Children born between 1 April and 31 August are classed as summer-born in England. Because the compulsory school age is typically reached by the September after a child turns five, these children are the youngest in their year group — often by as much as eleven months.
Since 2019, parents of summer-born children have had the legal right to request that their child starts Reception a full year later — at age five rather than four — and is admitted into Reception (not Year 1) when they do start. However, exercising this right is not automatic and requires a formal request to each school on your list. This guide explains the rules, the process and what to do if your request is refused.
Before 2019, parents could delay a summer-born child's entry, but the child would typically be placed straight into Year 1 — missing Reception entirely. The 2019 change to the School Admissions Code gave parents the right to request entry into Reception a year late, not Year 1. This means the child goes through the full Reception curriculum with their younger cohort.
What Does "Summer-Born" Mean in the Admissions Context?
In England, the academic year runs from 1 September to 31 August. Children are legally required to be in full-time education from the term following their fifth birthday. Most children start Reception the September after they turn four — meaning the oldest children in any Reception class are those born in September, and the youngest are those born in late August.
A summer-born child starting Reception at the standard time is the youngest in their cohort — potentially eleven months younger than classmates born in September of the previous year. Research consistently shows that this age gap has measurable effects on attainment, wellbeing and long-term outcomes, particularly in the early years.
The Right to Delayed Entry: How It Works
Under the current School Admissions Code, parents of summer-born children can formally request that their child:
- Starts Reception a full year later than they otherwise would (the September when the child turns 5)
- Is admitted into the Reception year group — not Year 1 — when they do start
- Remains with that cohort for the rest of their school career (i.e. they will be a year below age-expected peers permanently)
This is sometimes called deferred entry or delayed entry. The critical point is that the child is admitted into Reception, not slotted into Year 1 — which gives them access to the full Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum before moving into Key Stage 1.
Who Decides? The Admissions Authority
The decision is not made by the local authority — it is made by the admissions authority for each school. For community and voluntary-controlled schools, this is usually the local authority. For academies, free schools, and voluntary-aided schools (often faith schools), the school itself is the admissions authority.
This means that if a child's parents apply to four schools, they may need to make four separate requests and could receive four different decisions. There is no single authority that can grant approval for all schools simultaneously.
AI-generated image
How to Make a Delayed Entry Request
The process varies slightly by local authority and by school type, but the general steps are:
- Contact each school or its admissions authority — ideally in the autumn term before the usual application deadline (October to January)
- Submit a written request explaining that you wish your summer-born child to start Reception a year later and setting out your reasons
- Provide supporting evidence if you have it — this might include a letter from a health visitor, paediatrician, nursery or early years specialist discussing your child's developmental readiness. Evidence strengthens your case but is not legally required for the request to be considered
- Receive a written decision — the admissions authority must consider your request and provide a decision with reasons. A blanket refusal without considering the individual circumstances is not lawful
- If refused, appeal — see below
Do not wait until the standard application deadline to raise this issue. Contact each school's admissions authority as early as possible — ideally in September or October of the year before your child would normally start. This gives you time to gather evidence, receive decisions and appeal before the normal application round closes.
What Happens to Your Place in the Admissions Round?
This is where the process becomes complicated. If a delayed entry request is granted, the child does not simply hold their place for a year — they must re-apply in the following year's admissions round alongside all other applicants for that cohort.
This means there is no guarantee of a place at your preferred school when you re-apply. If the school is oversubscribed in the following year, your child will be assessed against that year's oversubscription criteria, along with all other applicants. A place that might have been available in the original round may not be available a year later.
In practice, most schools can accommodate a delayed-entry child, but this is not guaranteed — particularly for popular, oversubscribed schools in high-demand areas.
AI-generated image
What Are the Grounds for Refusal?
An admissions authority can refuse a delayed entry request, but it must consider each case individually. Lawful grounds for refusal might include:
- The admissions authority believes the child is sufficiently ready to start at the normal time
- Operational reasons — for example, a school that does not have mid-year entry points that would allow the child to join Reception at a later stage
- Concern that the delayed start is not in the child's best educational interest
Unlawful grounds include:
- A blanket policy of refusing all delayed entry requests without individual consideration
- Refusing solely because the child's parent cannot provide professional evidence
- Directing the parent to apply for Year 1 entry instead of Reception
If Your Request Is Refused: What to Do
If an admissions authority refuses your delayed entry request, you have several options:
- Request a review — ask the admissions authority to reconsider, particularly if you can provide additional evidence from a health or education professional
- Complain to the Schools Adjudicator — the Office of the Schools Adjudicator (OSA) can investigate whether the admissions authority followed lawful processes. This is not the same as an admissions appeal and applies specifically to cases where the admissions authority may have acted unlawfully
- Apply to a different school — consider whether a neighbouring school in a different local authority or with a different admissions authority might be more receptive to the request
- Start at the normal time — if all requests are refused and no alternative is available, the child can start Reception at the normal age. This does not remove any rights — and the child can still be the youngest in the class and receive appropriate early years support
Alternative Options: Deferring Start Within the Year
Even if you do not wish to delay entry by a full year, you can defer your summer-born child's start until later in the Reception year — for example, starting in January rather than September. This is a separate right from full delayed entry and is more straightforward:
- Your child's place is held until the deferred start date (up to the term in which they turn five)
- You do not need to re-apply
- No formal request to the admissions authority is required — only notification
This option suits families who want their child to avoid the September rush but do not wish to delay by a full year. The child will still be in the same cohort as those who started in September, and the curriculum position on arrival will need to be managed with the school.
Key Differences at a Glance
| Option | What It Means | Who Decides | Place Held? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard start (Sep, age 4) | Child starts Reception with age-expected cohort | N/A | Yes |
| Deferral within year (Jan or Apr start) | Child starts later in the same Reception year | Parent notifies school | Yes |
| Full delayed entry (Sep, age 5) | Child starts Reception a year later with younger cohort | Admissions authority decision | No — must re-apply |
Frequently Asked Questions
My child was born in late August — do they automatically get a delayed start?
No. The right to request a delayed start exists, but it is not automatic. You must make a formal request to each school's admissions authority, and each authority makes its own decision. Simply having a summer birthday does not entitle a child to delayed entry without going through the request process. The admissions authority must consider your request properly, but it can refuse it if it has lawful reasons to do so.
Will my child stay in the younger year group for secondary school too?
Yes — if a full delayed entry into Reception is granted, the child joins a cohort that is one year younger and remains with that cohort throughout their school career. This means they will sit GCSEs and A-Levels a year later than age-expected peers. Secondary schools must accommodate this, though it is worth checking this explicitly with any secondary school you are considering, particularly selective or oversubscribed schools.
Do I need a doctor's letter to make a delayed entry request?
No — you do not legally need professional evidence to make a request. However, professional evidence from a health visitor, paediatrician, nursery key person or child development specialist strengthens your case considerably. An admissions authority is more likely to grant a request that is supported by documented evidence of developmental concerns than one based solely on parental preference. If professional evidence is available, include it.
What if some schools agree and others refuse?
This is possible and is one of the practical complications of the current system. You may find that your first-choice school agrees to delayed entry but your second-choice school refuses. In this scenario, you must weigh up whether to apply to the agreeing school in the delayed round, or to start your child at the normal time at a school that has confirmed it will admit them. There is no mechanism to force all schools to follow the same decision.
Can I request delayed entry for a child who is not summer-born?
Yes, though this is much less common and the threshold is higher. Parents of any child can make a request for delayed Reception entry if they have compelling reasons — for example, a child who has experienced serious illness or who has significant developmental needs. Admissions authorities have discretion to agree in exceptional circumstances. However, the legal framework providing clear guidance exists specifically to address the disadvantage faced by summer-born children, so requests outside this group require stronger justification.
If my delayed entry is agreed, will my child be at a disadvantage being older than classmates?
Research generally shows that being older in the year group — rather than younger — is associated with better outcomes in the early years and beyond. Children who are the oldest in their cohort tend to perform better academically, report higher wellbeing, and are more likely to be identified as high-attaining. The delayed entry option was introduced partly because of evidence that summer-born children were being disadvantaged by being systematically the youngest. Being the oldest in the new cohort is not generally considered a disadvantage.
