Reception is the first year of primary school in England and Wales, and it comes after nursery and before Year One). Children in Reception are usually aged between four and five, and they start school either in the term or in the academic year in which they reach five, depending on the policy of the Local Education Authority). Most children start school full-time in the September after their fourth birthday, which means theyll turn 5 during their first school year. In the UK, children normally start Reception class when they are four years old, which means they turn five during their Reception class year. However, parents can apply for a place in the Autumn of the year before their child turns four.

Here is a summary of the age range for Reception in different parts of the UK:

• England & Wales: 4-5 years old)
• Scotland: There is no Reception year. Children progress directly from Nursery to Primary 1 in the August nearest their fifth birthday, which means that a complete intake into P1 ranges from four and a half to five and a half years old).
• Northern Ireland: Primary 1 is equivalent to Reception in England and Wales, and children in P1 are generally aged 4, dependent on the date of the childs birthday).