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 2018

You can apply for a place to start as usual in September 2022, after their 4th birthday.

Or you may decide to delay your application and apply next year, to start in September 2023, 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 2017

Your child will usually have started Reception in September 2021, after their 4th birthday.

However, if you decided to delay your application, make an application from November 2021 for a place to start in September 2022, after your child’s 5th birthday.

We won't accept applications from families who have already accepted a Reception place to start in the 2021-22 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:

Schools responsible for their own admissions
Town	School	DfE number
Abbots Langley	Bedmond Academy	2071
Berkhamsted	St Mary's VA C of E Primary School (Northchurch)	3315
Berkhamsted	St Thomas More Catholic Primary	3402
Bishop's Stortford	Avanti Meadows Primary School	2097
Bishop's Stortford	All Saints C of E Primary and Nursery	3393
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	Summercroft Primary School	3986
Bishop's Stortford	Windhill21	3979
Borehamwood	Meryfield Primary School	2156
Borehamwood	Parkside Community Primary School	5202
Borehamwood	St Teresa's Catholic Primary School	3384
Bovingdon	Bovingdon Primary Academy	2003
Broxbourne	Broxbourne CE Primary	3344
Cheshunt	Churchfield C of E Academy	2063
Cheshunt	Flamstead End School	2001
Cockernhoe	Cockernhoe Endowed C of E Primary School	3358
Cuffley	Cuffley School	5205
Datchworth	All Saints C E (VA) Primary	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	De Havilland Primary School	2112
Hemel Hempstead	Broadfield Academy	3991
Hemel Hempstead	Hammond Academy	2337
Hemel Hempstead	Jupiter Community Free School	2042
Hemel Hempstead	Nash Mills C of E Primary School	3302
Hemel Hempstead	St Rose's Catholic Infants' School and Nursery	3409
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	Garden City Academy	2029
Letchworth	Norton St Nicholas C of E (VA) Primary School	3350
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	3353
Northaw	Northaw C of E Primary School	5209
Park Street	Park Street Church of England Primary School and Nursery	3364
Radlett	Hertsmere Jewish Primary School	2092
Rickmansworth	St Mary's Church of England (VA) Primary School	3359
Royston	St Mary's Catholic Primary	5200
Shenley	Clore Shalom School	5213
South Oxhey	Oxhey Wood Primary School	2137
South Oxhey	Warren Dell Primary School	2135
St Albans	Mandeville Primary	2099
St Albans	St Alban & St Stephen Catholic Primary School & Nursery	3421
St Albans	St Michael's C of E VA Primary	3363
St Albans	The Abbey C of E Voluntary Aided Primary School	3361
St Ippolyts	St Ippolyts C of E (Aided) Primary School	3348
Stevenage	Peartree Spring Primary School	2198
Stevenage	Roebuck Primary School and Nursery	2024
Stevenage	St Nicholas C of E Primary School & Nursery	3369
The Gaddesdens	Little Gaddesden C of E VA Primary School	3352
Waltham Cross	Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School	3326
Waltham Cross	St Joseph's Catholic Primary	3327
Watford	Alban Wood Primary School and Nursery	3981
Watford	Knutsford Primary Academy	2130
Watford	St Anthony's Catholic Primary School	3428
Watford	St Catherine of Siena Catholic Primary School	5211
Watford	The Grove Academy	2035
Watford	The Orchard Primary School	2115
Welwyn Garden City	Our Lady Catholic Primary	3382
Welwyn Garden City	Springmead Primary School	2081
Welwyn	St John's CE VA Primary (Digswell)	3376
Welwyn Garden City	Waterside Academy	2296
Wheathampstead	Beech Hyde Primary and Nursery School	2086

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.

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Summer born children – starting school

Applying for a Reception place

If you delay applying for Reception...

Staying at nursery another year

Free early education

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