Summer-born children - delaying entry to Reception by a full year

Delaying entry to Reception - what happens next

When a request is agreed

School Admissions will write to the parents/carers confirming that an application can be made for that school for the following year.

Places cannot be held from one year to the next. Parents/carers will be asked to confirm that they would like their Reception application for the normal age group to be withdrawn (if applicable). 

Reapplying for a place

Parents/carers whose requests have been agreed should reapply for a Reception place out of the normal age group as part of the main admissions round the following year. 

Only schools whose admission authorities have agreed to a Reception application out of the normal age group should be added as preferences on the application form. 

While a school may agree to accept an application out of the normal age group, there is no guarantee that a place at that school will be allocated in the following year’s main admissions round. 

The application will be treated in the same way as all the applications made in that admissions round. No additional priority will be given to an applicant applying out of normal age group, nor will they be penalised.

If it is not possible to offer a place at one of the preferred schools, we will make every effort to allocate a Reception place at an alternative school. However, any school approached as an alternative school would have to agree to offer a place out of the normal age group. 

If the Local Authority is unable to secure a Reception place at an alternative school, we will look for a Year 1 place for the following September.

If parents/carers change their minds

Parents/carers can still apply in the normal admissions round for a place in Reception following their child’s fourth birthday. They must apply by the deadline on 15 January. 

Applications received after 15 January will be treated as late applications according to WNC’s current co-ordinated scheme.

If a child already has or receives an EHCP

This guidance does not apply to children who already have an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP). So, if a summer born child has an EHCP and parents would like them to be admitted to school at age 5 to start in Reception, they will need to discuss this with the EHC Team at WNC.

If a child receives an EHCP after parents decide to delay their school start, the plan will override any agreements and will specify the school and year group.

Parents/carers should discuss this with their EHC caseworker to understand the implications and next steps.

Transferring to secondary school or changing schools

Children do not automatically transfer to a new school with their adopted year group. 

Where a child has been educated out of their normal age group, parents/carers will once again have to request admission out of the normal age group when they transfer to Junior or Secondary school, or if they wish to move schools. 

It will be for the admission authority of that school to decide whether to admit the child out of their normal age group in the same way as above. However, they will consider the age group the child has been educated in up to that point. 

Parents/carers should make requests for out-of-normal-age-group education at their preferred secondary schools before the normal admissions round closes. This will be on 31 October of the year their child starts year 5 rather than year 6.

This is so that they know the outcome of their requests in time to submit an application for their child’s normal age group should their request/s be turned down. 

When a request is refused

If a request is refused, parents can either:

• make requests to alternative schools to see if any will agree. There is no limit to the number of schools parents/carers can make their requests to
• accept the school place they are offered on National Offer Day for the normal year of entry (if applicable). Parents/carers choosing to keep the allocated place can defer their child’s start date at the allocated school and/or consider part-time attendance. They should discuss this with their allocated school
• make an in-year application for their child to start school in Year 1 for the September after their fifth birthday

Parents/carers who have not made a Reception application for their child’s normal year of entry should apply immediately if they want their child to start school in Reception, not Year 1.

Applications received after 15 January will be classed as Late applications. Find out more about late applications and when they will be processed.

Complaints

If they are unhappy with a decision to refuse an application out of normal age group, parents/carers can complain to the admission authority of the school in question through their published complaints process.

If they remain unhappy once they have exhausted that complaints process, they may complain to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (for community, voluntary controlled, voluntary aided and foundation schools) or to the Department for Education for academies.

If a request for entry out of the normal age group is refused, there is no statutory right to appeal this decision. The statutory admission appeals process does not cover a decision to refuse delayed entry to school.

Last updated 15 April 2025