Deferred and delayed transfers

Children can attend primary education from the September following their fourth birthday. The law requires that children attend school from the prescribed day of or following their fifth birthday (the prescribed days are 31 December, 31 March and 31 August).

Most children do start school in the September after they turn four. However, a child doesn't need to start school until they reach compulsory school age.

Summer-born children

Children born from 1 April to 31 August are known as summer-born children. They don't need to start school until the September after their fifth birthday, a year after they could first have started school. This is when summer born children reach compulsory school age.

Parents of summer-born children have two options if they feel their child isn't ready to start reception in September with their natural cohort:

Option 1 - delayed start

A parent of a summer-born child starting school aged 4 can, if they wish, agree with the allocated school a pattern of part-time attendance or a deferred start until later in that school year (but not later than the beginning of the summer term). You can discuss this with the school.

This will require the parent to apply on time (by 15 January) using the application process provided by your local authority. Once places are allocated on the 16 April the parent can contact the headteacher to discuss the delayed start.

Option 2 - defer for a full year 

If a parent decides that their summer-born child will start school aged five and wants that child to start school in reception (not year 1), they need to make a request to the local admission authority. This is called requesting admission out of the normal age group – because children born from 1 September in one year to 31 August the following year are normally educated together in one year group.

This means that you'll need to decide whether or not you want to request admission out of the normal age group in the autumn following your child’s third birthday. Remember that your child will do lots of growing and developing before they reach the point at which they could start school.

This information doesn't apply to children with education, health and care (EHC) plans. If your child has an EHC plan and you wish them to start school in reception (not year 1) when they're five, you should contact the SEN team. Having special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) doesn't necessarily mean a child should delay starting school. It may be better for them to start school before compulsory school age so that they can access the support available there.

If you decide that you want to defer for a full year

You should still apply for a school place as normal by 15 January – as if your child was going to start school at age four – even if you want to delay their start until age five.

You should also submit a request for admission out of the normal age group ideally by 15 January. Shropshire residents can email school-admissions@shropshire.gov.uk to request this. The admission authority decides whether children who start school at compulsory school age should be admitted to reception or year 1. They must make this decision in the child’s best interests.

If you decide to delay your child starting school until the September following their fifth birthday but don't request admission out of their normal age group at this time, your child will start school in year 1. You'll need to make an in-year application for a school place for your child, and we can advise you on when it would be best to make such an application. Please note that some schools are likely to be full at this point and unable to offer you a place. Schools are unable to hold a place for your child from the previous year.

Please be advised that should a summer-born child defer for a year, it's currently a requirement to make another request to defer their entry to the next phase of their education. When a child of year 6 age is being taught in year 5, an application for secondary school and a request to defer their entry to secondary school will need to be made. Another point to be aware of is a summer-born child deferred for a year will reach school leaving age at the end of year 10, rather than year 11. The school won't ask them to leave, but they'll no longer be required by law to attend school, and the school may not be able to enforce their attendance. Children usually take their GCSEs in year 11.

School transport is another consideration as local authorities only have to provide school travel for certain children of compulsory school age. If your child gets free travel, it may stop when they reach the end of year 10.

Please visit the Gov.UK website for further information on summer-born children starting school.