Thousands of five-year-olds are taking their first exciting step into the classroom today as the first intake of midyear students start school.

Almost 4,400 children will start reception this week at more than 420 public schools across South Australia, while about 385 government preschools will welcome their second midyear intake of children.

This important commitment is about giving families the choice to have earlier access to high quality educational programs for their child.

Today, Ascot Park Primary School welcome its new group of reception students on their first day of school.

This group of reception students are amongst the first to start school midyear since public schools moved to a single intake in 2014.

They join more than 12,000 reception students who started school in January this year. Students starting school this week will either enter a new reception class or join an existing reception class.

Ascot Park Primary School Principal Sam Kennedy said it’s an exciting week for the new group of children who are starting school.

“These students will join our two existing reception classes, and I know their classmates are eager to welcome them in,” he said.

“In the lead up to Term 3, we have been building connections between our school and the local preschools, along with the students and their families to help the children prepare for the move to school.”

Children who start reception at the start of the year will complete four terms of reception, while children who start reception midyear in Term 3 will complete six terms.

The midyear intake allows children born in the middle of the year (1 May and 31 October) to start school in the year they turn five.

Whether they start in January or July, all reception students will have the same types of learning experiences, tailored to individual students.

Families who haven’t registered for reception in 2025, either for the start of the year or midyear intake, are encouraged to complete a registration of interest form online.