Parents of summer-born children get right to delay start of school!

Changes in rules will allow those with birthdays between April and August to start reception at age of five, rather than four, if parents wish.  Children usually start school in the September after they turn four but parents of summer-born children can ask to delay reception for a year.

Parents of summer-born children are to be given the right to delay their child’s education for a year, with the reassurance that they will not then be forced to skip a year to catch up with their peers.

The schools minister Nick Gibb said admissions rules would be changed so children born between 1 April and 31 August would be allowed to go into reception a year later if their parents felt they were not ready for school.

A consultation will now be launched, and changes to the admissions rules will have to be approved by parliament, but the Department for Education is keen to get them under way as soon as possible.

Nick Gibb has written an open letter to schools and local authorities urging them to take immediate action to enable summer-born children to start in reception aged five if parents request it.  He wants all children to have an equal chance to excel in school regardless of when they are born, and feels that parents know their children best and he wants to make sure summer-born children can start reception at the age of five, if their parents think it is in their best interests.