Up until midday today (Monday 10 November) you can send your views  on what the 2015 Children’s Commissioner’s  key priority should be via Twitter, using the hashtag #OCCintray.

With the term of office of the current Children’s Commissioner coming to an end early next year, the Government has invited the Education Committee to give its view tomorrow on the suitability of the Government’s preferred candidate, Anne Longfield OBE.

Parents of summer born children who are fighting (or have fought) with schools and local authorities because your child is being forced to start school prior to Compulsory School Age and/or ‘skip’ a year later on in primary or secondary school (in order to slot into an arbitrary ’12-month chronological age year group’) might be interested to know that Anne Longfield OBE is the Chief Executive of the charity 4Children, which says it…

“believes that every child in every community should have the chance to achieve their full potential and that every parent should have the support they need to enable their family to flourish…”

Anne Longfield OBE also stands behind the charity’s belief “that children and families should be at the heart of our society and actively involved in shaping the decisions about the services they need.”

The charity also promises to “develop, influence and shape national policy on all aspects of the lives of children, young people and families. As the Government’s strategic partner for early years and childcare we have a crucial role in co-producing policy with the Department of Education and representing the sector’s views and experiences. Our national campaigns, like Give Me Strength, and Fair4Families change policy and practice and puts the needs of children and families on the political and policy agenda.”

Please take a moment to send a tweet with the hashtag #OCCintray and focus on the school age LAW and how UNJUST and INCONSISTENT the situation currently is for summer born children.

Absolutely there is a case to be made about the school starting age in England for ALL children, and there are serious questions to be asked about the increasingly academic curriculum in the early years, but realistically, these are longer term goals and ideals for our children’s education.

RIGHT NOW – the School Admissions Code could very easily ensure that parents have the right to decide – without fear or threats – when we send our summer born children to school:

At age 4 or in the term following their 5th birthday.

The solution is very simple and cost-effective, with significant benefits for children, families and society. The DfE’s Code needs to better represent this country’s LEGISLATION.