Options for parents of 4 year olds

You have been offered a place in a Reception Class for September – these are your options:

• Full-time* start on the first day of term is an entitlement OR
• Part-time** start on the first day of term. Part time attendance can continue up until statutory school age (the beginning of the term following their fifth birthday). This is an entitlement OR
• You can ask to Defer admission up to statutory school age and take up your Early Years Entitlement hours in an early year’s setting OR
• You can ask to Defer admission up to statutory school age within the same academic year and make other arrangements such as remaining at home OR
• You can Decline the offer and delay admission to the next academic year.

*Some schools offer a staggered start to Reception. Many four-year olds have been attending an early year’s settings for up to 30 hours, or more, each week prior to and during the pandemic. A staggered start can be a struggle for both parents and children especially when the full-time start is prolonged. You are not required to accept a staggered start.

**You cannot take a part-time place in Reception and funded sessions in an early year’s setting. You could however arrange for additional pre-school hours on top of the part time attendance in reception class, but you would have to pay for them. The part-time option in Reception is a parental right though parents cannot insist on a particular pattern of attendance.

Deferred admission

As a parent, you have the right to defer your child’s admission until the statutory school age (the start of the term following your child’s fifth birthday). This is a decision for you as a parent to make. We would advise you to take all factors into account including the advice of the headteacher at the school, other education professionals and any health or social care professionals working with your child.

If you wish to defer admission, you must inform the headteacher of the school which has been allocated. That place will be held open until the start of the term after your child’s fifth birthday within that academic year and will not be offered to another child. If you don’t let the headteacher know and your child doesn’t start on the date offered, the place may be withdrawn and offered to another child.

Summer-born children can’t automatically defer admission and enter school in a Reception class in the following September. Parents must make an application for a Year 1 place after the summer half-term in 2021.

The table below sets out your choices to defer based on when your child has their birthday:

*With a fresh application for a Year 1 place or into Reception class with a request for Delayed Admission.

It is possible that this class may have been filled during the Reception year. A place will not have been reserved.

Delayed admission for summer-born children

You may wish your child to start in Reception an academic year later than normal. Although it is not necessary, such a request is often supported with social, medical or educational evidence from a relevant professional who is independent of your family. If your request is agreed by the admission authority for the school, you must then reapply in the next normal round. A place isn’t guaranteed a year in advance as the application will be considered alongside all other applications – there is no additional priority on the grounds that the application is for a delayed place. Please contact us or the schools you are interested in for further information. It is advisable to consider more than one school in case the school you want is unable to offer a place.

There is a right to request delayed admission on any grounds you wish; there is not a right to that request being allowed by a school.