Abu Dhabi, Feb. 13 -- TheUnited Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Education (MoE) has clarified the age requirements for children seeking admission to the Foundation Stage in private schools offering the British curriculum, effective from the 2026-27 academic year.

The move follows the ministry's earlier decision to introduce a new age cut-off for kindergarten and Grade 1 admissions, replacing the previous August 31 deadline with December 31 for schools that begin their academic year in August or September.

In a post on X, the ministry outlined the updated criteria for Foundation Stage entry.

Foundation Stage assessments

Children born between September 1 and December 31 who are not three years old at the start of the academic year will ...