The Department for Education has today published new advice for local authorities, school admission authorities and parents of summer born children.

The document Advice on the admission of summer born children can be downloaded on the DfE website page, which also provides a summary of the new advice:

“This is advice… is non-statutory, and has been produced to help local authorities, admission authorities and parents understand the framework within which admission authorities must operate, and to dispel some of the myths that appear to have arisen around the admission of summer born children. It should be read in conjunction with the ‘School Admissions Code 2012’.

Key points
• school admission authorities are required to provide for the admission of all children in the September following their fourth birthday, but flexibilities exist for children whose parents do not feel they are ready to begin school at this point
• school admission authorities are responsible for making the decision on which year group a child should be admitted to, but are required to make a decision based on the circumstances of the case
• there is no statutory barrier to children being admitted outside their normal year group”