It comes after nursery and before Year One in England[1] and Wales, or before Primary 2 in Northern Ireland.
[2] Children start school either in the term or in the academic year in which they reach five,[3] depending on the policy of the Local Education Authority.
Reception is the final part of the Early Years Foundation Stage of education.
[1] Most areas admit entire year groups in September, regardless of which month they were born, meaning that some pupils will be starting primary school in the month of their fifth birthday, while others will be almost a year behind this milestone.
[5] Previously, children in England and Wales started school later than children in Northern Ireland, where the starting age was generally four, dependent on the date of the child's birthday.