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. Listen here. Continue reading
Snail Mail for Summer Born Parents
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 child has been offered a place at.
Why? ‘The Computer Says No.‘
And there are other problems too, as explained in yesterday’s post on the administrative mess and wasted school places resulting from the DfE’s Code and Advice: today one parent in the Summer Born Campaign group was offered a school place for September 2015 despite having formally withdrawn their application when they were advised that their request Reception class entry in September 2016 had been granted. Continue reading
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 class entry at age 5 and should therefore submit a primary school application for an age 4 school place they do not want – while their request is being processed.
Except in many cases, parents have still not been given an answer to their request, so they don’t know whether to accept this year’s place or not. Others don’t want this year’s place but have been told (as I was) that they can hold on to it until December while they continue fighting (e.g. initiate a local complaints process and OSA/LGO correspondence) and decide whether to risk reapplying for Reception class entry in September 2016. Continue reading
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 other policy areas exposed the perfectly obvious flaw in children being forced to miss a year of school. Continue reading
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 and read all the evidence submitted by the campaign and parents of summer born children. I was shocked to discover that our education system and DfE policy has allowed children to lose – or be threatened with losing – a whole year of their education for no other reason than their parents choosing not to send them to school early.”
“Personally, I feel that an early start in school is a good thing, but I also feel that in a democracy where primary compulsory school age legislation and parents wishes are respected, and where all children are given the opportunity to thrive and experience fair and equal access to 12 years of school, without penalty, this postcode lottery must end.”
Mr. Gove added that he would personally contact his successor Nicky Morgan MP and ensure that urgent action is taken ahead of the April 16, 2015 offer day, when he knows parents of 3 year-old children will feel pressure, fear and uncertainty about the year ahead. Continue reading
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 well. In economic terms, it is not only fair and just; it is essential for us to compete globally.”
The Summer Born Campaign agrees with both of these points, and found this comment interesting too: “I know what can be achieved when a small group of people put their minds to understanding what might make a real difference”.
And on November 11, 2014, the Children’s Commissioner replied to my “urgent” tweet:
@PaulineMHull @4ChildrenUK will look at what support we can give @sb_campaign
Continue reading
When Diagnosis is Correct
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 being misdiagnosed …which might be avoided if there were more uptake of admissions flexibilities for children who are not ready to start school” (an excellent recommendation), but isn’t it also plausible that many are also correctly diagnosed with SEN – and that their SEN is actually caused by the education ‘system’ and DfE admissions policy failures?
Experts in Early Years development and education have been warning the government for years (albeit for the most part falling on deaf ears) that children are in danger of being ‘damaged‘ by the introduction of formal education in their early years, before they are ‘developmentally ready’ (e.g. September 2014 (Hawthorn Press), January 2014 (BBC), October 2013 (BBC), July 2013 (Guardian), April 2013 (Telegraph), May 2012 (Telegraph), May 2012 (Daily Mail), August 2011 (Open EYE).
But arguably nowhere could the potential for damage be greater in England than for summer born children forced to start school at age 3 or 4, or forced to miss their ‘critical’ foundation Reception year and start school in Year 1 at age 5 instead. Continue reading
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 have already been successful, and others are fighting to repeat Years 1 or 2, when a summer born child’s difficulties are often even more exacerbated; the parents know there it’s a problem caused by a ‘too early’ school start, but the system, and the DfE’s summer born policy has failed to prevent or protect against these situations.
It Costs Less – in Every Way – to Get it Right First Time Round Continue reading
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 presenter submitted a Freedom of Information request to every Local Authority in the country regarding their refusal rates for the new EHC needs assessment.
And secondly, there was the Education Select Committee’s recommendation that the government should explore the business case for providing more flexibility for summer born children who are at risk of being misdiagnosed with SEN.
At first glance the two issues seem rather unrelated; however, the underpinning issues and causes of these are similar in more than one respect. Continue reading
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 be deemed more valid than others…
It also demonstrates the extent to which some councils will go in order to retain decision-making powers, even when legally it is an ‘own admissions authority’ school that the parent may be applying to – and it shows how easily parents might despair of fighting even at the first hurdle, and reluctantly enrol their child in school early.
It’s not the first time we’ve seen councils exert pressure and power on both parents and schools, but as an example of some of the problems going on with summer born admissions, this communication is a useful read: Continue reading
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 posted this on summerbornchildren.org:
“Our 24 wk boy was allowed to repeat reception in a faith school in North London. Allowing the board of governors ability to over throw Haringey’s adamant decision to send a child born on 6 Aug ( due 24 Nov) to school a year too early. The results were extraordinary. He was able to flourish as an equal.
We then moved to Kent and they bumped him from year 1 to year 2. The results have been devastating. He is now in special needs classes as a measure to help him catch up. Continue reading
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 a vital year of learning, whether that be the reception year or indeed any other year.
Now is the time to review the School Admissions Code to ensure each child has fair and equal access to preferred schools and that no child is left behind simply because of when they were born. Continue reading
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 their foundation Reception class year, when no evidence at all was presented by the DfE or other witnesses during the Committee’s ‘evidence check‘ that this is true; in fact MP Nick Gibb even referred to recent university research demonstrating the disadvantages for children missing their first year of school.
To many, perhaps understandably, the suggestion of a Right of Appeal sounds like a positive development, something ‘new’ to be grateful for, but the Summer Born Campaign group does not welcome this recommendation at all, for the reasons outlined here: Continue reading
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 key messages have included the inconsistent (see summary and Appendix here) and questionable communication from DfE officials and Ministers since 2012, and stressing (both to the DfE and MPs) that a right of appeal is not the answer and is not what parents want – it simply adds one more painful layer of unpredictable and stressful bureaucracy at a point when all Reception class places have been allocated (with a potential impact on Infant Class Size Regulations).
Today, the Education Committee published details of a letter sent by its Chair, Graham Stuart, to Nick Gibb, Minister for School Reform, asking for government action following its one-off Evidence Check, the Committee appears to have missed the fundamental point of who and what is at fault here: Continue reading
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 is described as ‘delayed‘ or ‘deferred‘ entry.
In Canada (where parents of the youngest children in any birth year have complete choice between two different academic years in which to enrol their child), starting school at age 4 instead of age 5 is described as ‘early entry‘, while starting school at CSAge is considered ‘normal‘. Continue reading
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 television (Bill Turnbill and Louise Minchin)
Live interview Rosie and Olivia Dutton and pre-recorded film of Faye Salisbury Continue reading
Annette Brooke MP, Mid Dorset & North Poole
“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 has been an unfailing supporter of our campaign, and we are incredibly grateful for all the work she has done on behalf of summer born children.
This week, Annette has sent us a statement of support, and her hopes for the future:
“I shall be retiring at this General Election after 14 years of being an MP. Continue reading
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 Head of Admissions at Kent County Council’s meeting with the DfE next week.
This was Kent’s response to the DfE’s 2014 Code consultation:
“KCC’s preferred solution which would provide far greater clarity to process would be for children (without a statement or Education Health & Care Plan) to be required to apply at the correct time associated with their chronological age group regardless of their individual needs.”
Note: “correct” time, above. Kent has a notorious record for warning parents that a CSAge start could mean risking access to Grammar school, skipping a year of primary school later on, having their application processed only after 4 year-olds are allocated places, and insisting on ‘medical reports’ in support of ‘request’ to enter Reception class.
And the council clearly has the ear of DfE officials – especially when you consider changes made in the 2014 Code and Advice. The question is, will Education Minister Nick Gibb get involved and ensure that HE has the ear of his department officials too?
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 parental demand.”
Minister of State for Schools, David Laws
September 4, 2013 – “What we want to do is to empower parents… It should be the parents who are the primary decision-makers when it comes to deciding which route is most appropriate for their child and which environment will enable their child to thrive. We are absolutely clear that parents should be able to say to a school, “We want our child, who is aged five, to enter reception”, if they feel that that is in the best interests of their child.””
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education, Elizabeth Truss
Next month, parents of 3 year-old children who were forced to apply for a Reception class place this September (through fear of a missed school year and/or missing out on a school place altogether next year) will have to decide whether to accept their school offer, or take the gamble and FIGHT with their school or local authority next year, knowing they have no right of appeal, and that the DfE will not intervene with a ‘local decision’.
Will Nick Gibb’s assurances be any different to those of Ministers in previous years? Only time will tell – but for this year’s cohort of summer born children, time is running out.
NAHT’s Judith Stott on BBC News
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, there are some words of caution about children starting school later…
“If the child then joins us a year late in Reception, they would still have to leave primary when they’re 11, so at some point, they’d have to jump a year and catch that up. If they miss the Reception year and go straight into Year 1, then they’ve missed those very important early learning experiences.”
Simply not true according to the DfE, but even if it was true, why didn’t the NAHT submit comments and evidence to the Education Committee last week decrying this as bad practice?? Continue reading
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