Hi there,

Just been reading the thread about ages for starting school in Queensland...and am now recovering from the shock that Bella who was due to start pre-school in September if we stayed in the UK, will now not be starting until 2008.

Anyway it got me thinking about what are the options are for Kindergartens etc.

We will be arriving in Brisbane in September, and hoping someone could fill us in on what the options are, and the rough costs

Thanks for your help

Anyone??????

Hi Greg,Michelle and Bella...

I am also wanting to know the answer to this.

Like yourselves, my Daughter is due to be starting pre-school in September in London.

However, when we get to Sydney she will not start till the age of 5! :scared:

Big shock for us, especially as I think she needs to socialise now, and make her own friends if that makes sense.

If anyone can enlighten us as to any other options that will be greatly appreciated.

Hi
We fly in october what ages are you talking about is it not still 5 years depending on when they are born

also we would be interested if anyone knows about costs etc

Billy & Vicki

I actually made an inquiry as I really like the look of this private school this is the response I got.

Thank you for your e-mail and interest in Inaburra School. Students joining Inaburra in Kindergarten need to be 5 years of age latest by February of the year they start school. In Australia, children attend a preschool until they turn 5. Inaburra has a preschool and they can be contacted on [email protected]

'Date of Application' is one of the important selection criteria's for selecting students into Kindergarten. I would be more than happy to mail out a Prospectus (including Application Form & Fee Structure) to you should you wish to have you child's name on our Registration List for future entry into Kindergarten. In that case, could I please request you to send me your mailing address. Our current 2006 fees for Kindergarten to Year 4 is $5,400/- per annum.

If I can be of any further help to you, please do not hesitate to contact me. I wish you all the very best on your relocation.

Kind regards




Sabita Mathews
Enrolments Registrar
Inaburra School
P O Box 3066
Bangor NSW 2234
Tel : 9543 2533

Hope that helps

Also I have been using this link below...
http://home.alphalink.com.au/~dredno...oolsinnsw.html

Our school in Melbourne, Victoria offers a ELC (Early Learning Centre) for 3 to 4 year olds. I think alot of schools are going this way as well. The good thing to remember is the Fed govt has childcare on its agenda.

We currently have our daughter in full time nursery (she will finish in Dec and start this ELC in Jan). The cost is $310 per week but when we get our act together there is some sort of rebate.

http://www.stcatherines.net.au/School/ELC.asp

TUITION FEES Per Term Per Annum Entrance Fee

EARLY LEARNING CENTRE

3 Year old (3 days per week) $1,536.00 $6,144.00 $750.00

3 Year old $2,554.00 $10,216.00 $750.00

4 Year old $2,715.00 $10,860.00 $750.00

Thought these might be of interest:

Term Dates 2006
TERM 1

Tuesday, 24 January


New Staff Orientation

Wednesday, 25 January


New Staff Orientation

Thursday, 26 January


Australia Day

Friday, 27 January


Staff Day

Monday, 30 January


Year 7 and 12 students begin

Tuesday, 31 January


Term 1 begins

Friday, 10 March


Term 1 ends 1:00 pm
TERM 2

Monday, 27 March


Term 2 Begins

Wednesday, 12 April


School concludes 3:20 pm (Easter)

Friday, 14 April


Good Friday

Sunday, 16 April


Easter Sunday

Monday, 17 April


Easter Monday

Tuesday, 18 April


School commences 8:30 am

Tuesday, 25 April


ANZAC Day

Monday, 12 June


Queen's Birthday

Friday, 16 June


Term 2 ends 1:00 pm
TERM 3

Monday, 3 July


Staff Day

Tuesday, 4 July


Term 3 Begins

Friday, 8 September


End of Term 3
TERM 4

Monday, 2 October


Term 4 Begins

Monday, 6 November


Mid-term break

Tuesday, 7 November


Mid-term break

Friday, 8 December


Term 4 ends 12:00 noon

Monday, 11 December


Staff Day

Tuesday, 12 December


Staff Day

sorry i don't have an answer for you.

I have asked questions before on pre-school and other childcare for young children and have had virtually no replies.
I have sort of assumed from this that most couples who migrate end up with one parent at home with the kids.

It would be interesting to know if this is the norm for families in oz.

t

We live in Perth and from what I know the children here go to kindy (kindergarten) 2 days a week, I can find out more info if you like I have a friend with a child in Kindy. The kindy is in the school and the children then go to pre-primary from the kindy and are there all day.
PM with whatever info you want to know.
Nicola

Hi Greg, Michelle and Bella - We arived in Bayside in June and I noted with horror as well that my daughter cannot start "school" untill January 2008 when she will qualify for the new "PREP" year which QLD starts from January 2007. Basicly if your daughter was born after 30/6/02 then the January 2008 it is.

I currently send my daughter to a local childcare centre two days a week which has children from 6weeks to 5years as this gives her a social life and me a bit of free time. As from January next year she will go up to the next class and they will then run a pre-school programme until she starts school.

The full cost is £49 a day but if you are a PR you are entitled to a rebate from Centrelink for childcare costs and with my current rebate I only pay the childcare centre £40 per week for the two days. If I ever get round to getting a job Centrelink will actually increase the amount of hours I can have at a rebate ( I currently only qualify for 24hrs which is basicly 2 days as the centre is open 11.5 hrs a day). Centrelink base their rebate on the family income but you will also qualify for family assistance (child benefit in the UK) which at the low level worked out about $107 a fortnight so easily covers the $80 I am paying.

Hope this helps.

If you go to the aussie govts website (got a link somewhere but its probably quicker for you to google it than for me to find it!!) they do have a huge section on childcare, who/what regulates its, plus the usual stuff about ages/terms etc.
there are a large number of links there too to state level regulations, plus other links. have a good read through that, you'll soon find what you need.
then, id suggest you have a look (online) at their yellow pages (are they called white pages in aus? cant remember.... ) in the area you are going to and ring/write/email the various childcare places that take your interest - they have childminders/kindergartens for pre-schoolers just as we do.
Also, many schools have websites so you can email them direct to enquire about putting names on admission lists etc...

hope that helps.

Thanks very much for the helpful information! Iwas beginning to think we would never find out!!!

Cant help anyone on the East coast I'm afraid, but several of our friends send their under fives to Whitfords Occasional Daycare centre, and all say its superb, as the people who work there are ex-teachers, so its not just a 'baby sitting' hind of thing. www.whitcare.net