Sixth grade

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Sixth grade (called Grade 6 in some regions) is a year of education in many nations, and usually the start of middle school & in other countries is the last year of Primary level.



In Senegal, it would correspond to 6ème Lycee. It is the first grade of the third cycle called Collège (French).


In Morocco, it would correspond to the sixth and the last year of elementary school. It is the last year before middle school.


In Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran and India, sixth grade is called Class 6.


In China, 6th grade would be the last year of elementary school. The students would be 11 or 12 years old.


In Malaysia, the equivalent is Year 6 also known as Standard 6, as the Malaysia academic year starts in January, unlike in Europe, Canada, and the United States where it starts in August. Students will sit for an important exam called Ujian Pentaksiran Sekolah Rendah (UPSR), which translates from Malay into English as "Low/Elementary School Assessment Test".


In the Philippines, Grade 6 is the last year of elementary school.


In Israel, Grade 6 (called Kita Vav) is the final year of elementary school.



In Belgium 6th grade is equivalent to the 6th year of primary school.


In Finland, equivalent is grade 6 (ages 11–13). Sixth grade is the last grade before students start attending Middle School.


In France, it would correspond to 6ème (7 years before end of high school) which is the first year of junior high.


In Germany, it would be equivalent to 6. Klasse.


In Greece, it would be equivalent to grade 6 (ages 12–13). Sixth grade (ekti dimotikoy - έκτη δημοτικού) is the last grade of the elementary school (dimotiko sxoleio - Δημοτικό σχολείο) before students start attending High School (Γυμνάσιο).


In the Republic of Ireland, the equivalent is "6th Class" or Rang a sé which is the eighth and final year of primary school.


In Italy, 6th grade is called "prima media" (first intermediate), and is the first year of Scuola secondaria di primo grado (first level of secondary school).


In Malta, 6th grade is equivalent to Form 1 age of 11-12. This is the first year where students have different teachers for each subject but most schools have the same classroom for most of the subjects (such as Mathematics, English, Italian, French, science, Maltese etc.). This is the first year of secondary school.


In the Netherlands its equivalent to groep 7, the 7th and almost last year of elementary school.


In Portugal, the sixth grade (sexto ano, 6º ano) is the second year of the two-year 2º Ciclo do Ensino Básico that includes also the fifth grade.[1] Starting with the school year of 2011/2012, students take final exams (provas finais) at the end of the sixth grade.[2][3]


In Sweden 6th grade is called Sjätte klass (6th class). Children in 6th class are usually 11–13 years old.

United Kingdom[edit]

Its English and Welsh equivalent is Year 7, the first year of secondary school in most counties, however, some English schools go up to year 8. Its Northern Irish equivalent is First Form or Year 8, which is also the first year of secondary school. The Scottish equivalent is P7, which is the seventh year of primary school.

North America[edit]


In Canada, sexual education is first taught, and touches upon drugs, bullying/cyber-bullying. In some parts of Ontario students are in a program that specifically addresses drugs and types of bullying. This program is named V.I.P. (V.values; I. influences; P. peers). Grade 6 students in Ontario take a provincial test EQAO. For students in French immersion the whole test is written in English. In many schools, children are either beginning middle school or in their last year of elementary school.[citation needed]

United States[edit]

The sixth grade is the sixth school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 11–12 or even 13 years of age.[citation needed]

There is no clear consensus across the United States on whether to include sixth grade as the last year in elementary school, or as the first year of middle school. This can even be seen at the local level, where adjacent districts can differ on what level sixth grade occupies.[citation needed]

Students in middle school usually have different teachers for each subject, normally with 5-6 subjects which should include social studies, math, science, reading, and writing. Sometimes reading and writing are combined to form language arts. Sixth graders often have lockers in the United States. Students still in Elementary school may continue to have 1 teacher, or more than 1 but less than Middle school students. However there have been schools where fifth graders (In Elementary) had five classes, and in sixth grade (Middle School) only had two classes/teachers who taught more than one subject. Students who attend Catholic schools generally remain in grammar school for K-8th grade, then go to high school in 9th grade, the same as public schools.[citation needed]



In Australia, sixth grade is the last (second last year in Queensland and South Australia) year of Primary School, however in Australia it is more commonly called "Year 6".[citation needed] Students are generally turning twelve in this year.

New Zealand[edit]

In New Zealand, it is considered Year 7, the first year of intermediate school.[citation needed]

South America[edit]


The nomenclature for all school grades in Brazil, including sixth, was recently changed. In that sense, sixth grade (ages 11 and 12) corresponds now to Brazil's seventh grade.[citation needed]


In Argentina, sixth grade (age 11) would be the last year of primary school.[citation needed]


  1. ^ "Ensino Básico e Secundário". (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2012-10-15. 
  2. ^ "Alunos do 4.º ano vão ter exames a partir do próximo ano". (in Portuguese). controlinveste. 2012-03-26. Retrieved 2012-10-15. 
  3. ^ Clara Viana (2012-03-26). "Alunos do 4.º ano já farão exames em 2013". Público (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2012-10-15. 

See also[edit]

Preceded by
Fifth grade
Sixth grade
age 11-12
Succeeded by
Seventh grade