What Age Does School Become Compulsory (and When Can You Stop)? UK

Two questions, one bit of law

Parents ask this at both ends of the journey. At the start: “Do I really have to send my four year old to school?” And later: “When can my child actually leave, or stop?” Both are answered by the same idea, compulsory school age, and it is worth getting the dates right because a surprising amount of worry comes from not knowing them.

When does school become compulsory?

Not at four. A child in England can start reception in the September after they turn four, but starting reception is a choice, not a legal duty. The legal duty begins at compulsory school age, and under section 8 of the Education Act 1996 a child reaches it on the first “prescribed day” on or after their fifth birthday.

There are three prescribed days in the year: 31 December, 31 March and 31 August (set by the Education (Start of Compulsory School Age) Order 1998). In plain terms, your child becomes of compulsory school age at the start of the term after their fifth birthday:

• Turns 5 between September and December, becomes of compulsory school age on 31 December
• Turns 5 between January and March, on 31 March
• Turns 5 between April and August, on 31 August

Until that day arrives, there is no legal requirement for your child to be in school or to be receiving a formal education at home. Many families who plan to home educate simply never send their child to school, and there is nothing to “deregister” because the child was never enrolled. Our guide to home educating a child who has never been to school covers that route.

Summer-born children

If your child was born in the summer (roughly April to August), you can ask to delay their reception start by a year, so they begin in the September after they turn five rather than four. This is a request to the admissions authority rather than an automatic right, and the GOV.UK guidance on school starting age explains how to make the case. It is a separate question from home education, but useful to know if school is part of your plan.

When does compulsory school age end?

Compulsory school age ends on the last Friday in June in the school year in which your child turns sixteen (set by the Education (School Leaving Date) Order 1997). From that date, your legal duty to secure a suitable education, and any question of school attendance, comes to an end.

What happens after 16?

Sixteen is no longer the end of the road. In England, young people must stay in some form of education or training until they are eighteen. Crucially, this does not have to mean school. As GOV.UK sets out on when you can leave school, the participation duty can be met by staying in full-time education (including sixth form or college), starting an apprenticeship or traineeship, or spending 20 hours or more a week working or volunteering while in part-time education or training. Continuing to educate at home, working towards qualifications, counts as education for these purposes, so home-educating families are not forced back into school at sixteen.

What this means if you home educate

You can home educate throughout compulsory school age and beyond. A few reassuring points:

• There is no duty to tell anyone you are home educating before your child reaches compulsory school age, because there is no attendance duty yet.
• If your child has never been to school, you do not need to deregister; there is nothing to come off.
• If your child is currently at school, you deregister to begin home education. See our deregistration letter generator.

A note on the other UK nations

The dates above are for England. The other nations differ, so if you are outside England, check your own nation’s guidance:

• Northern Ireland has the earliest start, with compulsory school age beginning at four.
• Scotland has its own system, with children generally starting around four and a half to five and two intake and leaving points in the year.
• Wales broadly mirrors England, with compulsory school age from the term after a child turns five.