Delayed admissions to Reception

You may be able to:

• delay (defer) your child’s admission to primary or infant school until later in the school year
• ask for your child to attend school on a part-time basis during their Reception Class year

In both the above cases, you must make sure your child is in full-time education at the beginning of the school term immediately after their 5th birthday (compulsory school age). 

If your child is offered a Reception place for September 2019, you cannot accept the place and then delay their admission until September 2020.

If you don’t accept the place you are offered:

• your child’s offer will be withdrawn
• you will need to make a separate application for a Year 1 place

You should note that the majority of children in Birmingham start school during the school year in which they turn 5 years old. If you are considering delaying your child’s admission to primary or infant school, you may find your preferred schools are full when you apply for a Year 1 place. This is because the places have been given to children who started school in Reception the previous year.

If you’re considering delaying your child’s admission to school, you should discuss it with the head teacher once your child has been offered a place.