Grade R and Grade 1 Age Rules: When to Start School
When can your child start Grade R and Grade 1? Enter their birth date to see the years, using the official rules for public schools.
The rules at a glance
- Grade R: four turning five by 30 June of the year they start.
- Grade 1: five turning six by 30 June of the year they start.
- School is compulsory from Grade R, from the first school day of the year your child turns six, until the end of the year they turn 15 or finish Grade 9.
- No admission tests: a public school may not test a child to decide whether to admit them.
See every year from Grade R to matric with the grade calculator. When and how to apply: school applications by province. Getting ready: Grade 1 readiness checklist.
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A guide to help you plan, not official advice. Your child’s school and provincial education department makes the final decision. Figures last checked against official sources on .
How it works
The admission ages come from the Department of Basic Education’s school admissions page, which quotes the Admission Policy for Ordinary Public Schools. Compulsory Grade R comes from section 3(1) of the South African Schools Act, as changed by the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act from 24 December 2024.
These rules are for public schools. Independent schools set their own admission policies: some use the same 30 June cut-off, and others start Grade 1 in the year a child turns seven. Children with special education needs may have different compulsory ages, set by the Minister.
Figures last checked against official sources on .
Questions
Is Grade R compulsory?
Yes. Since 24 December 2024, the Schools Act says school is compulsory from Grade R, starting on the first school day of the year your child turns six. Before that, school was only compulsory from the year a child turned seven.
How old must my child be for Grade 1?
At a public school, five turning six by 30 June of the year they start. A child who turns six on or after 1 July starts Grade 1 the following year.
How old must my child be for Grade R?
Four turning five by 30 June of the year they start. So a child born in the first half of the year can start Grade R the year they turn five, and a child born from July starts the year they turn six.
My child turns six in July. Can they start Grade 1 early?
Not at a public school: the admission age for Grade 1 is five turning six by 30 June. They start Grade R that year instead, which is also the year school becomes compulsory for them. Independent schools set their own rules.
What documents do I need to enrol my child?
The birth certificate (a baptism certificate isn’t accepted as proof of age), the immunisation card, and the transfer card or last report if they’ve been at school before. If you’re not a South African citizen, also a study permit or residence permit, or proof that you’ve applied for permission to stay.