Asking to go back a year

[Bryzoan]

DD will be 3 in July so should be starting school in Sept 14. She was 6 weeks prem and has a mild global delay - with severe delays in speech (she attempts about 15 spoken words but signs well) and gross motor (not yet walking).

She is currently in a mainstream preschool with 1 to 1 and loving it. She is doing really well in lots of ways, she knows quite a few colours and recognises numbers 1 to 5.

We have just applied for a statement for her - but what we think would help her most of all would be dropping back a year - to give her language and mobility a bit more time to catch up (both are making progress, just slowly). What is the best way of acheiving this? Should we be asking now, when describing her needs, at the start of the statementing process? Have any of you managed this and how did you go about it?

Big thanks for any help you can give - we're on a bit of a learning curve.

Dropping back a year is possible now, especially with there being specific provision in the new schools admissions code.

The harsh question to ask, is that if progress is slow currently, what benefit will one year give your DD? How would you feel if, in a years time, she was still very far behind in those areas?

To give context, my DD1 started school in Yr R with a severe S&L delay. She is coming to the end of her 3rd year in school. Her vocabulary has increased (it was never her worst area) but her clarity of speech isn't much better than it was when she started school, in my honest opinion. Likewise, her gross motor delay is slow progress. This link suggests that by the age of 3 years, a toddler should be able to jump down from a height of 18 inches. DD1 mastered that about 2 months ago...that's 4½ years after she should have been able to do it, and she still can't do it with both feet together.

I'm not saying don't consider it, but do consider if it will really do what you want it to do.

Thanks Lougle,

I'm not expecting her to be able to catch up by any means. I am still expecting her to be quite far behind in fact - especially physically as her tome is very low. But I do think that the more physical and speech confidence she has when she starts, the better.

Should I just ring our case officer at the council and ask him about it do you think? Or should I just put the request in writing now regardless? I am worried about being told to ask later, and then being told it is too late...

I would phone them for an initial conversation, but follow up in writing formally.

Thanks, that makes a lot of sense. Will do.

Hi, by law your child doesn't have to start school until the term after they turn 5 but if you did this it may mean that they miss reception and go straight into year 1 which I presume you wouldn't want so you will have to ask to delay a year. We are trying to do this with our DS - the LEA have agreed to it (I think) but we want it formally written into his statement and also that the offset will be permanent and that they won't try to make him skip a year. For us, or isn't about him 'catching up' with his peers but more that we feel that the extra year will allow him to develop and allow him to be more ready for school if that makes sense?
Bliss have some guidance on their website regarding this so have a look. This has been done before so as long as you have a strong argument then it should be possible but you may have a fight on your hands (when don't we have a fight on our hands!?)
Good luck

Personally and I realise it may not be what you want at all but instead of asking to be held back a year I would try and get her into a sn nursery and have a dual placement. It worked wonders for ds2 and ds3 (both summer birthdays), they had the mainstream environment for some of the week and the specialist input for the rest. ds2 went onto have a dual placement at primary being in a special school with inclusion into a local mainstream, ds3 went onto mainstream full time. If they had each only had mn nursery I wouldn't have been able to make an informed decision as to the right environment come YR. The statements named both nurseries.

Thanks both.

Eatyourveg - we did try our local specialist preschool - but for some reason she hated it. She is very happy where she is now and has a great 1 to 1. They are also teaching the other kids some makaton, and working really well with her. She is very happy and coming on really well.

Booby - yes I would like her to drop back and stay there. Spoke to her case worker at the council today who was very helpful and said while they don't like it hugely it might be possible with enough evidence. We would need to get it in her statement. Also spoke to the parent partnership who pointed me at some reading. Will also check out the bliss website - thank you.