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Ghana · school system guide

School in Ghana: KG, Basic 1–9, SHS and free worksheets

KG 1 to SHS 3 in one picture, the exams that matter, and free practice sheets for every class.

Free worksheetsClasses and ages

Basic education in Ghana starts with two years of kindergarten (KG 1 and KG 2, for children aged about 4 and 5), followed by six years of primary school (Basic 1 to Basic 6, often written B1–B6) and three years of Junior High School (JHS 1–3). Under the current curriculum JHS 1–3 are also called Basic 7 to Basic 9 (B7–B9).

Ghana was the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to make two years of kindergarten part of free and compulsory basic education, in 2007. After JHS, students go on to three years of Senior High School (SHS 1–3), which has been free in public schools under the Free SHS policy since 2017.

The curriculum for KG to Basic 6 is the standards-based curriculum from the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA); JHS follows NaCCA’s Common Core Programme (CCP).

At a glance

Kindergarten
2 years
KG 1 and KG 2, ages 4–5
Primary school
B1–B6
Basic 1 to Basic 6
Junior High
B7–B9
JHS 1 to JHS 3, ends with the BECE
School year
3 terms

Ghana

Classes and ages

The typical age of a child at the start of each school year. Tap a class to open its free worksheets.

How old is your child?

Pick an age to highlight the matching class.

At 4, most children are in KG 1. That is part of Kindergarten (KG).

KG 1 worksheets

At 5, most children are in KG 2. That is part of Kindergarten (KG).

KG 2 worksheets

At 6, most children are in Basic 1. That is part of Primary school (Basic 1–6).

Basic 1 worksheets

At 7, most children are in Basic 2. That is part of Primary school (Basic 1–6).

Basic 2 worksheets

At 8, most children are in Basic 3. That is part of Primary school (Basic 1–6).

Basic 3 worksheets

At 9, most children are in Basic 4. That is part of Primary school (Basic 1–6).

Basic 4 worksheets

At 10, most children are in Basic 5. That is part of Primary school (Basic 1–6).

Basic 5 worksheets

At 11, most children are in Basic 6. That is part of Primary school (Basic 1–6).

Basic 6 worksheets

At 12, most children are in JHS 1. That is part of Junior High School (JHS, Basic 7–9).

JHS 1 worksheets

At 13, most children are in JHS 2. That is part of Junior High School (JHS, Basic 7–9).

JHS 2 worksheets

At 14, most children are in JHS 3. That is part of Junior High School (JHS, Basic 7–9).

JHS 3 worksheets

At 15, most children are in SHS 1. That is part of Senior High School (SHS).

SHS 1 worksheets

At 16, most children are in SHS 2. That is part of Senior High School (SHS).

SHS 2 worksheets

At 17, most children are in SHS 3. That is part of Senior High School (SHS).

SHS 3 worksheets
  1. Kindergarten (KG)
    1. 4yrsKG 1Kindergarten 1
    2. 5yrsKG 2Kindergarten 2
  2. Primary school (Basic 1–6)
    1. 6yrsBasic 1Basic 1 (B1), primary school
    2. 7yrsBasic 2Basic 2 (B2), primary school
    3. 8yrsBasic 3Basic 3 (B3), primary school
    4. 9yrsBasic 4Basic 4 (B4), primary school
    5. 10yrsBasic 5Basic 5 (B5), primary school
    6. 11yrsBasic 6Basic 6 (B6), primary school
  3. Junior High School (JHS, Basic 7–9)
    1. 12yrsJHS 1Junior High School 1 (Basic 7)
    2. 13yrsJHS 2Junior High School 2 (Basic 8)
    3. 14yrsJHS 3Junior High School 3 (Basic 9)
  4. Senior High School (SHS)
    1. 15yrsSHS 1Senior High School 1
    2. 16yrsSHS 2Senior High School 2
    3. 17yrsSHS 3Senior High School 3

National exams and assessments

The main exams children meet on the way through school.

BECE

Basic Education Certificate Examination

When
End of JHS 3 (Basic 9)
Run by
West African Examinations Council (WAEC)

Taken by final-year JHS students after nine years of basic education. Results are used for placement into Senior High School.

WASSCE

West African Senior School Certificate Examination

When
End of SHS 3
Run by
West African Examinations Council (WAEC)

The school-leaving certificate used for entry into universities and other tertiary institutions.

Ghana

Free worksheets for every class

Printable, playable on screen and marked instantly. Each class page has fresh sheets for every subject.

Kindergarten (KG)

KG 1

Kindergarten 1

KG 2

Kindergarten 2

Primary school (Basic 1–6)

Basic 1

Basic 1 (B1), primary school

Basic 2

Basic 2 (B2), primary school

Basic 3

Basic 3 (B3), primary school

Basic 4

Basic 4 (B4), primary school

Basic 5

Basic 5 (B5), primary school

Basic 6

Basic 6 (B6), primary school

Junior High School (JHS, Basic 7–9)

JHS 1

Junior High School 1 (Basic 7)

JHS 2

Junior High School 2 (Basic 8)

JHS 3

Junior High School 3 (Basic 9)

Senior High School (SHS)

SHS 1

Senior High School 1

SHS 2

Senior High School 2

SHS 3

Senior High School 3

Curriculum

NaCCA curriculum

NaCCA’s standards-based curriculum (KG–B6) and Common Core Programme (B7–B9) set what children learn in each class. Our sheets are organised by class and age and cover core skills such as numeracy, phonics, reading and writing.

Tips for this school system

  • KG 1 and KG 2 are about talk, play, letters and numbers. Short colouring, tracing and counting sheets are perfect: stop while your child is still enjoying it.
  • In Basic 1–3, read a little every day in English and in your Ghanaian language. Ask your child to retell the story in their own words.
  • Before the BECE, use short timed maths and English sets. A fresh sheet every day keeps practice honest, because the questions change.

Keep learning

Programmes, phonics and short explainers that work with any school system.

Learning Wiki

Short, clear explainers of school topics, with practice to match.

Check-ups

Quick checks, marked instantly, to see what your child knows.

Lesson plans

Ready-to-teach plans that wrap fresh practice sheets.

Parents' area

Guides by age, weekly packs and your child's progress.

Questions parents ask

What is B7 in Ghana?

B7 (Basic 7) is JHS 1. Under the current curriculum, Junior High School years 1–3 are called Basic 7 to Basic 9, because they are the last three years of basic education.

At what age do children start KG 1 in Ghana?

Kindergarten covers two years for children aged about 4 and 5, so KG 1 usually starts at 4 and Basic 1 at about 6.

Who conducts the BECE in Ghana?

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) conducts the BECE for final-year JHS students.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Every class page has free sheets you can print, play on screen or write on with a finger or stylus. Some actions need a free account, and a few items marked Premium are part of a paid plan. There are no ads and no trackers.

Other countries

NigeriaKenyaSouth AfricaIndiaPakistanPhilippinesAustraliaEnglandUnited StatesCanada

Sources

We checked the facts on this page against these sources (last reviewed October 2026).

  1. Results for Development: Ghana kindergarten brief (KG ages 4–5, FCUBE 2007)
  2. NaCCA / curriculumresources.edu.gov.gh: Mathematics B1–B3 curriculum
  3. Ghana News Agency: GES Common Core Programme training (B7–B9 = JHS 1–3)
  4. Graphic Online: WAEC conducts the BECE
  5. EDU-Port Japan: Ghana’s education system (three terms, Free SHS 2017)