Induction Processes for Primary and Infant Schools

The Code states:

2.17 Admission authorities must provide for the admission of all children in the September following their fourth birthday. The authority must make it clear in their arrangements that where they have offered a child a place at a school:

1. that child is entitled to a full-time place in the September following their fourth birthday;
2. the child’s parents can defer the date their child is admitted to the school until later in the school year but not beyond the point at which they reach compulsory school age and not beyond the beginning of the final term of the school year for which it was made; and
3. where the parents wish, children may attend part-time until later in the school year but not beyond the point at which they reach compulsory school age.

While schools are free to propose phased induction timetables for new students, they cannot be enforced if a parents preference is for their child to start full-time. Similarly, where parents wish for their child to start on a part-time basis, schools are legally required to support these requests until a child reaches compulsory school age. The Code defines compulsory school age as:

Compulsory school age is set out in Section 8 of the Education Act 1996 and the Education (Start of Compulsory School Age) Order 1998. A child reaches compulsory school age on the prescribed day following his or her fifth birthday (or on his or her fifth birthday if it falls on a prescribed day). The prescribed days are 31 December, 31 March, and 31 August.

Schools can find more information in the 2014 Admissions Code guidance (PDF, 110.9 KB) which was made available at the time and can still be found on Kelsi.