TheSchoolGuide
    TheSchoolGuide

    School Age Eligibility Calculator

    Enter your child's date of birth and curriculum to see the class they join now and every class after, based on official cut-off dates.

    Not sure which curriculum suits your child?

    Tell us about your child and we will reply with honest, personal guidance. No spam, no sales calls.

    Comparison of Ages & Class Names Across Curricula

    Cut-off dates: CBSE and ICSE 31 March, year runs April to March ยท UK and American 31 December, year runs September to July.

    Entry AgeCBSE / ICSE
    3 years
    		Pre KG
    4 years
    		KG 1
    5 years
    		KG 2
    6 years
    		Grade 1
    7 years
    		Grade 2
    8 years
    		Grade 3
    9 years
    		Grade 4
    10 years
    		Grade 5
    11 years
    		Grade 6
    12 years
    		Grade 7
    13 years
    		Grade 8
    14 years
    		Grade 9
    15 years
    		Grade 10
    16 years
    		Grade 11
    17 years
    		Grade 12

    If a child reaches the required age exactly on the cut-off date, they are considered eligible for that class.

    Common questions

    In Dubai, children usually start KG 1 (also called FS 2 or Reception in UK schools) at age 4. For CBSE and ICSE schools they must turn 4 by 31 March of the year the academic year begins. For UK and American schools they must turn 4 by 31 December of the year the academic year begins.

    FS 2 (Reception) is a UK-curriculum year, so it uses the September calendar. From 2026-27 onwards, a child must turn 4 by 31 December of the year the FS 2 academic year begins to be eligible. Before 2026-27 the cut-off was 31 August.

    A child born on the cut-off date itself is considered eligible for that class. So a UK-curriculum child born on 31 December turns 4 on the cut-off date and is eligible for FS 2 that September. The same rule applies to CBSE and ICSE children born on 31 March.

    KHDA rules are strict on entry age, and Dubai schools very rarely accept a child below the official cut-off, even if the family requests it. In practice you should plan around the correct age for your curriculum. If you believe your child has a genuine reason for an exception, speak to individual schools directly, as any decision is theirs, not KHDA's.

    From the 2026-27 academic year, KHDA moved the September-calendar cut-off from 31 August to 31 December. This means UK and American schools now accept children who turn the required age at any point in the same calendar year the academic year begins. Some children who were previously held back can now start school a year earlier.