Category Archives: CAMPAIGN UPDATES
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
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
Leading Independent Preparatory School Head Supports Flexibility for Summer Born Children
Last week, Nicholas Bevington, the head teacher of Town Close School in Norwich, one of the country’s leading independent preparatory schools, contacted the Summer Born Campaign group after reading about us in this Independent article. Through his own personal and professional experience, … Continue reading
CSAge School Start is a Battle many Service Families can’t Fight
Every parent who ‘succeeds‘ in securing a Reception class place at CSAge for their summer born child then faces the fear and uncertainty of never knowing when or if their child will be forced to skip a year later on … Continue reading
Child Expert Dr Richard House formally Endorses our Campaign
“I’ve been an enthusiastic supporter of this campaign from the outset. Not only is the Summer Born cause one that everyone with an interest in children’s health and age-appropriate development should support (and all the research evidence supports this view), … Continue reading
Written Submissions Published ahead of March 4th Evidence Session
The Education Committee has published its ‘Evidence Check‘ written submissions on school starting age and summer born children, which were received by the February 23, 2015 deadline. They can be read here and include: Written evidence submitted by the Summer Born Campaign Group
Education Committee Announces Witnesses for March 4th Evidence Session
The Education Committee’s ‘Starting School‘ evidence session begins at 9.30am on Wednesday 4th March, and further information has now been published here, including: Purpose of the Session “This is the second topic selected as part of the ‘Evidence check’ web forum, building on … Continue reading
@CommonsEd tweets @sb_campaign in Call for Comments and Questions for the DfE Next Week
Email educom@parliament.uk (with #startingschool in subject line) Tweet using the hashtag #startingschool Education Committee Chair Graham Stuart (@grahamstuart) said today: “The issues around school starting age and summer born children are complex and controversial.
TV and Radio Coverage of Summer Born Education Crisis
Following yesterday’s newspaper coverage of Rosie Dutton’s daughter Olivia facing a whole lost year of school – just for daring to start school AT compulsory school age – ITV’s Good Morning Britain reported on the issue today (watch again here at approx. 6.45am and … Continue reading
Media reports on “Madness” of Missing a Year of School
Daily Mirror: Bitter education battle for 250,000 ‘summer babies’ who may be forced to miss entire year of school Report includes Yes/No Poll Vote: Should Olivia have to start school in Year One? Daily Mail: Parents of ‘summer baby’ who … Continue reading
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