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 2019

You can apply for a place to start as usual in September 2023, after their 4th birthday.

Or you may decide to delay your application and apply next year, to start in September 2024, 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 2018

Your child will usually have started Reception in September 2022, after their 4th birthday.

However, if you decided to delay your application, make an application from November 2022 for a place to start in September 2023, after your child’s 5th birthday.

We won't accept applications from families who have already accepted a Reception place to start in the 2022-23 academic year.

All Hertfordshire community and voluntary controlled schools will accept 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.

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

School Town School Name Short DfE
Abbots Langley Bedmond Academy 2071
Berkhamsted St Mary's VA C of E Primary School (Northchurch) 3315
Bishop's Stortford Northgate Primary School 2009
Bishop's Stortford St Joseph's Catholic Primary (Bishop's Stortford) 3318
Bishop's Stortford St Michael's C of E VA Primary (Bishop's Stortford) 3319
Bishop's Stortford Windhill21 3979
Bishop's Stortford All Saints C of E Primary and Nursery (Bishop's Stortford) 3393
Bishop's Stortford Summercroft Primary School 3986
Bishop's Stortford Avanti Meadows Primary School 2097
Borehamwood Meryfield Primary School 2156
Borehamwood St Teresa's Catholic Primary School 3384
Bovingdon Bovingdon Primary Academy 2003
Broxbourne Broxbourne CE Primary 3344
Cheshunt Flamstead End School (Cheshunt) 2001
Cheshunt St Paul's Catholic Primary School 3423
Cheshunt Churchfield C of E Academy 2063
Cockernhoe Cockernhoe Endowed C of E Primary School 3358
Cuffley Cuffley School 5205
Datchworth All Saints C E (VA) Primary (Datchworth) 3329
Goffs Oak Woodside Primary School 2401
Great Amwell St John The Baptist VA C of E Primary School 3334
Great Hormead Hormead C of E First School 3347
Hatfield Countess Anne School - A Church of England Academy 3406
Hatfield St Philip Howard Catholic Primary School 3388
Hemel Hempstead Nash Mills C of E Primary School 3302
Hemel Hempstead Broadfield Academy 3991
Hemel Hempstead Chambersbury Primary School 2210
Hemel Hempstead St Rose's Catholic Infants' School and Nursery 3409
Hemel Hempstead Hammond Academy 2337
Hertford St Joseph's Catholic Primary (Hertford) 3341
Hertingfordbury Hertingfordbury Cowper C of E VA Primary School 5203
Hitchin St Andrew's C of E VA Primary School & Nursery (Hitchin) 3385
Kings Langley Chipperfield St Paul's VA C of E Primary School 3349
Langleybury St Paul's C of E VA Primary & Nursery School (Hunton Bridge) 3301
Letchworth Norton St Nicholas C of E (VA) Primary School 3350
Letchworth Garden City Academy 2029
Little Heath Little Heath Primary School 5207
London Colney St Bernadette RC Nursery and Primary School 3416
Long Marston Long Marston Voluntary Aided C of E Primary School 3373
Much Hadham St Andrew's C of E Primary and Nursery (Much Hadham) 3353
Northaw Northaw C of E Primary School 5209
Radlett Hertsmere Jewish Primary School 2092
Rickmansworth St Mary's Church of England (VA) Primary School (Rickmansworth) 3359
Rickmansworth St John's Catholic Primary (Mill End) 3398
Royston St Mary's Catholic Primary (Royston) 5200
Shenley Clore Shalom School 5213
South Mymms St Giles' C of E Primary School 5204
South Oxhey Oxhey Wood Primary School 2137
South Oxhey Warren Dell Primary School 2135
St Albans St Michael's C of E VA Primary (St Albans) 3363
St Albans The Abbey C of E Voluntary Aided Primary School 3361
St Albans Mandeville Primary (St Albans) 2099
St Albans St Adrian's RC Primary School & Nursery 3389
St Albans St Alban & St Stephen Catholic Primary School & Nursery 3421
St Ippolyts St Ippolyts C of E (Aided) Primary School 3348
Stevenage St Nicholas C of E Primary School & Nursery (Stevenage) 3369
Stevenage Roebuck Primary School and Nursery 2024
Stevenage Peartree Spring Primary School (Stevenage) 2198
Tewin Tewin Cowper C of E VA Primary School 3370
The Gaddesdens Great Gaddesden C of E Primary School 3335
The Gaddesdens Little Gaddesden C of E VA Primary School 3352
Waltham Cross St Joseph's Catholic Primary (Waltham Cross) 3327
Waltham Cross Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School 3326
Watford St Anthony's Catholic Primary School 3428
Watford Knutsford Primary Academy 2130
Watford The Grove Academy 2035
Watford The Orchard Primary School 2115
Watford St Catherine of Siena Catholic Primary School 5211
Watford Alban Wood Primary School and Nursery 3981
Watford St John's Church of England Primary School (Watford) 2051
Welwyn St John's CE VA Primary (Digswell) 3376
Welwyn Garden City Our Lady Catholic Primary (Welwyn Garden City) 3382
Welwyn Garden City Waterside Academy 2296
Welwyn Garden City Holy Family RC Primary School 3404
Woolmer Green St Michael's Woolmer Green VA C of E Primary School 3378

Opens new window



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 delayed 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.