Deferring primary one start for a year

[user1483686306]

It's getting to that time of year again when many parents in Scotland will be starting to think about whether to defer their child to start school a year later.

It's not justpJan and Feb born kids who have a legal right to deferral, mid-August to December borns do too (any child not age 5 by the date school starts in the year they would usually go)!

Just wanted to let anyone going through the process of applying for the extra year of nursery funding for mid-Aug to Dec borns that there is now a Facebook group called Deferral Support Scotland where you can find others going through the same process, share experiences of applying for this in your local authority and get help/ideas for evidence to include in your application.

I don't have (and never did have) a child in the position to defer and I was aware of the law but I don't think everyone is. I filled in a survey on FB this morning about exactly that topic. Think it may have been by a parent council type organisation but I can't honestly remember.

We had an autumn birthday child refused last term. Mum and dad went to appeal and were still turned down. They've moved to a private nursery.

Councils just don't want to pay that extra year of funding. They just don't think about the child who may need that year.

Our deferral application for our December born son was turned down but we deferred anyway and paid to continue in school nursery. I'd advise anyone considering just to go for it, tell the local authority that's what you're going to do and that it's not in your child's best interests to have to move to another nursery. High school is a jungle (even in the 'good' schools) and you don't want to go there age 11 with all the pressure that brings to grow up, teenage attitude etc. Don't make your child lose a year of their childhood.

I deferred my December-born child (who was a 29-weeker) without any difficulty; it was the best thing. I think it will only hold him in good stead, especially for secondary school.

A bit of topic here, but I wasn't aware of this and was told y ds was ready, (jan born) , he has struggled from the word go, socially and academically.
I did ask for him to repeat p1 was told not an option, he is now in p3 and still "early years"level of learning.
I was willing to change schools to avoid anyone picking on him.. can this be done in Scotland ? Can I change his school and have him repeat a year ?
Tia

My Ds (Jan) was surprisingly refused another year at nursery and started p1 at 4.5. He struggled, and later went on to be diagnosed with Autism.

We moved areas (from Renfrewshire to Fife) the following year and our new catchment school was happy to put him back into p1.

This was a few years ago and he's 21 now, but I don't think the rules have changed since then and most Jan/Feb birthdays can defer.

I was determined to find a school who would allow him to repeat p1. I think you just have to dig your heels in.

Thanks @Chocolatedeficitdisorder .
Will definitely speak to the school, as I would be changing councils.
They are going down the route of dyslexia, and sometimes touch on autism.. then change their mind to, he's just not processing!

So frustrating.. don't want him going through education system struggling and then just dropping out

I know a child who was allowed to repeat P1 at a Glasgow primary school because he was 4.5 when he started and he struggled the first time round. The other children in the school accepted it without any trouble.

And another child repeated P7 at the same school for the same reason ( also had dyslexia) . Again, no problems with the other children accepting it.

I know of two children who have repeated years at our Primary too - one a February born who just was never ready to start in the first place and repeated P2, the other a girl who was a December birthday and emotionally immature, she repeated P3.

I always say it on these threads - I know dozens of parents who have deferred and none have ever regretted it. Why wouldn't you want your child to go in as one of the oldest rather than one of the very youngest? On the other hand, having had three children go through Primary, I've seen plenty of Jan/Feb children start school at 4.5 and the difference is obvious in terms of maturity.

I know in my area the Council are pretty rubbish about agreeing to fund an additional year at nursery for autumn born children but I think parents confuse that with deferral being refused - the two issues are separate.

Do u think if I was to be adamant now , they would let my ds repeat p2 ?
Teachers have made out this is "the year" where it's make or break.
I did ask to repeat p1.. but was just ignored !

Get me out - I’m struggling to see what is make or break about p3 or P4 .

Assuming you would prefer your child to remain in that school, I’d put it in writing to the head teacher, outlining all your reasons. Try to make it as factual as possible.

Do you mean your want your child to go down a class right now, as he’s in P3 I think ?

Is he on the list to be assessed by the educational psychologist ? We waited 8 months for this to be done ( child was top priority apparently but the post was vacant and they couldn’t fill it ) . So we ended up paying privately and got a report in a few weeks.

The school Did act on all the recommendations but they were sympathetic anyway, it wasn’t their fault about the delay.

@0rlaith .

That's what the school said.. they mention a psychologist then back out just saying it's a process thing, I've done all the hearing and sight tests which he passed ..
they didn't know my ds existed till I kept hounding them! Think they were hoping he would get lost in the system

If the head does not listen, who do I contact next ?

I'm willing to repeat and change School, to avoid bullying and teasing .

It really has me stressed out.. he doesn't even know his basic words yet

Can I just check that you put it it writing ? What reasons did they give for the refusal ? Are these factually correct and if not, have you challenged them ?

I’m sorry I don’t know the answer to your question, I’m assuming it’s someone in the council education department. But I’m sure an expert will come alone soon and advise.

Are you sure use you want to keep him at this school - they don’t sound very sympathetic or pro active ? Do you have other good choices in reasonable travelling distance and do they have spaces in p2 for what I assume is a placement request ?

Are your other options in the same LA and if so, won’t they have the same policy ?

I don’t understand what’s happening with the ed psych.

No, everything was verbal.. I did speak to a school in another council.. the head said we'll support ur child but would not entertain repeating.. this was when he was p1 going into p2.
Atm he is in a placing request too, but I'm willing to change schools as this has got me pretty distressed as don't want him struggling throughout .

Any councils /School recommended? I'm willing to travel x

Stirling council always seem (from my observation) quite supportive of deferring and when warranted repeating. Though I’m not sure if this applies if you don’t live in their area.

We are in Glasgow city council.. but i am wanting to change to east Dumbartonshire due to lack of support, and basically been fobbed off.. dependent on placing request .

So the advice would be to ask why he was not made to repeat p1 and get everything in writing from now on ?

How much of the refusal to allow the year to be repeated is the school and how much is the council?

My admittedly anecdotal experience is that it is mostly down to the school: I've come across (or heard of) schools in Glasgow where they would be/have been supportive of a year being repeated and other schools which have just refused point blank - despite the EP identifying problems.

I know of another child where the school was incredibly unsupportive and essentially washed their hands of him - but actually did him a favour by getting him into (without a formal diagnosis at the time ) to the Autism Unit attached to Toryglen Primary (friend came on to MN at my behest to ask advice and she was essentially told to bite the council's hand off at the offer ) He's now sitting mainstream exams and winning prizes at a mainstream school (albeit the school with the HFA unit so still with support).

Ds' old primary would, I think, I have been supportive of a child repeating. At the end of the day, a disruptive or low performing child doesn't do anyone any favours. I have another friend who got very upset with the old headteacher who refused to support her son's early admission (ie a February birthday starting the August after he turned 4) so she got him into a non-catchment school where the headteacher was prepared to let him start early

So that would suggest headteachers do have a fair amount of discretion.

My winter DD is now in her 20's. We didn't defer for P1 but she repeated P3 when we moved school. Best decision ever.

So it's not too late then ? Thanks !

Spoke to SIL who works in education dept at GCC. Her view was that it would be really difficult to repeat a year once the child has started school (the time to defer is before starting school, when it is easy) unless you have educational psychologist support.

But she admitted that getting educational psychology to do an assessment was well nigh impossible as they are stretched so thin

So moving local authorities and being economical with the truth as to which year he is in at the moment might be your only the best option

getme I think the repeating will be very much down to the individual head teachers. however, if you're not planning on moving and will instead be doing an out-of-authority placing request then I think you're doubling up the challenge of getting him in.

one of the things you could look at is individual schools that have ASN units or autism units attached to them as they will probably have HTs more understanding of what the options are for any individual child. and consider looking at "less desirable" areas - getting him into an E Dun or E Ren school as a placing request is always going to be more of a challenge I think...

if you're not happy with how your current HT is dealing with things one option is to write to the council's head of education (copied to one of your local councillors?) asking for an edpsych referral and see where that gets you! it might at least get you the name of an appropriate education officer to build a relationship with.

One of dd’s Friends repeated p4 by moving schools. The council and the head was supportive it was her decision to move schools to avoid any problems. The mum still feels it was the best decision now they are at secondary.

Good advice from Sturmundcalm

You might need to go through the process of formally (in writing) requesting an EP assessment from the school, with time being of the essence given the transition from P3 to P4.

But if you feel you've been ignored and fobbed off by the school since P1, then start straight off with the complaint (using examples of how your concerns were ignored) and why you think repeating P3 would help (whether at this school or another one).

Involving one of your councillors is a good idea.

The squeaky wheel and all that

@prettybird would they not ask for previous paper work from the school?

I have no idea - but reading the experience of people on this thread and also my SIL's comments, it does seem your best chance is changing authorities.

But it may still but be possible - so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by following Sturmundcalm's advice to escalate a complaint and push for an EP assessment.