Stephen Hammond, Conservative MP for Wimbledon
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress the Minister of State for School Standards has made on assessing the potential costs of changing the Schools Admissions Code to provide more flexibility for summer-born children.
Minister for Schools, Nick Gibb
We are currently undertaking evidence gathering and analysis to estimate the potential costs of providing more flexibility for summer born children. However, it is complex and will depend on how we implement any changes, the level of parental take up and whether those children take up free early education. (Hansard source HC Deb, 11 January 2017, cW)

Summer Born Campaign
The DfE raised concerns about cost back in 2014 during an ‘Evidence Check‘, and we responded in detail to its concerns at the time: Response to the DfE’s ‘Summer Born Children’ Evidence Check for the Education Committee  (MPs please read)

So this is not a ‘new’ issue, but it is proving to be a very useful ‘delay’ tactic.

What hasn’t changed is the responsibility of schools and councils to make decisions that are in the best interests of children – and the DfE’s ability to Disappoint, Digress and Delay.

Doing the right thing for summer born children shouldn’t come down to money, but if that’s the position the government is taking, then the Summer Born Campaign is clear that the cost of not allowing Reception class entry at CSAge for all summer born children (as originally designed in legislation) is far greater than the cost of any extra EYE funding, as highlighted in the links above and below:

*Money Talks: Could the publication of SEN costs FINALLY mean Fairness for Summer Born Admissions?
*Is it all about the (EYE) money, money, money?
*Cost of DfE’s Code Continues: Repeating Reception is the Latest Summer Born Scandal
*Vital Link Between Improving Mental Health, Delaying School Start of Youngest Children and Reducing NHS Costs
*Study: ADHD Dramatically Reduced with Later Kindergarten Enrollment
*Kent: Boy Forced to Miss Year of School with Devastating Consequences and Unnecessary SEN
*Summer Born Son Struggles in Year 1
*Moving House could Cost summer born children a Whole Year of Education
*Council Cries Poverty While Wasting £££s on Summer Born Admissions
*Critical School Places will be Wasted by Admissions Authorities on Offer Day due to Summer Born Scandal
*Education Professionals Support Summer Born Campaign
*Investigation of SEN misdiagnosis should include DfE’s role in ‘Correct but Avoidable’ diagnosis of Summer Born children
*New Research Suggests DfE’s Policy of Summer Born Children Missing Year of School is an ‘Unnatural’ Social Experiment
*Gove loves Alberta’s school system – Well here’s how they do Admissions…
*Early Entry or Delayed Entry? Admissions Language in Canada is Different to UK

• Written by author and journalist Pauline Hull