Summer born children – starting school

If your child is born between 1 April and 31 August they're classed as a "summer born" child.

Children usually start Reception class in the September after their 4^th birthday.

However, if your child is summer born, you might feel they're not ready to start school.

Applying for a Reception place

If your child’s date of birth is between 1 April and 31 August 2014

You can apply for a place to start as usual in September 2018, after their 4th birthday.

Or you may decide to delay your application and apply next year, to start in September 2019, after your child’s 5^th birthday.

Discuss this decision with your child’s current nursery or early years provider.

If your child’s date of birth is between 1 April and 31 August 2013

Your child may have started Reception as usual in September 2017, after their 4th birthday.

However, if you decided to delay your application, make an application now for a place to start in September 2018, after your child’s 5th birthday.

We won't accept applications from families who have already accepted a Reception place to start in the 2017-18 academic year.

We have agreed that all community and voluntary controlled schools will accept “late” applications for summer born children.

However, some schools and academies are responsible for their own school admissions so this is their decision. The schools you'll need to contact about whether they'll accept an application for your summer born child are:

School	Town
Bedmond Academy	Abbots Langley
St John's Catholic Primary and Nursery School	Baldock
St Mary's VA C of E Primary School (Northchurch)	Berkhamsted
St Thomas More Catholic Primary	Berkhamsted
Victoria C of E Infant & Nursery School	Berkhamsted
All Saints C of E Primary and Nursery	Bishop's Stortford
Manor Fields Primary School	Bishop's Stortford
Northgate Primary School	Bishop's Stortford
St Michael's C of E VA Primary	Bishop's Stortford
Summercroft Primary School	Bishop's Stortford
Windhill21 School	Bishop's Stortford
Parkside Community Primary School	Borehamwood
St Teresa's Catholic Primary School	Borehamwood
Broxbourne CE Primary	Broxbourne
Hartsbourne Primary School	Bushey Heath
Flamstead End School	Cheshunt
St Paul's Catholic Primary School	Cheshunt
Cuffley School	Cuffley
All Saints C E (VA) Primary	Datchworth
Hormead C of E (VA) First and Nursery School	Great Hormead
Broadfield Primary School	Hemel Hempstead
Hammond Academy	Hemel Hempstead
Nash Mills C of E Primary School	Hemel Hempstead
St Rose's Catholic Infants' School and Nursery	Hemel Hempstead
Hertingfordbury Cowper C of E VA Primary School	Hertingfordbury
St Andrew's C of E VA Primary School & Nursery	Hitchin
Roselands Primary School	Hoddesdon
Chipperfield St Paul's VA C of E Primary School	Kings Langley
St Paul's C of E Primary School	Langleybury
Garden City Academy	Letchworth
Norton St Nicholas C of E (VA) Primary School	Letchworth
Little Heath Primary School	Little Heath
St Bernadette RC Nursery and Primary School	London Colney
St Andrew's C of E Primary and Nursery	Much Hadham
Northaw C of E Primary School	Northaw
Hertsmere Jewish Primary School	Radlett
St Mary's C of E Primary	Rickmansworth
St Peter's C of E VA Primary School	Rickmansworth
St Giles' C of E Primary School	South Mymms
Warren Dell Primary School	South Oxhey
Abbey C of E Voluntary Aided Primary School	St Albans
St Alban & St Stephen Catholic Infant & Nursery School	St Albans
St Michael's C of E VA Primary	St Albans
Ardeley St Lawrence C of E VA Primary School	Stevenage
Peartree Spring Primary School	Stevenage
St Nicholas C of E Primary School & Nursery (Stevenage)	Stevenage
Great Gaddesden C of E Primary Schoo	The Gaddesdens
Little Gaddesden C of E VA Primary School	The Gaddesdens
Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School	Waltham Cross
Grove Academy (The)	Watford
Oxhey Wood Primary School	Watford
Our Lady Catholic Primary (Welwyn Garden City)	Welwyn Garden City
Rowans Primary School	Welwyn Garden City
St Michael's Woolmer Green VA C of E Primary School	Woolmer Green

Schools outside Hertfordshire

If you're interested in applying for a place at a school outside of Hertfordshire, you must contact the relevant authority to discuss whether they will accept your summer born application.

If you delay applying for Reception...

Your child will be allocated a place to start in Reception after their 5th birthday, as long as you apply during the normal Reception application round.
You won't get a reminder in the post to apply.
We'll treat your deferred application in exactly the same way as an application for a child who would normally start Reception in that year.
Your child will remain in that year group and move through the school with those children in their class. However, future decisions and exceptions are a matter for the school.

Staying at nursery another year

If your summer born child is in nursery and you want to keep the place another year rather than moving onto a Reception class, you must let your nursery know before the end of spring term. That's before the Easter break.

If you don't let the nursery know, they may offer the place to another child.

Free early education

You can get 15 hours free early education for 38 weeks a year from when your child is 3 up until the compulsory school age of 5.

If you decide to delay your child starting school, they will still get these hours until the age of 5.