What school year is my child in? UK year groups and ages
Find your child's school year for 2026/27 from their date of birth, with an instant calculator, birth dates and ages for Reception to Year 13 in England.
In England, children born between 1 September and the following 31 August are in the same school year. For the 2026/27 school year, which began in September 2026, a child born between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2022 is in Reception, and a child born between 1 September 2014 and 31 August 2015 is in Year 7. The calculator below works out the year group, key stage and school phase from a date of birth, and the table after it lists the birth dates for every year group.
Year group calculator
Pick the academic year and enter your child's date of birth. The calculator shows their year group, key stage and school phase for that year, including future years, and highlights their row in the reference table.
What school year is my child in?
Pick the academic year and enter your child's date of birth. We will show their England year group, key stage, and school phase, and highlight the matching row in the reference table below.
| Year group | Age on 1 Sep (years) | Key stage | Phase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursery | 3 | EYFS | Early years |
| Reception | 4 | EYFS | Early years |
| Year 1 | 5 | KS1 | Primary |
| Year 2 | 6 | KS1 | Primary |
| Year 3 | 7 | KS2 | Primary |
| Year 4 | 8 | KS2 | Primary |
| Year 5 | 9 | KS2 | Primary |
| Year 6 | 10 | KS2 | Primary |
| Year 7 | 11 | KS3 | Secondary |
| Year 8 | 12 | KS3 | Secondary |
| Year 9 | 13 | KS3 | Secondary |
| Year 10 | 14 | KS4 | Secondary |
| Year 11 | 15 | KS4 | Secondary |
| Year 12 | 16 | KS5 | Sixth form |
| Year 13 | 17 | KS5 | Sixth form |
Year groups by date of birth for 2026/27
This table covers the school year from September 2026 to August 2027. Every child moves up one row on 1 September 2027.
| Year group | Date of birth | Age during the year |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery | 1 Sep 2022 to 31 Aug 2023 | 3 to 4 |
| Reception | 1 Sep 2021 to 31 Aug 2022 | 4 to 5 |
| Year 1 | 1 Sep 2020 to 31 Aug 2021 | 5 to 6 |
| Year 2 | 1 Sep 2019 to 31 Aug 2020 | 6 to 7 |
| Year 3 | 1 Sep 2018 to 31 Aug 2019 | 7 to 8 |
| Year 4 | 1 Sep 2017 to 31 Aug 2018 | 8 to 9 |
| Year 5 | 1 Sep 2016 to 31 Aug 2017 | 9 to 10 |
| Year 6 | 1 Sep 2015 to 31 Aug 2016 | 10 to 11 |
| Year 7 | 1 Sep 2014 to 31 Aug 2015 | 11 to 12 |
| Year 8 | 1 Sep 2013 to 31 Aug 2014 | 12 to 13 |
| Year 9 | 1 Sep 2012 to 31 Aug 2013 | 13 to 14 |
| Year 10 | 1 Sep 2011 to 31 Aug 2012 | 14 to 15 |
| Year 11 | 1 Sep 2010 to 31 Aug 2011 | 15 to 16 |
| Year 12 | 1 Sep 2009 to 31 Aug 2010 | 16 to 17 |
| Year 13 | 1 Sep 2008 to 31 Aug 2009 | 17 to 18 |
Children reach the higher age on their birthday during the year. Nursery here means a school nursery class in the year before Reception, which is not compulsory.
How the cut-off works
The academic year runs from 1 September to 31 August. Schools group children by the academic year they were born in, not by their exact birthday, so two children in the same Reception class can be almost a year apart: one born in September, the other the following August. A child born on 1 September is the oldest in their year, not the youngest in the year above.
A quick rule covers every year group. Children start Reception in the September after their fourth birthday and move up one year group each September after that. So a child starts Year 7 in the September after they turn 11 and finishes Year 11 in the summer of the school year in which they turn 16.
The cut-off is national, but term dates are not. Councils set them for some schools, and academies and many church schools set their own, so the first day of term can differ between neighbouring schools. Our guide to school holidays and term dates for 2026/27 explains how.
Key stages explained
The national curriculum groups year groups into key stages for teaching and assessment.
- Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS): Nursery and Reception. Reception children take a short baseline assessment in their first six weeks, and teachers complete the EYFS profile between April and June.
- Key Stage 1: Years 1 and 2. Year 1 pupils take the phonics screening check in June, with a retake in Year 2 for those who need it. End of Key Stage 1 tests have been optional since 2023/24.
- Key Stage 2: Years 3 to 6. Year 4 pupils take the multiplication tables check in June, and Year 6 pupils sit the Key Stage 2 SATs in May. In 2027 the SATs run from 10 to 13 May.
- Key Stage 3: Years 7 to 9, the first three years of secondary school.
- Key Stage 4: Years 10 and 11, the GCSE years.
- Years 12 and 13: A levels, T Levels or other qualifications. These years are often called Key Stage 5, although the national curriculum itself ends at Key Stage 4.
The key stage matters when you compare schools, because results are published by stage: Key Stage 2 results for primary schools and Key Stage 4 (GCSE) results for secondary schools. Our guide to school performance tables explains what the measures mean.
Primary, secondary and sixth form
Most children move through three phases. Primary school runs from Reception to Year 6, secondary school from Year 7 to Year 11, and sixth form or college covers Years 12 and 13.
The year group also tells you when to apply. For a September 2027 start:
| Starting | Year group when you apply | Application deadline | Offer day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reception | Nursery year (age 3 to 4) | 15 January 2027 | 16 April 2027 |
| Year 7 | Year 6 | 31 October 2026 | 1 March 2027 |
If an offer date falls on a weekend or bank holiday, offers go out on the next working day. Young people can leave school on the last Friday in June of Year 11 if they will be 16 by the end of the summer holidays, but they must then stay in education or training until 18: full-time education, an apprenticeship, or 20 hours or more a week of work or volunteering alongside part-time education or training.
Some areas have separate infant schools (Reception to Year 2) and junior schools (Years 3 to 6), which usually means a second application for Year 3. A few areas use first, middle and upper schools, and some all-through schools teach Reception to Year 13 on one site. The year-group numbering is the same in every case.
Summer-born children
Children born from 1 April to 31 August are summer-born and are the youngest in their year group. Every child is entitled to a full-time Reception place in the September after their fourth birthday, but they do not have to start school until compulsory school age: 31 December, 31 March or 31 August following their fifth birthday, whichever comes first. You still apply at the normal time.
That leaves three options:
- Start full-time in September.
- Attend part time until compulsory school age, or start later in the Reception year, no later than compulsory school age or the start of the summer term.
- For a summer-born child, ask to start Reception in the September after they turn 5, a year later than usual.
The third option is admission outside the normal age group. You ask the admission authority for each school you apply to, in writing, explaining why it is in your child's best interests. The admission authority decides; parents cannot insist, but a child does not need special educational needs or a medical condition to qualify. You may need to ask again if your child changes school later. If your child is taught outside their normal year group, the calculator above still shows the year they would normally be in. The GOV.UK advice for parents of summer-born children sets out the process.
How FindMySchool helps
Once you know the year group, the next question is usually which schools to apply to. FindMySchool covers more than 25,000 schools, each with a profile, our FMS Inspection score for inspected schools and, where published, the distance within which places were last offered.
- Use the school search to find primary and secondary schools near you and filter by phase, or browse the best primary schools in London and other area rankings.
- School Match suggests primary, secondary or sixth form options based on your priorities and location. You need a free account to see your results, and your top match on your first search is free.
- Starting school soon? Read when your child starts school, the primary admissions timeline and how primary school waiting lists work.
- Child in Year 5 or Year 6? The secondary admissions timeline covers each step, and the 11-plus explained covers grammar school entry.
Frequently asked questions
An August birthday makes your child the youngest in their year group. In the 2026/27 school year, a child born in August 2022 is in Reception, alongside children born in September 2021 who are almost a year older. A summer-born child (born 1 April to 31 August) can start Reception a year later if the admission authority agrees.