Delayed School Admissions for Summer-Born Pupils (2023). Survey of Local Authorities and of Parents and Carers. Research Report

The School Admissions Code ('the Code') requires school admission authorities to provide for the admission of all children in the September following their fourth birthday. This is when children usually start school, but a child does not reach compulsory school age until the "prescribed day" following their fifth birthday (or on their fifth birthday if it falls on a prescribed day). This means that summer-born children (born between 1 April and 31 August) do not need to start school until the September following their fifth birthday -- a full academic year after they are first entitled to a place. Parents may ask for their child to be admitted to reception rather than year 1 at this point. The admission authority for the relevant school is responsible for deciding the year group to which the child should be admitted. They must make their decision in the best interests of the child concerned. The government believes it is rarely in a child's interests to miss a year of their education by beginning primary school in year 1 rather than reception. This report provides findings from 2 surveys designed to understand: (1) trends in the number of requests for delayed entry into reception for summer born children; (2) whether local authorities are changing their approach to handling requests; (3) factors affecting demand for requests to delay entry for summer born children; and (4) parents' and carers' reasons for requesting delayed entry for their summer born children and their demographics and childcare arrangements. This research provides an update to research published in 2018, 2019 and 2020, providing trends in the number of requests received since 2016.