Entry-Grade Admissions for Grade 1 and Grade 6: A Plan for Private and Through-Train Schools

Entry-grade admissions is the most important season of the year for private and through-train schools. A family that chooses a school for Grade 1 usually stays for five years of primary school and, if satisfied, may continue through lower and upper secondary. Grade 6 is another major "gateway": parents reconsider every option, comparing catchment-based state schools, private schools and bilingual schools, and the decision is often made quite early.

This article is for school leaders, admissions offices and communications teams at private primary schools, private lower secondary schools and through-train school systems. You will see what Grade 1 and Grade 6 parents worry about, a stage-by-stage admissions timeline, which channels to invest in, how to turn open days into reserved places and how to keep your own pupils moving up to the next stage.

Entry-grade admissions: why are Grade 1 and Grade 6 gateways?

Three reasons make entry-grade admissions decisive for a school's revenue and reputation over many years:

• Very high lifetime value. A child entering Grade 1 may stay at the school for many years, bringing siblings and recommendations to other families.
• A short, concentrated decision window. Parents usually research from the end of the previous year until around May. A school that appears late finds families' shortlists already settled.
• Direct comparison with state schools. Many localities admit pupils to state schools by catchment area with online registration. Private schools must spell out their distinctive value so parents feel the fees are worth it.

As with all education marketing, entry-grade admissions is about selling trust: parents are entrusting their child to the school for years.

How do Grade 1 and Grade 6 parents' worries differ?

Parents of children entering Grade 1

They worry whether their child will adapt from kindergarten to a learning environment. Common questions cover class size, the form teacher, lunch and boarding meals, drop-off and pick-up times, school buses, the English programme, extracurricular activities and how the school helps children who fall behind. They want to see the classrooms, canteen and nap room for themselves.

Parents of children entering Grade 6

Their focus shifts to academic quality and the long-term path: will the programme prepare my child well for the Grade 10 entrance exam, what level of foreign language will they reach, are there clubs and skills activities? Some schools hold an entry survey or aptitude assessment in line with regulations, and parents want to know its format, content and timing. Grade 5 pupils also start to have their own views on which school they want.

To understand parents' decision journey in more depth, see our article on parent behaviour when choosing a school.

An entry-grade admissions timeline, stage by stage

Exact dates depend on each school's plan and local guidance, but the framework below works for most private schools:

1. First semester of the previous school year: lay the groundwork. Complete Google Maps, the fanpage and the website; film a day at school, boarding lunches, English lessons and club activities.
2. End of the previous year: announce admissions information. Publish places, fees, discounts and open day dates. Open the tour sign-up form and an FAQ chatbot.
3. New Year to Tet: the first round of open days. Hold school tours, taster lessons for children and talks for parents.
4. After Tet to around March: peak counselling and reservations. Increase advertising, call back parents who toured, and remind them of early reservation deadlines.
5. April and May: finalise applications. Remind parents of application and deposit deadlines, and run the entry survey or familiarisation session if the school has one.
6. Summer: look after families with reserved places. Send preparation information, invite them to a familiarisation session and introduce the form teacher.
7. Start of the school year: turn new parents into advocates. Ask for feedback after the first month and invite them to join the referral programme.

Through-train schools should run new admissions campaigns alongside campaigns to keep Grade 5 and Grade 9 pupils moving up internally. Our article on marketing for private and through-train schools looks more closely at brand building for this type of school.

Channels and content for entry-grade admissions season

• Facebook Ads by radius and child's age: target parents of children about to enter Grade 1 or Grade 6 around the school, inviting them to book a tour.
• Google Maps: parents search for "private primary school near me" and check photos and reviews before booking a tour.
• TikTok and short video: everyday classroom videos reassure parents faster than any leaflet.
• Seeding in local parent groups: where families ask each other which school to choose. Let real parents share real experiences.
• Zalo OA: the channel parents use every day for open day schedules, reservation reminders and enrolment notices. See how to set it up in our article on Zalo OA for parent care.

Content should answer parents' actual questions: a day in the life of a Grade 1 pupil, the boarding menu, the drop-off and pick-up process, teacher introductions, Grade 9 academic results and lower secondary clubs. Only publish images of pupils with parents' consent.

Open days and taster lessons: turning tours into reserved places

Many schools run busy open days but see far fewer reservations than expected, because nobody reminds parents of the next step after the tour. A streamlined process:

• Before the event: a chatbot takes sign-ups and asks the child's age, the family's area and their main concerns; a Zalo reminder goes out the day before.
• During the event: split visitors into small groups led by teachers; children join a taster lesson while parents hear from the leadership team and ask questions.
• Straight afterwards: send fee information, discounts, the reservation deadline and short feedback on the child if available.
• A few days later: a consultant calls back based on CRM notes to address remaining concerns.

The two metrics to track are tour sign-ups and the tour-to-reservation rate. At peak season, the inbox can overflow with questions in the evenings and at weekends; Nex Ads, with its shared Messenger inbox, helps the admissions team miss no messages and see the ad cost per tour sign-up. The whole funnel is set out in our admissions solution for preschools and K-12 schools.

Don't forget current pupils: re-enrolment and internal progression

Pupils who stay for the new school year are a school's most stable source of revenue. For through-train schools, every Grade 5 pupil moving up to Grade 6 internally is a place that doesn't have to be filled from outside.

• Send attendance, menus and teacher comments regularly via an app or Zalo so parents always see the value.
• Open early re-enrolment for current pupils, with discounts and priority places.
• Hold a dedicated session for Grade 5 and Grade 9 parents introducing the next stage's programme before they tour other schools.
• Offer sibling discounts and a parent referral programme for new families.

Nex Edu brings enrolment, QR attendance, VietQR tuition payments and Zalo/SMS parent notifications into one system, with receivables reports for each campus.

Common entry-grade admissions mistakes

• Starting communications once the season has begun. Parents have already toured and reserved places elsewhere.
• Slow replies to messages in the evenings and at weekends. That's exactly when parents have time to research.
• Busy open days with no next step. Without reservation reminders or call-backs, parents gradually lose interest.
• Talking only about facilities. Grade 1 parents need to see care; Grade 6 parents need to see an academic path.
• Forgetting your own Grade 5 and Grade 9 parents. Competitors are inviting them on tours.
• Unclear fee information. Boarding, bus and uniform charges that appear after reservation damage goodwill.

Frequently asked questions

When should a private school start entry-grade admissions?

Build content, Google Maps and the fanpage from the first semester of the previous school year, then announce admissions information from the end of the year. Parents look for schools for the new year very early, so tour campaigns need to run before they settle their shortlists.

Can a chatbot answer questions about fees, boarding and school buses?

Yes, if the script is built around the school's actual fee schedule and rules. Questions that need an individual conversation are passed to the admissions team along with the information the parent has provided.

Should we hold open days for Grade 1 and Grade 6 parents together?

It's better to separate them. Grade 1 parents care about care, boarding and adjustment; Grade 6 parents care about academics and the path to the Grade 10 exam. Separate content gives each group exactly the information it needs.

How can we increase the share of Grade 5 pupils staying on for Grade 6?

Hold a dedicated lower secondary information session for Grade 5 parents, open early registration with discounts and let pupils try Grade 6 activities. Regular contact with parents throughout the year also gives them less reason to look elsewhere.

Plan your entry-grade admissions with Nex

Entry-grade admissions succeeds when a school shows up early, replies quickly and looks after parents right up to their child's first day. Nex Agency specialises in education marketing and works with children's education providers, including our featured client BeeKids, combining content, chatbots, CRM and a management platform for admissions season.

See the details of our admissions marketing solution for preschools and K-12 schools, browse our service packages or call our hotline on 0798.798.321 to book a consultation on next year's admissions plan.