The short answer
Prep: the usual entry rule
Children who are five on or before 1 January of the proposed school year ordinarily enter Prep. Compulsory-attendance rules apply.
What about Kindergarten?
Children who are four on or before 1 January ordinarily start Kindergarten.
Can my child start later or earlier?
Keeping a five-year-old in Kindergarten rather than attending Prep may require an exemption. A family concern about readiness does not itself establish permission to delay compulsory schooling.
What should I do next?
Speak with the local school principal about options, supports and any exemption process before planning a later school start.
StartYear can help structure this decision with parent observations and optional input from an educator, but it cannot approve a deferral, exception or school placement. Eligibility is not the same as readiness.
Official Tasmania sources
Check the latest published guidance before making an enrolment decision. The public rules summarised here were reviewed on 4 October 2026.