Starting School

Primary, Junior and Infant Schools in Guernsey accept children from a specific area of the Island known as the school’s catchment area.

Children normally attend the school in the catchment area where they live (click here to access catchment maps on Digimap). Primary age pupils in Alderney attend St Anne’s School. There is also a small school on the Island of Herm. Sark School falls outside of the Education Department’s control.

All children who reach the age of 5 before 1st September in a particular year are required to attend school for the next academic year onwards. Parents should make contact with the headteacher of the school in their catchment area to register their child between September and January of the previous school year to help the school’s planning.

The Education Department has also agreed that children who reach the age of 4 on or before 31st August may also start school from the beginning of the academic year in September, but only if spaces and staff are available at the school.

Children from Roman Catholic families may attend one of two Roman Catholic primary schools if they choose.

There are also a number of private fee-paying schools for primary age pupils.
Requests for an out of catchment placement are considered by the Education Department but only granted in a limited number of circumstances according to specific criteria.
A copy of the School Admissions Policy which includes the out of catchment request criteria is available to download by clicking on the links to the right of this page.
Information about how to appeal against a decision not to grant an out of catchment request is also available.