Can I defer my children's entry to school until they are 5 and insist on reception?

[bothcholma]

This is an old hot chestnut.My girls are 4 next May.They are being steered to enter reception.I know that legally I can defer their entry to school until they are 5.My Local Authority says they must then enter year 1 having lost the learning encountered by their counterparts.They say this has to happen because they have to transfer to secondary aged 11.Are they telling me the truth? Can I defer their entry and insist upon a place in reception?

Can anybody help please?

And the report clearly states that delaying school confers NO advantage in fact the opposite may be true I think (but only skimmed the exec summary)

wot soapbox said

Soapbox, I accept what you say. I will defer for a year then enter reception. (feeling of relief +guilt that others don't have this common sense choice emoticon).

Because teachers are allowed to tell the truth in my LEA, the reception teacher simply said to me "he clearly won't be ready for 2009, I'll look forward to seeing him in 2010".
And that was that. I so wanted others to have this choice too.

Santaslittlehelpersmum, I'm glad your child is thriving. Count yourself lucky. Yes - children don't like being different. But my boy will be the oldest in his year so if anything he'll get kudos! I think you need to read the report. There are 170 August-born girls on the SEN register by age 11 for every 100 September-born girls. To pick just one issue. .

Are you all aware that Rose has reported and it is very very disapointing? It certainly spoiled my weekend.

You need to CAT lingle. She fought for her DS to start after he was 5 in august and start in reception.

"You can defer their entry until the term prior to their 5th birthday ie: by law they have to be in school start of Easter term 2009."

This is not true. Legally they do not have to be in school until the term after they turn 5.

WilfsElf and others.

Your next piece of light reading is at

www.numicon.com/Assets/Downloadablefile/IPRC_Report-15707.pdf

This is Sir Jim Rose's interim report on the primary school system and - I was gutted about this - he apparently decided against extending the deferral right - BUT the consultation period on the interim report lasts until 28th February. No time to talk more now but this is on the list for New Year's Resolutions.

Well, it has arrived. The dreaded confirmation from the local authority that my twin 4 year olds have not been allocated places at the same primary school as their 8 year old sister. I know I have to appeal the decision but know that it will have been reached due to oversubscription. On what grounds do I make the most telling appeal that ,"The decision was not one which any reasonable admission authority would have made in the circumstances of the case"?

Sorry to hear that.

As far as I know, to appeal successfully you need to prove that the LEA were at fault in their application of the selection criteria.

Can you get on the waiting list for the school you want? Find out where on the list your girls are.

Can you possibly HE until places become available?

There will be others along shortly who have been through this and can give better advice.