AJRussell

Hi,

We recently had our Visa approved, we are anticipating a move in January so my daughter (she is 6) can start school at the beginning of term.

We are currently looking at several schools in the Belrose/French Forest section of Sydney, private and public. The Public schools require the government enrollment with our currently Australia residential address. Albeit, im 12,000 miles away how likely are we to be considered for a public school when not being in the country? This must be a plight of 100's of people each week when moving, please share any experiences with enrollment.

Thanks

Andrew.

chris and farideh

Don't stress about your daughter schooling, as soon as you find a rental take your rental contract with your PP to show the school what type of visa you have they would register her, we moved from Qld to East Lindfield we did it that way, our son went to the local state primary school within a week of our arrival, even thought my husband was working in FF we prefer to live in East Lindfield it had nicer feel to it.

AJRussell

I would prefer to have her in a school before we go, especially since we are looking to move the second week of January and schools start the last day of the month. Its a stress I would prefer not to have! My folks live in Narrabeen, in theory I could put their address down, but there a 10 minute drive from the location!

Pootle

I would wait until you've arrived and know where you'll be living. Have a look around first (although you won't actually be able to look around the schools as it'll be holidays)
We arrived in Aus on Jan 2nd 8 years ago and stayed in a serviced apartment while we looked for a rental property. I think we eventually found a rental around the 3rd week of Jan, then enrolled our daughter in the local school to start the following week. You could enrol one day and start the next if necessary, I think you'll have plenty of time. Good luck with it all x

rasen78

I really wouldn't be comfortable with enrolling my children in a school I hadn't visited yet. Schools can seem wonderful on paper but until you actually visit them, you won't know if it is right for your child.

What is it you are concerned about? If it is missing out on school work, I wouldn't worry too much at this age. She would likely be either in Reception or year 1 and she won't miss out much at all. Joining a week or so after the start of the term won't have an impact on her socially or scholastically at the age IMO

quoll

You may want her in a school before you leave but you won't get her into a government school before you leave - they're all going to want to see evidence of your permanent address. It won't hurt her to be out of school for a few weeks if that's what it takes you to find a rental. It really doesn't matter and no one is going to get their knickers in a knot about it. You won't have any trouble getting her into the local school - they're obliged to find places for kids in their catchment area (assuming not a 457 visa here! The situation is different again for them).

Dreamy

Although the schools only open for teaching at the end of the month, there will be administration staff and teaching staff there a couple of weeks before hand.

We moved at the beginning of a year, we only moved into a rental in the school's catchment over Australia Day weekend (so pretty much the end of January) and the boys still started school at the beginning of the school year, didn't miss a single day (much to their horror and general disgust)

Don't stress

Especially as your daughter is only 6!

AJRussell

Thanks - we are looking at private schools and I have the benefit of my parents living in the area to do the ground work for me!

For those who have made the jump, and have young kids - how did they find the move, my concern is that she is currently in Year 1, going into Year 2 - but when she starts in Australia she will in essence dropping down a year. I have been in contact with a school already who have suggested putting her into year 2 - but i feel that would be a hindrance long term for her.

rasen78

I think it varies from state to state, and may differ between state and private schools.

Our daughter had just turned 6 when we moved and our son 8. They were in yrs 1 and 3 in the UK respectively. We moved over here at the end of last August and they didn't start school until the start of the last term (end Sept) We weren't sure where they would be placed, because of where their birthdays are (our school currently works on a twice a year admission, although this ceases for 2014), but they were both placed into the same years here. It has worked out fine for them as they have been moved up into yrs 2 and 4 with the start of the new year and new term, so they are as they would be in the UK.

The school were very open and said that they would let us know if they felt the children were wrongly placed and were quite happy to move them if needs be, but it seems they are doing perfectly well in their current Yr groups.

They have both settled well. DS had a few wobbles initially, but they have made new friends, joined after school clubs, scouts etc and are enjoying their lives here. I certainly have no problems getting them to school and the LOVE OSHC

AJRussell

So your children joined the year group above them? Was the school work the same level as you believed they would be in the UK or more advanced?

Pootle

It depends on when your daughters birthday falls, each state has different age rules. So your daughter will start year 2 this year in Sept? If she then restarts year 2 here in January she won't have dropped back a year. My daughter is a February birthday and had completed a year and a term in England before we moved so she was almost 6 years old. We could have kept her back and put her in prep year, but we decided to start her in year 1 although she was almost the youngest in her year level. Academically she's been fine but socially and emotionally it was hard with some children in the same class a year older than her. Here in Victoria they start school generally in the Jan when they are 5 years old, some can start if they're nearly 5, and some parents keep them back until they're almost 6 depending on when their birthday is.

rasen78

No, they joined the year group they were in when we left the UK. If we were still in the UK, they would have gone up to yrs 2 and 4 when the new academic year started in September. Here, they moved up in January, which is when the new academic year starts here. So, age wise, they are at the same level as if they were in the UK. Academically, I would say the school work was slightly more advanced in the UK, especially in mathematics. DS is in the higher level for maths and is doing sums that Yr6/7s would be doing. But he is good at maths anyway. His reading age is high too, but it was in the UK.

You need to remember that, in general, UK kids start school 6-12 months earlier than in Aus (in the UK kids have to start by the term following their 5th birthday, here it is 6), so some of the foundation work is done at an earlier age, but it all pretty much evens out as they get older IMO.

quoll

Unless you are going to return to UK most kids are best placed with their age cohort for the long run. You will almost certainly meet with resistance to enroling an out of age group child into a government school but there might be a bit of flexibility if you can prove gifted and talented to private schools - but, then, thy are often so full of gifted and talented kids you might just as well go with her age cohort. Cut off date for NSW - 31 July - means it potentially has the youngest kids at each year level of anywhere in Aus. She won't be "put down" "kept back" or repeating anything, it's a foreign country with a totally different education system (systems, actually, all different!)

northernbird

I can't add anything to what the others have said other than to say chill out. Your child is 6 and she will more than likely settle in just fine although kids are quite adept at picking up on the stresses of their parents so just relax a little and all will be fine.

Kapri

I am arriving in June and as I know roughly the area I will be living in, I have secured a place at Catholic school for my daughter who is 13.
I did lots of research and also had a recommendation from someone whose children have been there.
Schooling is very important to me as my daughter is in a great school now (ofsted outstanding).

For my son, I will wait until we are there as he is still at primary school and all of the catholic primary schools I have looked at seem much of a muchness. We will send him to the closest one when we get a house.
I don't think you can enrol in a public school until you have an address.