CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE EDUCATED
OUT-OF-YEAR GROUP
ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS
Guidance for Rotherham schools and services
January 2011
CONTENTS
1
Introduction
2
Curriculum Statement
2.1 National Curriculum
2.2 Alternative Strategies
3
The Key Principles
4
Key Responsibilities
5
5.1 (a) Deferred entry by one term into Reception/Foundation Stage 2
5.1 (b) Educating a child a year below their chronological age
Implications
Action required when considering educating in a year below
Action required when deferring entry into a younger age group
6
Children advanced into a Year Group above their Chronological Age
6.1
Implications of advancing a child
6.2
Action required when considering advancing a child
7
Children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs
8
National Curriculum Assessments
8.1
Assessment Reporting
8.2
Informing the Chair of Governors
9
Children already placed out of their Chronological Age Group
10
Summary
Sources and References
Contacts
Appendix A
Further information on when it may be appropriate to educate out of year group:
General Principles
1.
Children with learning difficulties
2a
Children who are born prematurely or those with a disability
2b
Children with medical needs (including mental health issues and
degenerative conditions and/or terminal illness)
3.
Children learning English as an additional language, refugees and asylum
seekers and others new to the English education system
4.
Children from gypsy and traveller communities
5.
Children with exceptional abilities (gifted and talented)
6.
Children in public care (looked after children)
7.
Children who have been permanently excluded
8.
Children returning from secure unit
9.
Children who have been home educated
10.
Children born in the summer
Appendix B
Pro forma for Summary Record and Action Plan
Appendix C
Early Admission to Primary School
Appendix D
Early Admission to Secondary School
CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE EDUCATED OUT OF YEAR GROUP
ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS
Guidance for Schools
1
Introduction
Although by long-standing custom and practice children are ordinarily educated in year
groups as determined by their date of birth, there is nothing in education law which
makes this mandatory. This document has been produced to guide head teachers,
governing bodies and relevant professionals in their decision-making where it is
proposed that children enter school late, are educated out of year group, or advanced in
relation to their chronological year group in school.
This document is not intended to provide guidance on temporary short-term
management arrangements within a school.
Some small primary schools have mixed age classes. It is important to note that where
children are taught in mixed age classes that this does not constitute an agreement for
the younger age pupils to progress through to the higher year group.
Unless a child has a statement of special educational needs (SEN), admission to
voluntary aided schools and Academies is the responsibility of the school governing
body and not the Local Authority, although it is the Local Authority that will make the
offer of a place on behalf of the governing body.
2
Curriculum Statement
2.1
National Curriculum
The principle behind the National Curriculum is that inclusion is an inherent
aspect of any teaching and learning. This is a fundamental expectation that all
schools should have when they examine and organise the curricular provision in
their settings.
QCA National Curriculum Guidance also indicates that all
children are entitled to a broad and balanced curriculum and that teachers should
take account of the knowledge, skills and understanding of all children in their
care.
The ‘General teaching requirements’ section of the National Curriculum sets out
three principles of inclusion:



Setting suitable learning challenges
Responding to children’s diverse needs
Overcoming potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals.
It gives examples of how these principles might be enacted for different groups of
learners. Only in very rare circumstances will educating out of year group
contribute to the overcoming of any barriers to learning. It is therefore important
that teachers seek advice and support from other colleagues who may be
experienced in working with younger or older children. Poor academic
progress is not usually considered to be a significant reason for holding a
child back for an additional year.
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This is further supported by both the Primary and Secondary National Strategies,
the organisation of which supports teachers in choosing knowledge, skills and
understanding from earlier or later key phases so that individual children can
make progress and show what they can achieve.
A common factor in successfully inclusive schools is a very clear focus on the
needs of the children and communities that they serve. In addition high
expectations of all children are clearly evident along with a commitment to
engage children as life-long learners by developing a sense of awe and wonder
in what they themselves can achieve.
Through offering a challenging and varied curricular experience to children, a
cycle of high expectation can be built whilst finding the key to a child’s interests
and success. Allowing children to develop their self-esteem will impact positively
on a child’s performance in all areas. A clearly planned and well structured
curriculum that engages children in a high quality process will allow learning to
be embedded and allow children to make the best progress that they can.
It is generally expected that all children will experience a curriculum that is
planned, structured and delivered in such a way that their needs are met whilst
being educated alongside their peers.
2.2
Alternative Strategies
Before any decision to educate out of year group is made, consideration should
be given to alternative strategies, for example, whether the child’s academic
needs can be catered for by attendance at some subject lessons with younger
age groups, whilst retaining their presence within their correct year group for
registration/whole class /form activities, and in subjects where their lower abilities
have less of an impact on achievement. Consideration should also be given to
seeking advice with appropriate support services and special school staff to
consider alternative curricular content, strategies and resources enabling greater,
targeted differentiation.
3
The Key Principles

The Every Child Matters framework should underpin all decisions.

It is expected that all pupils will be educated alongside their peers in their local communities.
The emphasis is on schools meeting individual needs, including those with Special
Educational Needs (SEN), through personalised learning.

It is expected that children and young people should progress through education with their
chronological age group. However, when there are agreed, exceptional circumstances, the
following guidance will be useful.

The formal views of the child (where appropriate), parents / carers and appropriate
professionals should be sought and taken into account before any decision is made.

There are unlikely to be any circumstances under which a child should be educated in a
different year group by more than one year.
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4
Key Responsibilities
4.1 With the exception of children and young people who have a statement of special
educational need, the responsibility for deciding whether a child should be
educated out of their chronological year group usually rests with the head teacher
with the agreement of the Local Authority/Governing Body for Aided Schools.
4.2 Where a child has a statement of special educational need, parents and the
school should consider the need to educate out of year group as part of the Annual
Review process. This recommendation, which will be detailed in the Head
teacher’s Report of the Annual Review Meeting, will then be referred to the LA’s
SEN Panel for formal approval and notification.
4.3 Children under statutory assessment for a statement of special educational
needs will have their placement needs and appropriate provision considered as
part of this process through the LA’s SEN Panel.
5.1(a)
Deferred Entry by one term into Reception/Foundation Stage 2 (FS2)
Legally, children are not required to start school until the term following their fifth
birthday. However, Rotherham has a policy of single entry and children are
offered a place in the Autumn term prior to their fifth birthday. Parents may apply
for, and accept, a full time Reception/Foundation Stage 2 (FS2) place but may only
defer entry until the beginning of the summer term of the academic year in which
the place has been offered.
Parents of children born in the summer term wishing to delay their child’s
admission until they are of statutory school age will be admitted into Year 1. In this
case, they will need to make an application for a Year 1 place that will then be
subject to the availability of places at that time.
5.1(b)
Educating a child a year below their chronological age.
The decision, exceptionally, to educate a child a year below their chronological age
group may be taken at any time during the child’s education.
5.2
Implications
When consideration is being given in exceptional cases to deferred entry and educating
the child in a year below their chronological age, parents/carers should be made fully
aware of the following implications before a decision is made:

The child will ordinarily remain a member of the ‘adopted’ cohort with which they
enter or are placed and not ‘jump’ a year, even if exceptional progress is made.
This is because they would miss out an entire curriculum year of key skills and
knowledge;

SATs and other assessments along with their recording and reporting will take
place with their ‘adopted’ year group;
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
5.3
Although legally entitled to leave school when they reach the official school leaving
date, the child would be expected to complete Year 11 with their adopted cohort.
This may prove challenging to achieve without the full, formal, commitment of
parents/carers, particularly as the child is more mature and may take the view that
they were not fully consulted at the time of the decision.
Action required when considering educating in a year below
If a decision is made, in an exceptional case, to educate a child a year below during
their educational career, it is important to ensure that:

Steps are taken to ensure that the views of the child (where appropriate) and
parents/carers have been sought and taken into account;

The wider implications of educating a year below as outlined in section 5.2 have
been discussed and recorded with the child’s parents;

The appropriate professionals and agencies have been fully consulted and their
advice recorded;

If the child or young person has a Statement of Special Educational Need, SEN
Panel must formally receive and approve the change of year group;

The Annual Review meeting and Head Teacher’s Report should continue to record
that the child is educated out of year group;

The appropriate evidence is obtained and retained by the school in the child’s
record, and a formal, signed and dated agreement, summary record and action
plan are drawn up with parents or carers (see Appendix B for guidance);

Budgetary implications are considered where a child would usually transfer with
their chronological age group to another school setting e.g. from an Infant school
to a separate Junior school. This will not apply where a child remains within a
Primary school;

The Admissions Team is consulted to discuss the implications of moving a child
from their original year group. Consideration needs to be given as to whether there
is space in the lower year group and whether there have been other children
refused places and/or appeals against admissions that could be challenged if a
child is simply moved into that year group;

The agreement of the Local Authority, or Governing Body for Aided Schools and
Academies, is obtained; and

Information systems and pupil records are updated at school and Local Authority
level once formal agreement has been obtained.
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SIMS.net screen print
Primary Screen shot
Attendance Mode- Options are:
All day, Am only, Pm Only
Part Time Details Box needs to be filled in with a PT start date and end date- if the child is PT (AM,OR PM). Do this
by clicking on new (as above).
Secondary Screen Shot
Local Authority screen print
5.4 Action required when deferring entry into a younger age group.
If a decision is made in an exceptional case to defer entry to school, it is important to
ensure that all of the points in section 5.3 have been followed along with the following
additional points:

The Admissions Team is aware of individual decisions so that, where necessary,
the application for a primary school place in what would be the ‘wrong’ academic
year for the child can be progressed smoothly;
Page 8 of 20

The parents/carers have been advised of the need to make an application for a
school place a year later than would normally be the case and that their child
would transfer to secondary education a year later than normal i.e. with their
adopted cohort;

With regard to admission to primary school, parents/carers need to be aware that
school places would not normally be reserved for children beyond the legal school
age for children or beyond the academic year for which the place has been
offered; and

With regard to admission to secondary school or transfer to junior school,
parents/carers need to be aware that school places would not normally be
reserved for children beyond the normal date of admission, usually the start of the
academic year.
6
Children advanced Into a Year Group above their Chronological Age
(The Authority’s Admission to Primary and Secondary School booklets gives details of
the policies and procedure to follow for any parent/carer wishing their child to be
admitted early to primary or secondary school. These should be carefully considered.
Full details are given in Appendices C and D.)
6.1
Implications of advancing a child
When consideration is being given, in exceptional cases, to advancing a child, the
following implications should be taken into account:

The child will ordinarily remain a member of the cohort with which they are placed
and not revert to their original year group;

SATs and other assessments along with their recording and reporting will take
place with their ‘adopted’ year group;

The child would be expected to transfer at the same time as their adopted year
group and primary schools need to be aware that they are making a decision that
has an on-going implication for secondary schools; and

Children are not legally entitled to leave school until they reach the official school
leaving date, even though they have completed Year 11 with their adopted cohort.
Secondary schools will be responsible for making provision for the child until they
reach the official school leaving date.
6.2
Action required when considering advancing a child
If a decision is made, in an exceptional case to advance a child during their educational
career, it is important to ensure that:

Steps are taken to ensure that the views of the child (where appropriate) and
parents/carers have been sought and taken into account;

The wider implications of advancing a child as outlined in section 6.1 have been
discussed with the child’s parents/carers;
Page 9 of 20

The appropriate professionals and agencies have been fully consulted and their
advice recorded;

If the child or young person has a Statement of Special Educational Need, SEN
Panel must receive and approve the change of year group;

The Annual Review meeting and Head Teacher’s report should continue to record
that the child is educated out of year group;

The appropriate evidence is obtained and retained by the school in the child’s
record, and a formal, signed and dated agreement, summary record and action
plan are drawn up with parents or carers (see Appendix B for guidance);

Budgetary implications are considered where a child would usually transfer with
their chronological age group to another school setting e.g. from an Infant school
to a separate Junior school. This will not apply where a child remains within a
Primary school;

The Admissions Team is consulted to discuss the implications of moving a child
from their original year group. Consideration needs to be given as to whether there
is space in the higher year group and whether there have been appeals against
admissions that could be challenged if a child is simply moved up;

The agreement of the Local Authority, or Governing Body for Aided Schools, is
obtained; and

Information systems and pupil records are updated at school and Local Authority
level (see 5.3)
7
Children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs
Where a child has a Statement of SEN, the school cannot unilaterally change the
provision as ‘determined’ by the LA, and thus it would be the LA and not the school that
takes this decision. Where a recommendation is being made that a child should
progress through school out of their chronological year group, and is the subject of a
Statement of SEN, this requires the agreement of the parents/carers and should be
recorded as part of the Annual Review meeting. The Head Teacher’s Report of the
meeting should be referred to the SEN Assessment Service (SENAS) for formal
approval at SEN Panel. It is, therefore, imperative that these cases are discussed with
other services/agencies as appropriate before any decision is made. In such cases the
agreed arrangements will be recorded in a letter as an update to the Statement of SEN
unless other changes to the Statement are also required.
8
National Curriculum Assessments
The following guidance is given in the Assessment and Reporting Arrangements
Handbooks for the Key Stages.
Page 10 of 20
8.1
Assessment Reporting
The following guidance is given in the Assessment and Reporting Arrangements
Handbooks for the Key Stages:
Reporting Teacher Assessment
Where a child or group of children has completed the programme of study for the key
stage in any subject and has taken one or more of the tests early, for example in year 5
instead of year 6, schools must report the teacher assessment level in that subject in
the same school year.
Reporting results to parents
If children take just one or two subjects early, the results for each subject will still be
reported in the year they take the tests. For example, if a child takes the Mathematics
test in year 5, their result will be reported with the year 6 children’s results (so the
number of children in the school entered for Mathematics will be one higher than for
English and Science). The following year they will not take the Mathematics test again,
but their English and Science results will be reported with their year group (so the
number of children entered for Mathematics will be one lower than for English and
Science).4
KEY STAGE 2 ASSESSMENT AND REPORTING ARRANGEMENTS 2007
Reporting for Achievement and Attainment Tables
Cumulative reporting was introduced in the Key stage 2 and 3 Achievement and
Attainment Tables (the Tables) in 2005. The Tables will report the results of the early
takers on a cumulative basis. Where a pupil takes one or two subjects early, the results
will not be reported in the Tables until the year in which the final tests are taken.
A child may only be statutorily assessed once in any subject. A child who has been
assessed earlier than his or her peers may not be statutorily reassessed the following
year.
8.2
Informing the Chair of Governors
It is important that the Chair of Governors is also aware of the decision to advance or
hold back a child from a year group as this will change the assessment percentages for
the school over a period of two years. There is also a need to ensure that the
designated Governor and Teacher aware and that they keep informed of the impact on
young person.
9
Children already placed out of their Chronological Age Group
It is anticipated that those children who have already been placed out of their
chronological age group would remain with their ‘adopted’ year group, even if they
present features that are not consistent with this guidance. It is recommended that the
school should meet with the parents or carers to make them fully aware of the
implications outlined in the relevant section of the guidance, if such a meeting did not
take place at the time the decision was agreed and implemented. It is also advised that
schools should, where possible, draw up a formal agreement as if the child was being
Page 11 of 20
placed in their out-of-age year group for the first time (see Appendix B) and follow the
actions outlined in this guidance.
10
Summary
The needs of the child as an individual must be paramount when considering education
out of a child’s chronological year group, rather than school organisation, curriculum
and assessment considerations. The views of the child or young person should be
taken into account. Parents/carers need to be given the opportunity to discuss fully the
long-term implications of any move out of a chronological year group. Schools will need
to satisfy themselves that both the short and long term academic and social needs of
the child have been taken into account before any recommendation is made and that
alternative strategies have been explored and evaluated. Appropriate advice should be
taken from outside professionals in support and other relevant services. In addition
schools should consult with the Admissions Team, and SEN Assessment Service where
a child has a Statement of SEN, in order to be fully aware of any admission, provision
and transfer implications before a final decision is made.
Page 12 of 20
Sources and References:
National Curriculum 2000 – QCA
Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Partnership
Contacts in alphabetical order:
Helen Barre -Manager, SENAS helen.barre@rotherham.gov.uk
Bev Booker – Ethnic Minority Service beverley.booker@rotherham.gov.uk
Gill Capaldi - Service Leader ACT gill.capaldi@rotherham.gov.uk
Paula Williams –Service Leader, LSS paula-LSS.williams@rotherham.gov.uk
Katy Edmondson – Manager BSS katy.edmondson@rotherham.gov.uk
Martin Fittes –Assistant Head of School Effectiveness -Vulnerable groups
martin.fittes@rotherham.gov.uk
Tamara Hazlehurst – Hospital and Home Tuition Service
tamara.hazlehurst@rotherham.gov.uk
David Hill – Manager, School Organisation, Planning & Development
david_education.hill@rotherham.gov.uk
Marina Jordan – Principal Admissions Officer marina.jordan@rotherham.gov.uk
David Light – Senior School Improvement Consultant david.light@rotherham.gov.uk
Steve Mulligan - Principal Educational Psychologist steve.mulligan@rotherham.gov.uk
Jackie Parkin – Children's Disabilities Communication Strategy Co-ordinator
jackie.parkin@rotherham.gov.uk
Cath Ratcliffe - Strategic Leader, Attendance and Parenting, Education Welfare
Service cath.ratcliffe@rotherham.gov.uk
Brian Wood – Children & Families Special Needs Manager
brian.wood@rotherham.gov.uk
Will Ryan - Principal School Effectiveness Advisor (Primary)
will.ryan@rotherham.gov.uk
Martin Smith – Manager, Get Real Service martin.smith@rotherham.gov.uk
Joanne Unwin – Senior Admissions Officer Joanne.unwin@rotherham.gov.uk
Kay Watson – Health Education Nurse Advisor kay.watson@rotherham.gov.uk
Pip Wise – Parent Partnership Service Manager pip.wise@rotherham.gov.uk
Page 13 of 20
Appendix A: Further information on when it may be appropriate to educate out
of year group.
General Principles
It is important to note that not all of the following are considered as valid reasons for
educating out of year group and National Curriculum guidance clearly indicates that
there is sufficient flexibility to provide an appropriate curriculum within the child’s normal
age group to respond to anything but exceptional cases. In arriving at the decision to
place a child outside of their chronological year group, schools should refer to the key
principles, implications and actions outlined in the preceding guidance.
There is a delicate balance with Inclusion, whereby children need to be taught at their
level with their peer group, yet the gap between them and their peers can be great in
some or all subjects. Not being able to do the work undertaken by their peers and
perceiving this difference may emotionally harm some children. Segregation of children
with more extreme needs can be exacerbated by not putting them with other groups at
times, so that curriculum demands are lessened for the child and teacher. Self-esteem
issues arising from working for some part of the day with younger children may well be
less than those resulting from segregating a child by moving them to another
placement. The key principles described at the beginning of this document should be
adhered to, but we should do all we can to help a child succeed by being flexible in
making educational arrangements/provision. The school’s Educational Psychologist is
one source of advice to allow proper consideration when a decision to educate out of
year group is being made.
1) Children with learning difficulties
When considering deferred entry / educating a year below, it is important to realise that
for children with significant learning difficulties, education out of year group will not have
the effect of providing an environment where the child’s special educational needs will
be reduced. Issues of differentiation and support will remain just as important.
Poor academic progress is not usually considered to be a significant reason for holding
a child back for an additional year. Radical changes will need to be made to the nature
of the curriculum presented to a child in any repeated year, as merely repeating the
same curriculum is likely to lead to repeated failure. It is unlikely to be significantly
easier to make these changes by repeating a year than if the child remained with their
chronological year group.
In addition, research evidence does not support the view that repeating a year leads to
improved educational attainments. The argument that staying behind for an extra year
will enable the child to ‘catch up’ appears to have little or no validity. Indeed the
evidence tends to suggest that progress can be adversely affected.
Furthermore, cognitive and social development often progress at significantly different
rates and experience suggests that over time the effect of more mature peer models
enhances the rate of progress and facilitates age appropriate social and emotional
development.
In general deferred entry and educating out of year group for children with learning
difficulties should only be considered in exceptional cases.
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2a) Children who are born prematurely or those with a disability
Some children who are born prematurely or those with a disability may benefit from
delayed entry to school. This may help to ensure that the child's medical, physical,
emotional and psychological well-being is secure enough for them to benefit fully from
education alongside their peers. Parents must be well-informed of the possible
implications of delayed entry. However, when children come into nursery with limited
experience, due to a disability (such as a physical disability that has deprived them of
opportunities to explore their environment) and it delays their general development, a
decision is sometimes made to keep them a further year in Nursery. This is not
necessarily appropriate. A child could move up with their peer group and experience
some of the opportunities that the Nursery offers, without being kept down to repeat a
year.
2b) Children with Medical Needs (including Mental Health Issues and
Degenerative Conditions and/or Terminal Illness)
Where absences are due to medical conditions, early alert to the Hospital and Home
Tuition Service by schools would enable continuity of education and smooth
reintegration back into school when medically fit. This is particularly vital for pupils who
have a recurrent medical problem. Some children may have significant absence from
or intermittent attendance at school due to a medical condition or accident. The
ability of the children to access tuition during their absence will be a key factor in any
decision to educate out of year group.
In the case of young people who need to cover fully an examination curriculum in Year
10 and Year 11, educating out of year group may be appropriate.
Where a recommendation for deferred entry or educating out of year group originates
from health service personnel, it is good practice to discuss the case with the school's
educational psychologist to ensure that all the educational implications of the decision
have been considered, both by the parents/carers and the school.
In the case of degenerative or terminal conditions, any decision concerning a change of
year group must be carefully weighed against the loss of peer support from the
children’s existing friends.
Children who have been admitted to mental health provisions are unlikely to have
been well enough to access educational tuition. Multi-agency meetings may need to
consider the appropriateness of repeating a year of education.
If flexible
arrangements are made, these should be negotiated, agreed and recorded as part of a
care plan for the children so that the decision making process is clear to all at a later
date.
Once again, the long term implications of a change of year group placement should be
carefully considered and discussed with all agencies/parties involved with the child
before a decision is made.
3) Children learning English as an Additional Language, Refugees and Asylum
Seekers and others new to the English education System
In general, there is little justification for the deferred entry or educating a year below of
children new to English or the English education system. It is in the child’s interest to be
in a situation where he or she can acquire age-appropriate English as soon as possible.
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There are some circumstances where educating a year below may be appropriate, e.g.
if a child has had little or no formal education prior to arriving in Britain or if a student
arrives part-way through KS4. Decisions should be made on a case-by-case basis, with
bilingual staff from the Ethnic Minority and Traveller Service supporting the consultation
process with parents. It should be recognised that in many countries it is quite usual for
children to be educated outside their chronological age.
Occasionally, queries arise regarding the ages of some children who arrive from
overseas. School staff should ensure that they see the child’s passport/birth
certificate/Home Office documentation when the Student Data Form is completed in
order to admit the child to school.
4) Children from Gypsy and Traveller Communities
Children who are members of Gypsy and Traveller Communities should be
educated alongside their peers in their chronological age group. Support and advice
is available through the Ethnic Minority and Traveller Service.
5) Children with exceptional abilities (Gifted and Talented)
Every child is clearly an individual whose case should be thought through and decisions
must be made in the best interest of the child. For example, advancing children usually
happens a year or two after starting school, after they have established a group of
friends to whom they may be very attached. Moving a child at this time may also create
difficulties adjusting to the pre-existing friendship patterns in the new year group.
Additionally, whilst the child may be intellectually ahead of their peer group, they may
not be so advanced either socially or emotionally.
6) Children in Public Care (Looked After Children)
Looked After Children (LAC) should continue to be educated alongside their peers. Due
to the vulnerable needs of this group of children on going and high support needs to be
in place to allow the child to reach their full potential. In some instances, for example
beyond the child’s control, it may be appropriate for a LAC to repeat a year in school
due to change in long term placement or having been absent from school for a length of
time.
Each LAC will have a Personal Education Plan that will clearly define and identify the
child’s aims and objectives in relation to their educational needs.
7) Children who have been Permanently Excluded
Most children who are permanently excluded from school should not experience
significant absence from education. As such the LA would not seek to place pupils out
of year group when the re-integration to a new mainstream school or a PRU – Centre of
Excellence took place.
8) Children Returning from Secure Unit
Children who have been in a secure unit setting will have had access to full time
education. This would mean that they should not need to be placed out of year on
return to either a mainstream school or a PRU.
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9) Children who have been Home Educated
Children who have been educated at home will return to school for two main reasons.
Firstly, they may be instructed to do so because their home education has been
inadequate. It should be noted that the legal provisions ensure that reaching this
conclusion will normally take many months or years. Secondly, they may be returned
by their parents in order for them to benefit from schooling, especially from
examination courses.
Parents who elect to educate their children at home do so for a very wide spectrum of
reasons and the quality of education provided varies enormously from that equal in
academic rigour to that provided by school to what barely meets the limited legal
requirements. It should be noted that education at home does not have to accord with
the National Curriculum.
Consequently, those who return to school will have had a wide variety of educational
experiences and schools would be advised to study carefully work samples produced
and consider any special educational needs the pupils may have. Schools may wish to
consider what social contacts the re-entering pupils have had.
That said, there seems very little reason why such children cannot be educated in
their chronological age group as that group will already contain children with a wide
variety of experience and attainment.
10) Children Born in the Summer
Children who are born in the summer should be educated alongside their peers in
their chronological age group. Being a child who was born in the summer is not in itself a
reason for being placed outside of chronological year group. Personalised learning
means that teachers have a responsibility to meet the individual developmental needs
of pupils born throughout the 12 month age range within a national curriculum year
group.
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Proforma for Summary Record and Action Plan
School:
Date:
Child’s Name:
Chronological Year
Group:
Appendix B
Date of Birth:
Proposed Year
Group:
M/F:
SEN Stage:
LAC Y/N
Reasons for Deferred Entry / Educating a year below/Advancement (delete) including actions taken to
date:
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
People Consulted /Reports received: (please attach copies)
……………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Outline Action Plan to Meet the Child’s Needs:
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Planned Review date ………………………………………………………………………………………….
Request signed by parents/carers: ……………………………………………… Dated: ………………….
Request signed by school: ……………………………………………………….. Dated: ………………….
Approval of the Chair of Governors (VA Schools/Academies): ……………………………. Dated:
………………….
Approval of the Local Authority signed by: …………………………………….. Dated: ………………….
If the child does not have a Statement of Special Educational Needs please forward to The Admissions
Team, 1st Floor, Norfolk House, Walker Place, Rotherham S65 1AS
If the child does have a Statement of Special Educational Needs please forward to SENAS, 2nd Floor,
address as above.
Records updated at school………………. By: ………………………….. Dated: ..…………….......
Records updated at Local Authority ..…… By: ………………………….. Dated: ……………………
Page 18 of 20
Early Admission to Primary School
Appendix C
Extract from the Admission to Primary School booklet
Although most children will be admitted to a school within their own age group,
occasionally parents seek places outside of the normal age group for their child.
Admission Authorities are advised to consider such requests carefully and make
decisions on the basis of the individual circumstances of each case. However, it is
important to note that early admission will only be considered for a maximum of one
term early and will only be granted in very exceptional circumstances. In such cases
an application must be made in writing by the parent/carer to the Strategic Director for
Children and Young People’s Services, giving full details. Advice will then be requested
from the Head Teacher and Chair of the Governing Body of the school at which the
parent/carer is seeking admission for their child. An Education Welfare Officer, and if
necessary, an Educational Psychologist will also be asked for advice, as will the Head
Teacher/Manager of the child’s nursery school. The full details of the application will
then be considered.
Parents will need to request early admission well in advance, particularly since it will be
necessary to complete a Common Application Form for entry into any school within the
usual cycle for admissions for the particular year. For further advice on early admission
you should contact the Admissions Officer on (01709) 822505.
It should be noted that all nursery settings in receipt of grant funding for the education of
children from three years old are required to plan activities and experiences that will
enable children to meet the Early Learning Goals. Each nursery has an Outreach
Teacher who visits the nursery to ensure the curriculum is being delivered appropriately.
If the parent/carer feels that their child’s needs are not being met they should discuss
these concerns initially with school staff. If you have any further queries, please contact
an Admissions Officer on (01709) 822505 or the Early Years Adviser on (01709)
822535.
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Early Admission to Secondary School
Appendix D
Extract from the Admission to Secondary School booklet
On rare occasions, parents/carers will seek entry into secondary school for their child
earlier than the normal date. In such cases an application must be made in writing to the
Strategic Director for Children and Young People’s Services giving full details. Advice
will then be requested from the Head Teacher and Chair of the Governing Body of the
school at which the parent/carer is seeking admission for their child. An Education
Welfare Officer and Educational Psychologist will also be asked for advice, as will the
Head Teacher of the child’s primary school. The full details of the application will then
be considered.
Parents will need to request early admission well in advance, particularly since it will be
necessary to complete a Common Application Form for entry into any school within the
usual cycle for admissions for the particular year. For further advice on early admission
you should contact the Admissions Officer on (01709) 822626.
Page 20 of 20