Delayed entry to school – admission of summer-born children outside their normal age group

Some parents of summer-born children may feel that it is in their child's best interests to start school a year later than usual.

How to request delayed admission

If you wish to request delayed admission for your child, you should submit your request by 15 January 2027. Requests received after this date will still be considered, although it may take longer for a decision to be made.

We recommend that you also submit a "normal" school application for your child's chronological age group by 15 January 2027. This ensures that your child can still be considered for a school place if the delayed admission request is not agreed. If the request is approved, the normal application can be withdrawn.

If you wish your summer-born child to start school in September 2028, after their fifth birthday, and to be admitted to Reception rather than Year 1, the admission authority for the school(s) concerned must consider the request based on your child's individual circumstances and what is in their best interests.

To make a formal request, please complete the form below.

Who makes the decision?

Oxfordshire County Council will consult the Oxfordshire schools named on your delayed admission request form. We recommend that you include the same schools on both your school place application and your delayed admission request form.

The decision on whether a child should be admitted outside their normal age group is made by the admission authority for each school named on the request.

For community and voluntary-controlled schools, Oxfordshire County Council is the admission authority. For academies, free schools and voluntary aided (church aided) schools, the admission authority is the governing body, academy trust or other relevant admission authority for that school.

Each request must be considered on its individual merits. Admission authorities cannot operate blanket policies that automatically approve or refuse requests without considering the circumstances of the individual child.

Once decisions have been made, Oxfordshire County Council will write to you to confirm the outcome and explain the reasons for each decision. Some admission authorities may also contact parents directly, so you may receive correspondence from both Oxfordshire County Council and individual schools.

What happens next?

If it is agreed that your child may start Reception in September 2028, this does not guarantee a place at your preferred school or give your application any additional priority. Your application will be considered alongside all other applications in accordance with the school's published admission arrangements.

Equally, your child must not be disadvantaged or given lower priority because they are applying outside their normal age group.

Any application previously submitted for admission during the 2027/28 school year will be withdrawn.

If your request is not agreed, there is no right of appeal against the decision. In this situation, you should ensure that an application is submitted for your child's normal age group by 15 January 2027 so that they can be considered for admission during the 2027/28 academic year.

Further information

Further information is available on our Reception application pages, with more details in the Starting School booklet, which is also available on these pages.

You can also read the Department for Education guidance for parents of summer-born children: Summer-born children: advice for parents - GOV.UK