Annette Brooke MP: A fairer school starting age for Summer-born pupils

Former teacher Annette Brooke MP is opening a Westminster Hall debate on changing the school starting age for summer born children in England. In June I tabled Early Day Motion 213 entitled 'School Starting Age for Summer-Born Pupils’, to highlight the problems that summer-born children can suffer long term disadvantages as a result of England's inflexible school starting age. The timing of my Westminster Hall debate on the same issue is particularly apt given that most 4 year olds will be starting their primary school education this week. A child born on August 31st 2009 will most likely be in the same year group as a child born on 1st September 2008. The Institute for Fiscal Studies Report “When you are born matter: evidence for England” published in May this year found that relative to children born in September, children born in in August are 6.4 percentage points less likely to achieve 5 GCSE’s or equivalents at A* - C and around 2 percentage points less likely to go to university at age 18 or 19. It is surprising just how long term the effects appear to be. The last Government, following on from the Rose Review, required local authorities to provide a full time school place for all 4 year olds in the September following their 4th birthday. This was to tackle the problem that summer borns were receiving less time in formal education than their peers which had, for some, a long term effect on their school performance. I worry however about the impact on individual children who are simply not ready in their emotional, social and cognitive development to start formal school. A good nursery or pre-school can help with ‘school readiness’ in some respects but there are certain aspects of an individual child’s development which can only progress when that individual child is ‘ready’. By definition many summer borns will not be as ‘ready’ as their older counterparts. An unhappy experience at the beginning of primary school can lead to behavioural issues and a lack of confidence and self esteem as the child tries to cope within the school setting and hence have further impacts on long term achievements. The Department for Education published new advice in July of this year. I particularly welcome the mention that 'there is no statutory barrier to children being admitted outside their normal year group', and that 'flexibilities exist for children whose parents do not feel they are ready to begin school at this point, (the September following the child’s 4th birthday).’ However, in the Q&A section of their website, they mention that ‘parents who are refused a place at a school for which they have applied have the right of appeal to an independent admission panel. They do not have the right of appeal if they have been offered a place and it is not in the year group they would like.’ It seems to me that whilst there may be no statutory barrier to a child being admitted to a particular year group, neither is there a statutory right. The early start to formal schooling and the testing regime in this country undoubtedly compound the summer-born problems which lead me to conclude that ideally we need to rethink our approach to the all important learning settings and experiences of 4 to 7 year olds. The requirement is for the school experience to suit the child, not the child be made to fit the school. We must look at having more flexibility in school starting time and we must ensure parents are empowered and able to make the best choices for their children.