Author Archives: Caesarean Birth
April 2015 Coverage of Summer Born issue incl. ITV, BBC TV, Radio and Sky News
On April 20, ITV Good Morning Britain interviewed Rosie Dutton at 7.10am. Watch again here. On April 19, BBC One Breakfast interviewed Rosie Dutton twice (7.15am and 8.15am). On April 15, BBC Local Radio‘s presenter Mark Forrest interviewed Pauline Hull at 7.15pm. … Continue reading
Summer Born Parents Wait for Postman to find out Primary School Place
Another difference in the application process for parents of summer born compulsory school age children (and there are many) is that applications usually cannot be processed online and so the parents must wait longer than other parents do to find out which school their … Continue reading
Critical School Places will be Wasted by Admissions Authorities on Offer Day due to Summer Born Scandal
Allocation of primary school places for all children will be adversely impacted tomorrow as highly sought after school places are lost to an administrative mess. How? The DfE’s 2014 Code and Advice says parents of summer born children can only ‘request‘ Reception … Continue reading
Nicky Morgan’s Webchat Answers Reinforce DfE’s Inconsistent and Illogical Summer Born Policy
In a live Telegraph webchat today with Nicky Morgan (hosted by online Education Editor Josie Gurney-Read), the Education Secretary’s answer to Summer Born Campaign member Samantha McCormick highlighted the subjectivity and inconsistency that the DfE’s policy allows – but also her comments on … Continue reading
Michael Gove MP Formally Supports the Summer Born Campaign
Citing his Liberal Democrat and Labour peers Annette Brooke and Stephen Twigg inspiration, former Education Secretary Michael Gove has contacted the Summer Born Campaign group to offer his full and unwavering support. He said, “I watched the March 4th Education Committee coverage … Continue reading
Children’s Commissioner says Mission is to “Nurture True Joys of Childhood”
In a recent interview with the Guardian’s Yvonne Roberts, England’s new Children Commissioner Anne Longfield said, “My mission is to nurture true joys of childhood“, and pointed out that “there is a societal gain from a public investment in having all children doing … Continue reading
Investigation of SEN misdiagnosis should include DfE’s role in ‘Correct but Avoidable’ diagnosis of Summer Born children
We’ve known for a long time that summer born children are more likely to be diagnosed with special educational needs (SEN), and now the Education Committee has asked the government to “Undertake an analysis of the additional cost of summer born children … Continue reading
Cost of DfE’s Code Continues: Repeating Reception is the Latest Summer Born Scandal
The Summer Born Campaign group is aware of increasing numbers of parents (whose summer born children were forced to start school early and against their wishes), fighting for their struggling child to be allowed to repeat their Reception class year. Some … Continue reading
Money Talks: Could the publication of SEN costs FINALLY mean Fairness for Summer Born Admissions?
Two significant things happened in the past week for parents of summer born children with special educational needs (SEN); one culminating in a demonstration to take place in London tomorrow. Firstly, there was Joanna Kent’s excellent report; the BBC South … Continue reading
Hertfordshire Seeks ‘Professional Evidence’ for Reception class entry and Decision Making Power Beyond its Legal Limits
Just this week, Hertfordshire County Council has demonstrated in an email to the parent of a summer born child just how the DfE’s (post)Code(lottery) allows admissions authorities to be ‘seen‘ to consider requests individually while simultaneously making it clear that some requests will … Continue reading
Kent: Boy Forced to Miss Year of School with Devastating Consequences and Unnecessary SEN
Please read this whole post – it’s more than one mother’s story – it exposes what this council said to the DfE in 2014, and what the DfE did as a result… Three days ago, the mother of a summer born child … Continue reading
Labour MP Stephen Twigg Formally Supports Our Campaign: ‘No child should be forced to miss a vital year of learning’
Stephen Twigg, Labour and Co-operative MP for Liverpool West Derby and former Shadow Secretary of State for Education has today given his full support to the Summer Born Campaign: “No child should be forced by our education system to miss … Continue reading
Why a Right of Appeal is so Wrong – it still Means NO Right to a FULL Education for ALL Summer Born Children
The Education Committee’s recommendation for the government to consider a Right of Appeal in all summer born admissions is NOT EVIDENCE BASED. Suggesting a Right of Appeal means the Committee accepts that for some children, it is in their best interests to miss … Continue reading
Education Committee Recommendations Miss the Mark – 2014 DfE Code and Advice ARE the Problem so Why Recommend Further Implementation?
The number 1 message the Summer Born Campaign has sought to communicate over the past two years is how the 2012 & 2014 School Admissions Codes (plus DfE ‘Advice’) have DIRECTLY resulted in an unfair postcode lottery and missed years of education. Other … Continue reading
Early Entry or Delayed Entry? Admissions Language in Canada is Different to UK
I’ve written about Alberta’s admissions flexibility before, but this week I noticed something else different between England and Canada – the language parents and teachers use to describe when children start school. In England, starting school early at age 4 is considered ‘normal‘ while starting school at CSAge … Continue reading
March 2015 Media Coverage of Education Committee Meeting and Summer Born Campaign
March 12th BBC Three Counties Radio (Roberto Perrone) Listen at 39:06-46:33 – Fraser McGruer March 9th LBC Radio (Question time with Nicky Morgan) Listen/Transcript – Rosie Dutton March 5th ITV Loose Women Watch their Summer Born discussion March 4th BBC Breakfast … Continue reading
Retiring MP Annette Brooke Voices Loyal Support to Summer Born Campaign
“I believe firmly that parents of summer borns should have a genuine choice for their child and for that child to be able to start school in reception year aged 5.” As readers of this website will know, Annette Brooke … Continue reading
Kent County Council to meet with DfE Next Week amid Rumours of New Summer Born Advice
A parent has been told by her council that the DfE said it would be publishing ‘new’ summer born advice shortly, and another parent’s head teacher told her that she would have to await the outcome of her summer born request until after the … Continue reading
Three Ministers in three years Promise us Flexibility – but Actions Speak Louder than Words – will Nick Gibb DO something between now and April Offer Day?
Or will this be a Hat Trick for False Hope? March 4, 2015 – “The key thing is flexibility.” Education Minister, Nick Gibb March 24, 2014 – “we will take action if we find that schools are not paying attention to … Continue reading
NAHT guest on BBC News gets Summer Born Fact so Wrong it only further Proves our Point
Aside from the BBC’s failure to fact check something so critical in the context of this 6 O’Clock News report, it is astonishing just how accepting the National Association of Head Teachers is of its miscommunication to parents: BBC: And from teachers’ leaders, … Continue reading
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