UAE School Year Groups Explained: FS1, FS2, KG and Year 1 by Birth Date

For a school that starts in August or September, your child's year group now depends on the age they reach by 31 December of the year they join. For a September 2026 start, a new child born in 2023 joins FS1 (Pre-KG), 2022 FS2 (KG1), 2021 Year 1 (KG2) and 2020 Year 2 (Grade 1). The UAE Ministry of Education moved the cut-off from 31 August to 31 December from the 2026-27 school year, and in Dubai the KHDA applies it to every private school and nursery.

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Year groups by birth date

For schools starting in August or September. Born any time from 1 January to 31 December of the year shown.

Applying for September 2027? Move each row on by a year: born 2024 is FS1, 2023 is FS2, 2022 is Year 1, 2021 is Year 2.

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The rule behind the table

The Ministry sets the age a child must reach by 31 December: three for Pre-KG (FS1), four for KG1 (FS2), five for KG2 (Year 1) and six for Grade 1 (Year 2). A child who hasn't reached the age can't be placed in that year, even if they are close or studied it elsewhere. KHDA's own example: a child who turns six on 1 January joins KG2 (Year 1), not Grade 1.

The change means children born September to December can start up to four months earlier than before.

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Indian-curriculum and other April-start schools

Schools that start in April, including many Indian-curriculum schools, keep 31 March as the cut-off. Nothing changed for them. KHDA's age chart lines up the Indian names like this, by age on 31 March:

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Already in school or nursery? Nothing moves

The new rule is for new admissions only. Children already enrolled stay under the rules they registered with, and in Dubai it also doesn't apply when a child transfers between Dubai schools. So a September-born child who started FS1 last year carries on with their class.

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Born September to December 2022 (Dubai)

For 2026-27 only, a child born between 1 September and 31 December 2022 who isn't enrolled anywhere yet can start in FS1 or FS2. You and the school decide; if you disagree, the school's judgement applies, and KHDA can review it. From 2027-28 there is no flexibility at all.

In British-curriculum schools, some limited flexibility for FS1 entry exists where readiness is formally assessed. Holding a child back "for maturity" alone is not allowed.

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Moving to the UAE from abroad

From FS1 to Year 1 (Pre-KG to KG2), Dubai places children by age only, whatever they did before. A four-year-old who was in KG2 abroad joins FS2. From Grade 1 (Year 2) up, the transfer certificate from the last school is the main reference, and the school tells KHDA if it doesn't match the age chart.

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Abu Dhabi and Sharjah

The Ministry's decision covers all schools and kindergartens in the UAE that start in August or September. ADEK's own placement policy for Abu Dhabi, last published in September 2025, still shows 31 August, and we couldn't find an ADEK page updating it. We also found no separate Sharjah statement. If you're applying in either emirate, ask the school which cut-off it is using and get the answer in writing.

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Something to do this week

Write down your child's birth year and your school's start month, find the row above, and check it with the admissions team before you pay anything to hold a place. Weighing up options? How to choose the right school in Dubai walks you through it, and the new UAE school rules for 2026-27 covers what else changed this year. For tutors, nurseries and learning centres, see our Guide.

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Sources

• UAE Ministry of Education: updated age cut-off for KG and Grade 1
• KHDA: Student Placement Guidelines FAQ for parents
• KHDA: Student Placement Guidelines FAQ for schools
• ADEK: Student Administrative Affairs Policy
• Gulf News: UAE school age cut-off rules 2026-27
• Khaleej Times: new age cut-off for KG and Grade 1
• The National: UAE changes age entry date
• The National: parents urged to focus on readiness