Going to school in Lincolnshire guide

You may seek a place for your child outside their normal age group, for example:

• if your child is gifted and talented
• your child has experienced problems such as ill health

To make a request, you should contact us for guidance on the procedure.

The school admission authority decides which year group a child should be admitted to. The decision will be based on:

• the circumstances of the case
• the best interests of the child concerned

There is no statutory barrier to admitting children outside their normal age group. Parents do not have the right to insist that their child be admitted outside of their age group.

The admissions authority must take account of:

• parent and carer views
• available information about the child's academic, social and emotional development
• where relevant, their medical history and the views of a medical professional
• whether the child has previously been educated out of their normal age group
• evidence that the child may naturally have fallen into a lower age group if it were not for being born prematurely
• the views of the headteacher
• what the impact would be of entering year 1 without first having completed reception year (where relevant)

You may wish to contact the schools to which you would like to request an out-of-cohort place before applying. Headteachers at these schools are advised not to offer a letter of support regarding a particular applicant unless they know the child in an educational setting. Their opinion will be sought as part of the request process as outlined in the School Admissions Code (2021). The headteacher does not make decisions on these requests.

To make a request you should complete the out of cohort enquiry form.