All eight of Grand Cayman's Government primary schools and both primary schools in Cayman Brac have a Kindergarten/Reception year. Therefore, Caymanian children who are four by August 31st can start in Reception/Kindergarten (the same as the private schools) and stay in the primary school system until the end of Year 6 (aged 10, turning 11).
Expatriate children who have been given permission to attend a Government school cannot start in Reception at the age of four; they have to wait until they are five years of age and can then start in Year 1. This is because compulsory education does not start in the Cayman Islands until age five. At the end of Year 6, students take Key Stage II exams which assess and level them for movement to secondary school. The high school then uses the first term to assess each child for academic streaming.
Cayman’s government schools accept students based on catchment areas.
Government primary schools have regular inspections to ensure that they are operating by the standards in Cayman and what can be done to improve their reports.
See www.des.edu.ky for information on the schools listed below: