Enrolling a child in school

Contact the local school, prepare available records and agree placement without confusing school admission with diploma recognition.

Start with the local primary school

School normally starts at 7, and education remains compulsory until 18; preschool preparation is a separate stage. Contact the public primary school for the child’s address or ask the municipality to identify it. Admission can happen during the school year. Ask the school’s managing authority for help if organisational capacity requires another placement.

Prepare the available documents

Bring child and guardian identification, contact details, an address declaration and available school certificates or attendance records. Explain completed years, subjects and any interrupted study. Ordinary continuation at primary school generally does not require nostrification of foreign school records. Ask about necessary translations before paying for them.

If records are missing

Tell the headteacher what is unavailable and provide the information you can about previous education. The school can use an interview to assess placement; ask about communication in a language the child understands and required language assistance. Age and prior schooling matter, but the final class is not automatically an identical foreign grade.

Agree placement and daily arrangements

Obtain the class, start date and named contact. Ask about Polish lessons, timetable, books, meals, after-school care, attendance reporting and parent communication. School admission does not replace residence procedures. If the school cannot resolve admission, request written clarification and contact the municipality or relevant school authority rather than leaving the child without an education plan.

Editorial summary checked against official sources: 2026-10-26

• Multilingual education guide for foreign children
• School placement and foreign records