webgum

Sounds like WA is the same as Queensland, My son (aged 5) has just started pre-primary.

NickyP

Maggie starts 4 year old Kinder this year then she will be in prep next year before year 1, so it is much the same in Victoria.
Nicky

Pootle

Do you mean he'll start prep year next year followed by year 1?
My 6 year old did a year at school in uk, then did year 1 here last year and has just started year 2.
Also my 3 1/2 year old is just starting 3 year kinder (about 5 hours a week!) He started today and really enjoyed it! Hope Henry has fun!
Ruth

fraser

We thought he started school next year, certainly hope he is as he's ready o start now.

He'll be doing 12 hours a week.

He can't wait he was used to being at nursery from 8am until 5pm in London.

Pootle

Yes its not much is it? Prep here is the same as reception year back in uk - its still "starting school" its just the name they give to the first class, then the second year they do "year 1"!!
At least you get some gov funding for 4 year kinder - you don't for 3 years, so for 5 hours its more expensive than it will be for 11 hours next year. Looks like you're not the only one who'll be looking for work!!

ozzieeagle

The no choclate rule, is probably something to do with some children being highly allergic to Peanuts. As a lot of choclate products carry warnings about traces of nuts. The ruling about the Chips could possibly be allergy aspect there as well, but more likely a ruling about junk food.

Our older two children never encountered the no choclate rule, but our younger two, always had those rulings, at their respective kinders.


The lunch at kindy rule, is possibly aimed at the children that do aftercare on top of the Kinder, also could be a socialisation thing. Very big on the Socialsation aspect the early school years in Aussie.

ABCDiamond

I keep hearing that WA starts later than QLD, up here they start the pre school (reception) at age 4, so that they are ready for year 1 at age 5 .

However QLD is altering the system soon to delay the starting ages.

The UK is investigating doing the same, a survey was carried out between Jan and Dec 2005 by the Institute of Fiscal Studies to determine what age children should start primary school, as there is increasing debate about the early starting age.

Currently it is common for children to go to UK school at the start of the term in which they will become five. Here in Australia they wait until the beginning of a full year before starting, hence the delay that people refer to as the different starting age.

ie: A January 2002 Child would start year one in QLD in 2007 at age 5
The same child would start in the UK also in January 2007 but part way into the year.

A child born one month later in Feb 2002 wouldn't start in QLD until Jan 2008, but would start in the UK in April 2007 ?

I think

Hutch

It's a concern of ours too. Our son Josh (now 4 and a half) was born on Aug 29th, so he was the youngest in his year at the reception class at his primary. But they expect them to be pretty organised from the get-go - and he does a full day with no problems. We're hoping the local school let him go straight into the reception year rather than kindy because he'll find it *really* similar to the nursery he left nearly a year ago. He sure as hell isn't going private - every single one of them round there is some god-bothering church-related institute for happy clappers. Not that I'm anti-religion or anything.

Hutch

Similar rules at my son's primary here in England. Although we have been known to smuggle jaffa cakes into his lunch-box.

phoenixinoz

PMSL......eeee....sounds like he's your very own mini me

ABCDiamond

When we lived in NSW, the Kindergarten year was the same as the UK reception, the year immediately before year 1. Full time and homework included !

The private christian schools can actually be worth looking at. I never was one for Christian anything, church, schools etc. But some of these schools do not seem to be really religious at all. We had more RE lessons at school in UK than some of these do

biggy

hmmmm did u ask if they have covers over the dunnie....we know how the wee man gets very \flushed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

fraser

Wrong child

biggy

bugger so it is lol

KatieStar

My wee man was born in July so he will be 5 and a half before he starts prep, which seems very late to me. Am I right in that kindie before then isn't compulsery so you have to pay for it? We live in QLD btw.

Katie
ps I hope your wee lad enjoys himself at kindie Fraser