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 2015

You can apply for a place to start as usual in September 2019, after their 4th birthday.

Or you may decide to delay your application and apply next year, to start in September 2020, after your child’s 5th 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 2014

Your child will usually have started Reception in September 2018, after their 4th birthday.

However, if you decided to delay your application, make an application from November 2018 for a place to start in September 2019, after your child’s 5th birthday.

We won't accept applications from families who have already accepted a Reception place to start in the 2018-19 academic year.

All Hertfordshire community and voluntary controlled schools will accept “late” 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 authority to discuss whether they will accept your summer born application.

Schools responsible for their own admissions

Many schools and academies are responsible for their own school admissions and this is their decision. The Hertfordshire schools you'll need to contact about whether they'll accept a 'late' application for your summer born child are:

 
Name  School Town
Bedmond Academy Abbots Langley
St John's Catholic Primary and Nursery School Baldock
St Mary's VA C of E Primary School Berkhamsted
St Thomas More Catholic Primary Berkhamsted
All Saints C of E Primary and Nursery 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 Bishop's Stortford
Bovingdon Primary Academy Bovingdon
Broxbourne CE Primary Broxbourne
Hartsbourne Primary School Bushey Heath
Flamstead End School Cheshunt
All Saints C E (VA) Primary Datchworth
St Philip Howard Catholic Primary School Hatfield
Broadfield Academy Hemel Hempstead
 Hammond Academy  Hemel Hempstead
 Jupiter Community Free School  Hemel Hempstead
 Nash Mills C of E Primary School  Hemel Hempstead
 St Albert the Great Catholic Primary School  Hemel Hempstead
 St Rose's Catholic Infants' School and Nursery  Hemel Hempstead
 St Joseph's Catholic Primary  Hertford
Hertingfordbury Cowper C of E VA Primary School Hertingfordbury
St Andrew's C of E VA Primary School & Nursery Hitchin
Chipperfield St Paul's VA C of E Primary School Kings Langley
St Paul's C of E VA Primary & Nursery 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
Offley Endowed Primary School Offley
 Park Street Church of England Primary School and Nursery  Park Street
Hertsmere Jewish Primary School Radlett
St Mary's C of E Primary Rickmansworth
St Peter's C of E VA Primary School Rickmansworth
Clore Shalom School Shenley
St Joseph's Catholic Primary South Oxhey
Mandeville Primary St Albans
St Alban & St Stephen Catholic Infant & Nursery School St Albans
The Abbey C of E Voluntary Aided Primary School St Albans
St Ippolyts C of E (Aided) Primary School St Ippolyts
Peartree Spring Primary School Stevenage
Roebuck Primary School and Nursery Stevenage
St Nicholas C of E Primary School & Nursery Stevenage
Tewin Cowper C of E VA Primary School Tewin
Great Gaddesden C of E Primary School The Gaddesdens
Little Gaddesden C of E VA Primary School The Gaddesdens
 Grove Road Primary School  Tring
Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School Waltham Cross
 Sacred Heart Catholic Primary  Ware
Alban Wood Primary School and Nursery Watford
Bromet Primary School Watford
The Grove Academy Watford
The Orchard Primary School Watford
St John's CE VA Primary Welwyn
Our Lady Catholic Primary Welwyn Garden City
Springmead Primary School Welwyn Garden City
Waterside Academy Welwyn Garden City
St Michael's Woolmer Green VA C of E Primary School Woolmer Green


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.