Summer born children – starting school

If your child is born between 1 April and 31 August they're classed as a "summer born" child.

Children usually start Reception class in the September after their 4th birthday.

However, if your child is summer born, you might feel they're not ready to start school.

Applying for a Reception place

If your child’s date of birth is between 1 April and 31 August 2020

You can apply for a place to start as usual in September 2024, after their 4th birthday.

Or you may decide to delay your application and apply next year, to start in September 2025, after your child’s 5th birthday.

Discuss this decision with your child’s current nursery or early years provider.

If your child’s date of birth is between 1 April and 31 August 2019

Your child will usually have started Reception in September 2023, after their 4th birthday.

However, if you decided to delay your application, make an application from November 2023 for a place to start in September 2024, after your child’s 5th birthday.

We won't accept applications from families who have already accepted a Reception place to start in the 2023-24 academic year.

All Hertfordshire community and voluntary controlled schools will accept applications for summer born children.

 

Schools outside Hertfordshire

If you're interested in applying for a place at a school outside of Hertfordshire, you must contact the relevant authority to discuss whether they will accept your summer born application.

 

Schools responsible for their own admissions

Many schools and academies are responsible for their own school admissions and this is their decision.

You will need to contact the following schools about whether they'll accept an application for your summer born child:

School Town School Name Short DfE
Abbots Langley  Bedmond Academy  2071
Berkhamsted St Mary's VA C of E Primary School (Northchurch)  3315
Bishop's Stortford All Saints C of E Primary and Nursery (Bishop's Stortford)  3393
Bishop's Stortford Northgate Primary School  2009
Bishop's Stortford St Joseph's Catholic Primary (Bishop's Stortford)  3318
Bishop's Stortford St Michael's C of E VA Primary (Bishop's Stortford)  3319
Bishop's Stortford Summercroft Primary School  3986
Bishop's Stortford Windhill21  3979
Borehamwood Meryfield Primary School  2156
Borehamwood St Teresa's Catholic Primary School  3384
Bovingdon Bovingdon Primary Academy  2003 
Broxbourne Broxbourne CE Primary  3344
Cheshunt Churchfield C of E Academy  2063
Cheshunt Flamstead End School (Cheshunt)  2001
Cheshunt St Paul's Catholic Primary School  3423
Cockernhoe Cockernhoe Endowed C of E Primary School  3358
Cuffley Cuffley School  5205
Datchworth All Saints C E (VA) Primary (Datchworth)  3329
Goffs Oak Woodside Primary School  2401
Great Amwell St John The Baptist VA C of E Primary School  3334
Great Hormead Hormead C of E First School  3347
Hatfield Countess Anne School - A Church of England Academy  3406
Hatfield St Philip Howard Catholic Primary School  3388
Hemel Hempstead Broadfield Academy  3991
Hemel Hempstead Hammond Academy  2337
Hemel Hempstead Nash Mills C of E Primary School  3302
Hemel Hempstead St Albert the Great Catholic Primary School  3391 
Hemel Hempstead St Cuthbert Mayne Catholic Junior  3386
Hertingfordbury Hertingfordbury Cowper C of E VA Primary School  5203
Hitchin St Andrew's C of E VA Primary School & Nursery (Hitchin)  3385
Hitchin Wilshere-Dacre Junior Academy  2038
Hoddesdon St Augustine's Catholic Primary School  3345
Kings Langley Chipperfield St Paul's VA C of E Primary School  3349
Langleybury St Paul's C of E VA Primary & Nursery School (Hunton Bridge)  3301
Letchworth Garden City Academy  2029
Letchworth Norton St Nicholas C of E (VA) Primary School  3350
Letchworth Garden City The Grange Academy  2068
Letchworth Garden City Wilbury Junior School  2067
Little Heath Little Heath Primary School  5207
London Colney St Bernadette RC Nursery and Primary School  3416
Much Hadham St Andrew's C of E Primary and Nursery (Much Hadham)  3353
Northaw Northaw C of E Primary School  5209
Radlett Hertsmere Jewish Primary School  2092
Rickmansworth St Mary's Church of England (VA) Primary School (Rickmansworth)  3359
Rickmansworth St Peter's C of E VA Primary School  3360
Royston St Mary's Catholic Primary (Royston)  5200
South Oxhey Oxhey Wood Primary School  2137
South Oxhey Warren Dell Primary School  2153
St Albans St Adrian's RC Primary School & Nursery  3389
St Albans St Alban & St Stephen Catholic Primary School & Nursery  3421
St Albans St Michael's C of E VA Primary (St Albans)  3363
St Albans The Abbey C of E Voluntary Aided Primary School  3361
St Ippolyts St Ippolyts C of E (Aided) Primary School  3348
Stevenage Peartree Spring Primary School (Stevenage)  2198
Stevenage Roebuck Primary School and Nursery  2024
Stevenage St Nicholas C of E Primary School & Nursery (Stevenage)  3369
Tewin Tewin Cowper C of E VA Primary School  3370
The Gaddesdens Little Gaddesden C of E VA Primary School  3352
Waltham Cross Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School  3326
Waltham Cross St Joseph's Catholic Primary (Waltham Cross)  3327
Watford Alban Wood Primary School and Nursery  3981 
Watford Ascot Road Primary School  2043
Watford Knutsford Primary Academy  2130
Watford St Anthony's Catholic Primary School  3428
Watford St Catherine of Siena Catholic Primary School  5211
Watford St John's Church of England Primary School (Watford)  2051
Watford The Grove Academy  2035
Watford The Orchard Primary School  2115
Welwyn St John's CE VA Primary (Digswell)  3376 
Welwyn Garden City Holy Family RC Primary School  3404
Welwyn Garden City Watchlytes School  2118
Welwyn Garden City Waterside Academy  2296
Woolmer Green St Michael's Woolmer Green VA C of E Primary School  3378
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If you delay applying for Reception...

  • Your child will be allocated a place to start in Reception after their 5th birthday, as long as you apply during the normal Reception application round.
  • You won't get a reminder in the post to apply.
  • We'll treat your delayed application in exactly the same way as an application for a child who would normally start Reception in that year.
  • Your child will remain in that year group and move through the school with those children in their class. However, future decisions and exceptions are a matter for the school.

Staying at nursery another year

If your summer born child is in nursery and you want to keep the place another year rather than moving onto a Reception class, you must let your nursery know before the end of spring term. That's before the Easter break.

If you don't let the nursery know, they may offer the place to another child.

Free early education

You can get 15 hours free early education for 38 weeks a year from when your child is 3 up until the compulsory school age of 5.

If you decide to delay your child starting school, they will still get these hours until the age of 5.