Have tried to use the search facility but still not clear!

Our eldest will be four and a half when we go to Melbourne and will have completed a full year at nursery school in the UK. Does anyone know if he'll be offered something similair in Australia, ie 5 half days in a class room environment?

Hi, I'm also interested in this as I have a 3 year old currently attending half day at nursery but should be going to school 5 full days from September. We are hoping to be in QLD by late Aug by which time she'll be 4.
Marie

Sorry can't help! But in the same boat as you guys. Our daughter will also be about four and a half (well just over) when we move over to Melbourne in August/September time and we would also be interested in any replies you get.

J.

Hi

Don't know whether it differs from state to state but we are off to Adelaide at the end of march and my 3 year old who will be 4 on 27th April will be able to start kindy on 01/05/05 (the first term after his 4th birthday) and can start school in May 2006 (the first term after his 5th Birthday).

Hope that makes sense. I know you get some funding for kindy similar to here in the UK, but its for less sessions. Must admit I am a bit worried that I may go crazy with my kids not start school until they are 5!!!!! :scared:

Hope that helps
Daihla

Strange that is: here in Norway kids usually don't start schooling before the age of 6. Occasionally at 5, but that is only after one have applied and went through a test scheme.

How things varies!

/Jørgen

Thanks for reply. I had some info that they didn't start school until they were 6 and as he's 5 in the October and their school year runs from January, I was concerned that he wouldn't go until the January after he was 6. This gives me some hope!!

We won't be going until around Easter 2006, would appreciate any updates you can give when you get out there!!

Do you know where exactly you're heading? We are still unsure, depends on the industry - Matt's a machinist, currently in the aircraft industry. Hoping to validate our visa early next year (assuming we get it!passed TRA in January) and get a better feel for the place - he'd love to have a short journey to work!.

it's a bit of a nightmare really. It seems here (in Vic) anyway, they really like for the children to start school nearer to 6 - although they can start when they are five. 3 yr olds will probably only be able to do one (or maybe two) afternoons at 'kinder'. We know a few people who had 4yr olds who had done some schooling in the UK and were then in a kind of limbo here. Fustrating for all I think.

Here are some links for the Department of Education and Training in Victoria:
http://www.det.vic.gov.au http://www.det.vic.gov.au/det/parents/lifeevents.htm

and a site that will link you to the departments of other States:
http://www.edsite.com.au/educationhotlinks.html (scroll down to 'National')

We're unsure as to where we'll end up really, depends on where my husband finds work so at the moment we're keeping an open mind.

Will definately try and do updates with any info I think others may find useful. I have found this site invaluable over the past few months so it'll be a bit like me giving something back

Good Luck with your move!

J.

hi were off to townsville, qld in the summer. Ive had emails from various schools and although my older two will be fine and go straight to school, my 4yr old (5 in august) who will have done a year at school at the end of summer, will be offered pre school. They vary from state to state, from the info ive been given, they dont do 5 days like we do here in pre school, they tend to do 2 full days one week and 3 the next, but this again may vary from state to state.connor will be able to start school in jan 2006.
hope this helps a little.

Trish

hiya guys

I've only got one child so this stuff is always really confusing for me...so bear with me!! But here in Rockingham, our son started kindy at Star of the Sea school in the January of last year (2004) as he turned 4 in the March. This was either 2 full days a week or 4/5 half days. We opted for the full days which suited him better.

This January he went into Pre-primary, he turns 5 this march. This is 5 full days a week and is a lot more structured. There is still huge emphasis on social skills, but they do a lot of fine motor and gross motor skills in this class to prepare them for writing etc. We went along to a parent evening the other night and from term 2 they will be doing computers...and wait for it...... Japanese!!!

As another poster said I think it varies from state to state so I guess its a case of doing your homework.

If your interested this is the link for Austin's school:
http://www.starofthesea.wa.edu.au/

Good luck with it all, it's a bit of a minefield isn't it?

love sophia xxx

we are in brisbane
my daughter was 5 on the 4th of january. she started pre school 2 weeks ago 2 days one week 3 days the next (5 days a fortnight) they are full days 9 till 2.45 but it is more like nursery in uk rather than reception class. preschools are usually run seperately from the school they are attached to.
my daughter didnt get in the pre school attached to my sons school because although i put her name down as soon as we got here last may (8 months before she was due to attend) she was way down on the waiting list.

she spends most of the morning painting pictures singing songs and playing outside then most of the afternoon is sleep time which she hates. (she hasnt slept in the afternoon since she was 2 but now has no choice)
pre school isnt compulsary

i think children have to turn 6 in the year they start year one (reception class equivilent) so if your child is 6 on 1st jan they would be the oldest in the year or if they didnt turn 6 till 31st dec they would be the youngest.
i believe this changes in 2006 to full time 5 days per week.
http://education.qld.gov.au/etrf/prep.html
just found this site which may be helpful
my son started school in england when he was 4 and a half and when i think about what he knew by the time he was 6 i cant help compare the aussie system unfavourably.

My youngest daughter will be 4 in July which I believe means that she will be able to start at school in January 2006. We are moving to Sydney and I believe (correct me if I am wrong!) that in NSW a child who reaches the age of 4 before 31 July will be able to start school the following January. We are hoping to be out there in June of this year (depending on house sale) and I wondered if anyone could confirm what sort of pre-school provision we could expect for her between July - December.

Amazing what differences there appear to be between states.

Binbird

There are literally tens of thousands of pre-schools/child-care/kindergartens (call them what you like) in NSW. You should have no difficulty getting into one for those 6 months.

However none of them are free but depending on your income, you may get some rebate.

My daughter turned 5 on the 15th January last year and started school (Prep) at the end of that month, so is probably one of the youngest in her class.

This link has quite alot of useful information.

http://www.education.vic.gov.au/ch/g...vents.asp?PG=6


Regards