Starting school: for parents of summer born children

Your child can start reception from the September after their fourth birthday.

They will complete 3 terms (autumn, spring and summer) in reception before transferring to Year 1 at compulsory school age. They can attend full-time or part-time.

How to arrange for your child to start school in September

First, you must accept a school place that has been offered to you. Then you must speak to the headteacher of the school to arrange starting school from September.

You will be able to discuss any concerns around your child’s start to school and arrange a start on either a full-time or part-time basis.

Full-time and part-time attendance below compulsory school age is a parental right. You should discuss the arrangements for attendance and timetabling with the headteacher. However, the school cannot refuse to admit your child full-time or part-time. 

Your child can start reception later in the academic year.

They can either start in January (the spring term) or in April (the summer term).

If they start in January, they will complete 2 terms (spring and summer) in reception before transferring to Year 1 at compulsory school age.

If they start in April, they will complete 1 term (summer) in reception before transferring to Year 1 at compulsory school age.

They can attend full-time or part-time. This is a parental right.

How to arrange for your child to start school in January or April (deferred entry)

First, you must accept a school place that has been offered to you. Then you must speak to the headteacher of the school to arrange starting school from January or April.

You will be able to discuss any concerns around your child’s start to school and arrange a deferred start on either a full-time or part-time basis.

Deferred entry is a parental right. You should discuss the arrangements for attendance and timetabling with the headteacher. However, the school cannot refuse to defer your child’s start to school. 

Your child can start school at compulsory school age (the September following their 5th birthday). This is a parental right.

However, this will result in:

• your child missing the reception year of education
• any previous offers made for reception will be withdrawn

How to arrange for your child to start school from Year 1

You must apply for Year 1 no sooner than 20 school days before you need the placement. To do this, you need to make an in-year application.

There is no guarantee of a school place being available at your preferred school. 

You can request that your child starts school a year later than usual, entering reception at age 5 instead of age 4. This is called delayed entry.

Delayed entry can be requested - but is not a parental right.

Delayed entry involves placing a child outside their chronological year group which is a significant educational decision.

Delayed entry means your child will start reception a year later, joining a cohort of children younger than their age group.

This requires careful consideration as it can affect:

• social development
• academic progression
• future transitions such as starting secondary school

If you are considering this option, think about both the short-term and long-term affects this may have on your child's educational journey.

Other important factors to consider

Requesting a school place

1. Where an admission authority agrees to a delayed entry request for a school, this is simply the admission authority agreeing to admit your child outside their chronological year group. This is not agreement to a school place being offered.
2. If you do not get a school place at the school(s) who have considered and agreed to your delayed entry request, then you will not be automatically allocated an alternative reception school place.
3. If this happens, you must make further requests for delayed entry to schools with available places. The relevant admission authority for these schools does not have to agree to your request.
4. If the relevant admission authorities of schools with available places refuse your request or an offer is not made at a preferred school by the time your child reaches CSA, then your child will be without a school place.
5. Once they reach CSA, they are required, by law, to be receiving full time education. This could result in your child having to be admitted into their chronological year group at CSA (Year 1) missing the reception year of education.

Being taught outside of their chronological year group

1. Delaying entry to school is admitting your child outside of their chronological year group. This does not carry through with every school move or transition.
2. If your child moves school, for example to transfer to a secondary school, you will need to request that they are admitted outside of their chronological year group. These schools may not agree to your request. This could result in your child missing a year of education, for example, transferring from year 6 to year 8.
3. Delayed entry means your child will be admitted outside their chronological year group. If they continue through education outside of their year group, they will be able to leave school before taking exams.
4. Although the participation age is now 18, the statutory school age ends on the last Friday in June in the school year when a child becomes 16.

If your child gets an education, health and care plan (EHCP) and is placed in a specialist school, it is important to note that these schools typically only accept children in their chronological age group. This will result in your child missing a year of education. 

Social and emotional implications

1. Being older than classmates can lead to social awkwardness or difficulty fitting in, especially in early years.
2. Some children may struggle with challenges because they’ve had less exposure to structured learning environments earlier on.
3. Being older at key milestones, such as GCSE's or university, can affect social development and career planning.
4. Children may internalise being “held back” as a sign of deficiency, even if the decision was well-intentioned.

How to make a delayed entry request

Fill in our delayed entry request form to make a delayed entry request for any of the following schools:

• Ascot Heath Primary
• Birch Hill Primary
• College Town Primary
• Cranbourne Primary
• Crowthorne CE Primary
• Fox Hill Primary
• Great Hollands Primary
• Harmans Water Primary
• Holly Spring Primary
• Jennetts park CE Primary
• King's Academy Binfield
• King's Academy Oakwood
• King's Academy Meadow Vale
• New Scotland Hill Primary
• The Pines
• St Michael's CE Primary
• St Joseph's RC Primary
• St Margaret Clitherow RC Primary
• Uplands Primary
• Warfield CE Primary
• Whitegrove Primary
• Winkfield St Mary's Primary

Download the make a delayed entry request form (DOC, 87KB)

Once you have filled in the form, email it to school.admissions@bracknell-forest.gov.uk.

If your preferred school is not on the list above, contact the relevant admission authority directly for how to make your request.

If your request is agreed, you must submit proof of this agreement alongside your application to Bracknell Forest when you apply for a school place.

How your request is considered

For Bracknell Forest Community and Voluntary Aided Schools:

• Ascot Heath Primary
• College Town Primary
• Cranbourne Primary
• Crowthorne CE Primary
• Fox Hill Primary
• Harmans Water Primary
• Holly Spring Primary
• New Scotland Hill Primary
• The Pines
• Warfield CE Primary
• Whitegrove Primary
• Wildridings Primary
• Winkfield St Mary's Primary

The information provided will be shared with the headteachers of the schools named on your form. This may also be shared with other departments in the council, as well as other councils, admission authorities, schools and government agencies where relevant.

Once a response has been received from all relevant parties, a panel will consider your request.

The panel will take into account:

• the views of the parents
• the child’s academic, social and emotional development
• the child’s medical history and the views of a medical professional - if relevant
• whether the child has previously been educated out of their normal age group
• whether they may have fallen into a lower age group if they had not been born prematurely
• the views of the relevant headteachers

Once processed, you will be contacted with the outcome. We will also confirm which application process you must follow in relation to your outcome.

For the following Voluntary Aided and Academy Schools in Bracknell Forest:

• Birch Hill Primary
• Great Hollands Primary
• Jennetts Park CE Primary
• King's Academy Binfield
• King's Academy Oakwood
• King's Academy Meadow Vale
• Uplands Primary
• St Michael's CE Primary
• St Joseph's RC Primary
• St Margaret Clitherow RC Primary

The information provided will be shared with the schools named on your form.

The admission authority for the school will take into account:

• the views of the parents
• the child’s academic, social and emotional development
• the child’s medical history and the views of a medical professional - if relevant
• whether the child has previously been educated out of their normal age group
• whether they may have fallen into a lower age group if they had not been born prematurely
• the views of the relevant headteachers

Your request will be processed by the admission authority in line with the school’s admission arrangements.

Once the Bracknell Forest School Admissions Team receives a response from the admission authority, you will be contacted with the outcome. We will also confirm which application process you must follow in relation to your outcome.

Late requests

Late requests can be submitted and will be processed, but be aware that:

1. We cannot process late requests during school holidays as we must consider the headteacher's views. You will need to wait until the school returns for your request to be processed. This includes the 6 week summer break.
2. Delayed entry requests are considered before school place applications can be processed. If you submit your delayed entry request after the deadline, you will delay the outcome of your application for a school place.

If your request is refused

More information about the decision for refusal will be provided in your outcome letter. The decision made is final and cannot be appealed.