Summer-born children - delaying entry to Reception by a full year
Contents
- Deciding to delay your child's admission
- Request to delay your child’s entry
- Delaying entry to Reception - what happens next
Request to delay your child’s entry
You have 2 options to delay your child's school start until the September following their 5th birthday.
You can make an in-year application for your child to start school in Year 1. Other children in their age group would be in Year 1 at this point. It is important to remember that some schools are likely to be full and they may be unable to offer a place.
Alternatively, you could request to admit your child into Reception instead of Year 1. This would place your child outside of their normal age group. As this is a ‘request’, you do not have the right to insist your child be admitted to this age group.
The school’s admission authority is responsible for making the decision about which year group a child should be admitted to.
If you have more than one preferred school, you must make the request to delay your child’s Reception application to each of the schools.
Your application will be processed through the school’s admission authority. They will:
- take into account any evidence you have provided them
- consult with the head teacher of the preferred school
You will be informed of the outcome in writing. You will be provided reasons if your request is refused.
There are different admission authorities depending on the type of school you are applying for.
The admission authority for each type of school is:
| Academy | Academy Trust |
| Community School | School Admissions at West Northamptonshire Council |
| Foundation | Governing Body |
| Free School | Academy Trust |
| Voluntary Aided | Governing Body |
| Voluntarily Controlled School | School Admissions at West Northamptonshire Council |
| Community or Voluntary Controlled school outside Northamptonshire | Governing Body |
You can find out what type of school your preferred schools are by using the Schools Directory.
If you have submitted your request to and been approved by the admission authority of a school, we must be notified of this approval. You or the admission authority must send:
- the request
- the admission authority’s written confirmation that agrees with the request
These documents must be sent to School Admissions at WNC. This is so that our data system can be adjusted to accept a Reception application for the following year.
You should check the individual school’s admission arrangements to see how this request can be made.
You may have to provide information about your child to explain why you think they should be educated out of their normal age group.
This information will help the admission authority make their decision, so it is important that you provide any additional evidence.
For example, you may be able to provide a report from your child’s Early Years setting. You could also provide evidence from a health or social care professional.
When considering a parental request, admission authorities will consider:
- the parent or carer’s views
- information about the child’s academic, social and emotional development
- where relevant, the child’s medical history and views of a medical professional
- whether the child may naturally have fallen into a lower age group if it were not for being born prematurely
- the views of the head teacher
It is important to make a request for admission out of the normal age group to every school where you wish to apply for a place. This is because the admission authority for one school does not have to comply with a decision made by the admission authority of another school.
The admission authority for all Community and Voluntary Controlled schools is West Northamptonshire Council. The admission authority for Academies, Voluntary Aided, Foundation and Free Schools, is either the Governing Body (VA and Foundation Schools) or the Academy Trust (Academies and Free Schools).
I want to request to delay my child’s Reception application after National Offer Day
You may have made an online application for your child’s normal year of entry and now want to delay their entry to Reception. In this case, you should discuss your options with the Head teacher at your child’s allocated school.
Your request will not be agreed if:
- you are dissatisfied with the place offered
- a place has not been offered at a preferred school
You should follow the normal procedure to request a delay.
The Reception place your child has been offered will remain allocated to them until the delay has been agreed.
If you decide you to have your child start school when they reach compulsory school age, even if this means entering in Year 1, you should decline your allocated place. You can do this by emailing School Admissions at WNC – this process is outlined in your offer letter.
Last updated 12 September 2024