Deferred school children: FOI release

Information requested

1. How many children are deferred into school on average a year (I believe these statistics are available) but need the data for comparison to how many of those children remain in school with their adoptive cohort. I have this information Deferred entry to primary school: statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

2. Of those children, how many remain in school and are awarded their National 5s, Higher and Advanced Highers? Do these deferred children remain in their deferred year group throughout their education?

3. How many of those deferred children dropped out of school entirely without sitting their National 5s, Higher or Advanced Highers? How many of the originally deferred children go on to attend University or tertiary education?

4.How many of those deferred children are made to skip an entire year of school by their headteachers or learning authority and placed into their 'birth year' normal age group cohort? What are the reasons cited?

5. Do parents/carers need to re-apply for a deferred entry place into the next phase of their child's schooling i.e. Secondary school.? If so, what is the process?

6. Are deferred children allowed to participate in sport and clubs with their adoptive cohort or 'birth year' 'normal age group' cohort?

7. How do these (deferred) children perform in school and exams?

Response

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested.

The Scottish Government does not have the information you have asked for because we don’t collect any information on children that defer entry to school. We did some analysis to estimate deferral rates which can be accessed here - Deferred entry to primary school: statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

The answers to Q5 and Q6 are below:

5. Do parents/carers need to re-apply for a deferred entry place into the next phase of their child's schooling i.e. Secondary school.? If so, what is the process?
Pupils will transition into secondary school within their adoptive cohort. There is no need for parents/cares to reapply their deferred child into secondary school.

6. Are deferred children allowed to participate in sport and clubs with their adoptive cohort or 'birth year' 'normal age group' cohort?
It is expected that pupils would take part in sports & clubs within their adoptive cohort. Curriculum for Excellence allows flexibility to schools to tailor lessons and learning activities, including PE, to children and young peoples’ age and stage of development. So a pupil’s individual circumstances/views should be considered when making the decision.

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