Deferred entry to primary school
Children in Scotland usually start school between the ages of 4 years 6 months and 5 years 6 months.
Children who turn 5 between:
- the start of the school year
- and the end of February
have a choice about enrolling for primary school. Most parents/carers choose to send their child to school as soon as they are eligible to start. However they can apply to defer starting Primary 1 for a year.
All children who defer will be able to access an additional year of funded early learning and childcare (ELC).
Apply for a deferred place
- You must register your child at one of your catchment schools from 17 November to 23 November 2025.
- Once you have registered your child at their catchment school you can apply for a deferred place.
- You must apply for a deferred place by 15 March 2026.
- If you want to withdraw a deferral request, contact Pupil Placement Team by 15 March 2026 at pupil.placement@midlothian.gov.uk. After this date, the main round of placing decisions will have taken place and there may not be a place available at your child's catchment school. We may have to seek a place at an alternative primary school.
- Points to consider - a lot of emotional and social development will happen between the time parents/carers apply for a deferral in March and the start of primary school in August. You should discuss if this is the right choice for your child with their current Early Learning and Childcare setting. Children aged 3-5 in Early Learning and Childcare settings and those in Primary 1 classrooms, usually work within the Early Level of the Curriculum for Excellence. Both settings have a focus on play and outdoor learning.
Apply for a retained year
In exceptional circumstances, children who are 5 at the start of the school term can delay entering primary school. This is only when it is in the best interests of the child to have an additional year of early learning and childcare.
You must register your child for primary school while your retained year application is pending.
How to apply for a retained year:
1. Discuss your request with your child's early learning centre or childminder if you are concerned your child is not ready for school or how their additional support needs will be met.
2. Register for your child's catchment school
3. Headteacher/Manager at the setting or childminder will complete the application with you (by 2 February 2026). Applications should be scanned/photographed and emailed to Pupil.Placement@midlothian.gov.uk or posted to Pupil Placement, Midlothian Council, Children, Young People and Partnerships, Fairfield House, 8 Lothian Road, Dalkeith EH22 3ZG
4. The panel will consider your application. A letter will be sent to you with the decision by the end of March 2026.
Interventions for children with Significant Additional Support Needs
If your child has significant additional support needs, an additional year of Early Learning and Childcare may be considered as an intervention if it is agreed by the parent/carer and the core team around the child that this would be in their best interests. There must be clear targets to be worked on in this additional year.
Examples of when a retained year of early learning and childcare is considered an intervention.
- The child has additional support needs affecting their development
- The family has only recently arrived in the UK and the child has not experienced early learning and childcare and needs time to adjust to school life
- The child may have missed a lot of early learning and childcare through illness
- The child has a summer birthday and was born very prematurely
Decision making process
All applications are considered by a panel of early years professionals.
The panel may ask for additional information from the team around the child or they may visit the setting that the child is attending to further assess their needs.
Decisions about a retained year are best made as part of the ongoing discussions about your child's development and learning which is done by the Early Learning and Childcare provider. Schools have an obligation to support the needs of all children and the needs of each child will be planned for through the transition process to school.
In considering the best decision for each child, we will take account your views and the child's:
- Approach and attitude to learning
- Ability to communicate their own needs, feelings and ideas
- Levels of independence and self-help
- Emotional and personal development, including self-confidence and esteem
- Their relationships and friendships with other children and adults
- Additional support needs
Funding
Where the council has agreed to an additional publicly-funded Early Learning and Childcare year and you wish this to be in the private or voluntary sector, the Council can only make appropriate arrangements for payment to a setting in Partnership for Early Learning and Childcare.
If your child attends a setting in another local authority contact them to confirm funding arrangements.
Appealing a decision
Where the Council has refused an additional publicly-funded Early Learning and Childcare year you can appeal through normal Council procedures but there is no legal right to an appeal.