Cohort Entry
Cohort entry is where children start school for the first time in groups on set dates, rather than on or after their fifth birthday.
From the start of the 2026 school year, Russell Street School will be adopting a cohort entry approach for all children starting school for the first time.
The start dates are set by the Minister of Education. Schools using cohort entry must use these dates and cannot change them.
2026 start dates:
- Term 1 – 2 February or 9 March.
- Term 2 – 20 April or 2 June.
- Term 3 – 20 July or 24 August.
- Term 4 – 12 October or 16 November.
2027 start dates:
- Term 1 – 28 January (TBC) or 8 March.
- Term 2 – 27 April or 31 May.
- Term 3 – 19 July or 23 August.
- Term 4 – 11 October or 15 November.
2028 start dates:
- Term 1 – 1 February (TBC) or 13 March.
- Term 2 – 1 May or 6 June.
- Term 3 – 24 July or 28 August.
- Term 4 – 16 October or 13 November.
When your enrolment at Russell Street School is confirmed you will be asked to also confirm a start date from the dates above.
For more information please see the Ministry of Education’s website.
Year Group Classification
Placement of pupils is the professional task of the Principal and staff.
Year 0 – A child who turns five and starts school in Terms 2, 3 or 4 will be classified as a Year 0. This will usually mean their birthday falls between April 1st (or the day after the last day of Term 1) and the last day of the school year in December.
Year 1 – A child who starts school in Term 1 will be classified as Year 1. This will usually mean their birthday falls between the day after the last day of school in the previous year up until March 31st of the current year (or the last day of Term 1).
Any child who turns five in April will be tentatively classified as a Year 0 and will have their development and progress assessed at the end of Year 1 and 2, to confirm their classification. If there is a recommended change, the decision will be made with whānau.