Going to primary school

We provide information for you about your child’s move from our childcare centres to school, including how you can defer entry to school.

Most children start school in the six months before or after they become five. This means that your child is eligible to start school in August if they:

• become five in the March - August before they start school
• will become five in the August - February of their P1 year.

You should register your child for primary school during the month of January.

We will print notices about the exact dates and times for registering children in the local press during the first week in January. Our childcare centres will also advertise these dates and times.

Deferred entry to primary school

Please note that your child does not need to start primary school the September they are eligible.

You can defer entry to primary school for one year if your child's birthday is in September to February, i.e. your child is not five the September they start school.

We advise that you discuss your child with the Head of Centre before completing the deferred entry application form. The Head of Centre will discuss with you many aspects of your child's learning and their social and emotional development from their profile, for example:

• attitude to learning
• ability to take responsibility  for their own learning
• independence in undertaking tasks
• ability to cope with change
• expression of personal needs
• emotional resilience
• problem solving skills
• peer group relationships and friendships etc.

Find out more about:

Admission to primary school

Information for parents on admission to primary school.

Contact details for our childcare centres

Contact addresses, emails and phone numbers for our early learning and childcare centres.