THERE has been a rise in parents deferring their child's entry to Primary 1 in Fife following a pilot scheme.

From August 2023, all eligible pupils in Scotland will be entitled automatically to an extra year of funded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC).

This has already been the case in the Kingdom, with the local authority finding a significant uplift in the numbers of children with birthdays between August and December who remain in nursery settings.

Previously, only children who were due to turn five in January or February would be entitled automatically to defer.

The programme was discussed at last week's education scrutiny committee, with a report detailing feedback from parents.

Convener Kathleen Leslie noted that there would be a significant impact on the wider ELC service if numbers continued to rise.

Speaking after the meeting, she commented: "Historically, any child who turned five 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 five 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."

Shelagh McLean, head of education, confirmed during the committee session that those who do defer will be entitled to stay in their current nursery and that work is ongoing to identify where additional places may be needed.

Concerns were also raised by councillors that there was not enough awareness among parents that the scheme was in place, and that more needed to be done in the future to align this with school enrolment information.

Ms McLean said this would be considered for the next school year.

Cllr Leslie went on to recommend a further report after the start of the 2023/24 school year.