Deferral of School Starting Age

In Northern Ireland children start primary school in September if they are 4 years old by 1 July of that year.  Children born in July, August and September are the oldest in the school year group whereas those born in April, May and June are the youngest. These younger children are sometimes called Young for Year children.

The School Age Act (NI) became law in Northern Ireland on 28 April 2022 and has changed the law to allow the parents/guardians of younger children in the year group a choice to defer their child starting primary school by one year should they wish to do so. It will also allow children born early, who would have been born on or after 1 April, if born at term, to defer. There is no requirement for any child deferring P1 to receive home education during that year. 

No.

The majority of children born on or between 1 April and 1 July will continue to start primary school when they reach compulsory school age.

For most children, deferral is not necessary or recommended. 

However, if you have concerns about your child’s development, you are strongly encouraged to speak to your GP or Health Visitor to discuss your concerns.   The majority of children born on or between 1 April and 1 July will continue to start primary school when they reach compulsory school age.

In making your decision about deferral, it is important to remember that the majority of children regardless of their age within the year group thrive at primary school and we have excellent pre-schools and primary schools in Northern Ireland.

Primary 1 and 2 years of education, which are called the Foundation Stage, enable children to learn through well-planned, challenging play, recognising that all young children learn best when learning is interactive, practical and enjoyable. Please also be assured that children start primary school with a whole range of abilities and at different levels of maturity. Children learn at their own pace and teachers are trained to adapt the school day and all activities and learning to meet a range of children’s needs, including those who are the youngest children in the year group.

If you do not have significant concerns about your child starting school, it is unlikely that deferral is the best option for them. If you are strongly considering deferral you will need to consider whether you think your child would benefit and be stimulated from repeating their pre-school year.  Alternatively, you will need to consider how you will best support your child’s development over the next year if you choose to defer your child starting P1.  There is no strong evidence to suggest that repeating a school year, including in the early years has longer-term educational benefits for children. 

More detail on the early years of primary school are available on the CCEA website at Foundation Stage | CCEA. 

No, deferral is a matter of parental choice and no educational assessment is required.  However, if you have concerns about your child’s development, you are strongly encouraged to speak to your GP or Health Visitor to discuss your concerns. 

Medical evidence is ONLY required for any child who was born before 1 April but who was due to be born on or after 1 April if born at term.  

Recommended medical evidence can include one of the following:-

Evidence must clearly show the child's name, expected due date and actual date your child was born (the information provided will only be held by the Education Authority for the purposes of processing this request).

Personal Child Health Record (Red Book); or 
Letter or any other evidence from GP, Midwife or Health Visitor or any other Health Professional involved with your child; or
Maternity Certificate (MAT B1).

NB: You do not need to provide all pages of any medical evidence held - You ONLY need to take a photo image of medical evidence that shows the child’s name, expected due date and actual date your child was born.

If your child is known to Special Education and going through the Statutory Assessment process the option to defer your child from P1 would also be available to you to consider if you so wish. A statutory assessment may not necessarily lead to a statement of special educational needs so normal admissions processes apply.

If your child has a statement or receives a Statement of Special Educational Needs (SEN 3), staff from your local Special Education Office will be in contact with you about your child’s placement.  If you require any further information contact numbers for Special Education can be found on the EA website here or by calling the SEN Helpdesk on 028 9031 7777 (available Monday - Friday 9am–5pm).

No, there is no guarantee that your child will be offered a place in their current pre-school.  You will have the option to apply for a funded pre-school place.

NB: If your child defers P1 and has already had a year of preschool education as a final preschool year child your pre-school application will not be considered until Stage 2 of the pre-school admissions process, as your child cannot be prioritised as ‘target age’ for 2 consecutive years. There is no guarantee of a funded pre-school place. (Refer to FAQ - What is Deferral and Late Deferral?) Visit our Key Dates page.

There is not an automatic entitlement to more than one year in a government funded pre-school. However, you will have the opportunity to apply for a funded year of pre-school.

If you defer your child from starting P1 and your child has attended or is currently attending pre-school as a target aged child, your application for a funded pre-school place will not be considered until Stage 2 of the pre-school admissions procedure. This is because, children can only be prioritised as ‘target age’ for a funded pre-school place once. Visit our Key Dates page.

If you have deferred your child from starting P1 and apply for a funded pre-school place for September 2026, Deferral and Late Deferral are defined in the published admissions criteria of pre-schools as follows:

Deferral:

If a child:

• was born on or between 1 April 2022 - 1 July 2022 (inclusive), or was due to be born on or between those dates but was born earlier; and,
• has not attended or is not currently attending a funded pre-school setting under the Pre-School Education Programme as a target aged (not penultimate aged) child; and,
• where that child’s parent has completed a request to defer their child starting P1; then, a submitted pre-school application form will be prioritised within the published admissions timetable dates as a “target age” or “final pre-school year” child.

An application received as defined under the definition of ‘Deferral’ is processed in Stage 1 of the admissions process if the pre-school application is received by 4pm on 26 January 2026.  (Note an application received from 12 noon on 21 January 2026 to 4pm on 26 January 2026 is treated as late).

A pre-school application received as defined under the definition of ‘Deferral’ can still be received and processed in Stage 2 of the admissions process.

Late deferral:

If a child:

• was born on or between 1 April 2022 - 1 July 2022 (inclusive), or was due to be born on or between those dates but was born earlier; and,
• has attended or is currently attending a funded pre-school setting under the Pre-School Education Programme as a target aged (not penultimate aged) child; and,
• where that child’s parent has completed a request to defer their child starting P1; then,a submitted pre-school application will not be prioritised within the published admissions timetable dates as a “target age” or “final pre-school year” child.

This is because the child will have already been prioritised within the pre-school admissions process, so cannot be prioritised for a second time. A parent can apply for a further year of funded pre-school education for them, but this is not guaranteed and risks a gap in education provision for the child.

An application received as defined under the definition of ‘Late Deferral’ is processed in Stage 2 of the admissions procedure even if the pre-school application is received in January 2026. For outcome of Stage 2 applications visit Key Dates. 

 Pre-Schools will apply the published admissions criteria where they receive more applications than funded places available.

Further information on the admissions procedure is available on Applying for a Pre-school Place.