Keeping a child back a year; is this possible?

[dolkapots]

My dc is in year 2, due to go into year 3 in September. Lots of medical issues meaning that operations and appointments have meant days missed. All authorized and fine. However dc is very behind, I think is about 2 years behind on average. Very slow starter, lack of interest etc. I really want dc to repeat year 2 as I think that is fairer all around. Is it up to me, or do the school have the final say in this?

The school effectively has the last word. You need to approach the head teacher now and try and get it sorted before the end if term. However you need to understand that in many instances the school will decide not to agree this, so the alternative is to be insisting in writing on what the school are going to do about improving your son's attainment in year 3, so that he catches up with his peers.

It is unusual, but I have known it happen for someone with SEND. They had to miss Y6 though, and go up to secondary with their original cohort, so if you do want to pursue this make sure you ask about what will happen for secondary. I don't think it is up to you; the school and maybe the LA will have to agree. Another factor which may be relevant is class sizes - if the current Y1 are full, and if the children are being taught in classes of 30, it is highly unlikely I think that you would be allowed to add an additional child to that class when they go up to Y2 if your child stays in Y2.

I know a family whose daughter repeated year 4 - while not SEND, she was struggling and had an August birthday. It was very beneficial. However, it was a very small rural school, with a mixed Year 3/4 class, so the "not moving on with the cohort" issue was not seen as particularly relevant. But the medical issues sound like a good reason to me, and she is still young enough that not moving on shouldn't be such an issue, I would have thought. I would try for it if I were you.

My ds's hospital had teachers and classes for children staying in hospital long term. Do your dc's hospital have one?

I work with two year 10s (should be year 11) One who was kept behind at Primary school however his SEND are very complex and its touch and go whether he should be in mainstream. Another who was in a car accident in the Sept of his year 10 and broke his back so missed the entire school year so had a graduated return to where he left off when he was ready.

Do you plan for your child to continue a year behind or join their correct year sometime in the future?
The school can agree as a short term arrangement but as a permanent measure it would be up to the LEA. As others have said its unusual but not unheard of if a child has significant SEND.

I would want dd to always remain a year behind. She is quite immature anyway, so would not feel left behind IYKWIM?

We do have a hospital school, however it is for children who are in hospital long term; months at a time, whereas dd is in for a week at the most, but quite frequently, so does not meet the criteria.

Dd has not had an EP assessment yet (we are waiting) but if it is anything like my other dc's (who was below the 5th centile in quite a few areas) they will say she is on the low side of "normal" and expect her to continue on as she is. We are in a grammar county, and I feel that as she is dd would be no where near ready to sit 11+ in 3 years, so I do feel llike an extra year would give her a fairer chance.

Thanks for all of the replies, it has given me something to think about.

Regarding the 11+, it is worth researching that specifically - where I live it is not possible to sit the 11+ 'out of year'. In a fully grammar area, there may be provision for a child already educated out of year to sit it earkly / late, but it would be worth fully investigating that, including contacting all the possible schools - whether DD might pass or fail - to see whether they would maintain her 'out of year' status or force her to sit the 11+ at the correct age and enter Year 7 at the correct age.

It is very, very unlikely that you will be able to access a selective secondary out of year. If this were possible many parents with borderline DC, especially those with summer birthdays, would hold back to secure an advantage.

I think if you fight for dropping down a year you have to shelve the idea of selective secondary.

I also have an August born who, although bright, is showing some signs of SpLD. He would probably be better off in the year below but I would only do it with a guarantee of being able to remain in the year below in a great mixed-ability secondary (because I know selective would then be off the cards).

DS is in a non-selective 4-18 independent so it is definitely an option for us. Could you go down this route?

I'm also in a grammar area and I would also say that you can't sit the 11+ out of year.

However there have been children at DC's school who stayed an extra year before they went up to secondary school.

I know of a child who repeated nursery and stayed a year back all the way through. This was for SEN issues (ASD) although he was also a July birthday. I assume this was on the recommendation of the EP and other involved parties.

I agree, and have never heard of a child being accepted for the 11+ out of year.

Also, is she behind purely because of the amount of schooling she has missed or is it partly to do with ability? If it's the latter, then I think it's unlikely she'd cope with a grammar school anyway, even if she scored highly enough in the test. If it's the former, then she would have a massive challenge ahead to catch up on time for the beginning of year 6. She would need to be a fair way ahead of the game. I understand that that's why you're wondering if a repeated year would give her a better chance, but I think it's extremely unlikely, if not impossible that it would be allowed.

Are her health issues likely to resolve in the near future? Because if not, then would aiming for such a test not add an intolerable additional pressure on her?

My ds had been admitted to hospital quite regularly until last year, and we found hospital environment quite good for doing bit of work. He had a whole day of staying in the room, and can't go out or do anything else than read, play games or watch tv. So, doing bit of schoolwork wasn't a problem for my ds. Can you ask school to provide some work while she is in the hospital so she can catch up/ keep up?

OP I've taught children who've been assessed below the 0.01 percentile and taught in year.
In my teaching career we've had one child taught out of year and she had significant SEND. In Y5 her parents and the school had a fight to allow her to continue out of year rather than miss Y6 and transfer into Y7 (the other option presented was to continue in primary but miss Y7 and start secondary in Y8) as it was she transferred to a special school and missed her final year in school.

I've recently investigated this in a primary school context - you need to approach the headteacher, and give them time to discuss it with class teachers and SENCO, plus any other relevant specialists. They can educate a child outside their year group at their own discretion I think, but if you are requesting the child has a permanent change of year group, it's more formal. If they support the idea, the head will discuss it with the admissions team in the LA. Depending on the type of school, sometimes the LA has the final say and sometimes it's the admissions committee of the school. They are unable to guarantee what will happen at transition to secondary because the rules are always changing but the current understanding seems to be that people would need to re-apply for permission for DC to be considered part of the required academic cohort.

Depending on medical issues, I'm guessing your DC feel pretty ropey a lot of the time, particularly during hospital episodes. It might be best to have an open discussion with the head/deputy, about how you can all support DC without adding too much pressure, and see what they suggest?

Bear in mind also that by Year 6 there is likely to be a 7 year attainment gap between the highest and lowest achievers in the one class. Differentiating for all those children is second nature for teachers.

You also have at this stage class size. If there are 30 in the year below then infant class size will apply and I'd guess you'd have to appeal for a place at that school.

Thanks for the replies once again. I am going to speak to the teacher on Wednesday but my gut reaction is that she should stay where she is and do extra work over the summer. She has chronic illnesses that are due to a genetic syndrome but does have well periods.

She does have an ADHD diagnosis which has (I think) affected her work but mostly it is my fault in the sense that I want her to play and enjoy herself in the way that others do. When she is well I don't want to keep her at the kitchen table doing work when she would rather be outside playing. I feel really ashamed about this now and feel that I have really failed her She does not have any identified learning difficulties, she is behind but capable of more IYKWIM?

You shouldn't feel that way. You are doing great, trying to do best for her.
Doing extra work with her doesn't have to be so bad. 5/10 mins 1 to 1 is going to be plenty.
My ds has chronic illness + lots of extra problem as well, in fact, he is missing part of his organ. So I do understand it's hard to keep a child healthy and keep up with school work etc.

I totally understand that you want your child to use their limited health and energy on happy times. It might be worth picking the brains of the experienced home educators, because they are really skilled at stealth-educating so having fun and doing things together, that also provide opportunities to learn?

Rather I am home educating another child (who has ASD) so in theory I know lots of ways of incorporating learning through play! I am feeling rather burnt out by everything, and truth be told when dd is happily playing I just want to chill out and relax. This thread has given me an impetus to do more though.

Sorry, didn't mean to suggest you need to do even more, you must be shattered!