jomac1290

Hi All
Can i ask about schooling what ages each section primary, secondary and third level start and end at. When exams are taken etc and if ROI examinations stand in Australia. Lots to research and this is an important consideration and has a huge bearing on when we come over. Children currently aged 9, 11 and 13yrs .

Thanks in advance

Jo x

Pollyana

Which State are you heading for?

DadAgain

Ok - Qld situation is as follows:

PRIMARY SCHOOL
================
PREP - Year you turn 5 (if born before July) or 6 if born after
GRADE 1 - Year you turn 6 (if born before July) or 7 if born after
GRADE 2 - Year you turn 7 (if born before July) or 8 if born after
GRADE 3 - Year you turn 8 (if born before July) or 9 if born after
GRADE 4 - Year you turn 9 (if born before July) or 10 if born after
GRADE 5 - Year you turn 10 (if born before July) or 11 if born after
GRADE 6 - Year you turn 11 (if born before July) or 12 if born after
GRADE 7 - Year you turn 12 (if born before July) or 13 if born after

HIGH SCHOOL
================
GRADE 8 - Year you turn 13 (if born July) or 14 if born after
GRADE 9 - Year you turn 14 (if born July) or 15 if born after
GRADE 10 - Year you turn 15 (if born July) or 16 if born after
GRADE 11 - Year you turn 16 (if born July) or 17 if born after
GRADE 12 - Year you turn 17 (if born July) or 18 if born after

Upon leaving high school you will be awarded as "OP" score (Overall performance) - which ranges from "1" (best) to "25" (worst). 1-15 is considered a uni entrance score, but entrance to courses seems to be determined PURELY on these scores so if you want to study medicine you need OP1, If you want to do Law you'd need OP1, if you want to study Accountancy perhaps OP8 is good enough etc etc.

OP scores are determined by not only the performance of the individual, but also the performance of the school as a whole. So (I think) the top performer in a bad school may not be able to get an OP1 since the schools 'bell-curve' isnt high enough. Similarly a half-wit in a school of excellence can have their grades lifted out of the gutter by the scores of their more able peers. I dont understand what this system is supposed to achieve apart from gross inequality. (PLEASE someone correct me if I'm wrong! )

ABCDiamond

Some QLD private schools start High School at year 7, the same as State schools in ACT, New South Wales, Tasmania and Victoria.

ABCDiamond

I am not sure about how it all really works, but an OP appears to be calculated from the students SAI.

The highest SAI score of 400 is given to the top student in each school, (for each subject) and a score of 200 to the least successful student. Scores in between are allocated to all other students.

These results are then scaled, and given an OAI, and these OAI numbers are then compared to then QCS test results, and from this they get an FP....

Oh yes, I just read this bit.... the data undergoes a series of complex mathematical calculations

I am not making it up.......

But I don't think I am clever enough to understand it....

quoll

Each state has its own rules with its own dates. This is a good summary http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Australia

Rudi

Those dates aren't quite right. They are based on the changed cut off dates. The present year 8's only need to turn 13 in this calendar year.

I can't remember what year the rules changed. I know that my daughter in grade 1 comes under the new rules - ie cut off date is the end of july......but my daughter in grade 5 comes under the old rules - cut off date 31st Dec. So the rules changed in either 2000, 2001 or 2002.

Bet that's as clear as mud now isn't it LOL

Love

Rudi
x

ABCDiamond

You are right, it was 2002.

It was based on:
Born anytime in 2000 started year 1 in 2006.
Born anytime in 2001 started year 1 in 2007.
Then the change occurred:
Born between Jan 2002 - Jun 2002 : Start Year 1 in Jan 2008.
Born between July 2002 - Jun 2003 : Start Year 1 in Jan 2009.

1968_karen

This is all very confusing!

My daughter, currently in year 2, aged 6 (just) and an August baby. But we have been told her ability is a whole year ahead in all subjects. But according to this she would be in Reception class because she was born in August 2003! That is two years behind what she is doing now, even though she is academically end of year 2 standard!

What do you think?

Karen

Rudi

Yes, that's correct she would be in prep in Queensland. It's something you can't get too hung up on. If you are going to make Queensland your home then your daughter will ultimately be happier with kids her own age. We had the same thing. My daughter had completed grade 2 in the UK system - she is also an August birthday. When we came to Australia, the correct year for her at that time was grade 1. So that is where she went. I have NO regrets about doing this. She is also very bright and recently gained a scholarship to an excellent private school.

Love

Rudi
x

1968_karen

Thanks Rudi.

Was just worried she would be back to playing in the sand pit! I guess we can continue with some stuff at home. We are going to Victoria by the way, but would imagine rules are throughout Oz?

My eldest is also an August baby but I think going back a year will do her the world of good!

Thanks again.

Karen

Rudi

AHHHH, well now if you are going to Victoria then it'll be different. Yes, I know, it's crazy, but all the States have different rules.....

Last year we moved up from Sydney to Qld.....at that time my eldest was in year 6........and when we moved up mid year she went into year 7....

my middle child was in year 5 and remained in year 5

my youngest was in year 1 and went back into prep

All very complicated!!

you just need to find out what the cut off dates in Victoria are - sorry I don't know!

Love

Rudi
x

fish.01

Stand corrected - it is not trying to achieve gross inequality but the opposite.

The idea is to level out the scores between schools. In an external exam situation everyone is doing the same exams so it's a level playing field.

But when assessment is set by each individual school like it is in Qld you need some way of working out how the results in one school compare to another.

Example:

Say child 1 in Red School gets a 7/10 and child 2 in Blue school gets a 7/10 on their internal exams.

If Red School, as a group, scores really well in the external Core Skills Test and Blue school performs badly then this indicates that a 7/10 in Red School was a better achievement (ie it was harder to achieve that position on the bell curve due to higher overall standard) than a 7/10 in Blue school.

So child 1's 7/10 is rated higher than child 2's 7/10 when determining their university entrance OP score.

Easy, huh

NickyC

And the OP 'Score' in Queensland is not really a score - it's a rank. It's one person's position in the state, relative to everyone else.

Say Child A in the school scores 98% in the Year end exams.
Say Children B thru Z all score 99% in the Year end exams.

Child A will get the lowest OP Score of all the children - despite appearing to do well in the exams - because everyone else did better and therefore outranked them.

OPs (and UAIs and TERs or whatever they're called in the other states) are always dependent on how everyone else performs.

jomac1290

Oh my God my head is spinning

Heading to QLD Brisbane area we think. Is the school year you talk about Jan to Dec. How did you apply for schools from UK or did you wait till you landed to arrange ????????

Thanks jO x