dejags

We are moving to Aus (Brissy) in 7 weeks time.

Our eldest son aged 7 will go into school.
Our youngest (little girl, aged 1) will obviously stay at home with me.

What are my choices for my second son - he will be four in September. So too young for kindy this year. He goes to a playgroup in the mornings and absolutely loves it - what is the norm in Aus. Do kids stay at home with their mums until they go to kindy or is there something in between?

HELP

Buzzy--Bee

Our almost three year olds go to pre-school (3 year old kindy). As this is paid for by you, they can go as early as the pre-school will take them.

At some point they will probably have to do a year twice I suppose.

Buzzy

loubiegreen

Hi,

Sorry for butting in on this thread, but please can you confirm how old they take them at school and also is their a cut off date for each school year as there is in the UK.

Thanks for any help you can give me.

Kind regards Lou xx

dejags

Thanks Buzzy, how many hours/days do they attend?

We have been told that nursery/pre-school places in QLD are like hens teeth. They give the places to children who should be in Kindy (i.e. four by no later than June) and that there are very few places for other children.

What about playgroups/moms & toddlers type groups? Do these exist?

dejags

Hi Loubie,

They start prep in QLD in the year they turn 5. Year 1 in the year they turn 6 (I believe that this is the case?)

Buzzy--Bee

They attend 1 afternoon and 1 morning per week.

We had no problem finding them a place (in SE Melbourne)

Buzzy

dejags

Is that all? Sheesh. My son goes five mornings a week here and absolutely loves it - they are currently on holiday (3.5 weeks) and he asks at least five times a day if he is going back to school tomorrow.

What happens when they go to kindy - how many days a weeks is that?

Buzzy--Bee

They are going to kindy.

Kindy = Pre-school.

They're only 2 for Gods sake how many days do you expect them to go

Buzzy

DadAgain

Brisbane schooling rules are as follows:

For children born 01Jan-30Jun:
They will start 'prep' (i.e. 5 days a week proper school 8:30-3pm) at the beginning of the year they turn 5.

the previous year they can voluntarily join 'kindy' (community run 2.5 days a week 9:30-2pm) for a 'taster' of what school is about... it costs about $300 a term.

For Children born 01Jul-31Dec:
They will start 'prep' at the beginning of the year they turn 6.
'kindy' might still be available for them for 2 years before this.

So our daughter (4 next week) currently attends 'kindy' and sill be starting 'prep' properly next January.

OP - Your son will be starting 'prep' in 2010 - but until them would probably be able to find a place in a 'kindy' (although many will be full). If theres no kindy available then you're stuck with one of the many childcare centres if you want him to get out and socialise a bit. Some offer quasi-educational programs and most have vacancies in this age group since so many kids drop out of daycare to go to 'kindy'.

Hope that helps!

The Crow

Here in Victoria (and hopefully Qld) you will also be able to put him into occasional care, but it is only for 3 hours ($15-$18).
Your other option is ABC childcare centres and depending what your income is you will be reimbursed a percentage of the fee. In Victoria, the ABC centres charge per day (so no half-days) and are around $60. I have a friend in Brissy who gets about 70% knocked off that fee as their annual income is around $60K.

quoll

All depending on what your visa is too - a benefit for permanent residents only.

By the Avon

There are playgroups over here, they're from birth virtually right through to school age, my son only went for a short while when he was only 2, so i don't know if once they are older you didn't have to stay with them anymore(as it was at playschool when I was young). It would be a nice thing to do with your 1 year old anyway because if you get a good group it'll help you make some new friends.
You pay an anual fee to the national playgroup associattion and then a fee direct to the playgroup, i don't think it was very much though.

paulhill

My boys are 4 and 2 and they go to kindy twice a week. The kindy we use is open from 6.30 am to 6.30pm, five days a week. They accept children from the age of 3 months to 5 and costs approximately $50 a day each.

Why do you think he is too young for kindy/nursey???

DadAgain

Thats a day-care centre then not kindy? It may well have a 'kindy' program with some educational content for the older kids, but its different from the timetabled structured program of "C&K" kindys.

DayCare kindys have the problem that since kids can be in for 1 day a week or 5 days a week (and anywhere in between) its very hard to design a structured coherent program for them all to follow.

"Real" kindy (dont mean to sound condescending - but for want of a better term...) has attendence on fixed days for all kids - so they progress through their 'curriculum' together at a similar rate. Being community run they're also cheaper than daycare centres that are run 'for profit'.

Daycare kindys however do have the advantage of longer opening hours since their primary purpose os to look after kids whilst parents work.

The Crow

I was referring to the OP - who, by the looks of it, has PR