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 2021

You can apply for a place to start as usual in September 2025, after their 4th birthday.

Or you may decide to delay your application and apply next year, to start in September 2026, 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 2020

Your child will usually have started Reception in September 2024, after their 4th birthday.

However, if you decided to delay your application, make an application from November 2024 for a place to start in September 2025, after your child’s 5th birthday.

We won't accept applications from families who have already accepted a Reception place to start in the 2024-25 academic year.

All Hertfordshire community and voluntary controlled schools will 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 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

TownSchool NameDfE
Cheshunt Flamstead End School (Cheshunt) 2001
Bovingdon Bovingdon Primary Academy 2003
Bishop's Stortford Northgate Primary School 2009
Stevenage Roebuck Primary School and Nursery 2024
Letchworth Garden City Academy 2029
Watford The Grove Academy 2035
Hitchin Wilshere-Dacre Junior Academy 2038
Watford St John's Church of England Primary School (Watford) 2051
Cheshunt Churchfield C of E Academy 2063
Letchworth Wilbury Junior School 2067
Abbots Langley Bedmond Academy 2071
Radlett Hertsmere Jewish Primary School 2092
Bishop's Stortford Avanti Meadows Primary School 2097
Watford The Orchard Primary School 2115
Welwyn Garden City Watchlytes School 2118
Bishop's Stortford Avanti Brook Primary School 2119
Watford Knutsford Primary Academy 2130
South Oxhey Warren Dell Primary School 2135
South Oxhey Oxhey Wood Primary School 2137
Borehamwood Meryfield Primary School 2156
Stevenage Peartree Spring Primary School (Stevenage) 2198
Welwyn Garden City Waterside Academy 2296
Hemel Hempstead Hammond Academy 2337
Goffs Oak Woodside Primary School 2401
Langleybury St Paul's C of E VA Primary and Nursery School (Hunton Bridge) 3301
Hemel Hempstead Nash Mills C of E Primary School 3302
Berkhamsted St Mary's VA C of E Primary School (Northchurch) 3315
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
Waltham Cross Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School 3326
Waltham Cross St Joseph's Catholic Primary (Waltham Cross) 3327
Datchworth All Saints C E (VA) Primary (Datchworth) 3329
Great Amwell St John The Baptist VA C of E Primary School 3334
Hertford St Joseph's Catholic Primary (Hertford) 3341
Broxbourne Broxbourne CE Primary 3344
Hoddesdon St Augustine's Catholic Primary School 3345
Great Hormead Hormead C of E First School 3347
St Ippolyts St Ippolyts C of E (Aided) Primary School 3348
Kings Langley Chipperfield St Paul's VA C of E Primary School 3349
Letchworth Norton St Nicholas C of E (VA) Primary School 3350
The Gaddesdens Little Gaddesden C of E VA Primary School 3352
Much Hadham St Andrew's C of E Primary and Nursery (Much Hadham) 3353
Cockernhoe Cockernhoe Endowed C of E Primary School 3358
Rickmansworth St Mary's Church of England (VA) Primary School (Rickmansworth) 3359
Rickmansworth St Peter's C of E VA Primary School 3360
St Albans The Abbey C of E Voluntary Aided Primary School 3361
St Albans St Michael's C of E VA Primary (St Albans) 3363
Stevenage St Nicholas C of E Primary School & Nursery (Stevenage) 3369
Tewin Tewin Cowper C of E VA Primary School 3370
Welwyn St John's CE VA Primary (Digswell) 3376
Woolmer Green St Michael's Woolmer Green VA C of E Primary School 3378
Borehamwood St Teresa's Catholic Primary School 3384
Hitchin St Andrew's C of E VA Primary School & Nursery (Hitchin) 3385
Hemel Hempstead St Cuthbert Mayne Catholic Junior 3386
Hatfield St Philip Howard Catholic Primary School 3388
Hemel Hempstead St Albert the Great Catholic Primary School 3391
Bishop's Stortford All Saints C of E Primary and Nursery (Bishop's Stortford) 3393
Rickmansworth St John's Catholic Primary (Mill End) 3398
Welwyn Garden City Holy Family RC Primary School 3404
Hatfield Countess Anne School - A Church of England Academy 3406
Hemel Hempstead St Rose's Catholic Infants' School and Nursery 3409
London Colney St Bernadette Voluntary Catholic Primary Academy 3416
St Albans St Alban and St Stephen Catholic Primary School and Nursery 3421
Cheshunt St Paul's Catholic Primary School 3423
Watford St Anthony's Catholic Primary School 3428
Potters Bar Pope Paul Catholic Primary School 3975
Stevenage St Vincent de Paul Catholic Primary School 3977
Bishop's Stortford Windhill21 3979
Watford Alban Wood Primary School and Nursery 3981
Bishop's Stortford Summercroft Primary School 3986
Hemel Hempstead Broadfield Academy 3991
St Albans Samuel Ryder Academy 4003
Royston King James Academy, Royston 4140
Royston St Mary's Catholic Primary (Royston) 5200
Hertingfordbury Hertingfordbury Cowper C of E VA Primary School 5203
South Mymms St Giles' C of E Primary School 5204
Cuffley Cuffley School 5205
Little Heath Little Heath Primary School 5207
Northaw Northaw C of E Primary School 5209
Watford St Catherine of Siena Catholic Primary School 5211

 

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.

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.