Making a request for admission out of the normal age group

We use the phrase ‘normal age group’ to mean the year group in which your child will be in, determined by their date of birth.

Usually, children start primary school - reception - the September after their fourth birthday and start secondary school - year 7 - the September after their eleventh birthday. In some cases, children will start junior school after their seventh birthday - year 3.

Requests for admission out of the normal age group are also known as admissions out of the chronological year group.

Things to consider when requesting admission out of the normal age group

The decision could potentially have long-term effects and it is therefore important to establish the reasons for the request. The admission authority for the school will make a decision based on the circumstances of your case and in the best interests of your child, taking into account the views of the headteacher and any supporting evidence you provide.
It is important to anticipate what will happen when your child would be old enough to transfer to the next phase of their education, for example, starting junior school or starting secondary school, leaving statutory education and the timing of any consequent examinations.
There is no guarantee, if delayed entry is agreed, we will be able to offer a place at your preferred school when you apply in the following academic year.
As your child progresses through school, they may realise that they are younger/older than the rest of their class, and this could have an impact on their social and emotional development.
Your request for delayed/accelerated entry could be refused.
A child ceases to be of compulsory school age on the last Friday of June in the school year they become 16. If your child is educated outside their normal age group before they have completed their Key Stage 4 curriculum, they may decide to leave school without completing formal examinations.

Starting primary – summer born - April to August

Children born in the summer term, after 1 April, have the right to begin Reception in the September following their fourth birthday along with the rest of the children in their age range, but this is not obligatory. They could have a delayed entry to primary school, a full year after the point at which they could first have been admitted - the point at which other children in their age range are beginning Year 1. It is the parent’s decision whether to delay entry of their summer born child into primary school. It is the admission authority’s decision as to which year group this should be, for example, Reception or Year 1.

The Department for Education has issued some non-statutory guidance - Advice on the admission of summer born children.

Starting primary – non summer born - September to March

If your child is not summer born, children born between 1 September and 31 March, and due to start primary school, you can request an out of chronological year group place. This would be a request to start primary school one full academic year later.

Our guidance, in line with government guidance, makes clear that it will only be in exceptional circumstances that a pupil moves out of their normal age group. Where possible children should be educated in their normal age group, with the curriculum differentiated as appropriate. Delaying entry to primary school has implications for the rest of your child’s schooling and the exceptional circumstances on which it is decided have to be based on need and not want. In no instance should this be more than a single national curriculum year.

How to make a request for admission out of the normal age group

If you wish your child to be admitted out of their normal age group, you should still submit an application for your child's normal age group at the usual time - this is in case the request for admission out of the normal age group is refused. At the same time, you should submit a request for admission out of the normal age group by contacting us well in advance of the normal application deadline.

It is your responsibility to discuss delayed entry with the headteacher of your preferred schools. You are required to provide us with written agreement for admission out of the normal age group from the headteacher of the schools that you wish to apply for. Please be advised this is not an offer of a school place - the normal priority groups within the oversubscription criteria will apply.

If you have submitted your application for admission out of the normal age group by 15 January, you will be told the outcome of your request before the Primary National Offer Day.

We will still consider requests made outside the above timescales but cannot guarantee a response in time for National Offer Day.

if your request is agreed, your application for the normal age group will be withdrawn - you must make a new application for starting primary school, the following year - you will be unable to complete the application online and will need to contact us for a paper form
if your request is refused, you must decide whether to either:
- continue with your application for a school place in the normal age group
- withdraw your application for the normal age group, and make an in year application for admission to Year One for the September following your child's fifth birthday - summer born children only

Starting primary – deferred entry

Parents offered a place in reception for their child have a right to defer the date their child is admitted, or to take the place up part-time, until the child reaches compulsory school age. Places cannot be deferred beyond the beginning of the final term of the school year for which the offer was made.

If your child has their fifth birthday between 1 September and 31 December inclusive, they must start school in the spring term.

If your child has their fifth birthday between 1 January and 31 March inclusive, they must start school in the summer term.

Arrangements for deferred entry need to be discussed with the headteacher of the school where your child has been offered a school place. This is a decision for the headteacher, not the local authority.

You should still submit an application for your child’s normal age group at the usual time. The deadline for starting primary applications is 15 January.

Starting junior and/or starting secondary – out of the normal age group

Any previous agreement to admit your child outside of their normal age group does not guarantee admission outside of their normal age group when they transfer to junior or secondary school.

If you wish your child to work outside of their normal age group when they transfer to junior and/or secondary school, you will need to apply at the normal time, such as in line with the application dates appropriate for the normal age group of your child. These dates are:

junior entry – apply by 15 January in the school year the child turns 7
secondary entry – apply by 31 October in the school year the child turns 11, that is, in Year 5

At the same time, you should discuss your child working outside their normal age group with the headteacher of your preferred schools. It is your responsibility to provide as much information as possible to the schools to help them make an informed decision. You are required to provide us with written agreement to admission out of the normal age group from the headteacher of the schools that you wish to apply for. Please note that any agreement by a school to accept your child working out of their normal age group does not guarantee a place will be offered and you must apply for a school place at the appropriate time following the normal admission application process.

If you have submitted your application for admission out of the normal age group by the usual deadline, you will be told the outcome of your request before the respective National Offer Day.

We will still consider requests made outside the above timescales but cannot guarantee a response in time for National Offer Day.

if your request is agreed, your application for the normal age group will be withdrawn - you must make a new application for starting junior and/or starting secondary, the following year - you will be unable to complete the application online and will need to contact us for a paper form
if your request is refused, your child may have to be admitted into year 4 - junior school - or year 8 - secondary school

It is for the admission authority of each school to decide which year group your child should be admitted to. However, the admission authority must consider that if the child has been educated in a different year group up until that point it will be assumed that they should remain outside of their normal year group unless there are sound educational reasons to do otherwise.

Placement in an older age group

If you wish to make a request for your child to be admitted into the year group above their normal age group, please contact us for further information.

For your child to move up a year, the admission authority for the school should be satisfied that the following criteria apply:

your child’s emotional and social maturity is sufficient to establish positive peer relationships with an older age group
your child demonstrates exceptional academic skills and achievement in all subject areas
there has been full exploration of curriculum extension/enrichment possibilities
your child has physical maturity sufficient to meet the curriculum and personal/social demands of a higher year group

You should discuss your child working outside their normal age group with the headteacher of your preferred schools. It is your responsibility to provide as much information as possible to the schools to help them make an informed decision. You are required to provide us with written agreement from the headteacher of the schools that you wish to apply for, agreeing to placement in an older age group.

When transferring to junior and/or secondary school the decision whether to maintain the placement in an older year group must be made by the admission authority for the school. As such, there is no guarantee that it will continue throughout the child’s education and a new request must be made at each transition. However, the admission authority must consider that if the child has been educated in a different year group up until that point it will be assumed that they should remain outside of their normal year group unless there are sound educational reasons to do otherwise.

Where placement in an older year group is maintained, the consequence is that the child will reach the next phase of their education, and school leaving point a year early. If continued placement in an older year group is not agreed, this could lead to repetition of a full school year. Young people do not cease to be of compulsory school age until the last Friday of June in the school year they turn 16 years of age and as such would have to negotiate transfer early to a school sixth form or further education college, which would not be guaranteed.

Changing school when your child is working outside the normal age group

If your child is currently working outside their normal age group and you are applying for a change of school you should contact the headteacher of your preferred schools for their agreement to continue this. It is your responsibility to provide as much information as possible to the schools to help them make an informed decision. You are required to provide us with written agreement from the headteacher of the schools that you wish to apply for.

The admission authority for the school, must consider that if your child has been educated in a different year group up until that point, it will be assumed that they should remain outside of their normal year group unless there are sound educational reasons to do otherwise.

Frequently asked questions

How can I help prepare a young child to start school?

There are lots of things you can do to help prepare your child for school. You can help them to be independent by dressing themselves and playing with other children. You can tell them stories about what school is like and get them used to a new morning routine.

You can give them emotional support by talking in a positive way about school life, giving them confidence and listening to their worries and concerns. Try not to pass your own worries onto your child. Ask the school how they manage the first school days and talk through with your child what is likely to happen so that they are prepared.

There are many benefits for a child staying with their age group at this time. Not only do they start at the same time when everyone else is also new, but they get to move on with their friends too. They will also be surrounded by positive role models for communication, social skills, and independence.

What supporting information or evidence do I need to provide to request a place out of the normal age group?

You may be asked to provide evidence, or a statement in support of your application for entry to school out of the normal age group, to demonstrate why it would be in your child's interest. This may be an account of the parent's views; information about the child's academic, social and emotional development; where relevant, their medical history and the views of a medical professional; whether they have previously been educated out of their normal age group; and whether they may naturally have fallen into a lower age group if it were not for being born prematurely.

Please be aware, different types of schools have different admissions policies. Please note, the admission authority for a school may change, for example, when a school becomes an academy. The new admission authority has the legal right to re-consider the request at the time of application.

What do I do if I am refused admission out of the normal age group, and have to apply for an in-year place in Year One?

You will need to complete an in-year application. Please be advised most children will start at the beginning of the academic year that they reach the age of five, therefore schools may not have vacancies in Year One as these places will have been allocated the previous year. If we are not able to offer a place at your preferred school you will have the right of appeal.

Can my child return to their normal age group?

It is for the head teacher to decide how best to educate your child. In some cases, it may be appropriate for a child who has been admitted out of their normal age group to be moved to their normal age group, but in others, it will not. Any decision to move your child to a different age group should be based on sound educational reasons and made by the Headteacher in consultation with you.