roobush

Hello!

We are a family of three with a 4 year old son.

We're planning to move over to oz in January 2011, Melbourne.

Can anyone please recommend any good websites for finding out more about how the preschool system works in oz, specifically Victoria?

thank you
roobush

Buzzy--Bee

http://www.education.vic.gov.au/abou...ol/default.htm

BB

itigo

Sent you a pm!

flip

We arrived with a four year old son too and found it very confusing that they (the kinder staff) worked so hard to push him into "3 year old kinder" which was only for a couple of mornings a week. Especially as he'd already been at school in England for six months.

If you have a permanent visa you do gain sustantial financial support with kinder or daycare if you can get it but if you're on a temporary visa (like we were) that financial help isn't available which is hugely frustrating. People who've had their babies here also have support from mothers groups or from family and other friends - people will still be welcoming but replacing that support network can be hard.

Your child can start school in the February if he'll be 5 by April if you're really keen but the school could well suggest he repeats the prep year which isn't a problem.

This was the option we chose so that he became the youngest child in school, not because we were pushy but because he was bored - socially he wasn't getting enough stimulation and he forgot everything he'd learned at school in the six months between arriving in Australia and starting in school. He repeated the year and is the average age as so many Australian parents feel they give their kids an advantage if they're old for their year group.

Hope this helps and happy to answer other questions.

sparkleauz

Our daughter is 4 and she is at 4 yo kinder/preschool. I was told at the beginning of the year at the end of term one, that Emily would need to repeat 4 yo kindernext year. Although she is bright, they didn't feel she was mature enough on a social and emotional level to start school.

Not knowing much about the australian education system, this came as quite a shock to me and my husband and we immediately thought that she may have development problems. But speaking to other mums I quickly realised that children born from Jan - Mar are usually held back a year because kinders particularly around this area consider children that are born around this time are not mature enough to start school. This means that a lot of kids who start school in around here are nearer 6.

We got a second opinion and again it was a recommendation that she do 4 yo kinder again.

If were in the UK our daughter would be at school now but instead she will be starting school in February 2012!

Petals

My neighbour is giving her eldest another year at kinder as she thinks she needs it.

scotsista

I agree with that! Our daughter has a January birthday (will be 5 in 2011) and we were able to keep her in nursery (in Scotland) for another year. She is very bright for her age but definitely lacks socially and emotionally. All going well, she will start P1 in Melbourne - albeit it will be halfway through their school year.

roobush

Thanks for replies everyone, really useful!

best wishes
roobush