premature twins born 14 weeks early

[Reading Mum]

but is still up to each school/LA to decide whether they will take the education year or the birth date into account and it is not consistent.

I am glad it has got easier - my Dad would have had to take a year out before uni if he had been born on 4th October not 3rd after being put up a year in school.

[Mandy21]

Amber - you're right in that it may be easier now to start primary school later there is absolutely no consistency across LAs or schools as to how they deal with the 11+ (and that's why Reading Mum may also be correct that its not advised in her area). Some schools don't have a policy yet, the schools that do (can only speak for my local schools), it seems to be on a case by case basis so there is no knowing that yes, your child can take the 11+ a year late (i.e. with their cohort once they start school in the later school year) or whether they'd have to take it at their correct age, so effectively at the start of Year 5 instead of at the start of Year 6.

So its absolutely right that anyone considering delaying their children due to prematurity considers ALL the options - and what happens at age 10 or 11 is a big part of that consideration.

[Sally-Anne]

I'd have thought (and I stand to be corrected) that in a case such as that - where the children were due in say October but were born in August - that the children are taking the exams effectively a whole school year ahead of their "due date" peers. I'd have thought that if there is good academic evidence, and they weren't miles off the exam pass mark, that it must be a compelling argument for appeal panels.

That precise scenario came up a few years ago - you weren't in the appeal room were you?

The score was a near miss and the academic evidence was good, so it was something of a "killer blow" when the parents were able to point out that, but for being 6 weeks premature, the child would have been in the year below and taking the test an entire year later.

However, other than when prematurity spans the start of a school year, the argument can get quite tricky. There was a fairly similar case some years ago where the parents suggested politely that, had their child been born several weeks later at full term, he might have gained the missing mark or two from standardisation. Unfortunately, the LA Rep claimed that it would be the opposite, and the child would have had a lower mark!

A fairly heated argument broke out between the Chair and LA Rep, and the parents looked on helplessly as their case was derailed by the confusion. In the end, the Chair (correctly) overruled the Rep, but the experience was more than a little unnerving at the time.

Both appeals were successful in the end, but from the outset they were near-misses on score and the academic evidence was sound. Prematurity simply helped to explain away a missing mark or two.

[Sonia nn]

That is so helpful thank you so much. I will just have to wait and see if they pass and hopefully they get a place. But yes it's such a lot of stress when twins are doing the 11 plus and not knowing if both will get through!

[Etienne]

....... I will just have to wait and see if they pass and hopefully they get a place. But yes it's such a lot of stress when twins are doing the 11 plus and not knowing if both will get through!

Please see:
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeal ... cation#b24" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Mandy21]

Mandy21 wrote:

I'd have thought (and I stand to be corrected) that in a case such as that - where the children were due in say October but were born in August - that the children are taking the exams effectively a whole school year ahead of their "due date" peers. I'd have thought that if there is good academic evidence, and they weren't miles off the exam pass mark, that it must be a compelling argument for appeal panels.

That precise scenario came up a few years ago - you weren't in the appeal room were you?

Oooh no I wasn't, but I'd have liked to have been

Good luck OP.

[Sonia nn]

Thanks Etienne.

Just waiting in anticipation for the results and then need to decide what to do! Thanks again.