Process/ how to get LA to agree for child to be taught a year behind

[Kanga59]

I'd like my son to start reception a year later than he is due to. He has many problems including a life limiting genetic disorder. He is very very small, poor muscle tone/strength/balance but is getting there. salt significant delay. delayed understanding

I think he would do well to stay an extra year in preschool. his gross motor is getting better and he is getting stronger. He would fit in size wise absolutely fine with the younger children. He wouldn't stick out as older.

is there a process to follow to get the LA (I assume it's down to the LA) to agree to him being out of year?

thank you

Remember that technically your child doesn't have to be in school until they are 5. So, depending on when your son's birthday is, for example, my DS' birthday is in May so he wouldn't have to be in school until the September after he's 5.

There are also options for delayed entry in January, etc or part time attendance in reception year is a popular option too.

Generally you would have to contact the admissions department at your council and ask for a deferred entry. This means they would apply for a reception place at the school you want but would defer the place to start the following year. Otherwise you could apply for the following year as standard and your child would start year 1 and not reception, so in effect would just "miss" a year. Not all councils offer or agree to deferral, it's up to them and you'd have to prove why is t would be in your child's best interests.

If you have an ehcp the ehcp co ordinator would be able to help as they apply for places for a child anyway.

Thanks Laurajay, but I would like him to be a year out of sync throughout. Not to start "school" in Y1 and miss reception.

I'll speak to our eysenit and will contact th admission dept, thank you for the advice.

There are a few schools round here with that set up so I'll be sure to look around them, thanks for the tip

It is very difficult to do this as we explored this for our daughter who was born very prematurely and has global developmental delay. Our Local Authority was having none of it so daughter started school according to her age and has had a Statement ever since.

I was told there would be difficulties later down the line and she would have to jump a school year to go to high school on time. The LA/school were citing insurance issues.

Things may have changed in the past few years perhaps.

If your LA gets difficult, cost up how much the 1-1 support will be needed for him to enter fulltime school before he's ready.

Plus the SLT/OT/health/Physio therapy needs - which they'll have to pay for support in school with - as he'll be way too tired to do it at home after a 6.25 hour day.

I think they'll bite your hand off for a deferred start.

Our dd who has autism did reception twice effectively. She started reception late and on a part time basis and then stayed there for a second year as she just wasn't ready to move. The LA initially resisted but accepted it eventually. In the end she is not out of year as she moved in year 5 to a specialist school. They group in mixed age groups anyway so the year group issue is irrelevant.

Google 'School Admissions Code'. It requires local authorities to make all decisions in the child’s best interests and admission authorities should take account of the parents’ views and information about the child’s development. The Code now also requires local authorities to take account of the views of the head teacher of the school concerned, to explain clearly the reasons for their decision, and to set out the process for requesting admission a child is admitted out of their normal age group.

Also, Is your child summer born (born after 1st April)?