Some Parents Unaware Summer-Born Children Can Delay Primary School
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Some parents 'unaware' summer-born children can defer school
By Rachel Candlin and Sarah Turnnidge, West of England
Published 23 August 2026
Several parents have told the BBC they only discovered they could delay their summer-born child's school start until age five after researching it themselves, citing confusion about rules and misconceptions.
Children born between April and August can legally defer starting school until September after their fifth birthday.
However, the Department for Education (DfE) states parents have the right to defer their child's start date, with requests considered based on what is in the child’s best interests.
'False information'
Victoria from Swindon shares her experience:
"I found out it was an option for any child born between April and August, and it completely blew my mind."
Maria, a reception teacher, also faced misinformation:
"There's a lot of false information... including the myth that children who defer must start in Year 1. That's really unhelpful."
Research and Debates
The debate has gained traction due to research from institutions like the Institute for Fiscal Studies indicating summer-born students perform worse on average than their older classmates.
A small number of parents opt to delay school entry, relying on parental testimony regarding effectiveness, with less robust evidence available.
Louise, from Westbury-on-Trym, decided to defer her daughter’s start:
"I looked at the research... and there weren't many downsides to giving a summer-born youngster an extra year before going into primary school."