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The Independent
an hour ago
- General
- The Independent
Why parents of summer-born children face ‘unfair' postcode lottery in school admissions
Families who want to delay their summer-born child from starting primary school are facing an 'unfair' postcode lottery, it has been claimed. Parents who ask for a delayed start in Reception for a child born between April and August have varying success depending on where they live, an analysis has found, with some councils refusing more than half of parents' requests. Figures – obtained using freedom of information (FoI) requests – show some councils have turned down the majority of parents' requests to defer their children starting school. Meanwhile, many councils approved 100 per cent of requests for delayed entry over a three-year period. Campaigners and parents are calling for greater consistency across England for families who do not want their child to start primary school almost a year younger than some of their classmates – as some families worry their child is not ready emotionally or physically. It comes amid concerns about a decline in school readiness among children starting Reception, with some arguing Covid-19 lockdowns have exacerbated developmental delays. Children in England usually start primary school in the September after they turn four, but parents of children born between April 1 and August 31 can request to delay entry to Reception by a year. A child does not reach 'compulsory school age' until the term following their fifth birthday. Department for Education (DfE) guidance, which was updated in 2023, says admissions authorities are expected to decide whether a summer-born child can be admitted out of their normal age group – to Reception rather than Year 1 – based on 'the child's best interests'. It should be 'rare' for a council to refuse a parent's request, and the government believes it is 'rarely in a child's best interests' to miss a year of education by starting in Year 1 instead of Reception, it adds. Nearly three in five councils in England – 91 out of 153 – provided full data to PA on the total number of requests from parents of summer-born children to delay Reception over three years: from September 2022 to September 2023, September 2023 to September 2024, and September 2024 to September 2025. Of these, 86 councils provided a full breakdown of the requests which were refused over the three years. The figures show: Lambeth Council in London refused more than two in three requests from parents to delay Reception entry from September 2024 to September this year. Seventeen requests were made for summer-born children and 12 were refused. A spokesman for the council said all decisions are 'carefully considered on a case-by-case basis, with the child's best interests at the centre of the process'. But he said evidence suggests remaining within their chronological age group 'generally supports better long-term outcomes'. Lincolnshire County Council refused nearly two in three (64 per cent) of requests from parents to delay the start of school in a year. They received 87 requests to delay Reception from 2023 to 2024, and 56 were refused. But in the following year, only 13 out of 89 requests for a delayed school start from 2024 to 2025 were declined. Matthew Clayton, head of education support at the council, said it had 'altered' the way it deals with requests for a delayed school start for summer-born children following a change in guidance from the DfE in 2023. He added: 'As a result, the likelihood of requests being granted for 2024/25 onwards have been more aligned to the national picture.' Southampton City Council refused more than half of requests from parents to delay the start of school in a year. They received 23 requests to delay Reception from September 2022 to September 2023, and 13 were refused. Councillor Amanda Barnes-Andrews, cabinet member for children and learning at the council, said the DfE's process for education outside of the normal age group is followed which 'requires reviewing every request individually to consider the impact to the child'. More than two in five (45 per cent) of the councils which provided data on the number of refusals – 39 out of 86 – said they did not turn down any requests from parents of summer-born children to delay entry to Reception over the three years. This includes Leicestershire County Council, which neighbours Lincolnshire, where 139 applications were received during the period and none of them were refused. Hertfordshire County Council – which automatically processes summer-born applications – received 766 requests over the three years, and West Sussex County Council recorded 293 requests over the same period and none of them were turned down. The figures are only based on requests to councils so the numbers could vary as they do not include all requests made directly to academies and voluntary-aided schools, which are their own admission authorities. Bianca Sumpter applied to Lambeth Council to request a delay in her son Rumo starting Reception in September 2024 as she did not feel he was ready for school as he had speech delay, separation anxiety and was still napping in the daytime, but the request was refused. Rumo was born on August 26 in 2020 – two weeks before his due date – with a kidney condition which led to two operations in the first year of his life, and Mrs Sumpter said Rumo did not have much 'socialisation' due to his illness and the Covid-19 pandemic. The 43-year-old from London said: 'You are making the decision because it's best for your child, and you just feel so helpless that they're just taking this decision out of your hands when they do not know your child. 'It has been really awful. It has been really stressful. 'I don't want Rumo to go through school thinking this is awful. I want him to enjoy education. I want him to come out of it feeling that he can achieve whatever he wants to achieve. 'But this thing is putting barriers in place to say 'well because you're born on this day, you are probably always going to be an underachiever'.' Mrs Sumpter said the family faced a year of uncertainty after their request was refused by the council and they decided to keep Rumo in nursery last September instead of enrolling him in Reception at a local authority school. In the summer term, Rumo was offered some settling in sessions in Reception at their preferred school and the teachers concluded he was not ready to enter Year 1 in September. The council has now finally agreed to let the school hold Rumo back so he starts in Reception next month. Mrs Sumpter added: 'There is this massive disparity between councils and boroughs. You're just in the lap of the gods in terms of what that specific council says.' Southwark Council, which neighbours Lambeth, told PA it approves all requests from parents who want their summer-born child to be admitted to Reception a year later in their community schools. The mother-of-three said: 'I could literally walk there [to Southwark] in seven minutes. It's ridiculous that we've had to fight. 'Surely we want the outcome to be that children are achieving better educationally, but also they're achieving better socially and emotionally. That's where we should be getting our children to. 'Not just saying 'well this is a cut-off day and there's no choice and your child has to be in school' because then we just have generations of children who are unhappy and uneducated because they feel emotionally out of control.' Pauline McDonagh Hull, spokeswoman for The Summer Born Campaign, told PA: 'Based on current legislation, what's happening with this postcode lottery is completely unfair. 'It's unfair because some parents have more knowledge about the law and their rights, and some parents have greater capacity to fight if a fight is needed. 'Some parents are lucky and they're in an area where it just happens naturally, or the school advises them about it so that they can have the choice. 'I just don't know how, year after year after year, the government stands by and does nothing about it.' The campaign group has called on the DfE to update the School Admissions Code – which is statutory guidance which schools and local authorities in England must follow – to give parents of summer-born children a 'legal right' to enrol their children in Reception at the age of five. Ms McDonagh Hull added: 'The government has not followed through on its promise to make sure that the School Admissions Code gives all summer-born children the automatic right to an uninterrupted full education, if or when their parents decide to enrol them in school at compulsory school age. 'Other parents might go the private route if they can afford it. Other parents will choose homeschooling. 'Other parents will just cave – their child either enters Reception class at age four, or they enter Year 1 at age five if there's a space available.' Tammy Campbell, visiting senior fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science, said the FoI results show accessing deferred entry for summer-born children is 'far from equitable'. She told PA: 'The 'right to request' policy is playing out inequitably according to both local area and family background factors. 'This is not effective in ensuring that the children most likely to benefit from deferred entry are accessing the option.' Dr Campbell said her research has shown it is potentially more 'advantaged' families who are most likely to have their summer-born children start Reception a year later. 'Children not registered for free school meals and those from families with English as a first language are more likely to defer,' she added. Margaret Mulholland, Send and inclusion specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, said: 'The government guidance is pretty clear that it should be rare for admissions authorities to refuse a parent's request but in practice the rules don't appear to be applied consistently. 'Our view is that decisions should always be in the best interests of children – and that may be a matter of ensuring there is the right support in place rather than delaying the child's entry to school. 'However, whatever approach is taken it does need a clear set of expectations that support those interests to be consistently applied so that families know exactly what to expect and it isn't a postcode lottery.' A DfE spokeswoman said: 'High and rising standards are at the heart of this government's mission to break down barriers to opportunity so every child can achieve and thrive. 'The government's guidance is clear that it's rarely in a child's best interests to miss a year of their education, and so it should be rare for a deferral request to be refused. 'We recognise parents' experiences can still vary and continue to support individual admissions authorities with their decision making.'
The Independent
an hour ago
- General
- The Independent
Parents of summer-born children face ‘unfair' postcode lottery in admissions
Families who want to delay their summer-born child from starting primary school are facing an 'unfair' postcode lottery, with some councils refusing more than half of parents' requests, it has been suggested. Parents who ask for a delayed start in Reception for a child born between April and August have varying success depending on where they live, an analysis has found. Figures – obtained by the PA news agency using freedom of information (FoI) requests – show some councils have turned down the majority of parents' requests to defer their children starting school. Meanwhile, many councils approved 100% of requests for delayed entry over a three-year period. Campaigners and parents are calling for greater consistency across England for families who do not want their child to start primary school almost a year younger than some of their classmates – as some families worry their child is not ready emotionally or physically. It comes amid concerns about a decline in school readiness among children starting Reception, with some arguing Covid-19 lockdowns have exacerbated developmental delays. Children in England usually start primary school in the September after they turn four, but parents of children born between April 1 and August 31 can request to delay entry to Reception by a year. A child does not reach 'compulsory school age' until the term following their fifth birthday. Department for Education (DfE) guidance, which was updated in 2023, says admissions authorities are expected to decide whether a summer-born child can be admitted out of their normal age group – to Reception rather than Year 1 – based on 'the child's best interests'. It should be 'rare' for a council to refuse a parent's request, and the Government believes it is 'rarely in a child's best interests' to miss a year of education by starting in Year 1 instead of Reception, it adds. Nearly three in five councils in England – 91 out of 153 – provided full data to PA on the total number of requests from parents of summer-born children to delay Reception over three years: from September 2022 to September 2023, September 2023 to September 2024, and September 2024 to September 2025. Of these, 86 councils provided a full breakdown of the requests which were refused over the three years. The figures show: – Lambeth Council in London refused more than two in three requests from parents to delay Reception entry from September 2024 to September this year. Seventeen requests were made for summer-born children and 12 were refused. A spokesman for the council said all decisions are 'carefully considered on a case-by-case basis, with the child's best interests at the centre of the process'. But he said evidence suggests remaining within their chronological age group 'generally supports better long-term outcomes'. – Lincolnshire County Council refused nearly two in three (64%) of requests from parents to delay the start of school in a year. They received 87 requests to delay Reception from 2023 to 2024, and 56 were refused. But in the following year, only 13 out of 89 requests for a delayed school start from 2024 to 2025 were declined. Matthew Clayton, head of education support at the council, said it had 'altered' the way it deals with requests for a delayed school start for summer-born children following a change in guidance from the DfE in 2023. He added: 'As a result, the likelihood of requests being granted for 2024/25 onwards have been more aligned to the national picture.' – Southampton City Council refused more than half of requests from parents to delay the start of school in a year. They received 23 requests to delay Reception from September 2022 to September 2023, and 13 were refused. Councillor Amanda Barnes-Andrews, cabinet member for children and learning at the council, said the DfE's process for education outside of the normal age group is followed which 'requires reviewing every request individually to consider the impact to the child'. – More than two in five (45%) of the councils which provided data on the number of refusals – 39 out of 86 – said they did not turn down any requests from parents of summer-born children to delay entry to Reception over the three years. This includes Leicestershire County Council, which neighbours Lincolnshire, where 139 applications were received during the period and none of them were refused. – Hertfordshire County Council – which automatically processes summer-born applications – received 766 requests over the three years, and West Sussex County Council recorded 293 requests over the same period and none of them were turned down. The figures are only based on requests to councils so the numbers could vary as they do not include all requests made directly to academies and voluntary-aided schools, which are their own admission authorities. Bianca Sumpter applied to Lambeth Council to request a delay in her son Rumo starting Reception in September 2024 as she did not feel he was ready for school as he had speech delay, separation anxiety and was still napping in the daytime, but the request was refused. Rumo was born on August 26 in 2020 – two weeks before his due date – with a kidney condition which led to two operations in the first year of his life, and Mrs Sumpter said Rumo did not have much 'socialisation' due to his illness and the Covid-19 pandemic. The 43-year-old from London told PA: 'You are making the decision because it's best for your child, and you just feel so helpless that they're just taking this decision out of your hands when they do not know your child. 'It has been really awful. It has been really stressful. 'I don't want Rumo to go through school thinking this is awful. I want him to enjoy education. I want him to come out of it feeling that he can achieve whatever he wants to achieve. 'But this thing is putting barriers in place to say 'well because you're born on this day, you are probably always going to be an underachiever'.' Mrs Sumpter said the family faced a year of uncertainty after their request was refused by the council and they decided to keep Rumo in nursery last September instead of enrolling him in Reception at a local authority school. In the summer term, Rumo was offered some settling in sessions in Reception at their preferred school and the teachers concluded he was not ready to enter Year 1 in September. The council has now finally agreed to let the school hold Rumo back so he starts in Reception next month. Mrs Sumpter added: 'There is this massive disparity between councils and boroughs. You're just in the lap of the gods in terms of what that specific council says.' Southwark Council, which neighbours Lambeth, told PA it approves all requests from parents who want their summer-born child to be admitted to Reception a year later in their community schools. The mother-of-three said: 'I could literally walk there [to Southwark] in seven minutes. It's ridiculous that we've had to fight. 'Surely we want the outcome to be that children are achieving better educationally, but also they're achieving better socially and emotionally. That's where we should be getting our children to. 'Not just saying 'well this is a cut-off day and there's no choice and your child has to be in school' because then we just have generations of children who are unhappy and uneducated because they feel emotionally out of control.' Pauline McDonagh Hull, spokeswoman for The Summer Born Campaign, told PA: 'Based on current legislation, what's happening with this postcode lottery is completely unfair. 'It's unfair because some parents have more knowledge about the law and their rights, and some parents have greater capacity to fight if a fight is needed. 'Some parents are lucky and they're in an area where it just happens naturally, or the school advises them about it so that they can have the choice. 'I just don't know how, year after year after year, the Government stands by and does nothing about it.' The campaign group has called on the DfE to update the School Admissions Code – which is statutory guidance which schools and local authorities in England must follow – to give parents of summer-born children a 'legal right' to enrol their children in Reception at the age of five. Ms McDonagh Hull added: 'The Government has not followed through on its promise to make sure that the School Admissions Code gives all summer-born children the automatic right to an uninterrupted full education, if or when their parents decide to enrol them in school at compulsory school age. 'Other parents might go the private route if they can afford it. Other parents will choose homeschooling. 'Other parents will just cave – their child either enters Reception class at age four, or they enter Year 1 at age five if there's a space available.' Tammy Campbell, visiting senior fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science, said the FoI results show accessing deferred entry for summer-born children is 'far from equitable'. She told PA: 'The 'right to request' policy is playing out inequitably according to both local area and family background factors. 'This is not effective in ensuring that the children most likely to benefit from deferred entry are accessing the option.' Dr Campbell said her research has shown it is potentially more 'advantaged' families who are most likely to have their summer-born children start Reception a year later. 'Children not registered for free school meals and those from families with English as a first language are more likely to defer,' she added. Margaret Mulholland, Send and inclusion specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, said: 'The Government guidance is pretty clear that it should be rare for admissions authorities to refuse a parent's request but in practice the rules don't appear to be applied consistently. 'Our view is that decisions should always be in the best interests of children – and that may be a matter of ensuring there is the right support in place rather than delaying the child's entry to school. 'However, whatever approach is taken it does need a clear set of expectations that support those interests to be consistently applied so that families know exactly what to expect and it isn't a postcode lottery.' A DfE spokeswoman said: 'High and rising standards are at the heart of this Government's mission to break down barriers to opportunity so every child can achieve and thrive. 'The Government's guidance is clear that it's rarely in a child's best interests to miss a year of their education, and so it should be rare for a deferral request to be refused. 'We recognise parents' experiences can still vary and continue to support individual admissions authorities with their decision making.'
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Children at Christian summer camp 'were separated from their families for hours after poisoning': Police quizzing 76-year-old man
Youngsters suspected of being poisoned at a summer camp were separated 'for hours' from their 'distressed' parents as police investigated the shocking incident, a witness has claimed. Leicestershire Police revealed eight children were taken to hospital on Monday as a precaution after feeling unwell while attending a Christian summer camp at a site in Stathern, near Melton Mowbray. The incident, reported on Sunday by a 'third party', happened at Stathern Lodge, a converted farmhouse with a sports hall and catering facilities. On Monday afternoon, police arrested a 76-year-old man in a village pub car park three miles from the retreat, which is owned by a Christian charity - and are continuing to question him. All of the children have been discharged from hospital, but residents in the nearby village of Plungar described 'chaotic' scenes following the suspected poisoning. One described the events that had taken place as 'every parent's worst nightmare'. Another eyewitness said the affected children were separated from their parents for 'as much as three hours' at a triage centre set up at Plungar Village Hall, leaving the adults 'distressed', Leicester Mercury reported. Some parents were said to have begun 'screaming' at officers to let them be with their children. Six ambulances and fast response vehicles, as well as police descended on the triage site on Monday afternoon, residents said. One neighbour described a scene of 'confusion' and said parents were not allowed 'access' to the children. They said: 'I saw maybe one girl with her dad. She had her toy with her. They were waiting around a lot. 'It was a bit surreal I guess, a bit odd because it's quite quiet around here. 'The parents couldn't get any access to the kids, that was the weird thing. Just been told they weren't allowed in basically. I felt for them. 'It was mostly confusion from what I could tell, there were a lot of cars turning up.' A second resident added: 'There must've been about 20 children taken inside (the village hall). Nobody told us what was going on. 'Then later in the day we saw parents arriving to collect their children. Some of them looked a bit shaken.' The suspect was arrested on Monday in the car park of the Anchor Inn at Plungar, about three miles from the 700-population Leicestershire village of Stathern. Staff at the pub declined to comment today but a source told Daily Mail: 'He hadn't been inside the pub. Apparently the police were on the scene very quickly and detained him while he was still in the car park.' Leicestershire Police said the suspect was arrested on suspicion of administering poison or a 'noxious thing' with intent to injure, aggrieve or annoy. On Thursday, a spokesman for Braithwaite Gospel Trust - which owns Strathern Lodge - said the facility was being used by a church group from Nottingham at the time of the incident. Trustee Jonathan Jesson told Daily Mail the incident was 'horrifying'. He said: 'The trust owns the lodge, and it lets it be used by independent groups as a self-catering hostel accommodation. 'The situation is unfortunate, and it is a bit horrifying to understand that something like that could happen. But we didn't have any control over it, and have to go with what the police are doing. 'The police have only asked for information about the building itself and giving access to it. 'We are waiting for an update from the police. 'The charity was set up by a Christian farmer in the early 1970s, and part of his will dictated that Stathern Lodge would be used for the good of young people as a hostel accommodation and a place where people could come and enjoy the surroundings and have Christian input. We are an exclusively Christian organisation. 'I have only ever heard of positive feedback before this weekend. 'I have been talking to the police, because I want the building back to get it ready for the next group. No staff are allowed to get near it.' The investigation is now being led by the East Midlands Special Operations Unit's Major Incident Team (MIT) in order to allow a full and thorough investigation to take place with dedicated resources'. Detective Inspector Neil Holden, the senior investigating officer, said: 'We understand the concern this incident will have caused to parents, guardians and the surrounding community. 'We are in contact with the parents and guardians of all children concerned. 'Please be reassured that we have several dedicated resources deployed and are working with partner agencies including children's services to ensure full safeguarding is provided to the children involved. A dedicated Major Incident Public Portal has been created for anyone with information about the incident 'We also remain at the scene to carry out enquiries into the circumstances of what has happened and to continue to provide advice and support in the area. 'This is a complex and sensitive investigation and we will continue to provide updates to both parents and guardians and the public as and when we can..' The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is also investigating Leicester Police's response to the incident. Officers did not visit the summer camp until Monday, a day after receiving the report about poorly children on Sunday, the force has confirmed. The IOPC said: 'We received a conduct referral on Tuesday from Leicestershire Police relating to their handling of concerns passed to them over the wellbeing of a group of children. 'Our assessment team has examined all available evidence and concluded the matter should be independently investigated by the IOPC. 'The investigation will look at whether there were any breaches of professional behaviour - namely a failure to carry out duties and responsibilities - that resulted in a delay in Leicestershire Police's response to what was later declared a critical incident.' Local MP Ed Argar, Conservative member for Melton and Syston, encouraged the police to provide as much information as possible. He said: 'The reports of this incident are clearly shocking and deeply concerning. 'Our thoughts are with the young people affected, wishing them a full recovery. 'While, understandably, people will have a lot of questions about what has happened, it is important we remember this is a live police criminal investigation, so I would caution against people speculating while the police do that work. 'I would, however, encourage the police to provide as much information publicly as they can, as soon as they can, but without prejudicing that vital investigation.' A dedicated Major Incident Public Portal (MIPP) has been created and anyone with any information in relation to the investigation is asked to report online here:
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher at Home: 15 Vintage Photos of the '50s Sweethearts
Meet the parents Tour the dwellings of the Golden Age legends throughout their marriage and the early years of raising their children, Todd and Carrie Fisher Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Parents 'abandon son, 10, and leave him at Barcelona Airport because his passport had expired'
A couple abandoned their 10-year-old son at a Spanish airport to go on holiday after realising his passport had expired. The parents reportedly left their child alone at Barcelona's El Prat international airport on Wednesday and arranged for a relative to pick him up so they wouldn't miss their flight. The incident was reported by an air traffic coordinator at the airport, who made a TikTok video condemning the schoolboy's parents. According to the woman, whose video has been watched over 300,000 times on the social platform, said the child was forbidden from flying because his passport had expired and also needed a visa. But the couple's plan to make their holiday backfired after airport staff found the minor on his own and alerted the police. 'He told them that his parents were on the plane on their way to their home country, going on vacation', the air traffic controller said. The couple were then located and taken to the airport's police station where their son was. It is unclear if they were arrested. 'I'm an air traffic controller, and as a controller, I've seen a lot of things, but this has been completely surreal', the TikToker went on to say. 'I'm amazed to think how parents could possibly leave their ten-year-old son at the terminal because he can't travel due to documentation issues. They call a relative, who might take half an hour, an hour, or three hours, and they calmly board the flight and leave the child behind', she added. 'As a mother, I'm amazed'. The incident comes after a couple abandoned their baby at the check-in desk in Israel's Ben-Gurion airport before trying to board a flight to Brussels back in 2023. The pair had arrived at the airport in Tel Aviv with Belgian passports and tickets for a Ryanair flight to the Belgian capital, but did not have a boarding pass for their child. When they were told by airport staff that they couldn't board without purchasing a separate ticket, they simply left the child in its pushchair at the check-in desk and proceeded to head for the security terminal. Shocking video footage showed the moment gobsmacked airport staff noticed the lone pushchair and pulled back a blanket, exposing the abandoned baby the clip, one member of staff peels back a cover that had been draped over the pushchair, which was sat on a conveyor belt at the check-in desk. Audible gasps of surprise are heard when the staff realise a baby has been left alone in the pushchair with its parents nowhere in sight. Staff at the security check-in refused to allow the pair through, forcing them to return to collect the infant before calling the police who descended on Terminal 1 and promptly arrested them. The pair were taken in for questioning.
