Schools
 

Sorry if this has been asked before:

How does the school system work in Australia? Do children attend the nearest school to your house - regardless if you like it or think it's the pitts?
If so does it apply to all levels - Kindy through to high school?

Also if we were get the ok and move out next year how will my children fit in with the system: at present my ten year old is in year 6 (11 in march), and my just 7 year old is in year 2 - both from this september. Will they be in the same year group or a year behind - not that it bothers me too much - just wondering how the system works. I know that the Ausse school year starts around Feb - ends dec.
thanks

Re: Schools
 

Not sure about WA, but in QLD they start a year behind. So our eldest who has just started secondary school won't start secondary school in oz til Jan 2007.
A lot of the schools have kids from 5yrs to 16yrs.
You don't have catchment areas, you can send them any school as long as they have space. (in QLD anyway)

Re: Schools
 

Hi
My daughter is just about to turn 11 and is in year6 here in Qld. So if yours is 11 next March then they would go into year six in January. This means that your 7 year old would go into year 3 in January as one of the youngest in the year group.
The local school has to take your child if you are in the catchment, not sure what happens if you want them to go to a school in another area though.

Re: Schools
 

Some (very few) areas allow only children from their catchment area, but most will allow your child if you don't like the local school. Gov subsidies such as free use of the schoolbus etc may not apply if you choose to send your child outside of your catchment area, but are usually well worth losing if your local school is the pits. Just one thing to remember, if your local school is the pits, you might want to relocate as your children will be spending their out-of-school time with those children whom you didn't want to send them to school with in the first place :scared: