Primary or High School

lisa maughan · 09-09-2007, 10:57 AM

Hi guys
Hope someone can help me out here - I have trawled the internet on this one!
Would my daughter start high school in January 2008 as she is 12yrs at the minute and will be 13 next May. This would be in Queensland.
Here she is currently in Year 8 (or 2nd year seniors as i still keep calling it!!)

She is throwing wobblers thinking she may have to go back to primary school level.

Also my son is 5 in November - would that mean start Prep school in January?

I know this has been asked loads before - but if someone could spare a minute.

Many thanks

ali · 09-09-2007, 11:18 AM

My daughter is 12 and would have started year 8 in the UK this month, but will start High School here in WA in January - she'll be 13 in Feb. - Don't know if QLD is the same, but here in WA you're daughter would be in year 8 (first year of high school)

Ali

lisa maughan · 09-09-2007, 11:44 AM

Brilliant, thanks for your quick reply - be great if it is the same in Qld.

I did read somewhere that in Qld in 2008 they are increasing the school admission age by 6 months to bring into line with other states, so that would have a roll on effect right the way up wouldnt it?

What confuses me is what year they go into according to their birthday.

Lisa

ali · 09-09-2007, 11:58 PM

I'm still confused!! Tell your daughter that Alex hasn't had any problems settling in, she's made new friends and loves it. She still stays in touch with one or two of her closest friends from the UK but did admit that she isn't missing people as much as she thought she would. She isn't constantly on msn like she was when we first arrived and when she is it's normally chatting to the people she's been at school with all day.

Ali

old pom · 10-09-2007, 02:24 AM

Queensland is the same as NSW which means children do 13 years of school made up of 1 year of kindergarten (sometimes called prep) followed by years 1-12. A lot of parents send their children to pre-school which is like nursery school and if attached to a private school they will probably wear a uniform. This can make it seem like another year or even 2 of school when in fact it isn't. It's really just a way of private schools making more money.

Since not all children are born at the same time of the year it's hard to say exactly how old they will be when they start high school but primary is K- 6 and secondary school is years 7 -12. As a rough guide children are around 5 in kindergarten, 12 in year 6 and 18 in year 12. However, our twins were 17 in year 12 and didn't turn 18 until university. No 3 son was 18 in the September of year 12 and no 4 was 18 in the March of year 12.

Just why WA is different is anyone's guess but NSW usually sets the standard in these things and first introduced year 12 back in the 60s. I believe it took some time for Qld and Vic to catch up.