Our daughter is born in June and because of the different school years (she would be the youngest in UK and oldest in the year in Oz) and the entry age being one year later, will mean she will start school in Australia 18 months after she would have started school in England. Apart from the cost of childcare for the 18 months, does anyone have any evidence for or against when children should start school?
I am particularly concerned if we return to the UK and her peers have been in school for a year or so and she has not even started.
I think you need to check out the dates. As far as I am aware, the cut off date is the end of July and therefore she would also be one of the youngest in the year here. I think the ACT works to the same dates as NSW.
For example. My daughter is a July birthday, she was born in 2002.
In the UK she would have started school this year in September. Here in Australia, in the Public system she will start school in February - only 5 months behind where she would have been in the UK. If your daughter was going into the public system it would be the same for her.
It is only children born in August who see a really big difference - I also have a daughter born in August. She had completed grade 2 in the UK system, but when we arrived her in October 2003, she went into the end of year 1. I felt the social , rather than the educational side of things was more important at this age, and do not regret not having boosted her up a year....which was an option.
HOWEVER........
Private schools have different cut off dates, so maybe that is why she will go back a year?
Also, if children are particularly young in a year, like your daughter and my (July) daughter, the school may suggest you do not start them until the following year. They cannot, however, within the public system refuse to take your child, if you wish to send them.
That doesn't exactly answer your question, but it may help to clarify which year group she should go into.
I think you need to check out the dates. As far as I am aware, the cut off date is the end of July and therefore she would also be one of the youngest in the year here. I think the ACT works to the same dates as NSW.
For example. My daughter is a July birthday, she was born in 2002.
In the UK she would have started school this year in September. Here in Australia, in the Public system she will start school in February - only 5 months behind where she would have been in the UK. If your daughter was going into the public system it would be the same for her.
It is only children born in August who see a really big difference - I also have a daughter born in August. She had completed grade 2 in the UK system, but when we arrived her in October 2003, she went into the end of year 1. I felt the social , rather than the educational side of things was more important at this age, and do not regret not having boosted her up a year....which was an option.
HOWEVER........
Private schools have different cut off dates, so maybe that is why she will go back a year?
Also, if children are particularly young in a year, like your daughter and my (July) daughter, the school may suggest you do not start them until the following year. They cannot, however, within the public system refuse to take your child, if you wish to send them.
That doesn't exactly answer your question, but it may help to clarify which year group she should go into.
I think you need to check out the dates. As far as I am aware, the cut off date is the end of July and therefore she would also be one of the youngest in the year here. I think the ACT works to the same dates as NSW.
For example. My daughter is a July birthday, she was born in 2002.
In the UK she would have started school this year in September. Here in Australia, in the Public system she will start school in February - only 5 months behind where she would have been in the UK. If your daughter was going into the public system it would be the same for her.
It is only children born in August who see a really big difference - I also have a daughter born in August. She had completed grade 2 in the UK system, but when we arrived her in October 2003, she went into the end of year 1. I felt the social , rather than the educational side of things was more important at this age, and do not regret not having boosted her up a year....which was an option.
HOWEVER........
Private schools have different cut off dates, so maybe that is why she will go back a year?
Also, if children are particularly young in a year, like your daughter and my (July) daughter, the school may suggest you do not start them until the following year. They cannot, however, within the public system refuse to take your child, if you wish to send them.
That doesn't exactly answer your question, but it may help to clarify which year group she should go into.
I wouldn't worry too much about what age your daughter is when she starts school. Countries vary quite considerably - the UK starts kids off v young really, in comparison. There have been studies done which have shown that by the age of I think about 9 or 10 there is no difference academically between those who started at 4 and those who started at 7.
IMO children should be given as much time as possible to be with their families and to develop socially before being pushed academically.
There is always nursery/kindergarten/clubs to help the social side of things.
I have also taught several children whose families have moved country and as a result they end up being a year older than their classmates - in the situations I have seen it has not caused any problems and if I didn't know they I wouldn't have been able to tell. Equally there are very young children who fit in fine.
Personally if I had a choice I would prefer my (hypothetical!) children to be older rather than younger when they started school.
I have checked the dates and the ACT cut off is end of April. Seems this is one of the many state differences1
AWW That's a bummer! Sorry, I had assumed they were the same because a friend just moved down there and his daughter is a June birthday, but she's remained in the same year down there.
I really wouldn't worry too much about her not going to school, it seems to work out ok over here.
I have 2 children 11 and 7, Alexandra started year 7 (high school) here in the UK in September (Feb birthday) and Thomas year 2.
Because we are moving in January, both will start on the 31st which means they get a full year of school in Aus - they will both start the same years (7 & 2), the difference for Alex is that this will be the last year of Primary School rather than her 1st year of High school.
This isn't a bad thing especially for Alex who will have a year to get her head round the system and to make some friends - she has the added benefit too of already having the experience of going to High School. We've timed our move for now, so that the children won't have to start mid term.
Ali
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