and ended up in her class stayed with them through to Y5, then went straight to high school. As a result he missed all of the acclimatisation activities that Y6 do (he went on a familiarisation day at the high school, but didnt get the everyday chat in the Y6 class or amongst the classmates). Its a difficult decision, but the transfer to high school is such a major transition that I would worry about how this would affect a child held back. It might be better to push the school to provide adequate differentiation and support (as others have said) so that your DS can stay in his proper year group?