Reception Year Admissions Guide

With more families seeking guidance, schools are looking for effective ways to manage deferred or delayed entry, part-time attendance, and admissions outside the normal age group. Here are our top tips to help your school navigate these challenges.

We're receiving an increasing number of queries relating to deferred and delayed entry, part-time attendance and requests for admission outside the normal age group. There's often confusion around how these rights and processes interact, particularly with reference to "summer-born children".

In these FAQs, we address some of the most common queries to provide some clarity.

When do children reach compulsory school age?

All children are entitled to a full-time place in reception year in the September following their fourth birthday and, where this happens, this will be with their "normal age group".