Summer Born Children and Delaying Admission to Reception
Cambridgeshire County Council have conducted a review of current practice relating to summer born children and as an outcome we have updated our offer and referral criteria. These changes align with Government guidance as well as those of other local authorities.
Summer born children starting school: advice for parents - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Making a request for admission out of the normal age group - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Children born from 1 April to 31 August – known as summer born children – do not 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. The following advice is to help you decide what would be best for your summer born child.
Guidance does not apply to children with education, health, and care (EHC) plans. If your child has an EHC plan or awaiting a decision and you wish them to start school in reception (not year 1) when they are 5, you should discuss this with your linked SEN caseworker.
It is not appropriate for a delay to be requested for children with SEN needs as a way of providing an extended time for an EHCP to be progressed and this also applies to children with medical needs. Delaying should only be ‘exceptional.’
Parents can request for a child who is not summer born to be educated outside of their normal age group, but they will not be able to rely on the summer born admission guidance as well as the summer born referral process as these will not apply to their situation.
In this circumstance to ensure robust and collaborative decision-making, the education provider/s and lead professionals along with parents should arrange a meeting. The meeting would allow for full consideration of the case and (only if in exceptional circumstance a placement outside the normal age group is agreed) to allow for adequate planning and preparation for their needs to be met in the allocated year group.
Summer Born Children (April-August)
If your child was born between 1 April and 31 August, then it is usual for them to start school in the September following their 4th birthday.
However, you can have them attend part-time or postpone their start until later in the year or for a full year until the September following their 5th birthday. If you are considering delaying when your child starts Reception, then you have several options available to you and it is important that you consider these carefully before deciding whether to delay admission.
In all cases you should first apply for a school place in your child's normal age group within the expected normal admissions round.
After this you can decide whether to accept the place offered or whether to delay admission.