School EntryCALCULATORAUSTRALIA · NT
Five by 30 June · Transition · Source check: 21 October 2026
PLAN THE YEARS AHEAD
Plan school entry or estimate Year 12 completion for a child already at school. Birth dates stay in this browser.
THEIR NEXT CHAPTER
| School year | Year level | Age on 1 January | Age turning that year | Stage |
|---|
Children who turn five on or before 30 June can begin NT Transition at the start of that year. Children with later fifth birthdays enter the following standard cohort. Transition comes before Year 1.
Check the official NT entry guidance ↗The Northern Territory calls the first full-time school year Transition. It follows preschool and precedes Year 1. Use the NT result even when comparing schools with similar names in other jurisdictions.
For a child born on 30 June 2022, the standard projection begins with Transition in 2027 and Year 1 in 2028. Omitting Transition would move every numbered school year forward incorrectly. Keep the first-year name visible when comparing this timeline with an interstate calculator.
For a child born on 1 July 2022, the standard Transition result becomes 2028. That is a cohort boundary, not a judgement about the child. If there are unusual circumstances or previous schooling, ask the school for guidance rather than changing the entered birthday to obtain an earlier result.
Queensland and WA also use a June boundary for the first school years modelled here, but call them Prep and Pre-primary. A matching calculated year does not confirm the same school calendar, attendance arrangements or transfer placement. For a move to Darwin, Alice Springs or another NT community, ask the intended school about its transition process and practical arrangements.
Children turning five on or before 30 June can enter Transition from the beginning of that school year. Later birthdays enter the following year.
Children who turn five on or before 30 June are eligible for Transition at the beginning of that year. Children with later fifth birthdays are eligible from the start of the following year.
Do not count preschool as Transition when estimating the Year 1 date. The calculator begins with Transition and then projects a year at each numbered level through Year 12.
Ask the school about the current application documents and arrangements for transferring education records. Tell the receiving school about earlier schooling, language-learning needs and support arrangements directly, rather than entering personal details into this tool.
The same standard age rule does not mean every school has the same timetable, transport arrangements or transition program. Contact the intended school for the first attendance date and practical orientation information.
The NT groups Transition–Year 6 as primary, Years 7–9 as middle years and Years 10–12 as senior years. The timeline uses those labels. A change of stage does not necessarily mean changing school sites; confirm the arrangements with your school.
NT compulsory enrolment uses the six-year-old cohort, separate from standard Transition eligibility at five. Ask the school to confirm the required enrolment year under the published June boundary, particularly when considering a delay.
These fictional examples illustrate the boundary. They are not records of real children.
Example date of birth
Year 1: 2028. Standard progression shown.
Example date of birth
Year 1: 2029. Standard progression shown.
| Example birthday | First school year | Intake | Year 1 | Year 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 June 2022 | 2027 · Transition | Term 1 | 2028 | 2039 |
| 1 July 2022 | 2028 · Transition | Term 1 | 2029 | 2040 |
No. Transition comes before Year 1 in the standard NT pathway.
Yes. Under the standard rule, a fifth birthday after 30 June leads to the following year's Transition entry.
No. This is a first-entry calculation. A receiving school should assess previous schooling and placement.
Transition is the first full-time school year before Year 1. It is not another name for Year 1 or for preschool.
No. A child who turns five by 30 June can enter the standard cohort at the beginning of that year. The actual first attendance date comes from the school.
The standard age boundary may give the same entry year, but use the NT guide to keep year-level names and local enrolment questions clear. A matching year is not a transfer-placement decision.
Keep the calculated year and intake handy when you contact the school. Ask it to confirm the plan before changing childcare, work or moving arrangements.
Standard entry rules checked 21 October 2026. Future entry projections run through 2032. Earlier birth years are supported as estimates using the current rule, not a verified historical rule. Compare the projected year level with the student’s actual year level. Confirm current enrolment requirements with your school.
Five by 30 June
Five by 30 June
Term 1: before 1 May · Term 3: 1 May–31 October
READ & PLAN
