Can anyone tell me the cut-off dates regarding ages for Kindergarten in Kanton Aargau? Possibly moving from Zurich to Aargau (Berikon to be precise) next year and I'd really like to know what age my son would get a place at Kindergarten. I'm planning on ringing the Gemeinde on Monday, but hoping that someone can give me a heads up. He'll be 5 in Oct 2013 and I'm hoping that means he gets a place in August 2013 (when still 4).

Any help greatly appreciated.

http://www.ag.ch/bildungswege/de/pub/kindergarten.php

On this page they discuss the cut off date (30 April) for entrance into (primary) school. Putting this together with the statement higher up the page that children can visit kindergarten for at least one, also 2 years, prior to school, makes it appear that your son can attend kindergarten in the year he is 4 going on 5 as long as he makes 5 before the cut off date of 30 April during that first kindergarten year (which it sounds like he does).

I am surprised to read that kindergarten in Aargau is voluntary, so you do need to check with the Gemeinde that 2 years of kindergarten are permitted in your new village, as presumeably as it is vôluntary, they are not obliged to provide 2 years.

I lived in Berikon until recently and now near Muri,still in AG, and yes, at 4 your son can go ... as long as the child is 4 by 30 April. My older son went in Berikon and got a German teacher once a week to help him and other kids who were not German mother-tongue. You can PM me if you have any questions about Berikon -- I lived there 3 years.