Deferred entry
From August 2023 legislation changed.
This change guaranteed parents who wish to defer their child’s entry to P1 an additional funded year in ELC. This applies to all children who have not yet turned 5 years of age on the first day of term in August, the DOB range is 21/08/2020 and 28/02/2021
In the past children with September to December birthdays had to apply for both ELC and P1 and this was because we couldn’t guarantee that they would be given the discretionary funding for another year in ELC. Now that children are guaranteed to be accepted, we no longer need the P1 application, unless a parent changes their mind and decides to send their child to P1.
To allow for a transition period for children, parents must decide by 31 May 2024 whether they are deferring their child or not. Any changes after this date can only be made in exceptional circumstances, this includes any applications to start Primary 1
How to apply
Complete the application form selecting the session 2025/26 and Deferred entry and ticking the box for deferred entry.