Cohort entry
Cohort entry is when new entrants start school in groups through the year, at the start of each school term, rather than on their fifth birthday.
When can my child start school under cohort entry?
If your school has cohort entry, you use the the mid term date to work out when your child can start school.
The mid term date is the mid-point between the start of the term and the start of the next term.
If your child’s birthday is before the mid term date, then they can start school at the beginning of that term.
If their birthday is on or after the mid term date, then they can start school at the beginning of the next term.
You can always choose to delay your child’s start until the beginning of a later term or until age six if you are concerned about their readiness for school.
2018 mid term dates for schools with cohort entry
| TERM | START OF TERM DATE | MID TERM DATE | END OF TERM |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
07/02/2018 |
20/03/2018 |
13/04/2018 |
|
2 |
30/04/2018 |
11/06/2018 |
6/07/2018 |
|
3 |
23/07/2018 |
03/09/2018 |
28/09/2018 |
|
4 |
15/10/2018 |
12/12/2018 |
20/12/2018 |
2019 mid term dates for schools with cohort entry
| TERM | START OF TERM DATE | MID TERM DATE | END OF TERM |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
7/02/2019 |
20/03/2019 |
14/04/2019 |
|
2 |
29/04/2019 |
10/06/2019 |
5/07/2019 |
|
3 |
22/07/2019 |
02/09/2019 |
27/09/2019 |
|
4 |
14/10/2019 |
11/12/2019 |
20/12/2019 |
2020 mid term dates for schools with cohort entry
| TERM | START OF TERM DATE | MID TERM DATE | END OF TERM |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
7/02/2020 |
19/03/2020 |
09/04/2020 |
|
2 |
28/04/2020 |
09/06/2020 |
03/07/2020 |
|
3 |
20/07/2020 |
31/08/2020 |
25/09/2020 |
|
4 |
12/10/2020 |
11/12/2020*** |
18/12/2020 |
Consulting on cohort entry
If your local school wants to bring in cohort entry, they must consult with:
- parents and carers of prospective and current students
- their staff
- local early childhood services me ngā kōhanga reo.
Your school has to decide whether the community finds the policy generally acceptable when deciding to introduce cohort entry.
If your school introduces cohort entry, the earliest your child can start under a cohort entry policy will be Term 1, 2018. This means that even if your school has introduced a cohort entry policy, for the rest of 2017 your child may still start school on their fifth birthday.
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