School EntryCALCULATORAUSTRALIA · TAS
Five by 1 January · Prep · 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 |
|---|
The standard Tasmanian Prep cohort is five on or before 1 January of the entry year. Kindergarten comes earlier. Tasmania's January boundary can produce a later Prep result than mainland systems for the same birthday.
Check the official TAS entry guidance ↗Tasmania's calendar-year boundary is earlier than the cutoffs used on the mainland. The school pathway here begins at Prep; Kindergarten is an earlier stage with its own age requirement.
A child born on 1 January 2022 has a standard Prep result of 2027. A child born on 2 January 2022 has a result of 2028. The dates are only a day apart, but sit on different sides of the cohort boundary. Enter the full date rather than assuming that all children born in 2022 start together.
For 15 February 2022, the standard Tasmanian Prep projection is 2028, whereas Victorian Foundation is 2027. Both systems use the familiar term Prep, but the name does not establish the same eligible cohort. If a move is planned after schooling starts, ask the receiving school to assess placement using the child's education records.
The standard pathway and an approved exemption are different things. If you are considering Kindergarten at age five rather than Prep, raise this with the principal and ask about the required process. The calculator cannot approve that arrangement or determine whether early entry for a gifted child is appropriate.
This calculator starts the standard Tasmanian pathway at Prep, following the Kindergarten cohort: five on or before 1 January. Kindergarten, available at four by 1 January, is a separate earlier year.
Children begin the standard Prep cohort when they are five on or before 1 January of the enrolment year. A child turning five on 2 January is therefore in the next standard cohort, unless an approved exception applies.
Children can attend Kindergarten when they are four on or before 1 January. Keeping a five-year-old in Kindergarten rather than Prep requires the relevant exemption process; it is not an option this calculator can approve.
Tasmania has a cross-sector early-entry process for children identified as gifted. It requires assessment and consideration by the relevant committee. Being close to the standard cutoff alone is not automatic approval.
The projection continues to Year 12. Tasmanian students may also choose approved education and training routes after Year 10. Discuss those choices when appropriate rather than treating a long-range table as a fixed commitment.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2022 | 2027 · Prep | Term 1 | 2028 | 2039 |
| 2 January 2022 | 2028 · Prep | Term 1 | 2029 | 2040 |
The date is included in the standard age boundary. A child who is five that day is in that year's Prep cohort.
No. This timeline starts with Prep and explains Kindergarten separately.
A later Kindergarten enrolment at age five needs the relevant exemption process. Ask the principal before making that plan.
The standard age boundaries differ: Tasmania uses 1 January for the Prep cohort and Victoria uses 30 April for Foundation. A February birthday can therefore produce different entry years.
Only a fifth birthday on 1 January is included at the boundary modelled here. A later January birthday gives the following standard entry year, subject to any approved exception.
No. The main table starts at Prep, then continues through Years 1–12. The earlier Kindergarten stage is discussed separately.
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.
READ & PLAN
