Summer-born SN children deferring entry to mainstream reception till 5.0 - A silver lining?

[lingle]

DS2 (3.8, receptive language delay +?) will defer his entry to school in Bradford for one year and will start reception at 5.0, not 4.0. I deferred as of right, not because of his SN. In other English LEAs (save Leeds), a child starting school at 5.0 would be forced into Year 1 . I do not know if Leeds has followed suit.

Bradford Council has now executed a policy change ending this sensible policy starting from the 2010 year. I am not affected personally.

After my "thread of doom" on mumsnet before Christmas, I realised that I was too emotional about this subject to campaign successfully any more , so I limited myself to making a submission to Bradford Council objecting to the change.

Here's the chink of light: they are going to make an exception for SN kids. I also have a reluctant half-smile on my face because the paragraph below from their new policy is clearly lifted from my objection .

"An application for deferred admission into reception for a summer-born child with significant medical or educational needs will be considered where supported by written recommendations from professionals working with the child and family. These would normally include educational psychologists, specialist teachers and health service professionals e.g. consultant paediatrician, speech and language therapist etc."

So perhaps those of you who suspect or have a diagnosis of mild SN - especially something like language issues/ASD which is essentially a developmental delay, and who don't want your summer-born also having to start at the artificially early age of 4.0 can use this as a negotiation tactic?

The whole thing still makes me so angry that I'm shaking so I'm going to step away now............but at least all is not lost.

well done!

well done lingle

Actually I can't believe there is resistance from the council. DS2 got delayed entry into his special school to give him more adjustment time. He was nearly six when he started. Seems silly that they are fighting you usual form though isn't it?

thanks. I think it comes down to money as DS2 is effectively getting an extra year's education (was funded for pre-school from 3 in the usual way). In our case it was pretty clear that the costs of this to Bradford are offset by the likely reduction in required intervention - specialise support teacher said a majority of children on her books are born in the summer so her caseload is artificially boosted. Oh god I'm getting angry again.... going outside now.

I'm fighting Kent to allow my DS (born 19th Aug) to defer for a year. He should have started in Sept 08 according to them, still has no finalised statement and my 2 local schools have turned him down.

I'm so pleased to see that other councils have seen sense.

Well done you.

essex will not allow to defer and start reception year later.For eithe rnt kids or sn ones.

I had wondered how you were getting on MarmadukeScarlet

I couldn't defer for my DS - his needs were not recognised (by the professionals not me) pre-school so I couldn't have used the SN 'clause' even if I wanted to.
We did mornings only instead, and only added afternoons in term 6, adding on extra afternoon a week.
School was initially resistant but we had the backing of inclusion support

glad you got a good result Lingle
it is a shame they don't do it the other way round as well, as I tried with out luck to get dd full time at 4 but had to wait untill she was 5.

thanks 2shoes.

unfortunately widemouth I think there will be lots of parents in Bradford who are either in your position or who are not themselves "ready" to seek help for their child......

Lingle, I know it has been a really difficult experience, but would you mind giving me some advise on how you went about lobbying you LEA to get them to make this decision. I hiope that, with the benefit of your experience, I may be more successful.

Feel free to Cat me if you do not want it on the boards. Thank you.

Marmaduke,

I can send you copies of my objection letters if you want. email [email protected] and I will reply.

There is another thread somewhere that sets out the legal background (such as it is)..... can't remember it......... can you do an advanced search for lingle in education? I didn't start it. There is no legal reason why parents cannot defer and start reception at 5.0 and it should save costs to do so.

There is near-universal compliance with what I suspect are illegal policies by the LEAs which makes it hard to be heard.

Do you have a solicitor? Eversheds or Irwin Mitchell would be quite good at this probably.

Do you have a thread about your own son's needs?

The problem we have is that Jim Rose has made it all harder for us because of his careless report.

Thanks I will email later as just off on school run.

I will also look for the other thread.

My Solicitor is Robert Love at Langley Wellington, he has had a few successful cases against my LEA (and also has a child with SN I have been told)
it all just seems so long and drawn out as well as damned expensive.

I haven't got a thread about DS' he was DX with GDD when younger, but now have more clearer picture he has a severe expressive and receptive communication disorder (with receptive being worse that ex) a word retreival problem, he has some spastic muscles in his lower limbs and very low muscle tone over whole body esp oral with brisk reflexes - which would normally give you, along with all birth trauma, low apger/scbu stuff and changes to his brain seen on MRI- a dx of CP but my nuero will neith deny that he has it or confirm, but GP say to proceed as if dx with CP now. He has within (low) normal iq if tested non verbally (by private Ed P) He also has a rare thing called Arterial Tortuosity which means he has a high chance of having a stroke before adulthood. He had some duplicated info on X cromasome.

But educationally hes is 12-18 months behind his peers in most areas, particularly in communication and motor skills.

He races about like most other 4 yr olds but falls over more often.

OK

I enquired at my school today if I could defer on the basis that he is Summer born, highly likely asd and at least a year behind. He will be 3 in June as has a place in mainstream nursery attached to school in Sept. Was told not impossible but to expect a battle, but if a year behind would have to leave in year 5 ie when he would be 11! Have never heard anything so silly. In a limbo what to do really as ideally would like to leave him in his current nursery for another year and start the school nursery in 2010.

What's your LEA?

Lambeth, South London.

Is it a 1-form entry school (ie 30 kids per year) or 1 1/2? (ie 45). If 45, that would be easier, because he could transistion from (say) a Year 2 class to a mixed Year3/Year4 class to "catch up with" his designated peer group without too much awareness/pain.

Not ideal I know. My DS2's education will be "offset" throughout his school years - he will be educated as if he were 12 days younger than he actually is.

Thanks Lingle. It is a 2 form 60 entry. We spoke again this morning and the SENCO has said to try him in Sept and see how he gets on but also keep his other place just in case which we will do. We could then explore other options! Classes are only mixed for Maths & Literacy from Year 2.

hmm,

I suspect you will find it very hard to take him out again once he's in. I saw our headmistress when DS2 was 2.2 to say "this child is unlikely to come to you at 4.0. I want to start him at 5.0 how do we achieve this?"

But it was easy for me because he was so similar to his older brother in terms of developmental pattern so I could see the path ahead.....I would never have asserted myself like that with DS1.

My only positive thinking on this is that he settled really well to our huge surprise where he has been since Jan so maybe he will do the same here. We go there every day to drop his sister so he is familiar with setting, route etc. Still plan to send him to current nursery for 2-3 afternoons also. No matter what we do will constantly be thinking whether we are doing the right thing or not - very difficult.

yes there's no right answer!