Delayed, Deferred and Accelerated Admission Requests

What Happens If My Request Is Approved?

• You must reapply for a Reception place in the following year.
• Your child will start Reception a year later, which means they will be educated outside of chronological age.
• There is no guarantee that future schools (a transfer or first admission to secondary school) will agree to continue this arrangement. No other school or admission authority is required to honour a decision made by another. 

What If My Request Is Refused?

You can either:

• Accept a Reception place in your child’s normal year group, or
• Choose to wait and apply later for Year 1. 

You can also choose to defer starting Reception until later in the year – more on that below.

If your child has a school place in Reception, you can choose to:

• Start full-time in September.
• Delay starting until later in the school year – but no later than:   
  • The term after their fifth birthday, or
  • o    The beginning of the summer term (if birthday is after the beginning of the summer term in April).

These requests should be made directly to the school and the outcome reported to School Admissions.

We always consider:

• Your child’s development, maturity, and needs.
• The views of professionals involved with your child.
• The impact on future transitions, such as secondary school.
• Whether your child was born prematurely.
• Whether they’ve already been educated outside their age group.

Each case is looked at individually, based on the child’s best interests.
For academies and voluntary-aided schools, the school itself will make the decision.

If your child is already being taught outside their normal age group, you must request this again when moving to secondary school.

You must;

• Apply on time alongside your chronological age group (your child would have just entered Year 5) for all your preferred schools to your home local authority
• Apply to your chosen secondary schools for a delayed admission approval
• If the request is approved, your on-time application will be removed and you would be required to apply again the following year. 
• If the request is rejected, parent/carers must decide whether to leave Year 5 and join secondary school in Year 7 alongside their chronological age group, or finish primary school at the end of Year 6 and apply for a secondary school place in Year 8. 

Please note: Secondary schools can make their own decision, so it’s important to apply in the normal timeframe and submit the request alongside the application. 

Deadlines to Remember

• October to 15 January – Window to apply for a Reception place
• August - 31 October – Apply for a Year 7 secondary place

You can’t appeal if your delayed or accelerated request is refused, but you can:

• Complain to Nottingham City Council (for community schools) via the Have Your Say process at Comments, Compliments & Complaints
  • Comments, Compliments & Complaints - Nottingham City Council
  • or complain to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman at www.LGO.org.uk
• Complain directly to the school (for academies or voluntary-aided schools) or to the Education and Skills Funding Agency at Complaints procedure - Education and Skills Funding Agency - GOV.UK

If you are considering making a request, this is what you should do next?

• Read our full Accelerated/Delayed Admissions Policy
• Think about what’s best for your child
• Talk to professionals who know your child well
• Apply for the normal year group by the national deadline
• Submit your delayed/accelerated request with any supporting evidence

If your request is approved, you’ll need to reapply the following year for the agreed school year.

If you need help or advice, contact the School Admissions Team:

0115 841 5568 or online via our Frequently Asked Questions and Contact Form at  www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/schooladmissions

Click here to see the policy Admission Arrangements