GuidesThe guide, part 2 of 9

When can my child start school?

When a child is allowed to start school, when the law says they must be enrolled and attending, how starting in groups (cohort entry) works, how to enrol, and how the move from early learning is supported.

Every statement on this page comes from an official source: New Zealand Government (govt.nz), Ministry of Education, New Zealand Legislation (Education and Training Act 2020, s 62), New Zealand Legislation (Education and Training Act 2020, s 33), New Zealand Legislation (Education and Training Act 2020, s 35), New Zealand Legislation (Education and Training Act 2020, s 36), New Zealand Legislation (Education and Training Act 2020, s 42), Education Counts (Ministry of Education), New Zealand Legislation (Education and Training Act 2020, s 63), New Zealand Legislation (Education and Training Act 2020, s 65), Education Review Office, Immigration New Zealand and Ministry of Education (Education Circular 2013/21).

When can my child start school?

Most children start school when they turn 5.¹ Traditionally in New Zealand, children have started school on or shortly after their fifth birthday.²

Under the Education and Training Act 2020, a child under the age of 5 may not be enrolled at a primary school, or below Year 9 at a composite school.³ The law also sets out free education: Except as the Act provides otherwise, every domestic student is entitled to free enrolment and free education at any state school or charter school from their fifth birthday until 1 January after their 19th birthday.⁴ For New Zealand citizens and permanent residents, enrolment and education at state schools is free between the ages of 5 and 19.⁵

Arranging enrolment with a school and starting school are different steps: You can enrol with a school before your child's fifth birthday.⁶ Enrol early to help the school plan for the year.⁷

When does school become compulsory?

Every domestic student must be enrolled at a registered school from their sixth birthday until their 16th birthday.⁸ All children aged 6 to 16 in New Zealand must either attend school or be educated at home.⁹

Ages around starting school

Cohort entry window¹⁰

Compulsory years⁹

Free state schooling⁵

Under the Act, before their seventh birthday, a domestic student is not required to be enrolled at a school more than 3 kilometres' walking distance from where they live.¹¹

Once a child starts: Except as the Act provides otherwise, a student must attend a registered school whenever it is open if they are required to be enrolled, or if they are aged 5 and enrolled at a registered school.¹² Your child must be at school unless they are sick.¹³

For a 5-year-old enrolled at a registered school, a parent, the principal and the Secretary for Education may agree a plan to help the child's transition to school, depending on the child's particular needs, if they consider it is in the child's best interests.¹⁴ A student who has an agreed plan like this is required to attend school in line with the plan.¹⁵

Under the Act, a student counts as attending school on a day if the school has been open for instruction for 4 hours or more that day and the student has been present for 4 hours or more while it was open for instruction.¹⁶

What is cohort entry?

Many children still start on or shortly after their fifth birthday, but some schools now use cohort entry, where students start in groups.¹⁷ The Ministry of Education says starting school as part of a group has lots of benefits: children often feel less anxious and settle more quickly when they start together with other new children.¹⁸

At schools using cohort entry, children can start on one of 8 set dates in the year.¹⁹
There are start dates at the beginning and in the middle of each school term.²⁰
Once your child turns 5 you can choose any of the start dates.²¹
At cohort entry schools, children can't start before they turn 5, but must start by the time they turn 6.¹⁰

Cohort entry does not replace the legal requirement that a child start school at age 6, and parents, caregivers and whānau can still choose not to enrol their child before then.²²

The start dates are set by the Minister of Education.²³ Schools using cohort entry must use these dates and cannot change them.²⁴ A cohort entry policy must apply to all 5-year-olds who have not previously been enrolled at a registered school.²⁵

Before adopting a cohort entry policy, a school board or sponsor must take all reasonable steps to find out and consider the views of parents of current students, its staff at the school, early childhood services in the local community, and parents of prospective students.²⁶ The board or sponsor must take all reasonable steps to give at least 1 term's notice before a cohort entry policy starts or stops.²⁷

The Education Review Office found that at the start of 2022, 7 percent of schools had adopted cohort entry.²⁸

Cohort entry start dates

Here are the dates the Ministry of Education publishes. 2026 cohort entry start dates: Term 1 – between 26 January and 9 February, or 9 March; Term 2 – 20 April or 2 June; Term 3 – 20 July or 24 August; Term 4 – 12 October or 16 November.²⁹

2027 cohort entry start dates: Term 1 – between 28 January and 3 February, or 8 March; Term 2 – 27 April or 31 May; Term 3 – 19 July or 23 August; Term 4 – 11 October or 15 November.³⁰

Not all schools use cohort entry, so check with the school when you enrol about when your child can start.³¹ You can find out whether a school uses cohort entry from its listing on Education Counts.³²

How do I enrol my child?

To enrol your child, contact the school to find out its enrolment process.³³ The Education Review Office says the best way to find out how your local school enrols new children is to approach the school directly.³⁴

A school may need information or documents such as a birth certificate or passport as proof of age, medical information, legal documents and contact information.³⁵ When a child is enrolled at school for the first time, parents must give the school an official document, such as a New Zealand birth certificate, to verify the child's name, date of birth and entitlement to enrol for free education.³⁶

Enrolling, step by step

Contact the school
To enrol your child, contact the school to find out its enrolment process.³³
Prepare documents
A school may need information or documents such as a birth certificate or passport as proof of age, medical information, legal documents and contact information.³⁵
Visit together
You can visit the school with your child and talk to the teachers.³⁷

If you live within a school's home zone, your child automatically qualifies to enrol.³⁸ Your enrolment must be accepted if your child lives inside the home zone, or if the school does not have an enrolment scheme.³⁹ If a school still refuses your enrolment, ask the school to put the refusal in writing and contact your nearest Ministry of Education office for advice.⁴⁰

You cannot temporarily move into a zone in order to get your child into a school.⁴¹

Moving from early learning to school

Any child can enrol at an early learning service in New Zealand from birth until they turn 6.⁴²

When your child enrols with an early learning service, the Ministry of Education allocates them an NSN.⁴³ The NSN is connected to the child's birth registration number and becomes their number for their entire education.⁴⁴

Talk with your early learning service and local school about what transition activities and information sessions are available.⁴⁵ Schools usually have clear information about their enrolment process on their websites, or you can give them a call; your child's early learning service may also know.⁴⁶ You can visit the school with your child and talk to the teachers.³⁷

Starting school with learning support needs

The Ministry of Education says it supports children and their whānau (family) to start school along with their classmates.⁴⁷ The Early Intervention Service (EIS) is a learning support service for children with additional developmental, communication or behavioural needs.⁴⁸

From Term 1 2026, Early Intervention Services are expanding to support children from birth through to the end of Year 1 of school.⁴⁹

Children with higher learning support needs will have a lead worker, who will know when to get in touch with the school or kura to start preparing.⁵⁰
If you have not accessed learning support in the early years, contact your school directly.⁵¹
Children with very complex and ongoing support needs may qualify for Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS) funding; the lead worker will help with the application, which can be completed from the time the child is 4 years and 8 months old.⁵²

Sources

Every statement on this page comes from an official page, quoted in full here.

Each numbered statement above is followed here by the words of the official page it comes from. Every quote was checked against its page on 5 October 2026.

“Most children start school when they turn 5.”
New Zealand Government (govt.nz) · govt.nz/browse/education/school-and-college/how-to-en… ↑
“Traditionally in New Zealand, children have started school on or shortly after their fifth birthday.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“The following persons may not be enrolled at or continue to be enrolled at a primary school or below year 9 at a composite school: (a) a child under the age of 5 years”
New Zealand Legislation (Education and Training Act 2020, s 62) · legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/38/en/latest ↑
“Except as provided in this Part, every domestic student is entitled to free enrolment and free education at any State school or charter school during the period beginning on the student’s fifth birthday and ending on 1 January after the student’s 19th birthday.”
New Zealand Legislation (Education and Training Act 2020, s 33) · legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/38/en/latest ↑
“If your child is a New Zealand citizen or a permanent resident (a ‘domestic’ student) enrolment and education is free at state schools between the ages of 5 and 19.”
New Zealand Government (govt.nz) · govt.nz/browse/education/school-and-college/how-to-en… ↑
“You can enrol with a school before their fifth birthday.”
New Zealand Government (govt.nz) · govt.nz/browse/education/school-and-college/how-to-en… ↑
“Make sure you enrol early to help the school plan for the year.”
New Zealand Government (govt.nz) · govt.nz/browse/education/school-and-college/how-to-en… ↑
“Every domestic student must, during the period beginning on the student’s sixth birthday and ending on the student’s 16th birthday, be enrolled at a registered school.”
New Zealand Legislation (Education and Training Act 2020, s 35) · legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/38/en/latest ↑
“All children aged 6 to 16 years in New Zealand must either attend school or be educated at home.”
New Zealand Government (govt.nz) · govt.nz/browse/education/school-and-college/how-to-en… ↑
“They can’t start before they turn 5 but must start by the time they turn 6.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“Before a domestic student’s seventh birthday, the student is not required to be enrolled at a school more than 3 kilometres walking distance from the student’s residence.”
New Zealand Legislation (Education and Training Act 2020, s 35) · legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/38/en/latest ↑
“Except as provided in this Act, a student is required to attend a registered school whenever it is open if the student— (a) is required to be enrolled at a registered school: (b) is aged 5 years and is enrolled at a registered school.”
New Zealand Legislation (Education and Training Act 2020, s 36) · legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/38/en/latest ↑
“Your child must be at school unless they are sick.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/atte… ↑
“if a student is aged 5 years and is enrolled at a registered school, a parent of the student, the principal, and the Secretary may, if they consider it is in the student’s best interests, agree a plan to help the transition of the student to school, depending on the particular needs of the student.”
New Zealand Legislation (Education and Training Act 2020, s 42) · legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/38/en/latest ↑
“A student subject to a plan agreed under subsection (1) or (3) is required to attend school in accordance with the plan.”
New Zealand Legislation (Education and Training Act 2020, s 42) · legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/38/en/latest ↑
“a student attends a school on any day if, on the day,— (a) it has been open for instruction for 4 hours or more; and (b) the student has been present for 4 hours or more when it was open for instruction.”
New Zealand Legislation (Education and Training Act 2020, s 36) · legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/38/en/latest ↑
“Traditionally in New Zealand, children have started school on or shortly after their fifth birthday. Many still do, but now some schools are using cohort entry with students starting in groups.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“Starting school as part of a group has lots of benefits for children. They often feel less anxious and settle more quickly when they start together with other new children.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“At schools using cohort entry, children can start on one of 8 set dates throughout the year.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“There are start dates at the beginning and middle of each school term.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“Once your child turns 5 you can choose any of the dates below.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“Cohort entry does not replace the legal requirement that a child start school at age 6. Parents, caregivers and whānau can still choose to not enrol their student before then.”
Education Counts (Ministry of Education) · educationcounts.govt.nz/find-school/school/definitions ↑
“The start dates are set by the Minister of Education.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“Schools using cohort entry must use these dates and cannot change them.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“A cohort entry policy must— (a) apply to all children aged 5 years who have not previously enrolled at a registered school”
New Zealand Legislation (Education and Training Act 2020, s 63) · legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/38/en/latest ↑
“a board or sponsor must take all reasonable steps to discover and consider the views of the following persons about the policy and whether it is generally acceptable: (a) parents of students at the school: (b) employees of the board or sponsor at the school: (c) early childhood services in the local community: (d) parents of prospective students of the school.”
New Zealand Legislation (Education and Training Act 2020, s 65) · legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/38/en/latest ↑
“A board or sponsor must take all reasonable steps to give notice of at least 1 term to the Secretary and the persons described in subsection (1) before a cohort entry policy takes effect or ceases to have effect.”
New Zealand Legislation (Education and Training Act 2020, s 65) · legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/38/en/latest ↑
“At the start of 2022, 7 percent of schools around Aotearoa had adopted cohort entry.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/a-guide-for-parents-sending-their-c… ↑
“2026 start dates: Term 1 – between 26 January and 9 February or 9 March Term 2 – 20 April or 2 June. Term 3 – 20 July or 24 August. Term 4 – 12 October or 16 November.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“2027 start dates: Term 1 – Between 28 January and 3 February or 8 March. Term 2 – 27 April or 31 May. Term 3 – 19 July or 23 August. Term 4 – 11 October or 15 November.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“Not all schools use cohort entry, so you'll need to check with the school when you enrol your child about when they can start.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“You can find out if a school uses cohort entry by looking at their listing on Education Counts.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“To enrol your child with a school, contact the school to find out their enrolment process.”
Immigration New Zealand · immigration.govt.nz/live/setting-up-your-life-in-new-zealand/chil… ↑
“The best way to find out about how your local school enrols new children is to approach them directly.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/a-guide-for-parents-sending-their-c… ↑
“A school may need information or documents such as: a birth certificate or passport as proof of age medical information legal documents contact information.”
New Zealand Government (govt.nz) · govt.nz/browse/education/school-and-college/how-to-en… ↑
“Parents are required to provide you with an official document, such as a New Zealand birth certificate, to verify the student's name, date of birth, and that he or she is entitled to enrol for free education when enrolling a child for the first time.”
Ministry of Education (Education Circular 2013/21) · education.govt.nz/our-work/publications/education-circulars/edu… ↑
“You can visit the school with your child and talk to the teachers.”
New Zealand Government (govt.nz) · govt.nz/browse/education/school-and-college/how-to-en… ↑
“If you live within a school's home zone, your child automatically qualifies to enrol.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“Your enrolment must be accepted if either: your child lives inside the home zone the school does not have an enrolment scheme.”
New Zealand Government (govt.nz) · govt.nz/browse/education/school-and-college/how-to-en… ↑
“If the school still refuses your enrolment: ask the school to put the refusal in writing contact your nearest Ministry of Education office for advice.”
New Zealand Government (govt.nz) · govt.nz/browse/education/school-and-college/how-to-en… ↑
“You cannot temporarily move into a zone in order to get your child into a school.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“Any child can enrol at an early learning service in New Zealand from birth until they turn 6.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/early-learning/startin… ↑
“When your child enrols with an early learning service they will be allocated a NSN number from us.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/early-learning/startin… ↑
“This is connected to their birth registration number and becomes their number for their entire education journey.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/early-learning/startin… ↑
“Talk with your early learning service and local school about what transition activities and information sessions are available.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/a-guide-for-parents-sending-their-c… ↑
“Schools usually have clear information about their enrolment process on their websites. Alternatively, give them a call. Your child’s early learning service may also know.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/a-guide-for-parents-sending-their-c… ↑
“We support children and their whānau | family to start school along with their classmates.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/early-learning/learnin… ↑
“The Early Intervention Service (EIS) is a learning support service for children with additional developmental, communication or behavioural needs.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/early-learning/learnin… ↑
“From Term 1 2026, Early Intervention Services (EIS) is expanding to support children from birth through to the end of Year 1 of school.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/early-learning/learnin… ↑
“Children with higher learning support needs will have a lead worker. The lead worker will know when to be in touch with your child's school or kura to start preparing.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/early-learning/learnin… ↑
“If you have not accessed learning support in the early years, contact your school directly.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/early-learning/learnin… ↑
“If your child has very complex and ongoing support needs, they may qualify for Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS) funding. This stays with learners throughout their school life. Your lead worker will help with this application. It can be completed from the time your child is 4 years and 8 months old.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/early-learning/learnin… ↑