In this webinar, Bianca Böhmer, a researcher at RESEP, Stellenbosch University, will explore how the age at school enrolment shapes children’s educational journey in South Africa. Understanding the nuances of school readiness and admissions policy implementation is crucial for educators, parents, and policymakers. This study draws on learner-level administrative data to track the 2018 Grade 1 cohort over their first four years of schooling and assess their academic progress in the Foundation Phase. During this webinar, we will highlight (1) How schools comply with the national admission policy and navigate South Africa’s unusual 18-month school admissions window, (2) Differences in learning outcomes and schooling trajectories due to school entry age and gender, an (3) Policy considerations related to admissions and grade repetition.