Hi all...

This is my first post after 2 weeks of intensively reading dozens of other peoples useful postings ( ) I am moving to Perth with my family in January 2005 and am keen to try to get my 2 daughters into a Kindergarten waiting list before we leave the UK as I have read that it can be difficult to get them in. They are 18months and 3 1/2 . Please can anyone give us any advice on which Kindergartens are good, how much they cost, what the waiting list times are etc. Also is there an internet site that provides information on Kindergartens in Perth.

Thanks in advance for your help with this.

Paul and Chloe

Hi Paul and Chloe. I am just bumping this up for you as I am keen to see what replies you get. We are also moving to Perth in Jan (fly on the 6th) and our youngest is 11 months so would be nice if he could go to nursery once or twice a week.
Where about in Perth are you heading for? We're renting in Connolly for the first 3 weeks while we check out that area for a 6mth rental.
Cheers
Yv

Hi there..

Being new to the site can you explain what "bumping up" means, although from the context it sounds like a good thing!! We are not really sure where we would like to live but will probably go for a 2 to 4 week short term rental to give us a chance to look around. We would like to live right on the coast if possible, any ideas or recommendations would be much appreciated.

Cheers

Paul and Chloe

Hi

I have 2 girls, aged 4 and 6 and have no difficulty getting places. There are kindergartens attached to primary schools and children start the year they turn 4, however the year actually runs from July 1st to June 30th - confusing I know!

You can't really put your name down for a place until you know where you'll be living. If you're looking for pre-school care, most are called Child Care Centres and offer the option of long day care for working or busy parents - again availability depends on where you are as some areas are bettr catered for than others I believe. Prices for Child Care Centres vary but there are some gov't subsidies depending on your income.

Sorry I can't be more specific but hope this helps! You're welcome to PM me if there's anything else I may be able to help with.

Amanda

Thought I'd stick my viewpoint in here.

Been here 5 weeks. Didn't rush into the whole 'daycare' thing.

You only get the place at the kindergarton attached to the school the year before they start school. They take the birth date from June here. As my 3 year old daughters birthday falls in August she will not have a place next year but in 2006.

I was new to all this and did look into daycare - the good ones were quite full and they wanted $50 dollars a day - at the end of the day it's a facility for parents that work (just my opinion for what it's worth). I actually went to the school where she will be going. On that subject primary school with 770 pupils - yes you read that right 770! I asked twice! Anyway I asked them what they would reccommend as a kindergarton before the school kindergarton. They gave me a list and actually reccomended one from that list. I called and got my daughter in from next term for 2 half days $12 a day, and unless you earn over $200k you get help with that from centrelink.

The kindergarton is structured learning mainly through play where the children have a file which they bring home. They have lots of interesting lessons - it sounds great fun. So don't rush down the daycare route it's worth actually looking into it a bit more. I am really happy and it all stems from going to the school really.

Hope this helps. If you are coming North of the river the list I have may be of some use.

Maxine

Hi Maxine...

Thanks for your posting, the list sounds like it would be very useful as we do plan to be North of the river, or at least that seems more likely. We were really interested in 2 or 3 days (or half days) a week as we feel from our UK experience that our girls have really benefited from being in the nursery environment.

Thanks again....

Paul

Hi again
At the moment we like the idea of living near the coast also. Will be having a good look at Ocean Reef area when we go over. Have you booked accommodation yet? I found it fairly difficult to find a short term fully furnished rental for January- it's peak summer holiday time then and lots of the self catering apartments and holiday chalets were booked up. We eventually found a house through poms in perth. I can give you more details if you like.

Every time someone replys to your post it gets "bumped" back to the top of page 1 and therefore has more chance of getting seen

Cheers
Yv

Hi everyone. Thanks for this thread, I've been researching and coming up with nothing concrete as well. My son is four next month and a regular nursery goer - he will defo need to be going somewhere soon after we arrive (hopefully in March 2005) as he will miss all the stimulation (not that I keep him in a box at all other times, you understand ) Maxine, the info you have sounds interesting. Can I PM you for more details? You've calmed me down no end, and I shall stop panicking until we get there. My little girl is 13 months so her needs are different.

We can't decide where to live. I'm drawn to the coast as, well, its Perth, and the beaches are fab, but I think I'm a little deluded as to how much we'll be using the beach. Have a dog as well, and I'm sure we'll only be able to use certain beaches with him. We have friends in the Hills so may look more inland.......but then I'd never get to the beach. Ho hum. I know its probably best to wait until we get there! And anyway with the dog, it may limit us for houses anyway. Verbal overload. I'll stop.

Anyone else with any top tips?

Hi

I use one in Ocean Reef (its a 15 minute drive for me) but worth it, came highly recommended from friend who works at private girls school near city and was happy enough to send her son there. Oliver went to daycare in Uk from 8 months and I heavily researched that too at the time, the one again came from recommendation of employees of large accountants firm. You have to be careful as seen some "not so good" ones in this area and from Maggy's experience too with working at them. Go for one that has it's own cook on site, security door, plenty of different areas of play/creativity and call in without an appointment is always a good idea.

pm me if you want the details of above, this is only my opinion and you may want to look around when you get here, you can always put your name down on a few lists before you arrive then decide on arrival.

They don't start kindy at school til they are three/four, within the period from Jan to June if they turn 4 then they start that January, if 4 after that (July - Dec) they start following Jan, ie Oliver is 4 end of Jan so he can start in new term Jan 2005.

Hope that helps a bit as know it can be a mine field......now got schooling to sort out......

Teresa