Primary School
 

Hi,

Looking for some help. I'm planning to move to Sydney this year and I am not sure when my daughter would be starting school. She'll be 5 in early March of this year. Would she be going into Kindergarten? Can you join mid-term?

Any help appreciated.

Jb:)

Re: Primary School
 

Hi, welcome to the forum. This link may help: http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/gotosc...tingschool.php :)

Re: Primary School
 

Hi.
A child can start school in Kindy in NSW if they turn 5 on or before 31 July in that coming school year.

But be aware that in some suburbs many parents keep their kids off school by a year if their birthday falls early in the year. It's a hot subject of debate here.

I wish I'd been more aware of this before my youngest started into school here: she has a mid-March birthday and is one of the youngest in her year group.

This means that she takes the various tests (Basic Skills in years 3 and 5) and selective high school entry (if I wanted her to do this) and then School Cert and Higher School Certificate at a significantly younger age than her 'peers'. (In some cases there is over 12 months age difference.)

It can be very hard socially (and educationally) to hold a child back a year once they've started school - whereas accelerating them up a year might be easier if they are doing very well.

On the other hand, my other kid is doing everything (now selective high school) very early with kids even older than him and it's working fine so far...

It's probably a good idea to talk this through with the particular school you eventually think of enrolling with? You can certainly start mid year, but you could also start your child in Kindy at the beginning of the next school year and then seeing how it goes??

Good luck.

Re: Primary School
 

This mainly relates to Public Schools only:

Do you already have Australian Permanent Residence sorted out? because if not – you will probably be asked to pay to send your child to a Sydney Public Primary School. And it's not cheap. I think it's currently approx $3500 per child per year. If the Residence isn't already sorted you can usually apply after being here for 6 months, but it takes months to sort out.

The next thing is: If you are British and have any intention of returning to the UK, you should INSIST that the school does not drop your child down a year. They all try to do it with British kids because the Aussie kids start school later and they try to keep the age groups together. If you're sure you won't return then it's not so important. The schools seem to have no problem with taking children mid-year or mid-term (I think they have no choice in fact).

Finally do you know where in Sydney you will be living? It's essential that if you have a particular school in mind you have to live within the school's catchment area. They are very hot on this and won't usually bend the rules unless they have many places to fill. Also, like any city there are good areas and bad, and good schools and bad. Make sure you do your homework (no pun intended). All the schools have websites, and of course can all be contacted by phone with any questions. much better to do it before you come... If you're coming to the lower North Shore, let me know if I can help any more. Good Luck!

Re: Primary School
 

Hi,

Thanks for all the replies. I'm lucky I've lived in Oz before and was born in Perth, although most of my life I've lived in Scotland. Hence, I hold an Australian passport. My daughter was born in Scotland but as her dad and I are both Australian citizens we don't have problems with visas.

I'm not familiar with all the schooling stuff. I've been thinking of around Northbridge, Beecroft. But still thinking over where and when!

jb:)

Re: Primary School
 

Schools do not "drop kids down a year". What they do (and IMHO very responsibly) is keep the kids with their age cohort. The fact that kids start school later here is just one of those things. If you are going to stay here, what does it matter????

With a March birthday, as others have said, she will be starting K this year. In the NSW scheme of things, March is not that bad a birthday - she will be in there with kids the same age. It is generally with those birthdays closer to the cut off that parents make a choice to wait another year.

Re: Primary School
 

Hi we're in the process of getting our visa (waiting for a Case Officer), my son has just turned 4 (Feb) and would be due to start school here in August (which I would choose to avoid if we can!). I am only just starting to research where to send him in Oz (we're heading for Central Perth initially, South of the river). When would he be expected to start Primary School in WA? Before that when (what age) would he start Kindy? Please help!!! :blink:

Bex

Re: Primary School
 

You do have to register her as an Australian citizen by descent and get her an Australian passport, though.

Are you and her father both British citizens as well?

Re: Primary School
 

I completely agree about thinking carefully about where to place your child when you come over here. It's a difficult decision because the year ages are so different. Your instinct is to keep them where they are but you have to think carefully about the implications of that.

My son was young for his year in the UK (August birthday) so just 4 when he started school. When we moved here, we kept him in line with the UK system & his year in the UK, purely because that's where the Oz school felt he fitted best academically after testing him. However, he was the youngest by far in his class - by over 12 months. He performed really well academically & seemed happy but it was quite an effort for him to be accepted by the kids in his class who were so much older than him & into different things.

Having chatted to various parents who had been through the school system, a number of them spoke about the difficulties that happen when your child is so much younger than the others in teenage years & they can face social isolation. Given that I didn't want him leaving school at 17 as well as any other problems, we felt that we would need to re-align him with his age peers. SO since we are here permanently, decided to repeat him last year (thought it better to do so in Junior school & not High school) & put him in with his age peers.
We haven't looked back!!!! He is much happier, more relaxed because he can be his age & he finds the work really easy but seems more comfortable generally.

Anyway, it worked for us & I have other friends who would like to do it but feel that they want to hold options open for their children to go back & study in the UK (a whole different story...!!!)so each to their own, I guess! You know your child best so only you can decide what's appropriate...

Re: Primary School
 

Thank you for your post- it was really helpful- I've decided to defer my son from starting school here (with him being one of the youngest I have this option in Scotland anyway). Instead of starting school in August here, he can go to kindy in Oz, then start school with his age peers. My son is a Feb birthday, when is the 'cut off' age/month in Perth Australia...? :confused:

Bex

Re: Primary School
 

I think it is wise to keep a kid with their age peers unless there are really compelling reasons - like you intend to return to UK at some point. As others have said, being young may not be that much of an issue when the kids are little but it does become more problematic when their peers start developing and they dont. Some kids starting college who havent turned 16 appear as real babies.

Entry ages to school can be found here http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/e...s.html#compare

Re: Primary School
 

The cut of day is the end of june is WA.

In the school my son goes to, they regularly hold kids down a year. Not got to the bottom of it yet but still trying.

What I am having difficulty with is accelerating my son up a year. It is very seldom they do this over here and although I have (very expensive) reports from educational psychologists etc, saying he should be moved up, they just won't do it. He is a May born and although the youngest in his year started school in England the September after his fourth birthday. He has therefore had a full years schooling more that the other kids of his own age and is finding school very boring.

Debs

Re: Primary School
 

Thanks Woody1. That re-enforces my opinion of keeping him back here- at least then school will still be a novelty (although if his birthday is Feb he's gonna be 6 1/2 when he starts school..?!!! When would the term start?) It's so different! You just hope you make the right choices for your child.

Bex

Re: Primary School
 

If his birthday is in February and you hold him back he will be 5.11 (and a bit) because the school year starts in February.

Re: Primary School
 

Yes it is confusing. The new school year start in February but the cut off date is end of June. I am not sure what the age for compulsary education over here is tho. Hopefully someone will help you on that one.

You have to do what you think is right for your child. If they are showing signs of wanting to learn and asking a lot of questions, along with needing things that are more challenging or they get bored, then send them to school. If not keep them off. The other option would be home schooling for a while.

Debs