Category Archives: CAMPAIGN UPDATES
BBC Look North report on summer born battle
The BBC’s Ian Wight reported on the battle that parents of summer born children are facing with admission authorities when they request a reception class place for their compulsory school age child.
Why can’t summer-born children start school later?
On February 26, journalist Sarah Cassidy published an excellent article in The Independent titled, “An age-old problem: Why can’t summer-born children start school later?“. Her report included the experiences of parents of summer born children who are facing a year 1 entry for … Continue reading
BBC Two Daily Politics summer born report
Lib Dem MP Annette Brooke appeared in a report and studio discussion on the BBC Two Daily Politics programme today. More information and links to Watch again are here: BBC: Primary school start age for summer born children challenged
Pre-school Learning Alliance adds its support to our campaign
Neil Leitch, Chief Executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, has formally added his organisation’s name to the Supporters of our Flexible School Admissions for Summer Born Children campaign. He has given us permission to quote the comments below, which he made during a BBC Radio … Continue reading
Report Authors’ Response to the DfE’s press statement
Report Authors’ Response to the DfE: 1. “We have changed the School Admissions Code so that it is more flexible for parents of summer-born children, making it easier for them to defer their child’s entry.” This comment is not relevant to the issue … Continue reading
New SUMMER BORN REPORT published
Following months of research, Michelle Melson and Pauline Hull have today published the 87 page report titled: Compulsory School Age in England has been Lowered to 4 through an Unfair and Unlawful Summer Born Admissions Process. The report claims 2012 School Admissions Code … Continue reading
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
On November 21, 2013 in response to the UK’s call for views ahead of its next (fifth) periodic report to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), journalist Pauline Hull submitted the following suggested ‘additional example / supplementary evidence for … Continue reading
Admissions Conference in London today
An Admissions Conference delivered by Capita takes place today and tomorrow in London, and aims to address and update on the progress made so far following the implementation of the 2012 School Admissions Code, and to help local authorities and schools understand the importance … Continue reading
Day of Action in Parliament
Wednesday 30th October sees a Day of Action as the Too Much Too Soon campaign lobbies Parliament, Read more here: Too Much Too Soon Day of Action
Summer born VOTE on daynurseries news article
An online vote question this week asks, Should the Government change legislation so parents make the decision whether their summer-born children start school later? The question follows an article by news editor Ellie Neville, on the daynurseries website: ‘We don’t want … Continue reading
Starting age of formal education debated this week
Take a look at the ‘In the News‘ page for links to articles this week on The Telegraph and BBC News websites. I will post more on this week’s events in due course, but a few things to note in … Continue reading
DfE says empowered parents should be primary decision-makers
During today’s Common’s Debate (held in Westminster Hall at 4pm), Elizabeth Truss, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education, answered some of MP Annette Brooke’s concerns regarding the current problems being faced by the parents of some summer born children. … Continue reading
Important debate in Westminster today
Earlier today, Annette Brooke, the MP for Mid-Dorset and North Poole, opened a Westminster Hall debate calling for a fairer school starting age for Summer-born pupils. The full Hansard transcript of the debate can be read here, and you can also view film … Continue reading
BBC One’s ‘Inside Out South East’ reports tonight
“Coming soon” on BBC iPlayer in case you missed it tonight is a film by Chrissy Sturt on BBC One’s Inside Out South East. Chrissy reports on “the parents fighting to change how summer-born children are matriculated into school”. Shortly after the programme aired, … Continue reading
These admission authorities HAVE allowed flexibility
There wouldn’t be a campaign for greater admissions flexibility if countless parents were not facing strong opposition to enrolling their 5 year old summer born children into reception classes. However, there is also some very good news to report too; a number of admission authorities … Continue reading
Flexibility Exists in Law – Please Let Parents Use it
This month, an article in the TES asked, ‘How can we help summer born children to keep up?’, and some of the issues it raised have prompted me to again clarify many of the myths surrounding parental calls for greater … Continue reading
New Q and A’s on summer born children from the DfE
Below is an extract of the Q&As contained within Advice on the admission of summer born children, a new publication this week from the Department of Education for local authorities, school admission authorities and parents. Key points School admission authorities are … Continue reading
DfE publishes new advice on the admission of summer born children
The Department for Education has today published new advice for local authorities, school admission authorities and parents of summer born children. The document Advice on the admission of summer born children can be downloaded on the DfE website page, which also provides a summary of … Continue reading
Thought for the Day – an absolute must read
Reverend Lucy Winkett, Rector of St James’s Piccadilly, presented today’s Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4, and I was really touched by it: New tests have been announced this week for 11 year olds and a new national league … Continue reading
Do Cheques have Better Rights than Children?
Using cheque books used to be ‘the norm’ for almost everyone. Until debit and credit cards came along and cheque usage fell dramatically. But when in 2009, the UK Payments Council announced plans to close its central cheque clearing facility, there were complaints … Continue reading
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