angela&rob

We're arriving in Perth on 17th Jan 2006 and just wondered if schools open during the holidays so I can enrol my kids. I know in UK the staff go back about a week before kids arrive to get themselves organised and wondered if anyone knew if it was the same or has experience of this.

Contacted schools and they've just said enrol when you get here.

Would really like them to start at same time as rest of class, although am sure they won't mind if they don't!

Any experience of this anyone?

shade8

Enrol as soon as you can.Yes teachers go back slightly earlier than students.Have them start the same day as the rest of the kids.Lots of schools have a buddy system.Which was great for my son.And they are still best friends 7 years later.
Good luck don't stress as the kids adapt into school than we think its a waste of sleepless night.

carloubateman

i wouldnt worry to much, when we arrived we took the kids (11, 9) to school to have a look around and get all the enrolment forms etc and the girls were asked to stay there and then! and i havnt looked back since!

steandleigh

Have you been to the area and seen the schools before your migration? If not it would be wise to wait until the new school term starts and take your time, having a look around and seeing which one you and the children think is the best. Don't worry about the kids having a long break from schooling, so long as you can take some new books to read (ones they haven't read before) and some paper / pencils / crayons / textas and maybe some of those activity books with you ( the kind you can get in WHSmiths - key stage whichever). Will be enough to keep their meinds ticking over the gap weeks...
Of course, you could well be an experienced Perthite, in which case I'm talking complete sh*te!!!

Good luck, whichever way you go. x

meelie

I rang and made appointment with guidance counsellor and she said my daughter could start the next day if we wanted! We let her start the following week after kitting her out in uniform. They are pretty flexible here so you should be able to get them in quickly, but let them get over the jet lag first eh! LOL!

soapy©

All great advice above. Contact the school now.
You have picked the best time to arrive. Kids settle much better if they start at the beginning of the year. PM walla1. he will point u in the right direction

angela&rob

Thanks everyone.

Both children are on waiting list at St Stephens so unless that comes through I want them to go to Carramar Primary School. I have 'seen' the school but it wasn't open so I didn't see inside.

Am reassured and will go to WH Smith for the books too. Although the oldest one has already done a year in school in the UK so will be ahead of his Perth counterparts who would be starting end of Jan. Its more about him not feeling too friendless although he's a very popular boy so am sure I'm worrying because its part of the job description as his mum.

Thanks again

Jacqui

Don't bother with the key stage books from WH Smith - wait til you get here and buy the Aussie ones. They are widely available at all newsagents and bookstores and are in a similar format - but they will follow the Aussie curriculum. Not that much different, but it's probably better to get your kids used to the Aussie way of schooling as soon as you can. The writing style here is different. History and geography topics will be different (learning where all the Oz capital cities are on the map for instance), wildlife (kangaroos and possums) and money (buy 2 chocolate bars at $2 each, how much change from $5?).

If you are arriving on 17th Jan, then you have two weeks until the kids start school, somewhere around 1st Feb next year, plenty of time to go through above said activity books! You need to buy your own school stationery and books here (state and private) and the lists are given out at the end of the school year (which you will miss of course). You need to obtain this list from school, or once you know which school they are going to, go into your nearest Wooldridges Stationers as they seem to be the major suppliers for most schools, and they should be able to provide you with all the items. You can't leave this to the last minute though as items will go out of stock, both there and in the other "high st" stores. The school uniform will only be available from your school, they will have their own uniform supplies.

The staff at schools here go back at least a week before school re-opens. So you should be able to go in the week before to enrol. You will need to take proof of residency to get into the catchment school (utilities bill or rental agreement). Also immunisation records and copies of previous school reports.

The children do not go up to the next year with all their mates. Each year, the children are moved around and start the new year afresh with different children - well some of the kids from last year will be in the same class, but there's no guarantee your best friend will be with you this year. Nobody knows what teacher they are getting and who will be in their class until the "class lists" are pinned up at school the week before Term 1 starts. The children get to know lots of other children this way, rather than just hanging around with the same 2 or 3 kids all through primary. Your children will find that they won't be the only ones who don't know anyone during the first week. More than likely there will be other Poms starting too!

And one other thought, get a copy of the National Anthem and make your kids learn the first verse off by heart - it is sung every week in assembly so best to know the words really!

Bed Of Roses

Fantastic info Jacqui, would have packed the little persons school reports in the container.......