To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will commission research into the impact on children born in August of the resultant reduction in (a) time spent at home with their parents, (b) part-time pre-school provision and (c) school time in their first year. (264508)

There is currently no plan to commission research to look at the link between children born in August and the time they spend with their parents, at nursery, or at school. However, the Department has funded a number of projects that have looked at the impact of children’s date of birth on their educational performance, and support children to make the transition between Early Years and Primary. These include:

When You Are Born Matters: The Impact of Date of Birth on Child Cognitive Outcomes in England. Institute of Fiscal Studies (October, 2007);

The Effective Pre-School, Primary and Secondary Education project; and,

The National Strategies Communication, Language and Literacy Development programme.

As part of his independent review of the primary curriculum, Sir Jim Rose will be drawing on findings from these projects in his final report, on proposals to allow more choice and flexibility in start dates for children entering school.

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will take steps to allow parents of children born in August to move their children out of the cohort to delay their entry into reception class by up to one year. (264601)

The remit for the Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum, asks Sir Jim Rose to consider whether it would be appropriate to allow more choice and flexibility in start dates for children entering school. Ministers will give careful consideration to his final report and recommendations, which are due to be published this spring.