Starting School Age in Australia: Cut-offs by State, and Whether to Wait a Year
Written by
BestSchools Team
Most children in Australia start school in the year they turn five or six. The line is set by the state or territory, not by one national birthday.
Redshirting is the American name for holding a child back so they start older than many classmates. Australian departments do not use that word. They publish who may start, and the age when school becomes compulsory.
As of 20 October 2026, the cut-offs below are the rules on each current department page or enrolment policy. A separate 2027 national change has not been published. Use the cut-off for the year your child would start, then confirm it with the school.
For typical ages by year level, use school levels and ages in Australia. For the local names of the first year, use school year levels by state.
What is redshirting, and should my child wait a year?
Redshirting means delaying the start of school by a year. In Australia that is two questions, not one.
First, is your child allowed to start this year? Second, when does school become compulsory? A later start is only a real option where the rules allow it.
A delay can suit a child who needs more time for the length of the day, saying goodbye, or managing their own things. It can also change friendships, care arrangements and the year they move to secondary school. No state page says a delay helps every child.
Readiness is about taking part in the school day. It is not a reading test. The school readiness guide sets out what to look for at home, and the School Readiness Assessment is a short pulse check. It is information for you. It is not a diagnosis, and it does not recommend a school.
Cut-off dates by state and territory
As of 20 October 2026. Eligibility comes from the state or territory page linked in the table. Where that page states the compulsory age, the table uses it. The Australian Bureau of Statistics Schools methodology, 2025, opens in a new tab is the cross-check for the other rows.
| State or territory | First formal year | Who can start | Compulsory school age |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales, opens in a new tab | Kindergarten | Turns five on or before 31 July in that school year | From the age of six |
| Victoria, opens in a new tab | Foundation, usually called Prep | Turns five on or before 30 April in the year they start | From the age of six |
| Queensland, opens in a new tab | Prep | Turns five by 30 June in the year they enrol | At least 6 years and 6 months |
| Western Australia, opens in a new tab | Pre-primary | Turns five on or before 30 June. Kindergarten is earlier, for children who turn four on or before 30 June | From the start of the year they turn 5 years and 6 months |
| South Australia, opens in a new tab | Reception | Turns five before 1 May: Term 1, usually four terms. Turns five from 1 May to 31 October: Term 3, six terms. Turns five after 31 October: the following year | By the age of six |
| Tasmania, opens in a new tab | Prep | A child who is at least five on 1 January must be enrolled that year. Kindergarten is encouraged from age four | From the age of five |
| Australian Capital Territory, opens in a new tab | Kindergarten | Turns five on or before 30 April, and can attend from the first day of Term 1 that year | From the age of six |
| Northern Territory, opens in a new tab | Transition | Turns five on or before 30 June: eligible to start Transition at the beginning of that year. Turns five after 30 June: eligible at the beginning of the following year. The NT age page, opens in a new tab says preschool and Transition are recommended, not compulsory | From the year the child turns six on or before 30 June. A child who turns six after 30 June must be enrolled the following year |
The NT age page says a child can attend Transition when they turn five. The enrolment policy is the intake rule. A fifth birthday on or before 30 June means the start of that year. A later birthday means the start of the following year, not a mid-year start.
Non-government schools usually follow the same age rules. Confirm the intake with the school, because a place is not the same thing as being old enough.
Where a delayed start is written down
Queensland says it is not compulsory to start Prep as soon as a child is old enough. A family can delay by one year. That later start is the exception to the five-by-30-June line in the table. In that later year the child is older than five. When the child does start, they should still start in Prep. They must be enrolled once they reach compulsory school age, which Queensland describes as at least 6 years and 6 months. That is on the Prep enrolments page, opens in a new tab.
Tasmania says a child who is at least five on 1 January must be enrolled. If you do not think they are ready for Prep, the enrolment page, opens in a new tab says to talk to the local principal. You can also apply for an exemption from attending school.
South Australia says children must be enrolled by the age of six. The starting school page, opens in a new tab also says government schools have two intakes, so a later birthday can mean a Term 3 start rather than a full extra year.
Victoria, New South Wales, the ACT, Western Australia and the Northern Territory publish who may start and when school is compulsory. A general right to delay was not on the pages used for this guide. Ask the department or the school before you assume a year off is allowed.
Early entry is a separate process, and it is not the same as redshirting. The ACT, for example, publishes an early-entry path for some gifted children in its Gifted and Talented Students Policy, opens in a new tab. That is not a reason to start a child early without the school's process.
What to do with a birthday near the line
Work in this order.
- Find your state row and read the linked page.
- If you are comparing states, do not copy another family's cut-off.
- Ask the early learning service what they see across a full day, not only on a good morning.
- Ask the school how they support children who start near the cut-off.
- Plan enrolment dates in the school enrolment timeline.
When you know the likely year, look at real schools in the school directory.
Australia
Find schools for the first year
Once you know the likely start year, compare schools by location, sector and stage.
Official sources
- NSW Department of Education, Starting school, opens in a new tab
- Victoria, Enrolling in Foundation (Prep), opens in a new tab
- Queensland, Prep enrolments, opens in a new tab
- WA Department of Education, Enrolling in school, opens in a new tab
- SA Department for Education, Starting school, opens in a new tab
- Tasmania, Enrolling your child at school, opens in a new tab
- ACT Education Directorate, early years guide for families (PDF), opens in a new tab
- Northern Territory Department of Education, Enrolment and attendance birth to year 12 policy (PDF), opens in a new tab
- Northern Territory, Age your child attends school, opens in a new tab
- ABS, Schools methodology 2025, opens in a new tab
Frequently Asked Questions
Where to go next
Turn this research into a clearer shortlist
Three practical ways to move from reading to action.
- Check readiness
Check school readiness
Understand strengths, gaps and next steps before starting school.
- View routine checklist
Build calmer routines
Use a practical checklist for smoother mornings and transitions.
- Open schools map
Browse schools near you
Compare nearby schools by location, sector, type and fees.
