Starting school for summer born child

[Fluteytootey]

Hi there

Is there someone here with good knowledge of the current situation for summer born children starting parimary school?

My dd has a late August birthday and is due to start reception in September. I'm not concerned about her academic ability but she really struggles socially. She has a mild speech delay and is lacking in confidence. She finds it hard to speak to her teacher/peers or put her hand up to answer a question (she's in a school nursery setting).

Her nursery teacher tells me that she's struggling to evidence any of her targets as my dd will hardly talk to her.

She looks 'lost' at playtime and tends to follow her classmates around rather than instigate or actively join in any play.

I have a meeting with the head next week to discuss her readiness for school and would like some advice on whether I have the right to defer her and her be educated out of cohort or if my only right is to defer her start.

Can anyone help or point me in the right direction?

My middle DS (now 6 and yr 2) was much like this. Summer born and academically able but didn't seem "ready" in other ways. I started him in reception mornings only until Christmas to ease him into school gently. He couldn't meet his targets as the teachers couldn't get any evidence. But slowly he improved, moved to full time and is now doing really well. He's still v quiet but is hitting all his targets and has a friend he talks to.

If you are considering entry to reception at Compulsory School Age i.e. 5 then I would point you towards the Facebook group Flexible School Admissions for Summer Borns. Our late August born son is starting reception in September at CSA and the group was a huge support.

There was a long thread on this subject last week. Agree with the FB group recommendation.
I have deferred my August born daughter and she'll be starting Reception this year at CSA.

Can anyone link to the thread?

I deferred my dd in exactly the same circs as your dd - has really really helped.

We also paid for private speech therapist to come into school weekly and do social skills/pragmatic language help. The recommendations of salt were then carried out by school which have helped her so much!

I don't have a experience of summer born, but experience of watching 2 summer born children as ds's friends. One struggled at first, his mum had very difficult time in reception. He was behind for everything, especially reading.
One didn't. He was one of the mature/able one even his birthday was 31st of August.
Both were totally fine by yr3, actually both excelling at academics in the top set..
So I think it really depend on each child, and if your dc struggles at first, you can always support them on the way, and it will be fine in few years, unless there are any hidden special needs.

As for speech problem, my ds was a total selective mute during 2 years of nursery and beginning of reception. I know it's different for each child, but for my ds, by yr2, he became a real chatterbox, exposure to normal routine of mixing with other kids with help from teacher has worked for him.

You will.need to find out what your school will.offer for example my son is summer born but if I deferred his entry he would have been out straight into year 1 with the same children and missed reception year. Some schools will.wirk with you to do flexible schooling but it sounds like the school is already supportive.

You have the right to defer you're child's entry to reception until the summer term. That means they miss two terms. Or you can request that your child starts in Reception in the September after their fifth birthday but there is no automatic right and you could find your child starting in Y1 having missed a whole year compared to peers.

As above, my dd is mid August and our area will admit straight into year 1 if deferred rather than gherkin next county which admits them to reception.

My dd academically was very ready for school, but social would still play alongside other kids rather than with them. I was very worried about how she would cope, however she has managed brilliantly, she has come in leaps and bounds.

I would find out your council's policy on deferring but also speak to the school. Is it the same school she is at nursery in? They may have some strategies, but also look at what additional help is available for her speech etc

As Norestformrz says, you have the right to defer admission until the summer term, missing two terms of Reception, but you do not have the right to defer for a full year and have her educated out of cohort. You are likely to get misinformation on this from some sources as a lot of people have misunderstood recent changes in this area and think that parents have been given the right to defer for a full year. They haven't.

If you want to defer for a full year the local authority and/or school must look at your daughter's case and decide what is best for her. They cannot simply apply a blanket policy. Some are very flexible and will allow any parent to defer for a full year, others will only allow this if there is evidence of serious developmental delay.

If the authorities do agree to delay entry to Reception you need to check what will happen on transfer to secondary school. Some schools insist on returning the child to the "correct" cohort at this stage, resulting in the child missing either Y6 or Y7.

Thanks everyone, that's all really helpful. I'll call the council and find out their policy. I think the head of our school (small village) will push for her to start this year. I'm not sure what the right thing for her is, but it makes me sad to see her so quiet at school when she is such a chatterbox at home. She's certainly able enough academically.
A friend of mine send me this attachment which seems to indicate that parents should be able to choose. Is that not the case?

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/458797/Nick-Gibb-open-letter-summer-born-children-admissions.pdf

wheresthel1ght she is at the nursery of the school she will attend. She is also being reassessed for SALT next week. Her speech is very unclear compared to her peers.

If she is able academically, I think it's a bad idea to hold her back. Mine was a chatterbox at home and never spoke at nursery. No one suggested holding him back, or I even considered, though his difficulty was not just social, but a lot more of physical problems.
Children change so much after starting school.

Do private schools have to follow the same policy?

My summer born DS started reception in Sept. I was so close to deferring his place, but his issue was being behind academically rather than socially. I’m really glad I started him with his cohort. He’s doing so well and loves school life.

One thing I would say to any parent of a summer born considering the option of deferring, at this point your child is still 8 months away from a possible start date, and at this age that’s a huge amount of time in which they’ll develop all sorts of skills.

Also some schools allow part time for a term or two so that may be an option in your area. I have a couple of friends who chose this route, the DC do mornings at school then come home at lunchtime which means they experience School but at a gentler pace.

@fluteytootey in which case they should be the best people to advise what is best. I would make an appointment with the nursery teacher and discuss your concerns. They should be able to give you some professional advice and also some task to help with the social things.

How much availability is there for collaborative activities like dancing, drama etc where you are? I found enrolling dd in ballet has really helped her, especially when she did the musical theatre summer school. It was like it switched a light on!

That letter from Nick Gibb merely restates the current position - that parents can request deferral, and that decisions must be made in the interests of the child - and refers to a future intention to consult on and change the admissions code.

However, that has not happened, so the situation is unchanged- parents have the right to ask, but not to insist.

From the document you linked to

"Children born between 1 April and 31 August are not required to start school until the September following their fifth birthday - the point at which other children in their age group are moving up from reception to year 1. If parents wish their child to start school at this point, and to be admitted to the reception class rather than year one, they must currently request they are admitted 1 outsidetheirnormalagegroup.The Code requires the admission authority to make a decision on the basis of the circumstances of the case and in the best interests of the child. It is clear, however, that this system is flawed, with parents and admission authorities often failing to agree on what is in the child’s best interests.

You can request that you child starts in Reception but the authority can refuse depending on circumstances.

Schools may not have places available for lots of deferrals and not getting a place at the school you prefer a year can be problematic whether that’s in YR or Y1. If all summer born children wanted to be a year late starting, in effect the school year is changed with spring born children being the youngest in the class. Choice for everyone simply is unworkable.

I would start her and see whether she can do reduced hours and have speech therapy if required. Some children never initiate play! They just like to be included.

To try and defer DS entry to Reception?http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/amiibeingunreasonable/3126000-To-try-and-defer-DS-entry-to-Reception

The current school admissions code allows for part time until term after they turn 5. We have done this (headmistress mentioned at parents evening before we started as an option if you feel would benefit your child). We decided to do 4 days. We are very happy with this and it seems to suit her the extra day at home at slower pace and chance to catch up. We were not keen for her to miss any terms at reception. They have explained their structure and she doesn't seem to miss much as they put her directed work with teacher/ta on her other 4 days.

Thanks all for taking the time to reply. I'll definitely ask about her starting part-time.

@wheresthel1ght she goes to gymnastics and ballet, both of which she loves. Parents were allowed in to watch the ballet before Christmas and she had no problem with that.

@nineforty you're right about it being 8 months away. So much can change by then.

Her Nursery teacher has asked if we're happy to go in to Nursery to help support her and hopefully give her the confidence to fully engage. I'm going in tomorrow so we'll see how that goes.

"The current school admissions code allows for part time until term after they turn 5" as it currently stands if your child has a summer birthday and you want them to start the term after their fifth birthday it would mean missing the Reception year unless the local authority agree to a request to be placed in Reception. They may it may not agree that is the risk.
Personally I'd only consider delaying entry if I had a guarantee my child could start in Reception (full year) and continue out of year throughout Primary and Secondary.

I’ve sent you a pm op

I feel the same way no rest. I only want to defer if I can guarantee reception entry the following year.
All her friends are in what is effectively the year below and I think it would suit her much better. She really struggles to play with the older children.
I spoke to the lea today and they indicated that in our county they let parents choose and they don't allow a child to miss reception. I hope that's true!