We are redesigning the NRPF Network website to make it easier for you to find support and information online.
We’d like to invite you to take a survey and share your feedback so we can make sure the new website works better for you.
The survey should take about 10 to 20 minutes. It is open until 14 June.
Children are required to receive full-time education from compulsory school age until they reach school leaving age.
Government guidance explains the dates when a child becomes of compulsory school age and when they reach school leaving age. In England, Scotland, and Wales this is from age 5, and from age 4 in Northern Ireland.
Children can attend state-funded primary and secondary schools free of charge, typically from age 4 to 16, with many continuing in school or sixth form to age 18.
State-funded education is not a public fund for immigration purposes and can generally be accessed by children living in the UK, regardless of immigration status.
Children who enter or remain in the UK with certain types of immigration permission, such as:
are not able to access state-funded school education due to a study restriction.
Further information is available in the government guidance on school admissions for overseas children.
Government guidance on school admissions in each nation is available for:
Page updated: 03 June 2026
