A MUM has hit out at ‘obstructive policies’ which she has said means her child will miss a year of school.

Aneta Wolanczyk’s daughter Mia is due to start at Thorn Primary School in Bacup in September but has been told she has to go straight into year one rather than start in reception as Mrs Wolancyzk wishes.

The 37-year-old from the town said Lancashire County Council has ‘denied her daughter extra time to mature emotionally and gain confidence’.

At the time she applied for her daughter to start school the council’s policy was that children born between April 1 and August 31 should start at the age of four in September or start in year one at the age of five the following year.

There have to be exceptional circumstances for five-year-olds to be able to start in reception.

Her daughter, who will be five in August and attends nursery, speaks Polish as a first language which, her mum said, should count as an ‘exceptional circumstance’.

The accountant said the council did not follow admissions code which require it to explain why it is in her daughter’s best interest to start in year one rather than reception and did not follow the correct decision making process.

Her complaint was partially upheld by the Local Government Ombudsman in July.

Mrs Wolancyzk, who also has a son, said: “I had made the decision she would not start education until the age of five and I thought it would be best for her to start reception.

“As a parent I have a right to decide when my child will start school.

“If she starts formal education very early it is a risk the mother tongue will be lost.

“It is important for me that she does Polish.

“All our family is in Poland.

“I cannot imagine speaking to her in a different language.”

Debbie Ormerod, the council’s school admissions manager, said: “We accepted the Ombudsman’s ruling on this case, and acted upon it by carefully and comprehensively reconsidering the request from Mrs Wolanczyk.

“It is only with good cause that summer born children are allowed to lose a full school year and it must be in the child’s best interests to do so.

“We have also recently updated and made clearer our policy and procedures for assessing requests for children to delay the start of their primary education.”