Moving to Sydney in 9 weeks - HELP! To do list??
Feb 15th 2017, 9:17 pm
#16
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Re: Moving to Sydney in 9 weeks - HELP! To do list??
Is that a preschool or a daycare?
Community preschools tend to be much, much cheaper. They're often run as not for profits, which means they rely on parents to help with things like property maintanance. They tend to operate school hours (9-3ish). My children's preschool was about $45 per day (compared to my son's daycare, which was $120ish). I preferred the ethos of the preschool - it's a proper pre-school program, designed to promote shool readiness. Not just somewhere that looks after children, which might have a bit of a school prep program on the side. My two went to the Jack and Jill Kindergarten, Hornsby. But there are lots of them - have you changed your browser to .com.au? Might help with searches.
Redshirting has been discussed a lot on here over the years. A good while ago (I think it was) Japonica, who found figures. About 40% (from memory) of NSW parents held children back. That will have increased. Those children are not all immature/not ready for school. Parents hold back for a huge variety of reasons (in our case, thinking about how old a child will be when they will leave schooling and uni-readiness; it's a long, long-term plan!). I mentioned it only as it might be worth considering how mature your child will be judged by his/her peers.
Community preschools tend to be much, much cheaper. They're often run as not for profits, which means they rely on parents to help with things like property maintanance. They tend to operate school hours (9-3ish). My children's preschool was about $45 per day (compared to my son's daycare, which was $120ish). I preferred the ethos of the preschool - it's a proper pre-school program, designed to promote shool readiness. Not just somewhere that looks after children, which might have a bit of a school prep program on the side. My two went to the Jack and Jill Kindergarten, Hornsby. But there are lots of them - have you changed your browser to .com.au? Might help with searches.
Redshirting has been discussed a lot on here over the years. A good while ago (I think it was) Japonica, who found figures. About 40% (from memory) of NSW parents held children back. That will have increased. Those children are not all immature/not ready for school. Parents hold back for a huge variety of reasons (in our case, thinking about how old a child will be when they will leave schooling and uni-readiness; it's a long, long-term plan!). I mentioned it only as it might be worth considering how mature your child will be judged by his/her peers.
Feb 15th 2017, 9:54 pm
#17
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Joined: Oct 2004
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Re: Moving to Sydney in 9 weeks - HELP! To do list??
Yep, they're very different. ☺ Give it the lunch test - is lunch provided or do children bring a packed lunch from home? If the latter, it's a preschool. Preschools do much better at promoting some of those hidden curriculum skills, because of how they operate. But that's all off topic fot the op. Sorry.
Feb 15th 2017, 9:57 pm
#18
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Re: Moving to Sydney in 9 weeks - HELP! To do list??
Yes. As has been discussed, many, many children are held back in NSW.
You can see the potential age differences here in this thread - your daughter would most likely be 18 months younger than the oldest children in her class.
Apart from the maturity aspect, there's also the question of physical size. The younger, smaller children will be competing in class sport with much larger, older children and will rarely come out on top.
You can see the potential age differences here in this thread - your daughter would most likely be 18 months younger than the oldest children in her class.
Apart from the maturity aspect, there's also the question of physical size. The younger, smaller children will be competing in class sport with much larger, older children and will rarely come out on top.
Feb 15th 2017, 10:13 pm
#19
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Dec 2010
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Re: Moving to Sydney in 9 weeks - HELP! To do list??
Yep, they're very different. ☺ Give it the lunch test - is lunch provided or do children bring a packed lunch from home? If the latter, it's a preschool. Preschools do much better at promoting some of those hidden curriculum skills, because of how they operate. But that's all off topic fot the op. Sorry.
Feb 16th 2017, 2:24 pm
#20
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Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 6
Re: Moving to Sydney in 9 weeks - HELP! To do list??
Thanks everyone! I will look into pre-school options. I guess what makes the decision harder is that we might only be staying 1-2 years so they will be a year behind in the UK when we return. I'm sure we'll get there with the decisions. Need to focus more on getting us packed up at the moment so don't have too much time to think about the school thing yet!
Feb 17th 2017, 4:35 am
#22
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Re: Moving to Sydney in 9 weeks - HELP! To do list??
Yep, but residents do get $7500 back a year so mothers can go out and work and pay a lot more than that in tax. Soon to be $10000 a year. For the 457 holder its not so good but then again they are supposed to be on the big bucks - that's what the 457 is for after all.
Feb 17th 2017, 6:21 am
#23
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Re: Moving to Sydney in 9 weeks - HELP! To do list??
I don't believe in tax evasion - that's just plain wrong, but as any honest worker would say, it's the sacred duty of any taxpayer to exercise his or her right to tax avoidance (which, as defined by any tax accountant/lawyer worth his or her salt, is: the legal use of tax laws to reduce one's tax burden).
With the use of the law, and by setting up a private limited (proprietary limited in Aussie parlance), holding company and associated subsidiary companies, I've managed to reduce my tax burden to an effective rate of about 10 - 15% in Singapore. Given tax rates as such, I'd be happy to pay for whatever childcare services we might consume (hypothetically, since we don't have little ones to worry about), or even healthcare services for that matter. At least I know for a fact that my money goes to where it's needed: my needs.
Once in Sydney, even with the company set up (see previous thread I started), I'm still faced with a massive (comparatively) tax burden, and unlike the post-tax dividends that I'm used to drawing down in Singapore, apparently, no such benefit exists - or so my tax accountant has advised.
And to be honest, I'm not sure where all that money goes to: inflated MP claims for 1st class travel and brothel visits? Dodgy "refugees" who might very well be terrorists in disguise? Bludgers that can't be bothered to get off their sorry arses and get some decent work done, instead of laying the blame on immigrants or expats (not refugees) taking away their imaginary jobs?
Anyway, I digress, and for that I apologize. Pet peeve, sorry. Blame it on me having been away from the left leaning socialists and their populist measures for far too long. It'll take some time to readjust.
Feb 17th 2017, 7:14 am
#24
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 14,040
Re: Moving to Sydney in 9 weeks - HELP! To do list??
Sigh. This is one of the stumbling blocks to me hopping right over Down Under - the ridiculous amount of taxes heaped upon you, for whatever excuses and even poorer reasons.
I don't believe in tax evasion - that's just plain wrong, but as any honest worker would say, it's the sacred duty of any taxpayer to exercise his or her right to tax avoidance (which, as defined by any tax accountant/lawyer worth his or her salt, is: the legal use of tax laws to reduce one's tax burden).
With the use of the law, and by setting up a private limited (proprietary limited in Aussie parlance), holding company and associated subsidiary companies, I've managed to reduce my tax burden to an effective rate of about 10 - 15% in Singapore. Given tax rates as such, I'd be happy to pay for whatever childcare services we might consume (hypothetically, since we don't have little ones to worry about), or even healthcare services for that matter. At least I know for a fact that my money goes to where it's needed: my needs.
Once in Sydney, even with the company set up (see previous thread I started), I'm still faced with a massive (comparatively) tax burden, and unlike the post-tax dividends that I'm used to drawing down in Singapore, apparently, no such benefit exists - or so my tax accountant has advised.
And to be honest, I'm not sure where all that money goes to: inflated MP claims for 1st class travel and brothel visits? Dodgy "refugees" who might very well be terrorists in disguise? Bludgers that can't be bothered to get off their sorry arses and get some decent work done, instead of laying the blame on immigrants or expats (not refugees) taking away their imaginary jobs?
Anyway, I digress, and for that I apologize. Pet peeve, sorry. Blame it on me having been away from the left leaning socialists and their populist measures for far too long. It'll take some time to readjust.
I don't believe in tax evasion - that's just plain wrong, but as any honest worker would say, it's the sacred duty of any taxpayer to exercise his or her right to tax avoidance (which, as defined by any tax accountant/lawyer worth his or her salt, is: the legal use of tax laws to reduce one's tax burden).
With the use of the law, and by setting up a private limited (proprietary limited in Aussie parlance), holding company and associated subsidiary companies, I've managed to reduce my tax burden to an effective rate of about 10 - 15% in Singapore. Given tax rates as such, I'd be happy to pay for whatever childcare services we might consume (hypothetically, since we don't have little ones to worry about), or even healthcare services for that matter. At least I know for a fact that my money goes to where it's needed: my needs.
Once in Sydney, even with the company set up (see previous thread I started), I'm still faced with a massive (comparatively) tax burden, and unlike the post-tax dividends that I'm used to drawing down in Singapore, apparently, no such benefit exists - or so my tax accountant has advised.
And to be honest, I'm not sure where all that money goes to: inflated MP claims for 1st class travel and brothel visits? Dodgy "refugees" who might very well be terrorists in disguise? Bludgers that can't be bothered to get off their sorry arses and get some decent work done, instead of laying the blame on immigrants or expats (not refugees) taking away their imaginary jobs?
Anyway, I digress, and for that I apologize. Pet peeve, sorry. Blame it on me having been away from the left leaning socialists and their populist measures for far too long. It'll take some time to readjust.
