Hello,
I applied for my daughters primary school place in January and at the same time asked for a deferral so she would start reception in September 2024 but we still dont have a decision.
She is a summer born baby (end of august) so will turn 4 a day before term starts. According to milestones and targets, she would be ready for school but emotionally I do not believe she is ready to go to school for several reasons.
I've rang the council numerous times and been told twice that she has been deferred and would get a confirmation letter. I didn't get one so rang back up and told there is no decision yet; the panel wont be for a few more weeks, its the schools decision. Rang the school head teacher who said they were happy to defer her based on what I had said. Then had a call a week later from the senco to say she needed assessing at playschool (she goes for 8 hours a week with her brother and they are generally unsupportive towards deferring. They say she is fine and always have done even when she used to hide under the table and cry for half a session).
Still nowhere near getting a decision. I've already told her she wasn't going when they first told me she had been deferred so am worried that to then change this and have to send her to school is going to undo all of the hard work I've put in to improve her confidence and anxiety. I am confident that my request to defer is the right one.
Does anyone have any experience of deferring? Does it normally take this long? Has anyone ever delayed their child starting so they went straight into year 1 instead of reception?
Thank you 😊