Starting school or moving up to junior school

Use our age checker to find out when your child needs to start school.

Legally your child does not have to start school until the term after his or her fifth birthday. This is called 'statutory' or 'compulsory' school age, and they must then go to school full time.

It is possible to 'defer' your child starting until later in the school year. If you wish to do this it is best to discuss it with your child’s school first. If this is what you decide to do then the school has to keep the place for your child until later in the year and cannot offer that place to another child.

If your child’s fifth birthday is between 1 September and 31 December

You can ask for your child's place to be deferred until the beginning of the Spring Term 2021 (January 2021). This place will be kept for your child once you have let the school know that this is what you want

If your child’s birthday is between 1 January and 31 March

You can ask for your child’s place to be deferred until the beginning of the Spring Term 2021 (January 2021) or the beginning of the Summer Term 2021 (April 2021). This place will be kept for your child once you have let the school know that this is what you want.

Child with their fifth birthday between 1 April and 31 August

You can ask for your child's place to be deferred until the beginning of the Spring Term (January 2021) or the beginning of the Summer Term 2021 (April 2021).

You can also legally defer the school place until September 2021 but the offer of a school place in Reception will be withdrawn and you will have to re-apply for a place in Year 1. This will be treated as a new application and there is no guarantee that a place will be available at your preferred school.