It’s School Today
Dry your eyes, be brave, I say.
You’ve just turned 4 but it’s school today.
Let’s roll up your trousers, they’ll fit one day.
Now dry your eyes, be brave, I pray.
An exchange between Stephen Hammond MP and Schools Minister Nick Gibb, during a House of Commons debate on Monday, highlighted their shared concern that flexibility for summer born children entering school Reception class at CSAge might have “unintended consequences”.
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The DfE has published a new report this week:
“Delayed school admissions for summer born pupils Research report (September 2019)”
This follows its 2018 report, which the Summer Born Campaign reviewed here.
The 2019 report conclusion confirms an ongoing postcode lottery:
In January this year, I registered the Summer Born Campaign as a Stakeholder for an update of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline: Social and emotional well-being in primary and secondary education of guideline
In May, I submitted comments on the draft Scope (my comments and NICE’s responses can be read on pages 84-119 of the Stakeholder comments table).
The final Scope was published here on July 31st, and the NICE guideline development team has recognised the issues faced by summer born children (both generally, and for those who enter school at CSAge; see bold text below) in its Equality impact assessment: Continue reading
In answer to a DfE written question on July 8th, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education, Lord Agnew of Oulton, said “a public consultation… will be launched in the autumn.”
It has been almost 4 years since Nick Gibb, the Minister for School Standards, promised to amend the 2014 Code, and the timescale given since has been “in due course“.
The question in Hansard (HL Deb, 8 July 2019, cW) does not directly address the issue of summer born children admissions, and the information does not appear to be listed in the government’s latest DfE news, but this is a welcome development.
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The Summer Born Campaign‘s Rosie Dutton provided an update on her daughter’s progress after starting school at age 5, instead of age 4.
In this week’s Guest Post, A later start can be the best thing for many children, Rosie says Olivia is grateful for her mum’s decision, and as she approaches the end of Year 3, she has a better understanding of admissions law than some adults. Continue reading
Following years of complaints from parents of summer born children, the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman has published new ‘Guidance for practitioners‘.
Unfortunately, the LGO supports the practice of parents applying one year early, for a school place they do not want, so that admissions authorities can make a decision about which year group their 3 year-old summer born child should enter when they turn 5.
This additional layer of bureaucracy was recommended in the DfE’s 2014 (non-statutory) Advice on the admission of summer born children, but it does not appear in the 2014 (statutory) School Admissions Code, contrary to the LGO’s inaccurate assertion (see bold below). Continue reading
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