UK school year to US grade: England's year groups and Florida's entry ages

Last updated: 1 November 2026

England groups school years by age, and Florida ties kindergarten entry to a child's age on 1 September. GOV.UK lists Year 1 for children aged 5 to 6. Section 1003.21 of the Florida Statutes (2026) makes a child who is 5 on or before 1 September eligible for public kindergarten. Le Strand records each child's schooling in the Landing Plan.

Independent education advisers deliver the advice; Le Strand coordinates it into the Landing Plan.

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How are school years organised in England?

GOV.UK's national curriculum guide (checked 30 October 2026) organises England's school years into blocks called key stages. Reception is for children aged 4 to 5, Year 1 for ages 5 to 6 and Year 11 for ages 15 to 16. GOV.UK lists Year 11 as the year when most children take GCSEs or other national tests.

Child's age (GOV.UK)	Year in England	Key stage
4 to 5	Reception	Early years foundation stage
5 to 6	Year 1	Key stage 1
6 to 7	Year 2	Key stage 1
7 to 8	Year 3	Key stage 2
8 to 9	Year 4	Key stage 2
9 to 10	Year 5	Key stage 2
10 to 11	Year 6	Key stage 2
11 to 12	Year 7	Key stage 3
12 to 13	Year 8	Key stage 3
13 to 14	Year 9	Key stage 3
14 to 15	Year 10	Key stage 4
15 to 16	Year 11	Key stage 4

When do children start school in England?

GOV.UK's school starting age page states that most children start reception full-time in September after their fourth birthday. A child who starts in the September after turning 5 goes into Year 1. Compulsory school age begins on 31 December, 31 March or 31 August following the fifth birthday, whichever comes first.

What ages does Florida law set for kindergarten and school attendance?

Section 1003.21 of the Florida Statutes (2026) makes children who will be 5 on or before 1 September of the school year eligible for public kindergarten that year, under rules adopted by the district school board. A child who is 6 on or before 1 September and meets the statute's conditions progresses according to the district's student progression plan.

Kindergarten: 5 years old on or before 1 September of the school year (s. 1003.21).
Progression from age 6: a child who is 6 on or before 1 September and has been enrolled in a public school, or has completed kindergarten in a private school from which the district school board accepts transfer of academic credit, progresses according to the district's student progression plan (s. 1003.21).
Compulsory attendance: children who are 6, or will be 6 by 1 February of the school year, up to age 16, attend school regularly during the entire school term (s. 1003.21).
Voluntary Prekindergarten: section 1002.53 makes each child who resides in Florida and will be 4 on or before 1 September eligible for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program in that school year or the following one.

What does a Florida school ask for at first entry?

Section 1003.22 of the Florida Statutes (2026) requires each child entering a Florida public or private school for the first time, including kindergarten, to present a certification of a school-entry health examination performed within one year before enrolment. Section 1003.21 allows the district school superintendent to require evidence of a child's age.

Section 1003.21 lists the evidence of age in order of preference. The first is a duly attested transcript of the child's birth record. The list also includes a passport or certificate of arrival in the United States showing the age of the child.

How is a child's grade set in Florida after kindergarten?

Florida law ties progression after kindergarten to each district's student progression plan, under section 1003.21 of the Florida Statutes (2026). Le Strand places each child's school steps in the family's Landing Plan, beside the home search and the arrival date. Independent education advisers deliver the advice; Le Strand coordinates it into the Landing Plan.

The Le Strand Landing Plan is a written, sequenced plan with dependencies and dates. Florida real estate representation is delivered directly by Le Strand across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, including Boca Raton in Palm Beach County. Serena Orgin is the founder and principal of Le Strand, a practising attorney admitted in New York and a Florida real estate broker. See Schools and family and UK to Florida.

Questions families ask about UK school years and US grades

Which year group is a 5-year-old in England?
GOV.UK's national curriculum guide lists Year 1, in key stage 1, for children aged 5 to 6, and Reception, in the early years foundation stage, for children aged 4 to 5.

At what age can a child start kindergarten in Florida?
Section 1003.21 of the Florida Statutes (2026) makes children who will be 5 on or before 1 September of the school year eligible for admission to public kindergarten during that school year, under rules adopted by the district school board.

When does school attendance become compulsory in Florida?
Section 1003.21 of the Florida Statutes (2026) requires children who are 6, or will be 6 by 1 February of the school year, and who are under 16, to attend school regularly during the entire school term.

What health record does a Florida school need at first entry?
Section 1003.22 of the Florida Statutes (2026) requires a certification of a school-entry health examination performed within one year before enrolment, for each child entering kindergarten or a Florida public or private school for the first time.

Can a passport show a child's age for Florida school enrolment?
Yes. Section 1003.21 of the Florida Statutes (2026) lists a passport or certificate of arrival in the United States showing the age of the child among the accepted evidence of age, after a duly attested transcript of the birth record.

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Sources (checked 30 October 2026): GOV.UK, The national curriculum: key stages and School admissions: school starting age; Florida Statutes (2026) ss. 1003.21, 1002.53, 1003.22; Le Strand, About.