She was supposed to start school the following Monday, but instead Georgia and older sister Lucy, 7, are stuck at home in their bubble like the rest of the country's schoolchildren.
"She's been really disappointed actually," mum Emily Maire said. "I think because she's a second child and she's got her big sister already at school, she sort of knows what it's about.
"It's taken a long time for her to turn 5 and she's just one of these kids who's very ready to go to school."
Georgia Martin, 5, burst into tears when her parents told her she could not start school because of the lockdown. Now the family are in limbo, unsure when she will start. Photo / Dean Purcell
The St Heliers girl had already been on one school visit in her uniform and was looking forward to being a big school girl.
Instead she is at home doing fun activities with her parents including scavenger hunts, outdoor play, dress-ups and Lego.
Maire had tuned in to the new education channel, which featured a segment with Suzy Cato aimed at young schoolchildren, but said she didn't want her daughters watching TV all day.
NeedToKnow3
The 37-year-old business owner said there had been no communication from their school about Georgia's situation as a new entrant.
"So at the moment we're sort of in a state of limbo."
The family has no idea whether Georgia will start school in the next weeks through distance learning, or have to wait until the beginning of term three in late July.
Maire, who was working part-time from home, said she worried a late start date would affect Georgia's future schooling.
"It's really tricky for kids starting at the moment because the cut-off for our school for Year 1 is the end of April.
"So if all of these kids are going to be starting after that cut-off does it mean they are going to be Year 0 or Year 1? I think there's lots of questions."
It could mean the difference between Georgia being in Year 1 or 2 next year.
In another case there was no provision for a child due to start school at the beginning of term 2, the day after her fifth birthday.
Because the school term was brought forward it meant the girl could not start school until the next co-hort intake halfway through the term.
But her mother, an essential worker, had already given up the girl's place at kindergarten which meant she would have no childcare if she returned to work.
The Ministry of Education said it was not a "one size fits all" situation and directed the Herald to advice on its website for schools.
"If a parent requests that their child start at school and they can provide all the required documentation, you cannot legally refuse to enrol them," the information stated.
About 4500 5-year-olds started school at the beginning of term two last year.
Auckland Primary Principals Association president Stephen Lethbridge said most schools would have a flexible approach to Year 0 and 1 cut-offs and recommended worried parents contact their principal to clarify.
He said each school would tackle the lockdown individually.
"We have to trust that the schools are making the best decisions for their communities because they know what's going on for their communities.
"Starting school at 5 has been a cultural rite of passage for our kids ... But we haven't experienced a lockdown like this in our lifetime and we have to be quite adaptable and flexible."
Lethbridge, principal of Point Chevalier School, said principals were awaiting alert level 3 restriction detail.
"For those that were due to start at the start of term 2, which effectively is now, it's not going to set them back if we delay that start."
At his school, Lethbridge said, a new entrant teacher was putting together a welcome video for that class and planned to incorporate the class into the online learning portal.
He said home learning through play, cooking, education TV and helping parents was all valuable for children.
