Defer reception place for summer born child

[Cascada]

DS's birthday is early June. I am considering (somewhat late in the day) trying to defer his reception place (he already has a place) for September 2017 so that he starts in April 2018.

My understanding based on the information on my LEA's website is that because we're looking to do this rather than delay by a full year that this is something that we have the right to do rather than needing to request the school or LEA's permission to do. This is because the info says once you get a place you can take it:
"Immediately (from September 2017);
 On a part-time basis until the beginning of the term after their 5th birthday; or
 Defer your child’s admission until the beginning of the term after their 5th birthday but not beyond the beginning of the final term of the school year for which it was made". It then goes on to suggest you speak to the school to discuss these options.

I have not yet discussed with the school and am unsure as to their attitude towards this - they are already talking about some of the reception kids potentially going on a part time basis if more appropriate so my expectation is they view that as preferable rather than deferring the place to April. For various reasons I would prefer to hold my son back fully - he just doesn't seem to be ready to start yet. I didn't raise it when we first got the place cos I wanted to see how he progressed over the next few months.

However, I just spoke to the LEA in the first instance and they said that the school would need to agree to the deferral - i.e. it was not just a discretion of the parents. This seems at odds with the guidance pasted above.

I would be very grateful to hear about people's experience of this. I would kind of prefer to be clear about whether it's a right that I have or a discretion of the school before I approach them about it. Thanks in advance.

My dd had only just turned 4 when she started school, I never would have considered keeping her back a few months. Reception is mainly play based to start with anyway, but holding him back several months means he will miss out on the beginning of the basic maths, phonics etc. It's not just that though. By April friendships groups are well established, also he will have no clue on routines for things like p.e., dinner time, snack time, assembly etc and may end up feeling very disadvantaged and left out.

My dd had only just turned 4 when she started school, I never would have considered keeping her back a few months. Reception is mainly play based to start with anyway, but holding him back several months means he will miss out on the beginning of the basic maths, phonics etc. It's not just that though. By April friendships groups are well established, also he will have no clue on routines for things like p.e., dinner time, snack time, assembly etc and may end up feeling very disadvantaged and left out.

Mine loved reception (one was a mid summer born) it was mostly fun and free play before proper work in year 1. I wouldn't have wanted mine to have missed two terms of that.

In your situation I'd be inclined to see if your child can defer entry to next September and do the whole of reception. I think the reception year is really important and wouldn't be mad keen on missing most of it, then doing a tiny bit and being hit with year 1. Remember if you defer entry till 5 they then have to go full time straight off. I'd also look more a part time until 5

Is there any reason why you haven't mentioned this to the school at any of his recent transition sessions?

As PatriciaHolm says, you have the right to defer. It is your choice, not the school's. The LA is completely wrong to say that you need the agreement of the school. You can simply tell them that your son will be starting in April.

Whether it is a good idea is another matter. You may find that he copes better than you think. Reception is about learning through play. It is not as formal as later years. It is very similar to Nursery.

Some confusion here. This is fairly new but...

I believe with correct permissions, a child born between April and August can delay their start by one full academic year. Meaning they start RECEPTION one full year older... Meaning these children will be the oldest in their year rather than the youngest.

(They don't skip reception and start in year 1.... So no disadvantage here)

So if a child starts reception already aged 5, how does this affect children secondary school? Do they have to leave primary school in year 5, as they are already 11?

Don't know where the stray "children" came from

I believe with correct permissions, a child born between April and August can delay their start by one full academic year. Meaning they start RECEPTION one full year older

That is correct. The OP can defer until next April as she proposes with no problems. However, if she wants to defer entry for a full year and still have her son start in Reception she will need the consent of the admission authority. Whilst admission authorities are required to consider requests on a case by case basis, most will only agree to this if there is evidence that the child has significantly delayed development.

So if a child starts reception already aged 5, how does this affect children secondary school

It depends on the secondary school. Some allow the child to stay in their current year group, others insist the child skips a year resulting in them missing either Y6 or Y7.

Ah yes I see - in which case I definitely wouldn't start them half way through the year. If you want to defer why not just wait until the following September?
Other posters are correct that summer borns can start a full year later.

Also when your request is agreed by your LEA it will include their permission for your child to remain with their cohort and not have to skip a year at any stage.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/summer-born-children-nick-gibbs-letter-about-school-admissions

you might find this useful.
Nick Gibb also has links to the evidence about the long term disadvantages of being summer born.

I wouldn't recommend it. My DC1 is just finishing Reception, and they did so much during those first two terms. My concern would be that a child joining at the start of the summer term would have missed out on a lot of phonics teaching in particular and would struggle to catch up.

There's also the issue of how they would manage socially, arriving in a class with established friendship groups, etc.

Other posters are correct that summer borns can start a full year later

All summer borns can wait a year and start in Y1. It is up to the admission authority to decide whether they can start in Reception a year later. In most cases the admission authority will refuse.

Also when your request is agreed by your LEA it will include their permission for your child to remain with their cohort and not have to skip a year at any stage

Not true. The secondary school will make its own decision. The LA cannot guarantee what will happen on transition to secondary school, especially since a lot can change in 7 years.

This is currently true, yes, but Nick Gibb has signalled his clear intention to make it law for parents to chose to start their child at csa in Reception. He's issued guidance in the interim to all authorities that they should follow this as if it's already law. Some are refusing but the FB group is full of success stories of parents who have challenged and won. The lea where I live has accepted the recommendations in full and all parents have the right to defer entry and start at csa in Reception.
Here too that right is continued through to secondary - and I think by the time it applies to us this will be law anyway.

Also in both instances the onus is on the lea and the school to prove their decision to be in the child's best interests. I can't see how moving Year groups or missing vital early years teaching could ever be shown to be in the child's best interests. The government is on the side of parental choice here.

Nick Gibb has signalled his clear intention to make it law for parents to chose to start their child at csa in Reception. He's issued guidance in the interim to all authorities that they should follow this as if it's already law

Two years ago Gibb said he was going to change the Admissions Code following a consultation. So far the consultation has not started. About a year ago Gibb said it was delayed as they were concerned parents would use the change to game the system to get two chances to get a place at their preferred school.

I am not aware of the guidance to which you refer. As far as I can tell it does not exist, at least, not in the form stated. There was a letter two years ago in which Gibb announced his intention to change the Admissions Code but this certainly did not tell admission authorities that they should make any changes immediately. The most recent guidance on the DfE website relating to summer-born children does not say admission authorities should follow parental choice. It is clear that parents can only request and the decision is for the admission authority. The guidance is also clear that, on transfer to secondary or junior school, it is up to the admission authority whether to allow the child to stay out of the normal year group.

As of today there has been no change in the law. Admission authorities are not required to follow Nick Gibb's wishes. They are required to follow the Admissions Code and relevant law. Nick Gibb's wishes have no legal standing.

Parents are in a stronger position than used to be the case as admission authorities must now consider each case individually and act in the child's best interests. They can no longer implement a blanket policy. But it remains the case that the admission authority has the final say on whether or not a child can start in Reception out of their normal year group.

You won't get free hours for childcare any more and your child will go straight into year one.

My child started Reception after the Easter holidays too, and is also a June birthday.
It wasn't completely by choice: we knew we would be moving area then due to jobs, so we didn't apply for a place at the normal time, and just applied for an in-year admission at Easter.

I would have thought it would be up to the individual school to discuss start times. My DC's school is quite flexible, I can imagine it might be something they would agree to - however my DC was the only one to start late in the year.

I know that my child had a few extra "catch up" type lessons on first starting - I think these were with some other children struggling with phonics.

We had no issues with struggling to catch up, or with breaking into friendship groups - friendships are pretty fluid at that age anyway, I think. We have had several children join since, during year 1 and as far as I know they have settled in well too.

I know that we have the school to thank for helping my DC to settle in so quickly, so in your situation I would definitely discuss it with the headteacher and class teacher and try to come to an agreement together.

If you start then, your son will be massively behind his peers. Not just in terms of learning but in terms of getting used to school and forming friendships. Better to delay a full year. I have a summer born boy about 4 weeks older than yours. He's now nearly at the end of primary and excelling in all areas. If you had asked me at 4 years old, I would have said he was wasn't ready for school. He coped fine - plenty of play based learning

You won't get free hours for childcare any more and your child will go straight into year one

That is only if she defers for a full year. The OP is only talking about deferring until April. Her child will go into Reception. My understanding is that you remain eligible for free nursery hours until your child reaches 5 so she will continue to be entitled to that.

So if you decide to request to defer for a full year and the child goes into reception already age 5, does the school have to accept the child but hold a place open for them for the following year?

In our area any summerborb can be deferred as a parental right by one full year and start in year R a year later. You can stay at nursery setting with the free 15 hours but there is a cut off to this which is easter ish iirc.

The rules vary massively area to area.

Sorry I wasn't clear - you have to opt in to remain in nursery by the Easterso nursery can sort their admissions