Applying for Primary School

How to apply

If your child was born between 1 September 2022 and 31 August 2023, they are due to start in Reception class at a primary school in September 2027.

You must apply by 15th January 2027.

Find out more and apply online on the Waltham Forest website.

In the Summer Term, your child's Key Person will use the written observations that have been made throughout the year to complete their Transition Record. This is the final summary of your child’s achievements at nursery school. We will invite you to discuss their achievements and to read and comment on this record. We'll then forward it to their primary school.

We don't just hand over Transition Records. We talk to and meet with the reception staff at the schools and arrange visits. We want this exciting change to be as smooth as possible.

Starting primary school a year later/Deferral

Very rarely, children start Primary School a year later. This is called "deferring a place" or "deferral".

Deferral is the right thing for a very small number of children in exceptional circumstances:

children who are significantly delayed compared with other children of the same age, and
who get daily specialist support for their Special Educational Needs and Disability
Rarely, an August-born child defers. This happens:
- when the SENDco has been supporting the child, or
- the parent gives us clear evidence from another external agency. This evidence must show that deferral should happen.

All schools should support children with SEND. This means not all children with SEND need to defer.

A child's reception place is deferred after a joint decision between:

the FANS staff team
the child's parents, and
the Primary School.

We follow our Admissions Policy to make sure that our process is fair and transparent.

To ask for "deferral", you must:

write to the FANS Executive Headteacher. Explain why you want to defer. Do this by the end of January at the latest.
include your request in your primary school application. The deadline for this is the 15th January.

When we agree to deferral:

when we have lots of evidence of the child's developmental delay. It's not solely a parental choice.
when we have a letter from their future primary school that says they agree.
if the child already attends one of our schools.
once the Executive Headteacher has spoken to the family and the staff team and written to agree to the deferral. Any decision made will follow the Admissions Policy agreed by our governing body.

When a reception aged child stays with us, another nursery-aged child can't join us for a whole academic year. This is another reason why we must all take great care when deciding to defer. We must only do it when it's really needed.

Even summer-born children are ready for a quality, reception-age curriculum when they can:

communicate clearly
manage their own hygiene needs most of the time, and
play independently, or in groups.

A good school will:

support their emotional wellbeing
support their learning needs, and
give the support children need in class as they settle in to 'big school'.

If your child doesn't attend one of our nurseries, please don't ask if they can join our schools for their deferral year. You could ask their current setting to keep them, or contact the Primary School you have applied to and ask for a place in their nursery, if they have a space.

The years to come

Parents with children who start primary school a year late may have to apply again:

at each key stage and
at the move to secondary school.

Children who have deferred may have to skip a year at some point in their school journey, so that they do their GCSEs at 16 with their peers.

You can read more about this on the gov.uk website.