Statement on Deferring Reception Year for Summer Born Children
Statement on Deferring Reception Year for Summer Born Children
Parents and carers of children born between 1 April and 31 August (referred to as summer-born children) can request that their child’s entry into Reception is deferred by one year. This means they can start school in the Reception class a year later, when the child turns six.
The governors make decisions on summer-born deferral requests for academies. At Larkrise, the governors have deferred this decision to the Headteacher.
We accept deferral requests for summer-born children because they do not negatively affect staff workload and may also be in the child's best interests.
However, we ask parents and carers to consider the following before making such a request:
- Even though your child is summer-born, do they have the maturity to start school? We ask parents and carers to understand that the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum is designed for children of this age and is very play-based.
- Parents and carers must understand that there is a risk of delaying the start of reception. If your child moves school during their primary school years to a school that does not accept summer-born referrals, they may be placed in the year above. For example, a child who has deferred their place leaves Larkrise in Year 3 and goes to another primary school. They may be requested to work in Year 4.
- Parents and carers must understand there is a risk of delaying the start of Reception when applying for a secondary school. Parents and carers must make the same deferral request when their child is in Year 5. In our experience with local schools, this deferral has been accepted, but there is no guarantee that this will happen.
We do not make deferrals for any other reason.
If you are considering requesting a deferral for your child, please don't hesitate to contact the school in the first instance.
More information about how to differ can be found via this link.