Accelerated Entry... help please!

[Katerina]

Hi, does anyone have experience of accelerated entry to CCHSG? My daughter is currently in Y5 but is actually 9yrs old and officially a Y4 child. She has gone through her whole primary school (since Y1) in the year above her actual age on recommendations of her teachers and now we are being advised that she should do the 11+ and attempt to gain entry to CCHSG. We have failed to get her 'officially' recognised in Y5 by the local authority (Suffolk) and subsequently have been told by CSSE that she can't sit the 11+ until she is actually in Y6. This means she would have to stay at primary school (whilst all her friends leave) and retake Y6. The prospect of this has caused her much distress and we are concerned she won't be stimulated and could become bored and frustrated at school by staying back a year.

I understand there are several girls in CCHSG who are in the year above their actual age - can anyone with experience of this situation advise me?

[moved]

Could you clarify that you mean Colchester County High School rather than Chelmsford please. I have assumed that this is the case as you live in Suffolk.

[KB]

The CSSE regulations state that the decision lies with the admissions committee of the school you are applying to.
I would get a letter from your Head teacher confirming that your daughter has been working in the year group ahead since starting school etc and then write to the school you are intending to apply to.
I think such situations are less common than they used to be because teaching has improved to cater better for the needs of individual children within their own year group.
Other developmental issues have sometimes been an issue in the past which is also why it seems to be more 'frowned upon' now.

None of these generalisations should impact your DD of course, whose case should be considered as an individual but it might explain why you are hitting barriers. Have you got an explanation from your LEA about why they won't recognise her as being in the year ahead?

[Minesatea]

HI, we looked into this as my son was at one stage being unofficially educated with the year above. The CSSE policy, and consequently that of the schools, is that under age candidates must be registered as a year 6 pupil at the time of the exam. The same policy generally applies to all state schools, so you may well find that no local secondary schools will accept her either unless you can persuade Suffolk LEA to acknowledge that she is currently a year 5 pupil. What have your catchment secondary school said? Have you / her primary school presented evidence to a fair access panel?

[Katerina]

Thanks all. I have spoken to Colchester Girls who have confirmed that they cannot consider her application unless she is registered by the LA as a Y6 and is 'following the full Y6 curriculum when she takes the 11+'. She will be doing the full Y6 curriculum but she won't be registered 'officially' as a Y6 due to Suffolk CC's refusal to register her. SCC cite 'insufficient evidence' and concerns for her 'emotional and social wellbeing' as reasons for refusal. They do not know her like her teachers and we do and therefore have no basis for this assumption which I believe to be a stock answer. Her headteacher has provided a letter of support and refers to her being, 'considerably above her peers in both her academic ability and her general maturity for school' which I believe is evidence enough. The head of our local state secondary school has provided a letter confirming that he will accept her a year early as well. So, we're stuck with the refusal of SCC to allow her to be officially registered in the year above her age which therefore prevents her doing the 11+/applying to Colchester Girls unless she retakes either Y5 or Y6 which is not something we/she wants to do. SCC have not invited us to appeal but instead have invited us to 'complain' via a generic email address. Bureaucracy eh!?! Any comments much appreciated!

[shakingmum]

My DS has a friend who was educated in the year above his age throughout primary school. He had to stay back and do his year 6 again while his friends went off to secondary school. At this point he met my DS and another boy who was also very academic. The three of them became good friends and the following year went to CRGS together. He didn't appear to have any problems with the transition and being held back a year. I know every case is individual but hopefully this story is reassuring if you find your DD can't move on this year.

[Guest55]

I was not allowed to do the 11+ early even though I'd gone through most of Primary one year ahead and top of that class. I spent two years in Year 5 - the second with a different teacher and did not get bored as I was given different work.

Looking back I am pleased as 'rites of passage' such as learning to drive, voting, going to uni (and being able to go to Freshers week events whether you drink or not) are much more fun when you are the right age and are allowed to participate. An ex-boyfriend went to university at 16 and found it difficult.

Even if she's happy now with the year above do think about the future ...

[loobylou]

I did the 11+ early and went to GS a year early. Academically I coped fine and remained in all the top sets throughout what would now be KS3. I did fine in my O levels, not so well in my A levels (but that might have been nothing to do with age), had to resit my A levels and therefore started uni at the "right" age. I do feel that socially I did less well by being that bit younger. I have no regrets because my best friends come from my time at school and uni and who knows what would have happened had I been kept down.
But I wouldn't have allowed my children to follow the same path as I did. I don't think it was ideal. My ds is in year 5 and works with the year 6 children most of the time; next year he will be in year 6 and will be given extension work that hopefully will continue to stretch and interest him.... I would hope schools can manage to differentiate a bit better than they did in my day.

[Minesatea]

Presumably if SCC won't accept that she is year 5 then it won't just be Colchester County High school that she can't apply to in September but any state secondary school. Even if a school says they will take her early, if Suffolk LEA won't accept your CAF then you are stuck. The only options I can think of are:
1. Accept the situation and repeat year 5 or 6.
2. Appeal to Suffolk LEA
3. Go private, Woodbridge in particular are happy to take under or over age pupils
4. Ask Essex LEA if they would accept her as a year 5 pupil and if so quickly move over the border!
5. Complete year 6, as a year 5, sit the 11 plus in September 2016 and then home educate for the rest of the year.

I found this in the suffolk admissions policy. Has your case been to a fair access panel?

Applications for a place outside the normal age group
64.All schools are experienced in educating and caring for children with different abilities and social and emotional needs. It is expected, therefore, that children will normally be educated within their chronological year group.
65.Applications for children to be admitted to a school one year earlier or one year later than normal, to stay for an extra year with a younger year group or to be taught one year ahead will be considered carefully and the decision will be made on the basis of the circumstances of each case and evidence provided. Requests will be considered at the Fair Access Panel with the evidence provided.

[Katerina]

Thanks for this. We've been rejected by the SCC Fair Access Panel and I have tried to appeal via a letter but have received a short response informing me that I cannot 'appeal'... only 'complain'. Our catchment high school has agreed to take her a year early as it is an academy and therefore determines it's own admissions so it is currently our only choice. It's a good/improving high school and our older daughter goes there and is doing well so it's potentially the best option. I am aggrieved that SCC are preventing us from having the opportunity of my younger daughter going to grammar school because of their policies. Given that they have no knowledge of my daughter, her personality or her abilities, I feel this is wrong.