Schools - deferred entry
Under current legislation, parents of children aged 4 years old at the start of the school session in August (ie. those with birthdays on or after the first day of term in August up to the end of February the following year) have a choice about enrolling their child for primary school. These children can start school before they are 5 or can defer their start until the following August.
Most parents choose to send their child to school as soon as s/he is eligible to start.
By the time they reach the age of 4 or 5 years old, there are already differences in each child's development, learning and levels of independence. You may be considering deferring your child's entry to school simply because you feel that your child is not yet ready for primary 1.
If you are concerned about whether or not your child is ready for school, you should speak directly to the staff who care for your child and/or to the Head or Manager of the nursery or group your child attends.
We are sympathetic to parents who wish to defer their child's entry to school and we aim to help you make the best decision for your child.
You may wish to defer your child's entry to primary 1 for a number of reasons. The most common reasons for deferred entry are:
- your child may have additional support needs affecting their development
- you may feel that your child is simply "not" ready for school
Different processes apply according to the reasons why a child is deferring and also according to when they have their birthday.
In all instances you should discuss this first with the Head or Manager of the nursery or group your child attends.
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