Primary 1 deferrals will get extra year ELC following Fife pilot

From August 2023 all children, who are eligible to have entry to Primary 1 deferred, will be entitled to an extra year of funded Early Learning and Childcare.In Fife this is already the case as Fife Education Service has been part of the Scottish Government pilot on deferred entry into P1.

Members of the Education Scrutiny Committee today discussed a report on the pilot and heard feedback from parents on what deferral had meant for their child.

Convenor Kathleen Leslie said it was clear that most parents who had deferred their child’s entry had felt it was a positive experience. However, there is a recognition of the significant impact this will have on the wider ELC service resource needed going forward.

She said: “Historically, any child who turned 5 in January or February, after the August school intake, could have their entry into P1 deferred and would automatically have access to another year of ELC. This pilot and the subsequent change in law, now means a P1 deferral is  extended to any children who do not turn 5 until after the start of the school year.

“I know this will be welcomed by many parents who feel that their child is not quite ready to start primary school when they are expected to, and I’m glad that the process has become easier for them. We do need to bear in mind though, that increased numbers deferring will lead to increased numbers in our nurseries and early learning centres. This isn’t just a cost implication but it can affect staffing, as there are strict ratios of child to adult in early years settings, which need to be maintained.”

The committee report showed that in the pilot year 2022/2023 there was a large increase in the number of requests for deferral into P1 for children with birthdays in August to December. This reflects the change in policy, as these deferral applications are now automatically approved as part of the admissions process.

Cllr Leslie concluded: “I was pleased to see this report here today as I strongly believe that parents should have the right to decide if their child is ready to start school or not and should have the option of continuing free childcare if that’s the case. I look forward to seeing a follow up report on this and for councillors to consider any impact that rising numbers of deferrals may be having on the ELC service. “