Whatever age the child, so many children will end this school year at a huge disadvantage educationally and with many struggling with emotional issues due to the global pandemic. These disadvantages and emotional impacts for many will be long term and have knock on effects throughout their education for years to come.

We are asking for the government to discuss in parliament and the department for education to evaluate the traditional school years, rather than offering some children to stay behind or retake a year,  to keep all pupils in their current school year until December 2021, and amend the school years going forward to a calendar year running January to December.

This should allow children more time to catch up,  more time to receive emotional support and re-adjust to education settings. It may even allow time for exams to take place. 

For example my youngest daughter is 6 years old and so far has attended school for less then three terms in what will be her first two school years this July, as much as you can do in terms of homeschooling while working it is unrealistic to expect the same level of education to be taking place as would be in a school setting. 

If there is ever a time for new thinking this it's now.