Groups petitioning for changes to compulsory school age & flexi schooling

[Thetherapyshed]

Does anyone know of any groups petitioning for changes to the uk education system? We know that children thrive when spending their formative years with their primary carers and small group settings. Many children are not ready for a prolonged separation at 4.5-5 years old and flexi-schooling should be offered to those who want to continue to care for their children at home beyond compulsory school age. Furthermore, in many countries children don’t start until the age of 7 and the outcomes academically are no different to those who start at 5. However, what is different, is their future mental health. The evidence that learning through free flow, child led play until 7 is better for the child’s mental health is unequivocal.

The system here is focused on getting parents to work and not on what’s best for our children. It is archaic and we have so much evidence to support change is needed.

This is what I want. As below as given to people with learning disabilities. . Obviously I know it wouldn't work for lots of families, but we home educated for the most part and it would have worked brilliantly for us........Direct payments, which allow you to arrange care and services yourself instead of receiving them directly from your local trust, can be made to parents and carers aged 16 or over. This includes people with parental responsibility for a child with disabilities.

One other thing to note is that OFSTED hates flecks schooling.
We had 4 flexi schoolers in our tiny rural primary and they basically made us agree there and then to give the notice to go full time the next half term.
This was despite having home school agreements in place and the children doing really well.
They said school is 'responsible' for the children even on the days they are not there. Wanted to prove what educational benefit the children got from being at home - it was dreadful.
As a mum, I tend to agree that I wanted my younger children with me. I enjoyed immensely the time spent with them, and yes, I may have been 'lucky ' to be a sahm for those years, although actually I believe we just made sacrifices and different choices.
As a teacher, I can see the other side. The craft activity that the children are taking home that the fleck schooler didn't get time to do so doesn't have one to take.
Missed trips, visitors and assemblies.
Friendships that develop a different dynamic when the child isn't there so that they find it hard to fit in when they come back.
Each child is unique and there isn't a one size fits all, but unfortunately that is the approach of our schooling system - increasingly so sadly.

I may have been 'lucky ' to be a sahm for those years, although actually I believe we just made sacrifices and different choices.

You were very lucky and incredibly privelidged.

the latter one. Umbilical cord issue

I come from a country where kids start school at 6/7. Children who haven’t gone to pre-school (roughly covering reception/early year 1 curriculum in similar structured way as reception/year 1) or have parents meticulously covering this at home have absolutely NO chance to make it into higher education. NONE.
Starting official school massively disadvantages children from lower educational backgrounds. If that is your ideal - think about it again. it absolutely massively increases inequality.

I also come from a country where children start school (learning to read etc} at age 6, but there is infant school built in to the primary school system so virtually everyone starts at 2.5 and has 3-4 years in the infant school which isn't compulsary and you can take days out as you need/want.

There definitly wasn't any teaching to read and write at this stage, but there was tons of learning, and things that are important prereading/writing/maths, such as sorting things, tracing lines, rhyming, more than/less than and there was great importance placed on learning independence.

It was also referred to as school, was free just like school and once you had a place at the infant school you didn't have to apply for a place again when starting year 1, you just carried on up. The hours were the same as well (8.30-3.30, with a half day on wednesday}.
You would absolutely be at a disadvantage if you hadn't been, but as it was free with same hours as primary school the rates of attendance were over 97%. So you can have both. Obviously it needs funding, which is always the problem.

@rivierliedje that is a much better system (dutch?)
Ours is brutal - selection for university stream also starts at 10, so kids have about 3.5 years of learning to catch up, and that just doesn’t work.
preschool is inexpensive but still not used enough especially by disadvantaged families. They learn basic reading/writing/maths. Children are expected to know the alphabet, write letters and do simple + and - before school. if tgey can’t - good luck. its a vicious circle where many children get left behind (SENDs have no chance whatsoever as well).

Belgian. There are problems and streaming does happen in secondary school (in a broad way} but I like the infant-primary school system and how strongly they are linked without academics infiltrating the infants.

I think you are in the minority of the population and very fortunate to have the support network and work hours that you do.

My husband and I work in London at a multi billion £ company which has very demanding hours and expectations. We either have no relatives close by (New Zealand) or they are busy working themselves/ disabled and unable to provide any care or support.

We are at the other end of the spectrum to you in terms of what we hope for with regards to school. My children begin nursery at 10/11 months and attend 8-6pm. They start prep at 3 and have full wraparound care (at school) 7.30- 6. I’ve done my best to pick a school that provides lots of extra curricula things that I can’t get to (swimming, gardening, beekeeping, foreign language lessons, music lessons, etc.)

I live for the support and structure they get there. I can’t provide it in the job that I do and I can’t live the lifestyle I want without my job.

I attended prep from the age of 3 so know no different and it didn’t adversely effect me. You’ll remember the time with your children, but they won’t particularly… and when I have the children I really maximise what I do with them

In your shoes I’d just home school. I couldn’t do as a good of a job with it. Along with everything above I don’t have the patience but well done to those that can. It’s a tough job.

I was under the impression that the system is starting to change. We defected entry for by summer born DC with no issues. It's a pretty easy process. I think the problem is that not enough people know it's an option.
Also so many people convince themselves that there barely 4 year old is ready for school. All the statistics show that summer-born children who start school at 4 do worse throughout their life in many areas but people don't seem to want to hear this.

Deferred entry not defected!

I'm in Wales where the new curriculum focuses more on play based learning until 7. At our school, they've fully embraced this and so the children don't get sent home with reading books, and don't do any structured work. At parents' evening, I didn't really know what they'd been up to as there were no books available for me to view.

In my daughter's Year One class, there were only 5 children who could read by the end of the year, and 3 of them already knew how before starting school. I'm sure there's a bit of a middle ground, but so far it doesn't seem to have worked particularly well in our school!

Look at independent schools. There are few near me that serve the rural community. So the kids only really go a few hours a day up to age 11 then they travel to the town for high school.

It will depend on your council as it is classed as home education. So you home educate but send them part time.

It is possible to do what you want but you might have to look around for a school that offers home ed kids some classroom time.

I couldn't have afforded nursery fees until 7... I couldn't afford to have DS2 until DS1 started school.

Doing worse doesn’t apply to all children - DT’s - July born started full time school (and breakfast and after school clubs) at four years and two months. They left school with all grade A’s and then got 1st class degrees. They also got grade eight in their instruments and played sports at a high level. Keeping them in nursery and delaying their school start date would have been a disaster

@Parker231
Academics were only really a small part of the consideration for us. Our DC would have coped fine academically. The emotional maturity was our main focus, particularly thinking much further down the line in the teenage years. Also looking at the numerous studies which show poorer mental health ( including an increased suicide risk) amongst summer born children.

@Toffeebythesea - did you keep your DC’s in nursery for an extra year? DT’s nursery wouldn’t have had a place for them and DT’s would have hated seeing their friends leave to go to school without them. They had been at the nursery since they were six months old and were ready for school. We didn’t have any problems with them in their teenage years.

@Toffeebythesea

My husband was born the end of July he really struggled at school and didnt really get the GCSEs that his intelligent level should of got him mainly because at 15 he was nearly 10 months younger and is a boy so you are right struggled with maturity. Boys mature later anyways and it is really noticable when they are say 14, 15, 16. We were at school together and he seemed so much more immature. He also lost friends because he was so much younger and they didnt want him tagging along. Its obviously less now we are grown.

At 28, we have agreed that if we have a child born that late in the year we will defer school start. So I complete understand your decision.