A direct answer
Should I hold my child back?
Start by checking the options in your state or territory. Then think about how your child is going at home and in early learning, the support available at school, and what their educator sees. For some children, starting a year later may not be an option.
Here, holding back means starting school a year later than your child could, not repeating a year. In Australia it's often called delayed entry or waiting a year, and sometimes 'redshirting'.
No. Being young for the class isn't, by itself, a reason to wait. The rules in your state, your child's everyday experience and the support at school all matter.
No. Where an approval, exemption or other exceptional pathway is required, the family must confirm it with the relevant school or education authority.
Some states and territories let families choose a later start. In others, the first year is compulsory or a later start needs approval.
Usual support needs, communication differences and being young for the class are not, by themselves, reasons to wait.
What each state guide says about an earlier or later start
Queensland
Queensland permits a one-year delay to Prep without a formal approval process, subject to compulsory-schooling requirements. Early Prep entry is a separate, restricted pathway; some children who turn five by 31 July may qualify with principal approval. Queensland school starting age.
New South Wales
An eligible child does not always need to start in the first eligible year. The sixth-birthday compulsory-attendance requirement limits the later option. Non-government schools and early childhood services can have different practical enrolment processes. New South Wales school starting age.
Victoria
Being eligible and choosing the best starting time are separate questions. Victoria's early childhood programs and Pre-Prep rollout also have program and location considerations beyond the school-start age rule. Victoria school starting age.
South Australia
South Australia is not simply a calendar-year cutoff state. The timing of Reception entry affects progression and any apparent "wait a year" alternative. Do not treat a different term or year as an automatic option without school confirmation. A separate universal three-year-old preschool is rolling out in government preschools in stages from 2026 to 2032, depending on location. It is not the year-before-school preschool described above. South Australia school starting age.
Western Australia
A later Pre-primary start is not an ordinary choice for an eligible child because attendance is compulsory. Local-intake areas, school capacity and Kindergarten arrangements also matter. Western Australia school starting age.
Tasmania
To keep a five-year-old in Kindergarten instead of starting Prep, families apply for an exemption. Talk with your local school principal about the options. Tasmania school starting age.
Australian Capital Territory
Preschool placement, Priority Enrolment Areas and high-demand programs may affect which setting is available. Exceptional early or delayed entry pathways need confirmation. Australian Capital Territory school starting age.
Northern Territory
Optional Transition and compulsory attendance are different questions. Preschool access after a birthday can depend on local capacity, and specific arrangements should be checked with the school. Northern Territory school starting age.
Questions parents ask
Should my child start school at five or wait until six?
Start by checking the options in your state or territory. Then think about how your child is going at home and in early learning, the support available at school, and what their educator sees. For some children, starting a year later may not be an option.
Does being the youngest in the class mean my child should wait?
No. Being young for the class isn't, by itself, a reason to wait. The rules in your state, your child's everyday experience and the support at school all matter.
Can StartYear approve early entry or a school-start delay?
No. Where an approval, exemption or other exceptional pathway is required, the family must confirm it with the relevant school or education authority.
Is StartYear a school readiness test?
No. StartYear helps you think through the decision. It isn't a medical, developmental or readiness test, and its Decision Plan doesn't predict the best start year.
A clearer beginning
Check whether a later start is an option where you live.
StartYear cannot approve a delay. It can help you see the ordinary rules and what to discuss next.
