Dear All,

I was wondering if anyone can explain to me at what age children start Primary School in WA and what provision is made for Pre-School or nursery before this age?

What do we pay for and how do we apply?

Also, does anyone have an email address for any schools/nurseries in the Tapping/Carramar areas?

Regards and Thanks

Gemma

This might help

www.det.wa.edu.au/education/ece/enrolments.html

THANK YOU!

You're welcome. It's a long time since I lived there and I know things change all the time, so the website will be more helpful than me!!

Good luck

Argh! It has just occurred to me that, far from being shot of my son in September once he starts school here, if we go to Oz I will have him at home until 2011 when he will start Kindy for ONLY 11 hours per week!

So son is in Kindy in 2011, then 2012 Pre-Primary and 2013 Proper School!

Daughter will be Kindy in 2012, Pre-Primary in 2013 and Pre-Primary in 2014.

This is so different to the UK as here there would be one whole school year between there whereas in Oz i will have one going one year and one the next.

It is also important to keep in mind that Kindy and Pre-Primary are not compulsory education therefore you are not automatically entitled to a place in your catchment Primary School. If you miss enrolment time, usually around July/August for the following year, then you have to take pot luck as to which schools still have places available for K and PP.

That was what we had. My daughter would have started school in the Sepetember. but had to wait until the January. Middle daughter had been at nursery in the UK and had to wait for over a year until she could go to kindy! Even at three she couldn't understand it, but luckily she was and still is such an easy child, it was ok. I also found the local playgroup (different from the uk as you stay with the child), Gymbaroo and a preschool music group. I also made friends with some people from the older one's PP class, who had younger kids and we used to meet every week.

There are things going on to fill your time, give your child fun things to do and meet other children. You just have to put yourself out there.
Not so good if you are planning to work though as child care places are difficult to find.
Our youngest daughter went to a place called Farnham House from the age of three, before she could start kindy. It was run more like a UK nursery and it's (was, don't know if it's still running) near Beatty Park pool. Think it might be a bit too far for you though, unless you get really desperate!!!

Yes, they do start late. My son will be 6.5 before he goes to what I would call primary 1 in January 2015! If it were the UK he'd be 5 and starting in August 2013!

I THINK!

Yep and finish early. My eldest one would be leaving school there at the end of 2011. In the UK she wont leave until June 2013!

Both my kids went to a pre-kindy, also known as a 3 year old programme. It was good training for them for the school kindy programme, was low cost and run by a teacher and an aide. You paid by the term and mums had to do a roster every now and then. The sessions ran for about 2 hours and you didn't have to stay, unless on roster. The sessions are usually held at community centres, or perhaps a church hall.

Try:

http://www.beginbright.com.au/program&enrolment.html

Carramar Community Centre
Tapping & Carramar Residents Association
Local playgroups

Sorry, Internet Explorer playing up a bit at the moment, taking too long to find the links. Will have another go later.

Not sure about leaving early though. at 6.5 years old, he will be 18 before he gets through year 12.

They did change the starting time for kids about 8 years ago. My daughter was in the 'old' system where they started at the beginning of the year they turned 6, so she was 5 1/2 - still later than she'd have started in the uk (or the eastern states at that time). I remember it was changed to be more in line with the eastern states.
Sorry. Didn't mean to cause any confusion!

I'm always a little saddened that people want "shot of" their kids at such a young age. Having brought up 5 children and now have 3 grandchildren I am very qualified to understand how much hard work it is having a toddler/baby around all day demanding attention. But their young lives are over so quickly, cherish the time you have with them before they become tennagers/young adults and want "shot of" you for being boring and embarrassing.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Sorry if you took my post literally but let me explain that I have a HIGHLY INTELLIGENT three year old who is itching to get to school. I am NOT one of these mothers who has palmed my children off to childcare from six weeks old. I have been at home, full time for three years nurturing them and was looking forward to allowing my son the opportunity to be educated in a formal environment.

Granted, I was looking forward to being able to work while he was there, but be under no illusions that me wanting him to go to school was not to allow me to lay on the beach/go drinking... I planned to work and do a degree!