joandmarti

We are hoping to move out to Ontario next yr, our current intention is the Halton area.
We have a 3yr old who in the UK will be starting ante-pre school this yr, pre school at 4 and then primary 1 at 5. What age does pres-school/primary 1 start in ontario(what are the cut off dates for starting school?) and what are the p1 school hrs?
Hope someone can help??
Thanks.

katie1962

Schools usually go by the year that your child was born as opposed to September to Agust like UK schools do. Junior kindergarten is for chhildren who will be 4 year olds, Senior Kindergarten is 5 year olds. In Grade 1, all the children will be 6 by December. They only go half days unless the school you send your little on to is part of the new all day kindergarten which is starting in Sept in some schools and by all in 2014. This is more like Reception/ year 1 - all day programme of learning with 1 class teacher and a TA.
Try looking on the local school baord web site for more information. Think Halton falls under the Peel District School Board.

jomill1967

Hello
Halton has its own school board - try the website www.hdsb.ca. There is a separate Halton District Catholic School Board but I think you can get to that thru the website too. My daughter is four now and will be five in May, and is in Junior Kindergarten. She started school in England last September in Reception and did Monday to Friday full school days. We moved over in November and now she does Mondays, Wednesdays and alternate Fridays. However our school is on the pilot scheme for all day learning from next September when she'll start SK. Seems odd to us given that she was managing fine with all day every day at school in England, and it was obvious that she's streets ahead of the other JK kids but the class is mixed with SKs so she's being kept busy. Not sure what will happen next year, so we need to keep on at her teacher to make sure they are stretching her. I don't want to be bored. It seems a slow start but I don't think Canadian students leave school worse off educationally than English students so they must catch up somewhere down the line!

iaink

Could be starting JK this year, depends when their birthday is. Kids here can start JK in the fall of the year they turn 4. JK is not compulsory though.

I had a three year old taking the bus home, complete with transfer at the high school

Ontario is transitioning to fill time JK, but most places are still working on either every other day full days (till about 2:30 or 3), or half days everyday.

abaddon

My son is 3, he turns 4 in January 2011. Does that mean he will only be able to start Junior Kindergarten in autumn 2011?

I was hoping he would be able to start this autumn - he'll be 3 and 3/4 in the autumn.

abaddon

iaink

Yup, fraid so. My 2nd is in the same boat, chomping at the bit.

There are always options like private Montessori schools and the like in the mean time.

joandmarti

Thanks to all who have replied