Category Archives: CAMPAIGN UPDATES
New Research Suggests DfE’s Policy of Summer Born Children Missing Year of School is an ‘Unnatural’ Social Experiment
‘Today’s BBC News, “Delayed school entry linked with poorer results“, which reports on new research titled, ‘Delayed school entry and academic performance: a natural experiment’, not only demonstrates the fundamental problem with using the word “delay” to describe summer born children starting school AT compulsory school age, but … Continue reading
Chaos on Jan.15 Deadline Day as Parents Scramble to Apply for 2015 Places They Don’t Actually Want
The Summer Born Campaign Facebook Group has seen a flurry of desperate and anxious posts in recent days and weeks as the primary school admissions application deadline approached. There’s much confusion, anger and frustration as PARENTS OF 3-YEAR OLD CHILDREN … Continue reading
Second Summer Born Report Looks Inevitable as Compulsory School ‘Age 4’ Start Continues
We genuinely thought primary legislation would count for something – and ironically the Code actually says it should. But the Department for Education’s failure to make necessary amendments to its 2014 School Admissions Code, to ensure that a summer born … Continue reading
Christmas Code Continues to Cause Controversy
Santa’s SAC (School Admissions Code) delivers a big disappointment to summer born children today. The government’s ‘explanatory note‘, says it “clarifies the provisions relating to the admission of summer born children who wish to delay entry into reception” but our press release and recent … Continue reading
OSA Comments on 2014 Draft Code Confirm Confusion and Chaos Ahead
The Office of the School Adjudicator’s (OSA) response to the DfE’s draft revised Schools Admission Code is the latest document to demonstrate just how UNCLEAR the CODE really is. Responses from different local authorities, members of the public, and now the OSA, all prove … Continue reading
FOI by Summer Born Campaign group reveals Local Authority Disagreement, Confusion & Postcode Lottery
In response to a Freedom of Information request (Nov.6) by a member of the Summer Born Campaign group, Gemma Adams received (Nov.27) a copy of local authority and public responses to the DfE’s consultation of proposed changes to its School Admissions Code (closed Sep.29). … Continue reading
When You’re Born Matters But now WHERE YOU LIVE Matters More
The challenges faced by many children born in the summer months is well documented, but since the Department for Education published its updated advice on the school admissions process for summer born children, and a new draft Code, the biggest influential factor and newest life … Continue reading
Illogical Policy: No Warnings, Fines or Imprisonment for us – our Summer Born children ‘MUST’ miss a Year of Education
The irony is breath taking. While other parents are being arrested and jailed for allowing their children to miss school, summer born children are being forced to skip a whole year of their education, against their parents’ wishes (not to mention … Continue reading
Vital Link Between Improving Mental Health, Delaying School Start of Youngest Children and Reducing NHS Costs
On November 18, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) called on politicians to “develop an action plan… focussing on prevention and early intervention to ensure parity of esteem for children and young people” because “1 in 10 children (that’s around 3 … Continue reading
DfE’s New Code will Exacerbate Gap Between Rich and Poor
The new 2014 draft School Admissions Code remains unclear, unfair and subjective for the admission and continued education of summer born children. But it’s even worse for summer born children from poor or socially disadvantaged backgrounds, and for children from homes with English as … Continue reading
Commissioner promises to “relentlessly champion the interests and rights of children”
Last Tuesday, the pre-appointment hearing for the next Children’s Commissioner in England took place, with Anne Longfield OBE, Chief Executive, 4Children, answering questions posed by the Chair of the Education Select Committee. The issue of summer born children was mentioned briefly … Continue reading
3 year-olds started school in England this week
Due to the outrageous situation that exists in England’s schools (i.e. children forced to start school prior to compulsory school age, against their parents’ wishes), and the strictly imposed chronological batch cut off for each year group, in schools that opened … Continue reading
School Admissions Code Consultation – Have Your Say!
The School Admissions Code is going to change – and the Department for Education is seeking YOUR views on its proposals for new revisions by September 29, 2014. Consultation is OPEN TO ALL – you just need to read the proposed Draft Document and submit your comments. … Continue reading
Starting School for Summer Born Children
Earlier this year, the Gentle Parenting website kindly published a special guest article written and edited by Michelle Melson and Pauline Hull. With the school start just around the corner, you can read it again here: Starting School for Summer Born Children
MP Graham Stuart: It’s worth examining Giving Parents the Right
In an April 2014 summer born interview, Conservative MP and current Chair of the Education Select Committee, told trainee journalist Fayrouz Shehrezade Essack, “Personally I think that giving parents the right, so that they don’t lose their positions in terms of gaining … Continue reading
DfE U-Turn on Summer Born Admissions
In October 2013, in correspondence to a parent, the Department for Education wrote, “It is the government’s view that there should not need to be any exceptional reasons for a summer born child to be admitted to the reception class rather … Continue reading
2014 June LGO Press Release
On June 15, 2014, Pauline Hull and Michelle Melson published the following Press Release: ‘FINAL DECISION’ by Local Government Ombudsman Condones Discriminatory Admissions Practices for Summer Born children In a controversial Final Decision published on May 14, 2014 (in a complaint that was … Continue reading
Norfolk Gets the Law Wrong – Again
Regular readers will recall that last month, a Norfolk County Council staff newsletter incorrectly advised that, “Legally… children must start school in the academic year after they become 4“. The Summer Born Campaign contacted the council, which to be fair, said, … Continue reading
Support for Summer Borns in Parliament tonight
More details to follow soon, but the feedback so far from a Parliamentary seminar in the House of Commons this evening is very positive for summer born children. The seminar asked, “What is the future for Early Years Education?” and … Continue reading
Norfolk staff newsletter says CSA is 4 – unless the law changes!?!?
You couldn’t make this stuff up. Norfolk County Council, in its May 21, 2014 aptly titled “Improving Times – Children’s Services” staff newsletter, has laid down the law on school admissions for children – without realising that the real law (primary legislation) says something … Continue reading
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