Starting school for children born April to August

Children born between 1 April and 31 August (summer born children) usually start school in September after their fourth birthday. But they can also: 

• attend their whole reception year part-time  
• start later in the year 
• delay starting school by a year and start in the September following their fifth birthday 

See GOV.UK advice for parents of summer born children starting school. 

Apply

To apply for a reception place, see our starting primary school page.

Starting in September after fourth birthday  

Apply for a reception place in the normal way.

Going to school part-time 

Your child can go to school part-time for the whole of their reception year. This means your child can start school gradually. 

Your child must start either full-time or part-time by the beginning of the summer term in April.  

To organise your child attending their reception year part-time: 

1. Apply for a school place during the autumn when your child turns 4 – application deadline 15 January. 
2. Accept a school place offered to you. 
3. Speak to the school about your child attending part-time. 

Start later in the year 

If you want your child to start school later in the year, the latest they can start is by the beginning of the summer term in April. They can go to school either full-time or part-time.  

To organise your child starting later in the year: 

1. Apply for a school place the autumn when your child turns 4 – application deadline 15 January. 
2. Accept a school place offered to you. 
3. Speak to the school about your child starting later in the year and perhaps attending part-time. 
4. The school will hold your child’s place until April. 

Start school a year later – starting in September following their fifth birthday  

You need permission to delay your child starting reception by a year. 

If you delay your child starting school by a year, you will not keep the school place originally offered to you. You must reapply the following year.

Because home-to-school cutoff distances are different each year, you may no longer qualify for a place at your preferred school. 

To ask that your child delay reception by a year: 

1. Apply for a school place during the autumn when your child turns 4 – application deadline 15 January. 
2. Complete and return the summer-born deferral request form (pdf, 3 page(s), 52.21 KB). 
3. Accept a school place offered to you. 
4. Meet with the headteacher to discuss your child starting a year later.  

If you're applying for a Haringey school, the school and Haringey Council will make the decision. 

If you're applying for schools outside Haringey, you need to talk to the council where the school is located. 

What happens after you apply to delay

You'll get an email letting you know which schools have agreed to let your child start school a year later.  

If you decide to go ahead, you must: 

1. Contact us and let us know your decision. 
2. Refuse the school place offered to you. 
3. Apply again for a school place for the following year – application deadline 15 January.