The short version
- In England, year group is decided by a child's age on 31 August — not by the year they were in abroad and not by their age on the day they land.
- A child who is 4 on that date starts Reception; the year groups step up one year of age at a time, all the way to Year 13 at age 17.
- Your arrival date sets the entry year: arrive July–December and the anchor is 31 August of that year; arrive January–June and it is 31 August of the year before.
- September birthdays catch families out most — a child born on 1 September is placed a full year below a child born on 31 August, even though they are one day apart in age.
- For children arriving into an examined year group (Year 11, 12 or 13) from an international curriculum, the age rule is a starting point only — curriculum coverage and proximity to exams also matter.
If you are moving to the UK with children, this is usually one of the first questions on the list, and the answer is simpler than most families expect. Year group in England is set by your child's age on 31 August of the year they start. Not the year they left off in, and not their age on the day you land. One date decides.
This article covers England. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland run their own admissions systems, so check with the local authority if you are moving to one of those nations.
The one date that decides it
A child who has turned 4 by 31 August starts Reception that September, and the year groups step up one year of age at a time from there.
| Age on 31 August | Year group |
|---|---|
| 4 | Reception |
| 5 | Year 1 |
| 6 | Year 2 |
| 7 | Year 3 |
| 8 | Year 4 |
| 9 | Year 5 |
| 10 | Year 6 |
| 11 | Year 7 |
| 12 | Year 8 |
| 13 | Year 9 |
| 14 | Year 10 |
| 15 | Year 11 |
| 16 | Year 12 |
| 17 | Year 13 |
That is the whole rule. It does not ask which year your child was in before, or which curriculum they are coming from. Just their age on that one date.
How to work out your child's entry year
The entry year is the September to August school year your arrival date falls in, and it is not always the calendar year you move. Arrive between July and December and the entry year starts that year. Arrive between January and June and it started the September before.
Two worked examples.
Arrives October 2026, born March 2020. The entry year is 2026, so the anchor is 31 August 2026. By then the child has turned 6, and age 6 is Year 2.
Arrives March 2027, born September 2015. A March arrival means the entry year started the September before, so the anchor is still 31 August 2026. On that date the child has not yet turned 11. They are 10, and age 10 is Year 6. Yes, that child is eleven and a half on the day they land, and Year 6 is still the answer. They move up to Year 7 that September with the rest of their year group.
Why September birthdays catch families out
The commonest expectation is that a child carries on where they left off. The date does not work that way, and September birthdays feel it most. A child born on 31 August has had their birthday by the anchor. A child born on 1 September has not. One day apart in age, a full year apart in year group.
Where the date stops being the whole story
Age settles it for most children in state schools. It settles it less cleanly for a child arriving into an examined year group, Year 11, Year 12 or Year 13, from an international curriculum. Curriculum coverage and how close the exams are start to matter. Sixth form entry runs on courses and qualifications rather than age alone, and independent schools set their own admissions criteria and assess applicants themselves.
If that is your situation, it is worth taking advice before you apply anywhere.
How Moovedin can help
We built Moovedin because we have made these moves ourselves, and the school question is the one that keeps parents up at night.
The free scorecard gives you a first look at how smooth or complicated your family's move is likely to be, and it is yours to keep. The Blueprint works out each child's year group and builds the plan around it: which schools you are applying to, the application route, and how your timing plays against the admissions calendar. For a child moving into an examined year group it goes further and sets out the alternatives worth weighing.
When it becomes a judgement call about your child in particular, the Schools Specialist call is thirty minutes with me, before you commit to anything.
Whichever you use, work the year group out before you contact a school or a council. It is the first thing they will ask.
Frequently asked questions
How is my child's school year group decided in England?
By their age on 31 August of the year they start. A child who is 6 on that date goes into Year 2, a child who is 11 goes into Year 7, and so on up to 17 for Year 13.
Does the year group my child was in abroad carry across?
No. State schools in England place by age, not by the year or grade a child has just completed, and not by the curriculum they were following.
What year group will my child be in if we arrive mid-year?
Work out the entry year first. Arrive between July and December and the anchor is 31 August of that year. Arrive between January and June and the anchor is 31 August of the year before.
My child was born in early September. Why are they a year below their friends?
Because they had not had their birthday by 31 August. A child born on 1 September and a child born on 31 August are a day apart in age and a full year apart in year group.
Does this rule apply across the whole UK?
This is the rule for England. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own admissions systems, so check with the relevant local authority.
Sources
- School starting age, GOV.UK, accessed 7 September 2026: gov.uk/schools-admissions/school-starting-age. The rule that year group in England is set by a child's age on 31 August, and the Reception start age of 4.
- Summer born children starting school: advice for parents, GOV.UK, accessed 7 September 2026: gov.uk/government/publications/summer-born-children-school-admission. The August cut-off and how it applies to children born close to the 31 August boundary.
- School Admissions Code 2021, Department for Education, accessed 7 September 2026: gov.uk/government/publications/school-admissions-code--2. Age-based placement for state schools in England and the framework within which admission authorities operate.
Check the current GOV.UK guidance directly before relying on any figure, as admissions rules and guidance change.
General guidance only. This article explains how year group placement works in England. It is not an assessment of your own child's placement. Verify specifics with the admission authority for the area you are applying to.
Year group is the first question, and it leads straight to the next ones: which schools, which application route, which deadline. The free scorecard starts that chain — it takes two minutes and sets out what your family's move actually looks like.