Applying for early or late admission to secondary school

Applying for early admission

In very exceptional circumstances, you can request early admission for your child outside of their normal age group. This applies to children born after 31 August 2011.

The child’s primary headteacher and an educational psychologist can support your application. They can provide evidence that your child is academically outstanding and sufficiently physically and emotionally mature to cope with the demands of secondary school. The admissions authority for the school will use this information to decide if they will agree to your request.

If they allow your child to apply early, you need to agree that your child will transfer to secondary school in September 2022. This is regardless of the outcome of your application and you will not qualify to take part in the planned admissions scheme the following year.

Applying for later admission

In very exceptional circumstances, you can request a delayed admission for your child (those born before 1 September 2010).

The child’s primary headteacher and an educational psychologist can support the application. They can confirm that your child has learning delay or difficulty and their social maturity is well below that of their peers. The admissions authority for the school will use this information to decide if they will agree to your request.

If they allow your child to apply late, you need to agree that your child will transfer to secondary school with the later year group. This is regardless of the outcome of your application and if you have not participated in the transfer scheme the year before.

You must consider the implications of an early or delayed transfer. Even if a secondary school headteacher agrees to your child transferring early or late, they can make the decision to educate your child in the correct cohort. This means, if you apply late, your child could miss a year at secondary school and go into Year 8.