A new website Taking Parents Seriously launched in Scotland this week with the aim of offering advice to parents and guardians on their rights and on how to get heard.

The impetus for the site’s creation was the experience of two parents who felt their son was not ready for school at the age of 4 but felt they had no choice but to enrol him in school earlier than they wanted to:

“Last year our son Andrew started school in Linlithgow, West Lothian. He was born in December 2008 which means that he started school aged four years and eight months. We soon realised he wasn’t ready for school, and asked the school and council if he could move back to nursery and re-start school a year later. They said no. Eventually.”

This is now three countries – Northern Ireland, England and Scotland – where parent-led campaign groups are fighting for greater flexibility for their young children entering primary school.

For anyone interested in learning more, Andrew’s parents are also on facebook and twitter.