In addition, parents of summer born children may request that their child is educated outside of their normal age group.
Summer born children
The school admissions code requires all admission authorities to provide for the admission of all children in the September following their fourth birthday.
Parents can however defer the date their child is admitted until later in the school year but not beyond the point at which they reach compulsory school age and not beyond the start of the final term of the school year for which the application was made.
For example, a child who is 4 in September but turns 5 by the end of December must start school full time in January.
In addition, where parents wish, the child may attend part time until later in the school year but not beyond the point at which they become compulsory school age.
For example, a child who is 4 in September but turns 5 by the end of March may attend part time until the start of the summer term at which they must attend school full time.
The school admissions code allows admission authorities to consider education outside the normal year group for reception children born between 1 April and 31 August for them to start school in the September following the fifth birthday.
Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan
For children with an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP), if it is in the child's interests to be educated outside the normal year group, this will form part of the plan. To ask for a deferral you would need to speak to your child's SEND Officer.
Education outside the normal year group in other cases
For all other children it is expected that they will be educated in their normal year group with few exceptions.
There may also be some cases where a child shows exceptional ability or talent and these may be considered for education outside the normal year group. Equally there may be a child who has missed education due to health problems or has special needs not covered by an Education Health and Care Plan and it may be appropriate for that child also to be educated outside their normal year group. You should discuss this with the headteacher of your child's current school.
Request admission outside the normal age group
If parents wish to make an application for their child to be educated outside the normal cohort they should read the guidance notes and complete the application form in conjunction with the current setting, where appropriate, before returning the form. Decisions for community and controlled schools are made by us, and decisions for voluntary aided, foundation and academy schools are made by the schools themselves or by their academy trust. For general enquiries, and to submit completed forms, please email: admissions.transport@derbyshire.gov.uk.
Read the summer born children school admission guidance for parents on gov.uk.