P-05-832 To Amend the School Admissions Code Relating to Summer-Born Children, Correspondence – Denbighshire County Council to Chair, 12.12.18

Dear David Rowlands AM,

Petition P-05-832 To Amend the School Admissions Code Relating to Summer-Born Children

Thank you for your letter dated 4^th December 2018.

I can confirm that Denbighshire does not have a specific element within our Admissions arrangements covering this area. The Schools Admissions Code (section 3.30) specifies that the Authority should (not must) ‘consider these requests carefully and make decisions on the basis of the circumstances of each case’; however, this section in the Code refers to ‘gifted and talented children or those who have experienced problems or missed part of a year’. Therefore the specific case of ‘summer –born’ children is not presently covered in the Code. Neither, under the Code, do parents/carers have the ability to appeal any decision for an alternate year group if they are in receipt of an offer for the desired school in the correct year.

In regard to Denbighshire’s approach, the Authority will admit to the correct year, and have advised our schools that they should follow this same approach; recommending they teach children to their appropriate level within the relevant curriculum year group. There may be limited circumstances where schools have made a decision to teach a child outside of their expected year group; however, these circumstances will be very limited. Presently Denbighshire only has 11 children to whom this would apply; 9 in secondary education and 2 in primary. Of these 11 children only 2 are August summer-born; which is 0.01% of our total cohort (Nursery to Year 13). I note that in these limited circumstances, any decision to move school year will have been in consultation with the Authority and following extensive teacher observations, test data and advice (if applicable) from other relevant educational professionals.

In regard to the specific questions asked in your correspondence, we are unable to answer these. The Authority does not have a mechanism for recording such requests as this does not form part of our Admissions arrangements. However, we are aware that such requests are extremely infrequent and usually relate to more able and talented children; something which is managed within the school process mentioned above.

I trust this has been of assistance.

Yours sincerely

Judith Greenhalgh
Prif Weithredwr Cyngor Sir Ddinbych / Chief Executive of Denbighshire County Council