I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information about requests for admission of summer born children to Reception at the age of five rather than four:
1. The number of applications from parents of summer born children (those born between April 1 and August 31) asking to defer their child starting Reception for the academic years starting in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Please provide a breakdown by year.
2. Of these, the number of applications which were successful and the number which were refused. Please provide a breakdown by year.
The answers to questions 1 and 2 can be found at the following link:
| Request | Refused | Agreed | Total |
| Delayed Admission to 2024 | 7 | 96 | 103 |
| Delayed Admission to 2023 | 9 | 80 | 89 |
| Delayed Admission to 2022 | 13 | 86 | 99 |
3. The number of appeals by parents of summer born children if their application for delayed entry was refused. Of these, how many were successful. Please provide a breakdown by year.
There is no recourse to appeal the decision to refuse a request for delayed admission.
4. Any details about the council’s policy on deferred school entry of summer born children. For example, do you automatically agree all requests or only agree requests where parents present very strong evidence.
Devon County Council has determined not to have a blanket policy to agree to all requests until or unless the School Admission Code is amended and has advised schools within the area accordingly. This doesn’t mean that individual cases will be refused, each request will be considered on a case by case basis with the admissions authority for the school reaching a decision in the best interests of the child.