Category Archives: CAMPAIGN UPDATES
Campaign Leader To Discuss Educational Change at ‘Learning Exchange’ Event in London
The Summer Born Campaign‘s Michelle Melson has been invited to participate in a special Learning Exchange (LEX) event in London this month, where she will discuss campaigning for change in education. Re-imagining School is on June 24th and the topic … Continue reading
Leicestershire County Council’s Financial Settlement Following Summer Born Admissions Fight
In today’s Leicester Mercury, Fiona Dryden describes Stephanie Walsgrove’s fight with Leicestershire County Council to allow her daughter, Amelia, to enter Reception class at CSAge in September 2017: Leicestershire mum wins battle to delay her daughter’s school start. The article refers … Continue reading
Headteachers Complain of Cuts but Untold Amounts of Time and Money Spent on Summer Born Admissions
On the very same day I read this in the Guardian – Cuts, cuts, cuts. Headteachers tell of school system ‘that could implode’ – a parent in our Summer Born Campaign group described how no fewer than three head teachers … Continue reading
MP Requests Update on Cost Assessment – Campaign Suggests Useful Links
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 … Continue reading
Stress Spikes as Deadline for Admissions Application Approaches
With many of the 7,200 members in the Summer Born Campaign group busy preparing admissions applications for primary school places this week, the shocking postcode lottery and differences in admissions authorities’ positions is more stark and stressful than than ever. Copious letters, emails and … Continue reading
Education Professionals Support Summer Born Campaign
Head of Drama and English teacher at an Independent Preparatory School, Joanna Britland (Kingston) There is a long standing obsession with keeping children taught in chronological age groups without looking at what is best for individual children. This needs to change. … Continue reading
Headteacher Suggests Pregnancy Plan to Solve Summer Born Problem
In 2013, the Good Schools Guide advised parents to avoid getting pregnant between July and November, and this week headteacher Steve Woodhouse has given summer born pregnancy advice too. Mr. Woodhouse emphasises how he has only very recently learned just how educationally disadvantaged summer born children … Continue reading
Early Years Expert Supports the Summer Born Campaign
After reading this guest blog by Mine Conkbayir, author of ‘Early Childhood Theories and Contemporary Issues’ and early years lecturer, researcher and NEYTCO training coordinator, I contacted Mine and asked her what she thinks about the issues so many summer born children are … Continue reading
Admissions Authorities with Automatic Summer Born Admission to Reception Class at CSAge
Here is a list of some of the councils and schools that now allow summer born children the automatic right to enter Reception class at CSAge – without any costly, combative and time-consuming requirements for parents to provide arbitrary reasons and evidence. … Continue reading
LGO Finds Fault with Lancashire County Council’s Summer Born Admissions Process
The Local Government Ombudsman has upheld a complaint against Lancashire County Council, which was made by a parent member of the Summer Born Campaign. In summary, the LGO concluded: “There was fault in the way the Council considered Mrs X’s request for delayed … Continue reading
DfE Disappoints and Digresses – Again
Despite the valiant efforts by MPs who fully support the Summer Born Campaign (thank you @S_Hammond, @JimShannonMP and @timloughton), Nick Gibb MP delivered a disappointing (and for many parents, devastating) response to their questions about when the DfE’s promised new Code consultation will … Continue reading
Due Date Demands Add Unnecessary Administration to Summer Born Admissions
The Summer Born Campaign has said this before and will say it again – if ALL summer born children are given the AUTOMATIC RIGHT to enter Reception class at CSAge, this will include those children born prematurely in the months of … Continue reading
Summer Born Adjournment Debate in Parliament Tonight
Thank you to Stephen Hammond, Conservative MP for Wimbledon, who has arranged an adjournment debate tonight on the subject of the School Admissions Code for summer born children and children born prematurely. Mr. Hammond says he “will be raising the postcode lottery … Continue reading
Why does the Education Secretary’s Definition of ‘Summer Born’ Differ..?
On September 14, the issue of summer born children was raised by Michelle Donelan MP during an Education Committee public evidence session, as part of its inquiry into the responsibilities of the Education Secretary. In response, Ms Justine Greening referred to summer born children as those born … Continue reading
Summer Born Smiles Starting School Age 5
This is just a selection of #summerborn children from our ever growing campaign group who very happily started school in Reception class this month – at compulsory school age. They are the lucky ones, who have won the postcode lottery (school … Continue reading
Summer Born School Start is Parents’ Decision
It’s YOUR decision WHEN your child starts school (or alternative education). CSAge is CSAge. End of. You don’t need to be telling admission authorities why your child is ‘not ready’ for school at age four. That is irrelevant. This is … Continue reading
Important News: Lord Nash now Responsible for Admissions in DfE Ministerial Update
Following Theresa May becoming Prime Minister, the DfE has announced its final ministerial team, and moved responsibility for admissions to Lord Nash. In February 2016, Lord Nash wrote this in answer to a Parliamentary question on admissions, which the Summer Born Campaign agrees … Continue reading
Campaign Update and MP Support
One month ago, on July 6, Michelle Melson wrote to the Chair of the Education Committee, while I wrote to the Schools Minister, Nick Gibb, and the DfE, to ask a number of questions related to the long delay in announcing the promised School Admissions Code … Continue reading
Nick Gibb to Remain Schools Minister
Good news for the Summer Born Campaign. It’s been confirmed today that Nick Gibb will retain his position as Minister of State for Schools in Prime Minister Theresa May’s cabinet shuffle. You can read more in the TES and Schools Week reports.
Minister’s Letter Highlights Again the Importance of Legal Semantics
In September 2015, when the Schools Minister Nick Gibb published an open letter urging admission authorities to allow entry to Reception class at CASge for summer born children, I highlighted the importance of the next School Admissions Code ensuring its legal wording is absolutely … Continue reading
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