Which Year Will My Child Be In?

This sheet is for families who are joining us in the middle of the school year. If your child has not been to school in England before, please read all of it.

How are the schools organised? Children under five can go to a nursery; in many countries this first stage is called kindergarten. From five to eleven, children go to primary school. From eleven to sixteen, they go to secondary school. In England, a child at school is called a pupil.

When does the year start? Our school year begins in September and ends in July, and it is divided into three terms, with a holiday after each one. A child who starts in February joins in the middle of the second term. This happens often, and it is not a problem.

Which year group will my child be in? We work this out from your child’s date of birth, not from the class they were in at their last school. A child who is seven in September will be in Year 3.

And what if my child is between two years? Every family asks this. Sometimes a child’s age says one thing and their old school says another. If that happens, we put them with their own age group for two weeks. Then we talk to you and to the child. Almost always, the age group is right.