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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Original poster

Trying to get around the system

11 replies

moneytree · 09/01/2009 13:57

My DS is an August baby and started Reception in Sept. He had some speech & language probs previously but is now doing reasonably well. My instincts told me that he wasnt ready to start reception however I knew holding him back this year would not gain him anything as he would go straight into Year 1 in Sept 09. During the parents eve his teacher agreed that he did need alot of support and really did need an extra year or 2 at Pre-school but the system would not allow this. I am trying to think of way around this so am planning to see how he will progress over the next 2 years and if he is still struggling then ask the Head to keep him back in Year 1 instead of progressing into Year 2. Has anyone done this before - can it be done or any better ideas?

OP posts:
PuzzleRocks · 09/01/2009 16:02

Bumping for you.

Katiestar · 09/01/2009 16:32

I don't really understand why he has to go straight into Yr1 .At the school my DSs used to go to it was very common when ,for example Scottish or American children, who arrived in the area and hadn't been to school before to start in reception.Did they elaborate on why 'the system doesn't allow it '
Reception is very play-orientated,at our school it is laid out like a pre-school -no teachers desk etc and TBH some younger children don't really make any academic progress during this year and then catch up in YR1 .

Original poster
moneytree · 09/01/2009 17:41

I dont understand it either however I checked it out with the LEA and they confirmed that they do go straight into year 1. Most of the other children in my DS class are reading now and know basic Maths. Apparently children cannot be held back a year once they start school either but I understand this rule can be bent in special circumstances. It would be interesting to find out if others have done this. It seems mad to me...I thought education should be aimed towards the child as an individual.

OP posts:
LadyGlencoraPalliser · 09/01/2009 17:45

Your LEA may have a really strict policy on it. Ours does - the upshot being that if a primary school does bend the rules and allow a child to stay back a year then on transfer to secondary they are put straight into Year 8 . Not a good situation for a child to end up in.

Original poster
moneytree · 09/01/2009 17:52

Wow, I never even considered that - I heard that he would not be able to take his 11+ (not bothered about that) but this is a first. I wonder if this would be the case if we put him in a private school for secondary (not that we can afford it) but would be interested to know. Surely there should be some flexibility

OP posts:
Katiestar · 09/01/2009 17:58

But surely they could catch up a year over the 6 yrs they were in primary !!
i don't really get why it is such a problem in some leas but not in others ?
However i think a better solution would be perhaps for the OPs DC to start in reception P/t .I would like to re assure her, having helped in a reception class for many years that (ion our school at any rate it is very common to have children who sometimes fall asleep in the afternoons , have toilet 'accidents' ,can't sit still or communicate very well. It is very like a preschool setting especially to begin with

Katiestar · 09/01/2009 17:59

But surely they could catch up a year over the 6 yrs they were in primary !!
i don't really get why it is such a problem in some leas but not in others ?
However i think a better solution would be perhaps for the OPs DC to start in reception P/t .I would like to re assure her, having helped in a reception class for many years that (ion our school at any rate it is very common to have children who sometimes fall asleep in the afternoons , have toilet 'accidents' ,can't sit still or communicate very well. It is very like a preschool setting especially to begin with

Original poster
moneytree · 09/01/2009 18:10

What also concerns me is the social implications, i.e. teasing from other children. I think the younger he is held back the better as it will soon the other children will forget about it. But if he jumping from one year to another later on then....

OP posts:
LadyMuck · 09/01/2009 18:14

Can't help in state, but it is not uncommon in private. There are children in both of my children's class who strictly belong to the year above and have repeated a year at some point (one repeated Reception, the other repeated Year 2). No teasing that I've noticed.

Original poster
moneytree · 09/01/2009 18:18

That is reassuring...I think it supports my theory it would be better to hold him back when he is younger. Now all I have to do is get round the transfer to secondary...cant see how they think it can benefit a child by putting them straight into year 8.

OP posts:
LadyMuck · 09/01/2009 19:27

Again here if they are kept behind in infants/juniors then they normally stay behind at senior.

When looking at schools you need to look at those that don't try to aim high or even participate in league tables. This is because the league tables take actual age very seriously and any GCSEs taken outside of the proper GCSE year are ignored (even if you took them a year early say).

But there are plenty of private schools that don't worry about league tables

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