What age kid start school: Enrol at school – Department of Education

Comparing UK Year Groups to US Grades

Understanding what grade and stage of education your child will be in can be confusing, particularly if you’re unfamiliar with the US system. In this post, we explain your child’s grade and the UK equivalent based on their current age. You can find a table detailing what ages fall into each grade below.

UK Year Groups and US Grades by Age

This table has all the information you need regarding grades and year groups at British International School of Chicago, South Loop. This should allow you to determine what year group your child will be in based on their age.  

Birth Date	Age	US Grade	UK Year Group	School Stage
Sept.1, 2018 – Aug. 31, 2019	3-4	Preschool	Nursery	Foundation
Sept. 1, 2017 – Aug. 31, 2018	4-5	Junior Kindergarten	Reception	Foundation
Sept.1, 2016 – Aug. 31, 2017	5-6	Kindergarten	Year 1	Primary
Sept.1, 2015 – Aug. 31, 2016	6-7	Grade 1	Year 2	Primary
Sept.1, 2014 – Aug. 31, 2015	7-8	Grade 2	Year 3	Primary
Sept.1, 2013 – Aug. 31, 2014	8-9	Grade 3	Year 4	Primary
Sept.1, 2012 – Aug. 31, 2013	9-10	Grade 4	Year 5	Primary
Sept. 1, 2011 – Aug. 31, 2012	10-11	Grade 5	Year 6	Primary
Sept.1, 2010 – Aug. 31, 2011	11-12	Grade 6	Year 7	Middle School
Sept.1, 2009 – Aug. 31, 2010	12-13	Grade 7	Year 8	Middle School
Sept.1, 2008 – Aug. 31, 2009	13-14	Grade 8	Year 9	Middle School
Sept.1, 2007 – Aug. 31, 2008	14-15	Grade 9	Year 10	IGCSE
Sept.1, 2006 – Aug. 31, 2007	15-16	Grade 10	Year 11	IGCSE
Sept. 1, 2005 – Aug. 31, 2006	16-17	Grade 11	Year 12	IB
Sept.1, 2004 – Aug. 31, 2005	17-18	Grade 12	Year 13	IB

Frequently Asked Questions about the US School System

At what age do children start school in the US?

Children begin Preschool at the age of three. For the 2023 – 2024 school year, children who turn three after September 1, 2023 may still enrol in the Preschool program. However, they will need to repeat Preschool with their age-appropriate cohort the following year.

Children must be four years of age by August 31 to enter Reception. All children need to be potty trained prior to starting school.

How old are you in Primary School?

Primary School in the US education system includes Kindergarten and grades 1-5. Students beginning in kindergarten are five to six years old, while those in grade 5 are ten to 11. Therefore, children in Primary School range from five to 11

What is the BISC South Loop Primary School curriculum? 

The BISC South Loop Primary School curriculum is curated to empower children from kindergarten to fifth grade to grow into ambitious, confident, and inspired students who approach learning with a clear focus on progressing their skills.  

Our Primary School curriculum covers a diverse range of topics to ensure students experience a well-rounded education. Subjects include English, Maths, Science, American Studies, Art, Computing, Dance, Music, Physical Education, Games, and World Languages.  

What age are you in Middle School?

After Primary School, children move on to Middle School, which covers grades 6 through 8. Children in sixth grade are typically 11 to 12 years old, while those in eighth grade are 13 and 14. As such, children in Middle School range from 11 to 14 years old.   

How does Middle School prepare you for High School?

Middle School is an integral time in a student’s progress, as they grow physically, emotionally, and cognitively. Our Middle School curriculum introduces students to a wide range of compelling ideas intended to challenge their assumptions and foster their growth.  

Each grade in Middle School builds on what the students have learned to broaden their understanding and prepare them for the subsequent year. Eighth grade students in our curriculum are invited to select an elective of Performance, Art, or Engineering to help prepare them for High School.  

How old are you in High School?

US High School consists of grades 9 through 12 and is where students study their IGCSEs and the International Baccalaureate with British International School of Chicago, South Loop. Students in grade 9 are aged 14 to 15, while students in grade 12 are aged 17 to 18. Therefore, High School students are 14 to 18 years old.  

What is the IGCSE and IB curriculum?

The BISC South Loop High School curriculum covers the IGCSE and International Baccalaureate. The High School curriculum is designed to foster academic, social, and personal growth through a robust lesson plan, both in and out of the classroom. 

During the first two years, students are offered a wide range of elective courses to tailor a lesson plan to their interests. In addition to their core learning program, students can select one World Language course, one Social Science course, and one of three pathways to provide a foundation for their Junior and Senior years.  

The Upper High School curriculum prepares students for college and university, ensuring they are well-equipped for success in the world. The IB curriculum follows the course route the students began during their first two High School years.  

 
Parents will find everything they need to know about age requirements and grades on this page. If you have further questions, or if your child is looking to join our family of over 70 schools, you can find more details on our admissions page.  

What Age Do Kids Start School? Here’s What Parents Need To Know

Back to School

Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/DigitalVision/Getty Images

It’s all about school readiness.

Updated: Aug. 2, 2022

Originally Published: June 14, 2019

Parents who have kids rapidly approaching the end of toddlerhood know that looking ahead to the school years can be anxiety-inducing. It’s easy to stress out over decisions regarding your child’s education, from which school you should choose to what grade they should be in or whether they’re even ready at all. If you’re trying to figure out the best age for your child to start school, you should know that there are a lot of factors to consider. School readiness can be a complicated topic, and — of course — you know your child best. However, there are some legal requirements about starting school that you’ll need to keep in mind as you begin to make your decision.

What age do kids start school in the United States?

Depending on where you live, your child might not legally be required to start school until the ages of 5 or 6, though some states push the age up to 8, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. If your child is close to the age cut-off for starting school — for example, if they will be just turning 5 before kindergarten begins — you might feel unsure about their readiness. And, increasingly, studies show that it may be better to begin school a bit later. A Stanford University study from 2015 pointed to potential mental health benefits to starting school a bit later, and many studies — like this one from the Annual Review of Psychology — point to the importance of the development of self-regulation in children before they begin elementary school in terms of setting them up for success.

What’s the best age to start kindergarten?

Though most kids in the U.S. start kindergarten at age 5, some people believe that many kids would benefit from waiting a bit to start school. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who regretted their kid going into school older,” says Kimberley Moran, a former teacher. “But, I meet a lot of people who say they regret their kid going to school younger.”

However, that doesn’t mean you should necessarily wait until your child is 6 years old to send them straight to kindergarten, says Moran. “Kindergarten is not what it used to be. People think, ‘That’s where my kid will go get socialized,’ but really that’s what happens in Pre-K now.” A year in Pre-K has huge benefits for kids, Moran asserts. “I basically think that Pre-K should be a requirement. We have to have something in place where kids learn how to play with each other, how to take care of their own personal needs like putting their shoes on, going to the bathroom by themselves, washing their hands by themselves, in an environment where they’re not also being asked how to learn how to read and do all that,” she says. Having those sorts of tasks down pat before they enter kindergarten and elementary school frees up their mind to focus on the monumental tasks of learning to read and write.

Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision/Getty Images

What age is preschool or Pre-K?

Pre-K is typically geared toward 3- and 4-year-olds, though some schools will have shorter day programs for 3-year-olds and longer days for 4-year-olds that are more focused on kindergarten preparation and school readiness. That may seem awfully young to be starting school to some moms and dads — especially to parents like me who have kid with late-summer birthdays — so Moran recommends judging your child’s readiness for school not by the calendar, but instead by their development.

One thing to consider is where your child is emotionally, and whether they’re prepared to spend hours away from you everyday. “You know when your child doesn’t feel bereft at leaving you. I’ve had many kindergartners and first graders that couldn’t take their parents leaving, and just looked out the window and cried. That, to me, is a sign that [waiting] another year would be a good idea.” Other good indicators of whether a child is ready for school is attention span and ability to sit still, says Moran. “There’s just certain things like understanding how you sit in a circle and how you respond to a book. Looking at their confidence level about just talking, I think you can learn a ton about whether a kid is ready.”

kids washing their hands at school in an article about what age should your child start school

How to help your child get ready to start school

If your child is heading to school in September and you’re uncertain about whether or not it’s the right time for them to start school, Moran says there’s a lot of simple things you can do at home to help prepare — and it doesn’t involve drilling them on numbers or letters. “Read with kids, and ask them questions about the books, because those are the kind of things that will be expected of them, and the more familiar they are with them, the better they’re going to do,” she says. Adding some structure to your day to mimic the schedule they’ll be expected to follow at school can help, too. “Setting up routines at home can’t be underestimated.” You’ll also want to spend time focusing on the basics of self-care, like taking care of their bathroom needs, and social skills like sharing. And if you’re still worried that they’re not ready, it’s likely you can choose to delay for a year. Reach out to your local school district to find out exactly when children must start school where you live, as most states offer some wiggle room.

Starting school is a huge milestone in a child’s life — and a parent’s, too. Going by more than just their birthdate to decide when they’re ready to start can help make sure you’re both comfortable with the choice.

Sources interviewed:

Kimberley Moran, former teacher and author of Hacking Parenthood: 10 Mantras You Can Use Daily to Reduce the Stress of Parenting

This article was originally published on 204Z”>June 14, 2019

At what age should a child go to school – at 6.5 or 7.5 years?

Many parents wonder when to send their child to school: wait until the age of seven or start school at six? There is no unequivocal answer to this question, it is necessary to judge by the level of development and desires of each child individually.

But there are several criteria and recommendations that will help determine whether the child is ready to enter the first grade or not yet.

1. The level of intellectual and psychological development of the child

There are children who at the age of six already read the classics of Russian literature or multiply and divide multi-digit numbers in their minds. This is indeed a high level of intelligence development, but this does not mean that a preschooler is already ready to go to first grade.

The main criterion for assessing the level of readiness for school is the ability to hold attention, concentrate, follow the rules of behavior in the lesson, and not lose interest in the lesson a few minutes after the start. But do not drill a six-year-old and force him to sit through 45 minutes of a lesson without interruptions.

Children aged 6-6.5 can easily hold their attention for 15 minutes. After that, you need to take a break in the lesson, and at school the lesson is not interrupted from beginning to end.

A year between six and seven years of age, a child needs him to become more assiduous and really want to go to school. In the preparatory classes, preschoolers are taught to easily perceive time intervals and behave correctly in the classroom. They are gradually increasing the load so as not to make the transition from the preschool education system to the school system abrupt.

However, if at the age of six your child reads well and with interest (about 40–60 words per minute), counts and writes, and also wants to go to school and asks you to send him there, do not refuse him. Because moral readiness is one of the sufficient conditions for starting school. It is best to consult with a child psychologist before making this decision. He will be able to tell whether the child is really psychologically ready for school.

2. Child health

The most important thing at any age of a child is to monitor his health and immunity. If he is often sick and not inspired by physical exertion, then he will perceive mental stress more difficult than others.

Another year of eating healthy, getting outdoors, getting all the vitamins you need, and boosting your immune system won’t hurt your little one. On the contrary, a healthy and active state of the child is a guarantee of his self-confidence and interest in acquiring new knowledge.

3. Level of social development

A school is primarily a team. A team consisting of the same fidgets, each of which actively tries different social roles, learns to communicate politely and sensitively, respectfully and with dignity – both with peers and with teachers. Everyone learns on the basis of the base of social skills that they acquired in the preschool period.

If you feel that your child is still not socialized enough and does not always respond correctly to other children or adults in the process of communication, if he is embarrassed or, on the contrary, is too bold and actively enters into a dialogue, scaring off his peers, then it is better to teach him to communicate and act in an easy and relaxed way, and not to throw at the embrasure. Do not rush to introduce the child into society, it is better to organically surround him with society and allow him to orient himself without haste and fear.

All these criteria are very voluminous, and there is always a risk of misunderstanding the child, rushing and complicating the process of starting school for him. Therefore, we offer you a small checklist of those parameters by which you can determine the readiness of the child for school.

1. Reads and writes well, holds a pencil correctly, knows how to count, add and subtract.

2. Speaks well, does not stutter, does not stutter, pronounces all letters and sounds.

3. He understands well how the world works around him: he knows his first and last name, the names of his parents and relatives, in which city and country he lives, his address, parents’ phone numbers, traffic rules, and so on.

4. Possesses social skills: greets, says goodbye, asks with a “magic” word, knows how to apologize and make polite requests, knows how to thank, and so on.

5. Self-confident, independent, with adequate self-esteem.

6. Healthy, enjoys life, active, does not get tired quickly.

Getting into first grade is a big deal at any age. There are a lot of opinions about what time to send the child to school. There is only one universal advice: do not rush to send the child to a serious life, listen to his desires and dreams, remember that both at 6.5 and at 7 years old the child may not be fully ready for school and he needs help – to prepare, support and praise for success.

School at age 6: psychologist’s opinion

By law, every child has the right to go to school when they reach the age of 6 years and 6 months. As a rule, every spring, a discussion begins among the parents of six-year-olds, which divides caring mothers into two camps, and reaches its climax by August. The essence of all discussions comes down to the question at what age is it better to send a child to the first grade: at six years old or at seven? We are discussing with family psychotherapist and clinical psychologist Maria Merolaeva.

Maria Merolaeva, clinical psychologist, family psychotherapist

Definitely correct answer to the question “At what age is it better to start first grade?” is not and cannot be. All children are different, each child is a unique individual who has his own strengths and weaknesses. The main guidelines for parents most often become:

• own experience (“I went to school at 6 years old and grew up a great person!”) sit down. The sooner he sits down – the sooner he leaves!)
• and sometimes even vanity and ambition “Other kids are coming, and mine can! What is he, worse, or what ?!

It is safe to say that none of these factors should be relied upon when making a decision. The only important thing is how the baby is ready for such serious changes in his life. Without a doubt, there are children who, at the age of 6, will sit down at a desk with pleasure and interest. As a rule, they are quite independent, they are drawn to knowledge and are ready to follow the instructions of the teacher, they are fascinated by the learning process, they like to follow the recipes, read books, listen and remember what the teacher says. But there are also children in whom these qualities are fully developed a little later, namely, by the age of seven.

Social maturity is the most difficult concept to explain and diagnose. It includes the skills to build adequate relationships with adults, the desire and ability to communicate with peers, and the child’s immediate desire to study at school (that is, motivational readiness). In other words, the kid wants to go to school not because it is “fun and you can play a lot”, “the older sister goes there” or he “wants to put on a new uniform”, but because he0007 really strives to acquire new knowledge, understands the purpose of the school and the rules of study in it. The child needs to understand the difference between the teacher and close adults, keep a distance, show respect and adhere to the role position of the student, be able to obey the requirements and follow the rules that the teacher designates and that are tacitly established in the children’s team. Another important ability is the ability to resolve conflicts with peers. If a child has experience of attending any preschool institutions, this will greatly facilitate the process of getting used to school.

One of the most important factors of readiness for learning is a child’s health. Adaptation is a serious test even for a well-prepared, strong organism. With such a level of stress, even good immunity can fail, and as a result, instead of lessons, a first grader will sit at home with colds and infections.