When does my child start school in England?
When children start school in England, why most begin Reception the September after they turn 4, plus summer-born options and how and when to apply.
When does my child start school? In England, the answer for most families is simple: children start school full-time in Reception in the September after their fourth birthday, which is the academic year in which they turn 5. What surprises many parents is that you do not have to send a four-year-old full-time, and that summer-born children have extra options. This guide explains when your child starts Reception, what the law actually requires, and how and when to apply. The calculator below turns a date of birth into the Reception start year and the application deadline.
When does my child start school? Start date and deadline
Enter your child's date of birth to see the September they start (or started) Reception, the school year that covers, and the date to apply by.
When does my child start school?
Enter your child's date of birth to see when they start (or started) Reception in England and the application deadline.
England only. The national Reception application deadline is 15 January of the year of entry; your local authority sets the exact process.
The calculator follows the standard England rule: a child starts Reception in the September of the academic year in which they turn 5. It also flags summer-born birthdays, where you have more choice about timing.
School starting age and compulsory school age
Two different ages sit behind this question, and mixing them up causes most of the confusion.
The first is the usual school starting age. GOV.UK puts it simply: "Most children start reception full-time in September after their fourth birthday." That is the normal Reception starting point that admission authorities provide for, and it is what the calculator above shows.
The second is compulsory school age, which is the point at which a child must be in full-time education by law. A child reaches it on 31 December, 31 March, or 31 August following their fifth birthday, whichever comes first. If a fifth birthday lands on one of those three dates, the child reaches compulsory school age that same day. In practice this means there is a gap of up to a year between when a child can first start Reception and when they legally must be in full-time education.
That gap is what gives parents room to choose. Your child can start Reception at 4, but the law does not force full-time education until they reach compulsory school age.
Do you have to start school at four?
No. Because compulsory school age can be almost a year after the September start, you have more flexibility than many families realise. GOV.UK sets out three alternatives to a full-time September start for a four-year-old:
- Start part-time until your child reaches compulsory school age.
- Start part-way through the school year rather than in September.
- Wait and start in the next school year, in the September after your child turns 5.
The condition is the same in every case: your child must be in full-time education by the time they reach compulsory school age. For a part-time timetable or a start later in the same school year, you still apply for a Reception place at the normal time, then agree the pattern with the school. For a summer-born child who does start Reception at 4, a deferred start within that year cannot run past the beginning of the summer term. If you want your child to wait a full year and still start Reception, that is a different route: an out-of-normal-age-group request that the admission authority decides, which the next section covers.
One thing flexibility does not let you do is hold a place open indefinitely or pick a different school each term. If you defer or go part-time, talk to the school early so the place is kept and the plan is agreed in writing.
Summer-born children: the option to wait a year
A child born between 1 April and 31 August is described as summer-born and is among the youngest in their year group. These families have a specific extra option. As the GOV.UK advice for parents confirms, summer-born children "do not need to start school until the September after their fifth birthday, a year after they could first have started school." Waiting that extra year is something you can choose; what you cannot simply choose is the year group your child then joins.
The important detail is the year group they join. You can ask to start your child a year later and be admitted to Reception, rather than skipping straight to Year 1 with their chronological age group. This is called admission out of the normal age group. The decision rests with the admission authority for the school, which is the council for community and voluntary-controlled schools, the academy trust for academies and free schools, and the governing body for voluntary-aided and foundation schools. The guidance for admission authorities says they must decide each case in the child's best interests, looking at the individual circumstances rather than applying a blanket policy. Agreeing a request settles which year group your child joins, not the school place itself: you still apply in the normal admissions round for that year, and the place is offered through the usual oversubscription rules.
If you are considering this, raise it early, ideally well before the 15 January application deadline, and put your reasons in writing. A request agreed in principle still has to line up with the normal admissions round, so the timing matters. If your child has an education, health and care (EHC) plan, speak to your local authority first, because the right year group is then decided through the EHC plan process rather than the standard summer-born route.
How and when to apply for a Reception place
The application itself is separate from the question of when your child starts. You apply the year before they are due to start, through your local council, using a single form that covers your preferred schools. You apply to the council even for academies, free schools, and faith schools, although some faith schools ask for an extra supplementary form.
The deadline and offer day are national, while councils open their application systems on slightly different dates:
- Applications usually open in September, a year before your child starts Reception, with the exact date set by your council.
- The national deadline to apply is 15 January of the year your child starts.
- Offers go out on national primary offer day, 16 April, or the next working day if that falls on a weekend or holiday.
Applying on time matters more than people expect, because missing the 15 January deadline makes your child less likely to be offered a place at a preferred school. You can name several schools in order of preference, and naming more than one does not count against your chances at your first choice. For the full detail of the process, see the GOV.UK guide on how to apply.
How FindMySchool helps
Once you know the September your child starts, the next job is deciding where to apply. FindMySchool covers more than 25,000 schools, each with its own profile, FMS Inspection score, and catchment distance data, so you can build a Reception shortlist before the 15 January deadline.
- Use the school search to find primary schools near you and see how close they are.
- Let School Match suggest schools that fit your family, then compare them side by side.
- Check the term dates for 2026/27 so you can plan the first term and any settling-in arrangements.
- Still unsure which year group your child falls into? Our guide to what school year your child is in explains the 1 September cut-off.
The order that works for most families is simple: confirm the start year with the calculator, shortlist a few schools you would be happy with, then apply before the 15 January deadline. If your child is summer-born and you are thinking about waiting a year, raise that with the admission authority well ahead of the same deadline.
Frequently asked questions
Most children start Reception full-time in the September after their fourth birthday, which is the academic year in which they turn 5. You apply the year before, and the national deadline to apply is 15 January of the year they start.