Age of starting school

[Rena]

That's an interesting question and it fits with my experience of education in various places I've lived in.

We were evacuated during WWII and I remember my mother trying to get me enrolled into a small primary school but the head mistress explained they didn't take any child under the age of five and pointed my mother to a nearby preparatory school.

Back in our home town my brothers and I were accepted into the local primary school on our fifth birthdays which were all in the middle of the school's term time.  Inevitably, all through that school I would be in one class for half the year and then "moved up" on my birthday.

Roll forward to when my husband and I needed to enroll/book a place at a state primary school for our 3 yr old and 5 yr old in the town where we eventually ended up after he'd been demobbed from H.M. Forces.  The headmaster didn't have a place for our 5 year old but did have room in his preparatory class that took 3 to 5 year old children.

[Cell]

My mother in the early 1940's went to school when she was 2 , well she was just touching 3 (this wasn't a prep/kinder class ,she sat each day with her older school age sister in her class). This was in Ballymena ( N.Ireland) .
 The school allowed her to go to school each day with her sister as my gran was working full time, and my grandfather was off with the army.  My mum, siblings and my gran then moved to Belfast for a time and the school in Belfast wouldn't allow my mum to attend. Mum was really upset about it at the time - she couldn't understand why she wasn't allowed to go to this school.
So I do think it depended on the discretion of the schools.

Kind Regards

[coombs]

My great gran was born in London in 1889 and was admitted to a local school, Winchester Street School in March 1893 when she was 3 and a half. So were some of her younger siblings. Even in cities, it seems children under 3 were admitted to school.

Hopefully I shall be able to seek out the school records of another great gran born in 1895 in Oxford. She was in Sussex in 1911 aged 16 so I estimate she was at school 1898-1907.

[iolaus]

My husband started school the day after his third birthday in the 1970s, my son started two weeks after his third birthday in 2006. 
Not uncommon even now in some areas

[Pheno]

My mum started school when she was 3 in 1926 - same London school as her older siblings.  However, she always said that all she remembers is being top to tailed on a camp bed and being encouraged to sleep so it seemed to be run as some sort of child minding facility then.

Pheno

[Cell]

 I find it  hard to imagine my mum and other 2 and 3 yr olds in primary schools, just young babes really. I know when my son first started at his primary school here in Qld at age 5  , I thought he was too young! It was a heartbreaking day for me (but not for him, he loved it!).
  I started primary school in the UK at 4 yrs  5 months old ( it was the way my birthday fell), I can still remember my first day as clear as day - I punched the headmistress in the stomach! (only place I could reach I suppose!) I wanted to go home. I couldn't understand why my mother left me in this horrible place. I yelled and screamed to get out of the classroom, the headmistress blocked the door with her body so that I couldn't  run and I lashed out , fists flying everywhere.
My hubby went to school at 3 , but unlike my mum, in his case it wasn't primary schooling, he was in the prep part or pre primary, kinder ,*I don't know what it's called these days in the UK. (*PS  that's the word I was looking for "Nursery" school ,  I just saw Stan's post below )
Kind Regards

[stanmapstone]

The 1918 Education Act (The Fisher Act) empowered local education authorities to provide or aid nursery schools for 2-5 year olds. The Board of Education would make grants for such schools provided they were inspected by the LEA

Stan

[majm]

NSW Australia

My parents, and their siblings (and so too my uncles/aunts spouses) were all born before/during/after WWI.   

Those born in Sydney (capital City) commenced school when aged 4 / 5 / or even as late as 6.

Those born in rural NSW where the school population was important to determining if there would be one / two / three teachers and if these would be full time or part time positions ....  Well, even the youngest ones went to school as soon as they could use a potty, provided there was older sibling in the classroom to help with any pins.  (This is of course oral history, and given to me at this late hour from one of those early starters .... (2355 hours Australian Eastern Standard Time) .

Cheers,  JM
 

[Deirdre784]

My husband's great grandfather started at Coedpenmaen infants school in Pontypridd (South Wales) on 18 June 1900, only just over 3 years after his birth on 8 April 1897.

His sister, born on 10 Aug 1898, started at the same school on 20 Aug 1901.

These school records - where they survive - are fascinating