P-05-832 To Amend the School Admissions Code Relating to Summer-Born Children – Correspondence from Petitioner, 26.06.19

Dear Committee Members,

we thank you once again, for continuing to discuss our petition.

We would like to know if all local authorities have now responded to your request for information, with regards to requests to decelerate?  There are parents currently going through this process;location authorities are most certainly continuing to apply a, blanket policy, contravening the Welsh Government's current Admissions Code, to consider each application on an individual basis. In fact, there are currently four parents being forced to send their child to schools over the border, in England, in order to meet their child's needs (Chester, Oswestry, Gloucester and Bristol). We feel the Committee must be made aware of this.

We note in her correspondence to the Committee that the Minister states that the officials have met with parents of the Flexible Admissions Group, to discuss their ecperiences;this is not true. Officials have only met with the author of the petituon, in January 2019.

Wales is the only prinipity that does not have a specific policy for summer-born children. Norther Ireland had this issue on their agenda, prior to their Parliament being dissolved.  We believe passionately that pressure must be brought to ensure a change, to take into account the needs of our summer born children in Wales.

Warm regards,

Sian Lloyd

Flexible Admissions Wales Group