Results from an annual survey of councils found that the proportion agreeing all requests from parents to delay a child entering reception rose to 22 per cent last year compared to eight per cent in 2019.
The Department for Education Delayed School Admissions report also reveals that the proportion of councils that had a policy of only agreeing to very strong cases fell from a third in 2018 to zero in 2020. In addition, two thirds of councils said they automatically allow requests to delay school start for children born prematurely.
The issue of delayed school start for summer-born children has gained attention in recent years due to growing evidence showing many achieve lower attainment throughout their education.
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