Maz

The kind of trivia that it's difficult to find unless I pick through pages and pages of info, so I'm being lazy.

1. What's the legal drinking age?
2. Until what general time of the day/evening can you take a child into a pub with you?
3. What's the age of (heterosexual) consent?
4. At what age do teenagers start learning to drive?
5. How does the mail come? - through a slot in the door or a US-style box by the kerbside?
6. Do most schools have uniforms?
7. Is it true that children start full-time school on their 4th birthdays?

Thanks!

soulflour

1. 18
2. no idea!
3. no idea!
4. 15
5. US style box
6. some do, some don't
7. no, on their 5th birthdays!

not much help eh?!

SF

Maz

No actually that's a great help SF, thanks ever so much!

Batty

Hiya

1. None The legal age they can buy alcohol is 18 but there's no legal age to drink it - there was talk yesterday about changing that!
2. Don't really know - a lot of pubs don't stay open that late anyway
3. 16 (I think)
4. Heaven help us! - 15!!
5. Letterbox at the entrance to your property - that could be 5 miles away if you live out in the sticks
6. Most kids do seem to be in uniform
7. I don't know this one

danny.f

As above,but kids start school from their 5 th birthday. Your house looks great,you are 10 mins from Poppets,and 15 mins from us!

Maz

Super, thanks Batty! Very interesting about the legal drinking age not actually existing.

Maz

Excellent! Is that walking or driving?

Are kids expected to read by the time they start school? Just curious. My daughter turned 5 in October and has just recently started reading really well.

SarahB

Yes kids start school literally the day after their 5th birthday! My little lad will be starting kindy at the end of May and he'll be 3 and a half. Thats for 3 afternoons a week. When hes 4 he will do 5 mornings a week at kindy until he goes to school. Hes growing up fast!!

poppets

thats driving

i think that the they only wear uniforms when they go to secondary school/college

my son started school here on his 5th birthday & they start at the bottom redaing group & then get moved on according to the childs ability. my son is in the top reading group in his class.
the reading groups are selected via a colour wheeel on the back of most of the school reading books i think there are about 9 groups for the first couple of years

soulflour

We don't have that colour wheel series, so they probably all use different systems (my ds1 turned 6 on monday). There aren't really any expectations on them when they start school - it's very relaxed here. One of my bestfriends in the UK is dep head of a primary school and she told me before we came out that alot of theory that she uses originates in NZ.

Although I read to my children a lot i hadn't started 'teaching' ds1 to read, but within weeks he was at the top of his class and is still there, along with other kids with parents that read TO them every day - it's so important.

My ds1 (6) wears a uniform - school polo or t-shirt with blue or black trousers, and a school fleece. t-shirts are $15, polos $21 and the fleeces are $35. They also do a school 'vest' (bodywarmer) which is around $26 (and which my ds1 broke the zip of within weeks - note to self - buy new zip! )

SF

Maz

That's brill that they start at 5! Here in the US it's in late August, and the cut-off is September 1st for the school year, so my daughter would be nearly 7 before she starts grade school. Until then it's US$215 a week for pre-school.

Super, thanks! That's still nice and close.

Thanks p. Does secondary school start at 11, same as the UK?

Cool. I like that!

Those prices aren't actually too bad... cool! (psst, buy a new zip! )

soulflour

...if only i could get as excited about zip purchases as, say, fabric shopping, or oooooh, chocoate

Maz

Andrew Cross

Secondary school starts at 13, year 9...

Maz

Cool, thanks Sue!