In response to the Education Committee’s invitation for views on the strength of evidence for the DfE’s policy on summer born children, the Summer Born Campaign has submitted the evidence below in response to the DfE’s ‘Evidence Check’ memorandum:

1. Important relevant research papers not referred to in the DfE’s evidence:
https://summerbornchildren.org/2014/12/15/important-research-papers-for-the-education-committees-evidence-check/

2. A detailed response to the DfE’s ‘Summer Born Children’ Evidence Check:
https://summerbornchildren.org/2014/12/15/response-to-dfe-summer-born-children-evidence-check-for-the-education-committee/

3. Why missing a whole year of school is a REAL RISK for CSAge summer born children:
https://summerbornchildren.org/2014/11/23/illogical-policy-no-warnings-fines-or-imprisonment-for-us-our-summer-born-children-must-miss-a-year-of-education/

4. How moving house could cost summer born children a whole year of education, regardless of initial admissions outcome:
https://summerbornchildren.org/2014/05/31/moving-house-could-cost-summer-born-children-a-whole-year-of-education/

5. How mental health and the most vulnerable children are often forgotten in focus on ‘age-normalising’ test scores (‘Vital Link Between Improving Mental Health, Delaying School Start of Youngest Children and Reducing NHS Costs’):
https://summerbornchildren.org/2014/11/20/vital-link-between-improving-mental-health-delaying-school-start-of-youngest-children-and-reducing-nhs-costs/

6. How the DfE’s new 2014 School Admissions Code will exacerbate the gap between rich and poor:
https://summerbornchildren.org/2014/11/19/dfes-new-code-will-exacerbate-gap-between-rich-and-poor/

7. Evidence that admissions authorities do not agree how the 2014 Code should be interpreted, but worse – neither do the bodies to whom parents are being told to turn when they face problems:

a) FOI by Summer Born Campaign group reveals Local Authority Disagreement, Confusion & Postcode Lottery
https://summerbornchildren.org/2014/11/28/foi-by-summer-born-campaign-group-reveals-local-authority-disagreement-confusion-postcode-lottery/

b) FINAL DECISION’ by Local Government Ombudsman Condones Discriminatory Admissions Practices for Summer Born children

Click to access 14-june-15-sbc-press-release-lgo-final-decision1.pdf

c) OSA Comments on 2014 Draft Code Confirm Confusion and Chaos Ahead
https://summerbornchildren.org/2014/12/02/unclear-code/
Inconsistency of the DfE’s position continues
https://summerbornchildren.org/2014/05/03/inconsistency-of-the-dfes-position-continues/

d) DfE updates Summer Born advice – to reduce parents’ contact with Gove
https://summerbornchildren.org/2014/05/09/dfe-updates-summer-born-advice-to-reduce-parents-contact-with-gove/#more-697

8. Evidence of admissions authorities not even knowing what compulsory school age is:

a)Norfolk staff newsletter says CSA is 4 – unless the law changes
https://summerbornchildren.org/2014/06/09/norfolk-staff-newsletter-says-csa-is-4-unless-the-law-changes/

b) Norfolk Gets the Law Wrong – Again
https://summerbornchildren.org/2014/06/14/norfolk-gets-the-law-wrong-again/

9. Why summer born admissions chaos will escalate as more schools become academies:
https://summerbornchildren.org/2014/05/31/summer-born-admissions-chaos-escalates-as-more-schools-become-academies/

10. Evidence of how school start flexibility for youngest in year works in Canada (‘Gove loves Alberta’s school system – Well here’s how they do Admissions…’):
https://summerbornchildren.org/2014/05/29/gove-loves-albertas-school-system-well-heres-how-they-do-admissions/