The School Years

Time spent at school is an important part of everyone's life. However, school is only part of the larger picture of development and the time of most rapid development has already happened in the period from birth to preschool.

For multiple birth children, the presence of their co-multiple(s) may bring additional challenges, often starting with the question of whether it is better to keep them in the same class or to separate them. It is important to remember that there are other educational issues to consider such as the ability and progress of multiples relative to each other as well as to other children. Adolescence and secondary school bring additional challenges to the multiple birth family as the young people become independent and develop separate interests and aspirations.

There is information in this section for parents, educational professionals and for adolescent multiples. We hope to shape and influence school policy and have therefore provided a section on best practice with a framework school policy.

The information for this section has been put together using the following resources:

• 'Primary and Secondary School Admissions and Appeals: A Guide for Parents' from the DCSF available by post or download from www.dcsf.gov.uk
• The Schools Admission Code (covering both Secondary and Primary Schools available as a download from the DCSF site.
• The School Appeals Code - also available as a download from the DCSF site.
• 'Meeting the educational needs of multiple birth children' David Hay and Pat Preedy : Early Human Development (2006) 82, 397-403
• 'Together or Apart?' David Hay, Twins Research Volume 7 Number 2 pp. iii-iv
• 'When You Are Born Matters: The Impact of Date of Birth on Child Cognitive Outcomes in England' C. Crawford, L. Dearden, C. Meghir. The Institute of Fiscal Studies, London. (October 2007)
• 'Twins and Multiple Births: the essential parenting guide - from pregnancy to adulthood' Dr Carol Cooper (see chapter 12 on primary school and chapter on secondary school)
• The TAMBA website - including factsheets on:
  • 'Family Relationships in Families with Multiples'
  • 'Dealing with differences in Multiples'
  • 'Multiples and Money Matters'
• http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/publications
• http://www.ace-ed.org.uk (education: support for parents)
• http://www.wordswell.co.uk (language delay)
• http://www.bliss.org.uk (for babies born 'too soon, too small, too sick')