Ooplaaa

Siouxie

https://britishexpats.com/wiki/Schoo...egories-Canada
https://britishexpats.com/wiki/Schoo...d_Dates-Canada

Most schools return to operating the first day after labour day... so the 1st week of September.
http://www.tdsb.on.ca/Newcomers/Students/Registration-Reception-Centres

First day of classes for all students is September 4, 2018

Just to put your mind at ease - the cut off for Ontario is 1st September.
https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90e02#BK30

21 (1) Unless excused under this section, (a) every person who attains the age of six years on or before the first school day in September in any year shall attend an elementary or secondary school on every school day from the first school day in September in that year until the person attains the age of 18 years; and


(b) every person who attains the age of six years after the first school day in September in any year shall attend an elementary or secondary school on every school day from the first school day in September in the next succeeding year until the last school day in June in the year in which the person attains the age of 18 years. 2006, c. 28, s. 5 (1).

Allie73

My son was 6 when we moved to Ontario (he was 6 in May, we moved in November) and he was put in Grade 1. I actually wanted him to go into Grade 2 because he was in Year 2 in the UK and had already done the Grade 1 work, but it wasn't allowed.

Ooplaaa

Ooplaaa

Siouxie

You have to weigh up your child's integration with his classmates versus requesting to push them up a grade or 2 - where they will be with children years older than them.

Schooling here is different - the way they teach, what they learn - it's a 'whole education' not just academic type of thing, rather than like the UK. Making friends when in a new school in a new country - is really important - and going onwards, when they reach High School age and beyond they may be emotionally and physically way behind the other kids in their year - rather than being with their peers.

The recommendation is to keep them with other kids the same age, where ever possible... so they have a chance to integrate socially.

I've found a few threads for you that you may find of use. Do make a cuppa and have a read!
This one is very pertinent: Comparison between UK Primary school year 1 and Canadian Kindergarten

School year to start.

views on UK v Canada school curriculum

Temperary Uk -> Canada move and kids schooling

Advice on Adjusting in Canada in year 1

Partially discharged

Most public school boards start on the 1st Tuesday in September and finish near the end of June. In Ottawa, the French Public School Board starts a week before, so late August and I think they do in Quebec as well.

In the USA some schools start in the 1st or 2nd week of August and finish in late May.

Jerseygirl

The OP specifically asked about Toronto schools. Not schools in other cities/provinces/countries.

HGerchikov

Siouxie

Yes, the legislation for Ontario Education Act is quite clear.

the cut off for Ontario is the 1st school day in September.
https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90e02#BK30

21 (1) Unless excused under this section,

(a) every person who attains the age of six years on or before the first school day in September in any year shall attend an elementary or secondary school on every school day from the first school day in September in that year until the person attains the age of 18 years


(b) every person who attains the age of six years after the first school day in September in any year shall attend an elementary or secondary school on every school day from the first school day in September in the next succeeding year until the last school day in June in the year in which the person attains the age of 18 years. 2006, c. 28, s. 5 (1).

rivingtonpike

Really really don't get hung up on the comparison between what your kid/s have experienced in the UK compared to what they are likely to experience in Canada. For most reasonably educated people, education itself goes on for approximately 17 years. Then you may choose to do even more. The system in Canada works just fine. I would strongly advocate staying broadly within the age parameters of your kids and their friends. It may well be that your kids will find themselves in a 2 grade split, where half (ish) the class are from the grade above or below. This was certainly my kids' experience. Thankfully they were always the younger bit of the split equation so if anything were challenged that little bit more.

scilly

This is happening to my grandson in NS this year ............ he's finished Grade 2 and will be going into a split Grade 3/4 class, while the other half of Grade 2 will be in a split Grade 2/3 class.

It will be challenging for him (birthday in March), but the school figured it was the best fit and best teacher for him.

We'll see!


I will also add this .............. OH and I were educated from age 4 to 24 in the UK. Our daughter was educated from age 5 to 28 here ............ there was a big difference in the way she was taught to the extent that we sometimes couldn't help her. Now she is finding that her son is being taught in a very different way from that in which she was taught.

Oakvillian

That's maybe what the Provincial legislation says, but in my direct recent experience it is not the case. My experience mirrors that of HGerchikov, in that two of my three children have birthdays between September and the end of the year. They are all in a year group with peers whose date of birth is in the same calendar year. In practice, this translates to "a child enters Grade 1 in the September of the calendar year in which their sixth birthday occurs." Which is not quite what the law says. Sports associations seem to follow the same guideline as well, such that the cutoff date for Under-8, Under-12, and so on is almost always December 31 so it's easy to check... "are you going into Grade 4 next September? Right, so you play U-9 this season."

Perhaps the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) has a different policy to the Peel, Halton, Hamilton/Wentworth and other boards that I'm more familiar with. But at the very least, if the OP's daughter turns 6 in August, it's abundantly clear that she will be starting Grade 1 in September.

Jerseygirl

December 31...that’s how I understood it too.

Allie73

My twins are December born. They were in Reception in the UK when we moved to Canada but were put into the 2nd year of school here because of their year of birth. One of them was okay but the other one struggled for a few years and by Grade 2, we were paying for tutoring to help him keep up with his class. Kids born in September - December start full-day kindergarten at 3 years old as long as they turn 4 by December 31. I don't think it's a great system. 3 is very young for full day school.