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 4th 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 2023

You can apply for a place to start as usual in September 2027, after their 4th birthday.

Or you may decide to delay your application and apply next year, to start in September 2028, after your child’s 5th birthday.

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

Many schools and academies are responsible for their own school admissions and it is their decision.  A number of these DO NOT automatically accept applications for summer born children out of year group.

If your child’s date of birth is between 1 April and 31 August 2022

Your child will usually have started Reception in September 2026, after their 4th birthday.

However, if you decided to delay your application, make an application from November 2026 for a place to start in September 2027, after your child’s 5th birthday.

We won't accept applications from families who have already accepted a Reception place to start in the 2026-27 academic year.

All Hertfordshire community and voluntary controlled schools will automatically accept delayed Reception applications for summer born children.

 

Schools outside Hertfordshire

If you're interested in applying for a place at a school outside of Hertfordshire, you must contact the relevant admission authority (school or council) to discuss whether your summer born application will be accepted.

 

Schools responsible for their own admissions

Many schools and academies are responsible for their own school admissions and it is their decision.  A number of these DO NOT automatically accept applications for summer born children out of year group.

You will need to contact the following Hertfordshire schools about whether they'll accept an application for your summer born child.

Schools responsible for their own admissions
 Town School name DfE number
Abbots Langley Bedmond Academy 9192071
Abbots Langley Divine Saviour Catholic Primary 9193410
Baldock St John's Catholic Primary and Nursery School (Baldock) 9193413
Barkway Barkway (VA) C of E First School 9193308
Barley Barley C of E (VA) First 9193006
Berkhamsted St Mary's VA C of E Primary School (Northchurch) 9193315
Berkhamsted St Thomas More Catholic Primary (Berkhamsted) 9193402
Bishop's Stortford All Saints C of E Primary and Nursery (Bishop's Stortford) 9193393
Bishop's Stortford Avanti Brook Primary School 9192119
Bishop's Stortford Avanti Meadows Primary School 9192097
Bishop's Stortford Northgate Primary School 9192009
Bishop's Stortford St Joseph's Catholic Primary (Bishop's Stortford) 9193318
Bishop's Stortford St Michael's C of E VA Primary (Bishop's Stortford) 9193319
Bishop's Stortford Summercroft Primary School 9193986
Bishop's Stortford The Richard Whittington Primary School 9192443
Borehamwood Meryfield Primary School 9192156
Borehamwood St Teresa's Catholic Primary School 9193384
Borehamwood Yavneh Primary 9192054
Bovingdon Bovingdon Primary Academy 9192003
Broxbourne Broxbourne CE Primary 9193344
Bushey Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School & Nursery (Bushey) 9193415
Cheshunt Churchfield C of E Academy 9192063
Cheshunt Flamstead End School (Cheshunt) 9192001
Cheshunt Oakview Primary School (Cheshunt) 9192138
Cheshunt St Paul's Catholic Primary School 9193423
Chorleywood Christ Church Chorleywood C of E School 9195201
Cockernhoe Cockernhoe Endowed C of E Primary School 9193358
Cuffley Cuffley School 9195205
Datchworth All Saints C E (VA) Primary (Datchworth) 9193329
Goffs Oak Woodside Primary School 9192401
Great Amwell St John The Baptist VA C of E Primary School 9193334
Great Hormead Hormead Church of England (VA) First & Nursery School  9193347
Harpenden St Dominic Catholic Primary School 9193401
Harpenden St Nicholas C of E VA Primary (Harpenden) 9193336
Hatfield Countess Anne School - A Church of England Academy 9193406
Hatfield St Philip Howard Catholic Primary School 9193388
Hemel Hempstead Broadfield Academy 9193991
Hemel Hempstead Hammond Academy 9192337
Hemel Hempstead Jupiter Primary School 9192042
Hemel Hempstead Nash Mills C of E Primary School 9193302
Hemel Hempstead Oakleaf Primary School 9192152
Hemel Hempstead St Albert the Great Catholic Primary School 9193391
Hemel Hempstead St Cuthbert Mayne Catholic Junior School 9193386
Hemel Hempstead St Rose's Catholic Infants' School and Nursery 9193409
Hertford Mill Mead Primary Academy 9192362
Hertford St Joseph's Catholic Primary (Hertford) 9193341
Hertingfordbury Hertingfordbury Cowper C of E VA Primary School 9195203
Hitchin Our Lady Catholic Primary (Hitchin) 9193399
Hitchin St Andrew's C of E VA Primary School & Nursery (Hitchin) 9193385
Hitchin Wilshere-Dacre Junior Academy 9192038
Hoddesdon St Augustine's Catholic Primary School 9193345
Hoddesdon St Cross Catholic Primary School 9193408
Kings Langley Chipperfield St Paul's VA C of E Primary School 9193349
Langleybury St Paul's C of E VA Primary & Nursery School (Hunton Bridge) 9193301
Letchworth Garden City Academy 9192029
Letchworth Norton St Nicholas C of E (VA) Primary School 9193350
Letchworth St Thomas More Catholic Primary (Letchworth) 9193400
London Colney St Bernadette Voluntary Catholic Primary Academy 9193416
Long Marston Long Marston Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary & Nursery School  9193373
Much Hadham St Andrew's C of E Primary and Nursery (Much Hadham) 9193353
North Mymms St Mary's Church of England VA Primary (North Mymms) 9193976
Northaw Northaw C of E Primary School 9195209
Offley Offley Endowed Primary School and Nursery 9193357
Park Street Park Street Church of England Primary School and Nursery 9193364
Potters Bar Pope Paul Catholic Primary School 9193975
Puckeridge St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School 9193367
Radlett Fair Field Junior School (Radlett) 9195212
Radlett Hertsmere Jewish Primary School 9192092
Radlett St John's C of E Infant and Nursery School 9193003
Rickmansworth St John's Catholic Primary (Mill End) 9193398
Rickmansworth St Mary's Church of England (VA) Primary School (Rickmansworth) 9193359
Rickmansworth St Peter's C of E VA Primary School 9193360
Royston King James Academy, Royston 9194140
Royston Roman Way Academy 9192089
Royston St Mary's Catholic Primary (Royston) 9195200
Sarratt Sarratt Church of England School 9193037
Shenley Clore Shalom School 9195213
South Mymms St Giles' C of E Primary School 9195204
South Oxhey Oxhey Wood Primary School 9192137
South Oxhey Warren Dell Primary School 9192135
St Albans St Alban & St Stephen Catholic Primary School & Nursery 9193421
St Albans St John Fisher Catholic Primary School 9193403
St Albans St Michael's C of E VA Primary (St Albans) 9193363
St Albans The Abbey C of E Voluntary Aided Primary School 9193361
St Ippolyts St Ippolyts C of E (Aided) Primary School 9193348
Stapleford Stapleford Primary School 9193368
Stevenage Ardeley St Lawrence Primary School and Nursery 9193306
Stevenage Aston St Mary's C of E (Aided) Primary School 9193307
Stevenage Broom Barns Primary School 9192169
Stevenage Camps Hill Primary School 9192235
Stevenage Martins Wood Primary School 9192113
Stevenage Peartree Spring Primary School (Stevenage) 9192198
Stevenage Roebuck Primary School and Nursery 9192024
Stevenage Round Diamond Primary School 9192365
Stevenage St Margaret Clitherow Roman Catholic Primary School 9193397
Stevenage St Nicholas C of E Primary School & Nursery (Stevenage) 9193369
Stevenage St Vincent de Paul Catholic Primary School 9193977
Tewin Tewin Cowper C of E VA Primary School 9193370
The Gaddesdens Great Gaddesden C of E Primary School 9193335
The Gaddesdens Little Gaddesden C of E VA Primary School 9193352
Tring Grove Road Primary School 9192436
Waltham Cross Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School 9193326
Waltham Cross St Joseph's Catholic Primary (Waltham Cross) 9193327
Ware Christ Church (C of E) VA Primary & Nursery (Ware) 9193394
Ware Sacred Heart Catholic Primary (Ware) 9193424
Watford Alban Wood Primary School and Nursery 9193981
Watford Holy Rood Catholic Primary School 9193985
Watford Knutsford Primary Academy 9192130
Watford Lanchester Primary School 9192049
Watford St Anthony's Catholic Primary School 9193428
Watford St Catherine of Siena Catholic Primary School 9195211
Watford St John's Church of England Primary School (Watford) 9192051
Watford The Grove Academy 9192035
Watford The Orchard Primary School 9192115
Welwyn St John's CE VA Primary (Digswell) 9193376
Welwyn Welwyn St Mary's C of E VA Primary School 9193419
Welwyn Garden City Holy Family RC Primary School 9193404
Welwyn Garden City Our Lady Catholic Primary (Welwyn Garden City) 9193382
Welwyn Garden City St John's VA C of E Primary (Welwyn Garden City) 9193339
Welwyn Garden City Waterside Academy 9192296
Wheathampstead St Helen's Church of England Primary School 9193379
Wigginton St Bartholomew's C of E VA Primary School 9193380
Woolmer Green St Michael's Woolmer Green VA C of E Primary School 9193378

 

If you delay applying for Reception...

  • Your summer born 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 delayed application in exactly the same way as an application for a child who would normally start Reception in that year.
  • Your child is likely to remain in that year group and move through the school with those children in their class. However, future decisions about year group placement are a matter for the school.

Important information to consider - Transition to secondary school

If you are thinking about delaying your application and applying the following year instead for the Reception year group, please be aware that:

  • Not all secondary schools automatically accept applications for children who have been taught outside their chronological year group.
  • This may affect when your child’s secondary transfer application can be processed, depending on the schools you are likely to consider in the future.
  • Even if your child is in Year 5, you should apply for secondary school at the time they would normally be in Year 6, based on their date of birth.

If you have any questions or would like further advice, please contact: transfer.admissions@hertfordshire.gov.uk

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.