What is the school year cut-off date in the UK?

England and Wales use 31 August, so the school year runs 1 September to 31 August. Scotland uses the end of February and Northern Ireland uses 1 July.

How old are children in Reception?

Children in Reception are 4 to 5 years old during the school year in England and Wales. It is the first year of primary school in England and Wales.

How old are children in Year 1?

Children in Year 1 are 5 to 6 years old during the school year in England and Wales. It is part of Key Stage 1.

How old are children in Year 2?

Children in Year 2 are 6 to 7 years old during the school year in England and Wales. It is the last year of Key Stage 1.

How old are children in Year 3?

Children in Year 3 are 7 to 8 years old during the school year in England and Wales. It is the first year of Key Stage 2.

How old are children in Year 4?

Children in Year 4 are 8 to 9 years old during the school year in England and Wales. It is part of Key Stage 2.

How old are children in Year 5?

Children in Year 5 are 9 to 10 years old during the school year in England and Wales. It is part of Key Stage 2.

How old are children in Year 6?

Children in Year 6 are 10 to 11 years old during the school year in England and Wales. It is the last year of primary school in England and Wales.

How old are children in Year 7?

Children in Year 7 are 11 to 12 years old during the school year in England and Wales. It is the first year of secondary school.

How old are children in Year 8?

Children in Year 8 are 12 to 13 years old during the school year in England and Wales. It is part of Key Stage 3.

How old are children in Year 9?

Children in Year 9 are 13 to 14 years old during the school year in England and Wales. It is the last year of Key Stage 3.

How old are children in Year 10?

Children in Year 10 are 14 to 15 years old during the school year in England and Wales. It is the first GCSE year.

How old are children in Year 11?

Children in Year 11 are 15 to 16 years old during the school year in England and Wales. It is the second GCSE year.

How old are children in Year 12?

Children in Year 12 are 16 to 17 years old during the school year in England and Wales. It is the first sixth form year, sometimes called Lower Sixth.

How old are children in Year 13?

Children in Year 13 are 17 to 18 years old during the school year in England and Wales. It is the second sixth form year, sometimes called Upper Sixth.

What age does a child start school in the UK?

Most children start Reception in England and Wales in the September after they turn 4. Compulsory school age begins on 31 December, 31 March or 31 August following their fifth birthday, whichever comes first.

Can a summer-born child start school a year later?

Parents can ask the admission authority to delay entry so the child starts Reception the following September. You still apply at the usual time and request the later start, and the council decides each case.

Does a home educated child have to follow their school year group?

No. Home educated children can work at any level in any subject, and working at different year groups across subjects is common.

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What school year is my child in?

Checked 16 September 2026

In England and Wales, your child's school year is decided by how old they were on 31 August. A child who is 7 on 31 August starts Year 3 that September. The school year runs from 1 September to 31 August, so every child born inside those dates moves up together.

Scotland and Northern Ireland use different cut-offs and different names. All four tables are below.

School years by age: England and Wales

Find your child's age on 31 August. That row is the year group they are in from the following September.

Year group	Age during the year	Stage
Nursery	3 to 4	Early Years
Reception	4 to 5	Early Years
Year 1	5 to 6	Key Stage 1
Year 2	6 to 7	Key Stage 1
Year 3	7 to 8	Key Stage 2
Year 4	8 to 9	Key Stage 2
Year 5	9 to 10	Key Stage 2
Year 6	10 to 11	Key Stage 2
Year 7	11 to 12	Key Stage 3
Year 8	12 to 13	Key Stage 3
Year 9	13 to 14	Key Stage 3
Year 10	14 to 15	Key Stage 4, GCSE year one
Year 11	15 to 16	Key Stage 4, GCSE year two
Year 12	16 to 17	Sixth form, Lower Sixth
Year 13	17 to 18	Sixth form, Upper Sixth

Age is the child's age on 31 August, at the start of that school year.

The birthday cut-off, and why September matters

In England and Wales the school year runs 1 September to 31 August. A child born on 1 September is the oldest in their year. A child born on 31 August is the youngest, sometimes by a full twelve months.

That gap is real and it is well known. It does not mean a summer-born child is behind. It means they are younger than most of the room, and at five years old that shows.

Compulsory school age is separate from the year group. A child must be in full-time education from 31 December, 31 March or 31 August following their fifth birthday, whichever comes first. Reception, despite how it feels, is not compulsory.

Parents of summer-born children can ask to delay entry and start in Reception the following September instead. You still apply at the normal time and request the later start. Councils decide these case by case.

School years by age: Scotland

Scotland names primary years P1 to P7 and secondary years S1 to S6. The cut-off is the end of February, not August, and the intake starts in August.

Year group	Age during the year
P1	4 to 5
P2	5 to 6
P3	6 to 7
P4	7 to 8
P5	8 to 9
P6	9 to 10
P7	10 to 11
S1	11 to 12
S2	12 to 13
S3	13 to 14
S4	14 to 15
S5	15 to 16
S6	16 to 17

A child born between 1 March and 31 August starts P1 in the August of or after their fifth birthday. A child born between 1 September and the end of February starts P1 in the August before they turn 5.

School years by age: Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland starts children earliest in the UK. A child who has turned 4 by 1 July starts P1 that September.

Year group	Age during the year
P1	4 to 5
P2	5 to 6
P3	6 to 7
P4	7 to 8
P5	8 to 9
P6	9 to 10
P7	10 to 11
Year 8	11 to 12
Year 9	12 to 13
Year 10	13 to 14
Year 11	14 to 15
Year 12	15 to 16
Year 13	16 to 17
Year 14	17 to 18

Children born between 1 April and 1 July can now be deferred a year by parental request, so some children start P1 at five rather than four.

If you home educate, the year group is a reference, not a rule

This is the part the tables above cannot tell you. Once a child is educated at home, nothing forces them to work at their official year group, in any subject.

Different years in different subjects is normal. Year 4 maths and Year 3 writing at the same table is common and it is not a problem to fix.
Start where they are. Spend a week at the official year. Too easy, step up. Gaps showing, step back without ceremony.
One to one moves faster than a classroom. A child working alone with an adult covers ground a class cannot, so catching up happens quietly.
The label still matters for exams. GCSE entry is usually taken in the year a child turns 16, so keep the official year in mind from about Year 9.

The year group is useful for one thing above all: knowing where to start. After that, watch the child.

When can a child leave school?

In England you can leave school on the last Friday in June if you will be 16 by the end of the summer holidays. You must then stay in education or training until 18, which can be sixth form, an apprenticeship, or part-time study alongside at least 20 hours of work or volunteering.

Wales uses the same last Friday in June, with no requirement to continue to 18. Scotland has two leaving dates depending on the birthday, and in Northern Ireland a child turning 16 between 1 September and 1 July may leave after 30 June.

Years 1 to 6, ready when they are

StudyDen lays out all six primary years in sequence, so moving a child up, down or sideways between years is one press rather than an afternoon of research. Seven days free, cancel any time.

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Common questions

What school year is my child in?: In England and Wales, take your child's age on 31 August and subtract four. A child who is 7 on 31 August is in Year 3 from that September.
What is the school year cut-off date in the UK?: England and Wales use 31 August, so the school year runs 1 September to 31 August. Scotland uses the end of February and Northern Ireland uses 1 July.
How old are children in Reception?: Children in Reception are 4 to 5 years old during the school year in England and Wales. It is the first year of primary school in England and Wales.
How old are children in Year 1?: Children in Year 1 are 5 to 6 years old during the school year in England and Wales. It is part of Key Stage 1.
How old are children in Year 2?: Children in Year 2 are 6 to 7 years old during the school year in England and Wales. It is the last year of Key Stage 1.
How old are children in Year 3?: Children in Year 3 are 7 to 8 years old during the school year in England and Wales. It is the first year of Key Stage 2.
How old are children in Year 4?: Children in Year 4 are 8 to 9 years old during the school year in England and Wales. It is part of Key Stage 2.
How old are children in Year 5?: Children in Year 5 are 9 to 10 years old during the school year in England and Wales. It is part of Key Stage 2.
How old are children in Year 6?: Children in Year 6 are 10 to 11 years old during the school year in England and Wales. It is the last year of primary school in England and Wales.
How old are children in Year 7?: Children in Year 7 are 11 to 12 years old during the school year in England and Wales. It is the first year of secondary school.
How old are children in Year 8?: Children in Year 8 are 12 to 13 years old during the school year in England and Wales. It is part of Key Stage 3.
How old are children in Year 9?: Children in Year 9 are 13 to 14 years old during the school year in England and Wales. It is the last year of Key Stage 3.
How old are children in Year 10?: Children in Year 10 are 14 to 15 years old during the school year in England and Wales. It is the first GCSE year.
How old are children in Year 11?: Children in Year 11 are 15 to 16 years old during the school year in England and Wales. It is the second GCSE year.
How old are children in Year 12?: Children in Year 12 are 16 to 17 years old during the school year in England and Wales. It is the first sixth form year, sometimes called Lower Sixth.
How old are children in Year 13?: Children in Year 13 are 17 to 18 years old during the school year in England and Wales. It is the second sixth form year, sometimes called Upper Sixth.
What age does a child start school in the UK?: Most children start Reception in England and Wales in the September after they turn 4. Compulsory school age begins on 31 December, 31 March or 31 August following their fifth birthday, whichever comes first.
Can a summer-born child start school a year later?: Parents can ask the admission authority to delay entry so the child starts Reception the following September. You still apply at the usual time and request the later start, and the council decides each case.
Does a home educated child have to follow their school year group?: No. Home educated children can work at any level in any subject, and working at different year groups across subjects is common.