Admission of summer born children to Reception at the age of five rather than four - Find a freedom of information request

Requests for admission of summer born children to Reception at the age of five rather than four:

1. The number of applications from parents of summer born children (those born between April 1 and August 31) asking to defer their child starting Reception for the academic years starting in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Please provide a breakdown by year.

Of these, the number of applications which were successful and the number which were refused. Please provide a breakdown by year.

2. The number of appeals by parents of summer born children if their application for delayed entry was refused. Of these, how many were successful. Please provide a breakdown by year.

3. Any details about the council's policy on deferred school entry of summer born children. For example, do you automatically agree all requests or only agree requests where parents present very strong evidence.

1.

2022

Total number RQ RCVD - 69

Total number agreed - 36

Total number declined - 33

2023

Total number RQ RCVD - 87

Total number agreed - 31

Total number declined - 56

2024

Total number RQ RCVD - 89

Total number agreed - 69

Total number declined - 13

2. No appeals for schools where the Local Authority is the Admissions Authority. Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) do not hold data for own admission authority schools.

3. Paragraph 2.19 of the School Admissions Code requires an admission authority to decide which age group the child should be admitted to. They must make this decision on the basis of the circumstances of the case and in the child's best interests. They must also take account of the views of the school's headteacher.

The admission authority will decide whether a child's needs can best be met in reception or year 1, for a child starting primary school.

Factors the admission authority will consider include:

* parents' views

* information about a child's academic, social, and emotional development

* where relevant, a child's medical history and the views of a medical professional

* whether a child would naturally have fallen into a lower age group if they had not been born prematurely

* the potential impact on a child of being admitted to their normal age group and missing a year of their education as a consequence

The admission authority will take into account if a child has already been educated out of their normal age group and is transferring to a new school.

Unless there are sound educational reasons to do otherwise, the assumption should be that they will remain outside of their normal year group, as to do otherwise would result in the child missing a year of school.

There does not need to be exceptional circumstances, and a child does not need to have a medical need or SEND for it to be in a summer born child’s best interests to be admitted out of their normal age group – each application is discussed on a case by case basis.