Deferred Entry

Children who were born between 1st March 2020 and 29th February 2021 are due to start school in August 2025. Children who will still be four on the day school starts (14th August 2025) can have their school entry deferred for a year and a further year of ELC will be funded by the Scottish Government.

If a family wish their child to be deferred, and the child is not yet four when school starts (August – February birthdays), the child’s EY establishment should inform CBS Early Years to ensure the child receives their entitlement to another year of 1140 hours funding. 

If a family wish their child to be deferred, and the child will be five when school starts (March – August birthdays), then the EY establishment should support the family to complete a Deferred Entry Funding Request form for the child. For these children, funding for an extra year of ELC will normally only be given in exceptional circumstances related to particular additional support needs.

Remember, if a child is deferred they will be removed from school enrolment lists. Therefore, the child must be enrolled again the following year.

Further information and paperwork relating to deferring entry to primary school for children who are resident in Glasgow can be found on the Glasgow City Council website:

Deferred Entry (Glasgow City Council website

Email contact for CBS Early Years, to inform of deferred entry for Aug-Feb born children:

CBSEarlyYears@ced.glasgow.gov.uk

Supporting deferment decisions

  • Have the family got all the information they need to make an informed decision?  Is the child likely to make the best progress, and have their needs most effectively met, through a further year in ELC provision or through a P1 placement? More information is available on the Parent Club website.
  • We hope to provide more information about research on deferred entry here in the future.

For more information about deferring entry to primary school for children who are not resident in Glasgow, and are born between March and August, please contact the local authority for their home address.