Vocational school admission

Children are required to attend school as follows:

School year Reference date Registration until birth period

2025/2026 September 30-November 15, 2024 October 1, 2018 up to and including September 30, 2019

2026/2027 September 30-November 15, 2025 October 1, 2019 up to and including September 30, 2020

2027/2028 September 30, November 15, 2026 October 1, 2020 up to and including September 30, 2021

2028/2029 September 30-November 15, 2027 October 1, 2021 up to and including September 30, 2022

How do I register my child for school?
In good time before the start of the registration process, the school administration office will ask the parents of all children who are due to start school to register. Registration then takes place directly at the respective school and on the dates set by the school authority. For further information on the procedure, please contact the Dormagen school administration office on 02133/257-5212.
Parents are free to choose the elementary school and the type of school (community school or denominational school) at which the child is to be enrolled in their community. Every child has the right to be admitted to the elementary school closest to their home and of the desired type of school in their municipality within the framework of the admission capacity determined by the school authority.
Can children be enrolled early?
Parents who wish to enrol their child who was born after the school enrolment deadline, 30.09., can submit an informal application to the elementary school. After detailed consultation with the parents, the school management will decide whether to admit the child. As an aid to the decision, the school management may consult a school doctor's report or, in individual cases, a school psychologist's report. Admission is always possible if the child can be expected to work successfully at school. There is no lower age limit in North Rhine-Westphalia.
When can my child be deferred?
Children of compulsory school age can be deferred for one year for serious health reasons. The decision is made by the head teacher on the basis of the school doctor's report. The parents must be consulted. The examination can also be carried out at the request of the parents. As a rule, the period of deferral is not counted towards the duration of compulsory schooling. In exceptional cases, the education authority may, at the request of the parents, count the period of deferral towards the period of compulsory schooling.
Are sufficient German language skills required when starting school?
If there are indications at the time of enrolment at elementary school that the child does not have sufficient German language skills and that successful participation in school is therefore at considerable risk, a language assessment is carried out according to a standardized procedure.
Further information on language assessments can be obtained from the Municipal Integration Center of the Rhein-Kreis Neuss, Oberstraße 91, 41460 Neuss, Kreishaus 2nd floor. Tel.: 02131/928-4011, or by e-mail at ki(at)rhein-kreis-neuss.de. More information can be found in the information flyer: Info flyer
When does school enrollment take place?
In North Rhine-Westphalia, school enrollment takes place on the second school day after the summer vacations at the latest, even if classes start again in the middle of the week. It is advisable to find out from the school itself on which day the first graders will start school.
How long does compulsory schooling last?
Compulsory schooling at primary and lower secondary level lasts ten school years, and nine school years at grammar school. It is fulfilled by attending elementary school and a secondary general school. It ends earlier if the pupil has achieved one of the qualifications provided for after the tenth full-time school year in less than ten school years. If a pupil completes the school entry phase in three years, the third year is not counted towards the duration of compulsory schooling.
Compulsory school leavers with ten years of compulsory full-time schooling who enter a vocational training relationship at the end of the ninth year of compulsory full-time schooling fulfill their compulsory full-time schooling in the tenth year by attending the vocational school's specialist class or, if they drop out of vocational training, by attending a full-time vocational school course. In exceptional cases, the school supervisory authority may allow compulsory school pupils to attend classes at a school or extracurricular institution in the tenth year of compulsory schooling, where they can expand their general education through special support measures and be prepared for vocational training.
Compulsory school attendance at special schools with a focus on vision, hearing and communication, physical and motor development, language and intellectual development lasts eleven school years.
Children and young people with special educational needs can also be placed in youth welfare facilities on the recommendation of the youth welfare office and with the consent of the parents by the school supervisory authority if the educational goal of the special school cannot be achieved in any other way and assistance in accordance with SGB VIII is required. If the parents refuse their consent, a decision must be made in accordance with § 1666 of the German Civil Code.
After compulsory schooling at primary and lower secondary level, the obligation to attend a vocational school or another course of education at a vocational college or another school at upper secondary level begins.
Anyone who starts a vocational training contract before the age of twenty-one is required to attend school until the end of the contract.
For young people without a vocational training contract, compulsory schooling lasts until the end of the school year in which they reach the age of eighteen. The school supervisory authority may exempt young people who have reached the age of eighteen from continuing to attend school. Compulsory schooling ends before the age of eighteen with the successful completion of a full-time upper secondary school course.
Compulsory schooling ends before the dates specified in the two aforementioned paragraphs if, according to the training and examination regulations, the previous training makes further school attendance unnecessary or the higher school supervisory authority makes a corresponding determination in individual cases.
Anyone who begins a vocational training relationship after the end of compulsory schooling is entitled to attend the vocational school for as long as the vocational training relationship exists.
Who is responsible for compliance with compulsory schooling?
Parents register and deregister their school-age child at the school. They are responsible for ensuring that the child regularly attends lessons and other compulsory school events and for providing the child with appropriate equipment.
In the case of pupils on the vocational school course, the responsibility for regular attendance also lies with the trainee or employer (co-responsible for vocational education); they notify the vocational school of the start and end of the training or employment relationship.
Teachers and principals are obliged to encourage pupils who do not fulfill their compulsory schooling obligations to attend school regularly and to influence parents and those jointly responsible for vocational education.
If the pedagogical influence remains unsuccessful, those subject to compulsory school attendance may be forcibly brought to school at the request of the school by the regulatory authority responsible for the place of residence or habitual abode; the provisions of the Administrative Enforcement Act for the State of North Rhine-Westphalia on the use of direct coercion shall apply.
Are foreign children and young people required to attend school?
School attendance is compulsory for children of asylum seekers and single children and young people who have applied for asylum as soon as they are assigned to a municipality and for as long as their stay is permitted. Foreign children and young people who are obliged to leave the country are required to attend school until they have fulfilled their obligation to leave the country. Otherwise, children of foreign nationals are subject to compulsory schooling if they have their place of residence or habitual abode or their place of training or work in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Children are required to attend school as follows: School year Reference date Registration by birth period 2025/2026 30 September 15 November 2024 1 October 2018 up to and including 30 September 2019 2026/2027 30 September 15 November 2025 1 October 2019 up to and including 30 September 2020 2027/2028 30 September 15 November 2026 1. October 1, 2020 up to and including September 30, 2021 2028/2029 September 30, November 15, 2027 October 1, 2021 up to and including September 30, 2022 How do I register my child for school enrollment? The school administration office invites the parents of all children who are due to start school to register in good time before the start of the registration process. Registration then takes place directly at the respective school and on the dates set by the school authority. For further information on the procedure, please contact the Dormagen school administration office on 02133/257-5212 Parents are free to choose the elementary school and the type of school (community school or denominational school) at which their child is to be enrolled in their community. Every child has the right to be admitted to the elementary school closest to his or her home in the desired type of school in his or her municipality within the framework of the admission capacity determined by the school authority.can children be enrolled early? parents who wish to enrol their child who was born after the school enrolment date, 30.09., can submit an informal application to the elementary school. After detailed consultation with the parents, the school management decides on the admission of the child. As an aid to the decision, the school management may consult a school medical report or, in individual cases, a school psychological report. Admission is always possible if the child can be expected to work successfully at school. There is no lower age limit in North Rhine-Westphalia.when can my child be deferred? children of compulsory school age can be deferred for one year for serious health reasons. The decision is made by the head teacher on the basis of the school doctor's report. The parents must be consulted. The examination can also be carried out at the request of the parents. As a rule, the period of deferral is not counted towards the duration of compulsory schooling. In exceptional cases, the school authority may, at the request of the parents, count the period of deferral towards the period of compulsory schooling.are sufficient German language skills required for school enrolment? if there are indications at the time of enrolment in elementary school that the child does not have sufficient German language skills and that successful participation in school is therefore at considerable risk, a language proficiency assessment is carried out according to a standardized procedure.further information on language proficiency assessments can be obtained from the municipal integration center of the Rhein-Kreis Neuss, Oberstraße 91, 41460 Neuss, Kreishaus 2nd floor. Tel.: 02131/928-4011, or by e-mail at ki(at)rhein-kreis-neuss.de. More information is available in the information flyer: InfoflyerWhen does school enrollment take place?In North Rhine-Westphalia, school enrollment takes place on the second school day after the summer vacations at the latest, even if classes start again in the middle of the week. It is advisable to find out from the school itself on which day the first graders will start school.how long does compulsory schooling last? compulsory schooling at primary and lower secondary level lasts ten school years, at grammar school nine school years. It is fulfilled by attending elementary school and a secondary general school. It ends earlier if the pupil has achieved one of the qualifications provided for after the tenth full-time school year in less than ten school years. If a pupil completes the school entry phase in three years, the third year is not counted towards the duration of compulsory schooling.pupils with ten years of compulsory full-time schooling who enter a vocational training relationship at the end of the ninth year of compulsory full-time schooling fulfill their compulsory full-time schooling in the tenth year by attending the vocational school's specialist class, or, if they drop out of vocational training, by attending a full-time vocational school course. In exceptional cases, the school supervisory authority may permit compulsory school pupils to attend classes at a school or extracurricular institution in the tenth year of compulsory schooling, where they can expand their general education through special support measures and be prepared for vocational training.11 years of compulsory schooling are required to attend special schools with a focus on vision, hearing and communication, physical and motor development, language and mental development.Children and young people with special educational needs can also be placed in youth welfare facilities on the recommendation of the youth welfare office and with the consent of the parents by the school supervisory authority if the educational goal of the special school cannot be achieved in any other way and assistance in accordance with SGB VIII is required. If the parents refuse to give their consent, a decision must be made in accordance with Section 1666 of the German Civil Code (Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch). After compulsory schooling at primary and lower secondary level, the obligation to attend a vocational school or another course of education at a vocational college or another school at upper secondary level begins.Anyone who begins a vocational training relationship before the age of twenty-one is required to attend school until the end of this relationship; for young people without a vocational training relationship, compulsory schooling lasts until the end of the school year in which they reach the age of eighteen. The school supervisory authority may exempt young people who have reached the age of eighteen from continuing to attend school. Compulsory school attendance ends before the age of eighteen with the successful completion of a full-time upper secondary school course of education if, according to the training and examination regulations, the previous training makes further school attendance unnecessary or the upper school supervisory authority makes a corresponding determination in individual cases.Anyone who starts a vocational training relationship after the end of compulsory schooling is entitled to attend the vocational school for as long as the vocational training relationship exists.who is responsible for compliance with compulsory schooling? the parents register and deregister their school-age child at the school. They are responsible for ensuring that the child regularly attends lessons and other compulsory school events and provide the child with appropriate equipment; in the case of students attending vocational school, the responsibility for regular attendance also lies with the trainee or the employer (jointly responsible for vocational education); they notify the vocational school of the start and end of the training or employment relationship.Teachers and principals are obliged to encourage pupils who do not fulfill their compulsory schooling obligations to attend school regularly and to influence parents and those jointly responsible for vocational education. If the pedagogical influence remains unsuccessful, the school can, at the request of the school, be forcibly taken to the school by the regulatory authority responsible for the place of residence or habitual abode; the provisions of the Administrative Enforcement Act for the State of North Rhine-Westphalia on the use of direct coercion apply.Are foreign children and adolescents obliged to attend school?Compulsory school attendance exists for children of asylum seekers and single children and adolescents who have applied for asylum as soon as they are assigned to a municipality and as long as their stay is permitted. Foreign children and young people who are obliged to leave the country are required to attend school until they have fulfilled their obligation to leave the country. In addition, children of foreign nationals are subject to compulsory schooling if they have their place of residence or habitual abode or their place of training or work in North Rhine-Westphalia.

School Act NRW

Ordinance on training and examinations in the vocational college courses

North Rhine-Westphalia School Act Regulation on training and examinations in vocational college courses