School entry examination; participation

The aim of the school entry examination is to identify a child's health or developmental limitations relevant to school at an early stage. In this way, the school entry examination differs significantly from the early detection examinations (U8 and U9) at the pediatrician or family doctor, which focus primarily on the detection of acute and chronic illnesses that require treatment.

As an independent advice center, the health department's school entry check-up offers guardians an additional opportunity to address questions about their child's health and school readiness. The staff at the public health department take the time to provide detailed advice and can use their interdisciplinary network to make specific recommendations and provide information. The school entry examination can also be a valuable additional decision-making aid for parents/guardians when it comes to deciding when their child should start school. However, the final decision on school admission is the responsibility of the school.

The current concept of school entry screening has been in place for over 20 years. In recent years, further important findings on child development in the sensitive age period of 4 to 6-year-olds have been added. For this reason, the previous school entry examination was in urgent need of revision and reform. In the course of this, new examination methods and modern test materials are used with the aim of providing children with early support where necessary and thus ensuring that all children receive helpful support for a successful start to school and stable coping with their school day.

The new so-called "reformed school entry examination" is being gradually introduced at all health authorities in Bavaria. According to current planning, the nationwide changeover should be completed in 2027. At present, almost half of Bavaria's health authorities are already carrying out the reformed school entry examination.

You can find information on the implementation of the school entry examination at your health authority as well as further information on the school entry examination under "Further links".

• Vaccination card, yellow child examination booklet or participation card from the yellow child examination booklet
• Completed medical history form
• if available: Glasses, hearing aid, severely disabled person's pass, health pass (allergy pass)
• if the child has had a hearing or eye test in the last 3 months: Certificate from the ENT or ophthalmologist's practice
• Further medical documents (e.g. certificate of speech therapy, doctor's letters) if applicable

All school-age children are automatically invited by the public health department to an initial school check-up within a time corridor of two years before they are due to start school. Children required to attend school are all children who turn six years old between October 1 and September 30. Children who are to be deferred or who belong to the so-called corridor children must also be examined in the two years before the regular start of school.

The parents/guardians receive an invitation from the public health department to attend the school entrance examination. The examination itself takes place - depending on the district - in the public health department or other suitable premises. The presence of a parent or guardian is reassuring for the child, questions can be clarified directly and observations/results of the examination can be discussed immediately.

Participation in the screening examination and, if applicable, the school medical examination is mandatory and will be followed up if you do not attend.

It is important to bring the completed medical history form, the yellow child examination booklet with the certificate of completion of the last age-appropriate screening examination (U8 or U9 examination) and the child's vaccination record.