Hi There,

We hope to be moving to Perth October time this year and I was wondering if anyone could share their experience or has any info regarding primary school admission?

As our eldest (now aged 5) has only just started school here we are a bit green on how you go about getting them into a new school?

Do schools keep space's open for new children arriving mid term or would he have to wait until the next intake? Do they have multiple intake's or just yearly?

Does anyone know roughly when they break up for the Christmas Holidays?

Lots of questions I know - all answers gratefully received!

Helen

Best thing you can do is ring the school in question and ask about admission.
Most schools do have spaces open for mid-term entries, not to mention the spaces left by mid-term departures but you can't count on there being an open place. I highly doubt you would have to wait until next term though... they'd make room for one child.

They break for x-mas between the 15th and 22nd of December depending on where it falls (Usually the last Friday before x-mas.) This year I believe it's the 17th.

Siren

Someone correct me if i am wrong about this ! but i dont think children start school until they are 6 in Oz


Nicky

Nicky, i heard that too.
Also, summer holidays in aus start december ( late ) and run through to the end of january ( i think ).
As we have no idea where we are going to live, we have no idea what school the kids will be attending.Just another thing to add to the to-do list upon arrival.
Nightmare.

Paul

I think it depends on the State you are in....It varies quite considerably. In Victoria you start at 5. You start in a class called Prep(Preperation Year....I think!)

My Nephew turned 5 in January and he started Prep this year.

Hels

In NSW they can start anywhere from 4 and 1/2 thru to 5 and 1/2. Depends totally on when their birthday is.

I think it's only Queensland where full-time school is not compulsory till the age of 6. I'm pretty sure that Queensland is soon to fall in line with the other states, regarding school starting ages.

I just phoned the local (catchment) school the day after we arrived in Mandurah, told them I had three kids needing to start school, they arranged for us to have a look around two days later and when we got there they had even sorted out which classes they would be in and introduced them to their teachers. We bought all the uniform from the school shop (uniforms are not available in the high street stores as in the UK) and they were all set to start on the Monday. When enrolling, you need to take with you the child's passport (for proof of age), their innoculation records, and proof of residency in the catchment area (utilities bill if you own a house or 6-month rental agreement). Also useful, although it won't apply in your case, are copies of the child's last school report.

My son is in year 4 and all his mates are 9 years old. So working back, that must mean year 1's are aged 6, so your son would go into pre-primary, which is in the same school. In England our school called it the "Early Years Unit" but it's the same thing.

The children are on a 2-week break at the moment and go back on Monday 26th July. Term 3 finishes on Friday 1st October, another 2-week break then Term 4 starts on Monday 18th October. They finish for Christmas on Thursday 16th December. Back to school for the start of the new school year on Tuesday 1st February 2005. Schools over here have 4 terms about 9-10 weeks long each, with two 2-week breaks, and Easter and Christmas breaks. There are no half-term breaks as we know it.

Hope this helps. Further info about schools can be found at the government website: www.eddept.wa.edu.au

Thanks very much, all very helpful and reassuring

Helen

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Modmum
Thanks very much, all very helpful and reassuring
Hi try this

http://www.eddept.wa.edu.au/
Dolly