How to deal with requests to enrol a child into an older or younger year
Parents have a right to request to place their child into a different year, both before enrolment or after. They may want to do this if their child:
- Is gifted and talented
- Has missed school due to illness
- Has special educational needs (SEN) (see below)
- Was born in the summer, either:
- Prematurely (with a September due date)
- Close enough to September that their parent(s) would rather they start school after their fifth birthday
Know the role and responsibilities of your admission authority
Officially, it's your admission authority that makes these decisions, but in reality the final decision will often rest with the headteacher. Be clear on who your admission authority is (see page 6 of the admissions code), and what its policies and procedures are.
Make the process clear in their admission arrangements Make decisions