Deferred entry to primary school

If your child has not reached their fifth birthday before the August start of primary school, you can access an additional year of funded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC).

How to apply for deferred entry

If you plan to defer your child’s start at primary school, you must complete the following steps:

1. enrol your child at their catchment primary school - indicate your intention to defer entry on the enrolment form
2. complete a deferred entry request form - Available from your child’s current nursery. Return the completed form by email to the Early years team.

The closing date for deferred entry request forms is 31 January.

What happens next

• children who meet the qualifying criteria will have a nursery place reserved
• where possible, this will be in your child’s current nursery

Please note: If there are more requests than available spaces, your child may be offered a place in a different establishment for their deferred year.

Changing nursery for a deferred year

If you would like your child to attend a different nursery during their deferred year:

• request a transfer request form from your child’s current nursery
• submit the completed form as instructed by the nursery

School enrolment and deferral

If you enrol your child for primary school, and then decide to defer their entry, the original school enrolment will be cancelled.

If you later decide your child should start school you must re-enrol your child for a place at their catchment school.