StevelandWonder Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 We are hoping to be in NSW this time next year. My son will be eligable for Kindergarten as of Jan/Feb 2013. Is this a pre school year or do they do some Primary 1 equivilent stuff? He would one of the youngest, so would maybe consider not starting him until following year, but if similiar to nursery here, would put him. Any guidance would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickyNook Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 In NSW, kindergarten is the name for the first year of normal, full-time school. It's not pre-school or nursery. Kids can be 4.5 thru 5.5 when they start but parents often hold them back a year if their birthday is between April-July to avoid them being the youngest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest trasi Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 thanks for posting that nicky..... i thought kindergarten meant nursery.....:unsure: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 thanks for posting that nicky..... i thought kindergarten meant nursery.....:unsure: In some states it does but in NSW and ACT it is the first year of full time school as Nicky said. You'll get used to it LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevelandWonder Posted June 19, 2012 Author Share Posted June 19, 2012 Thank you! So if he has not started school in UK and we moved in April/May time would they take him? or might i be asked to start him the following session? I wouldn't want him to have missed too much but also feel he would be ready for school by then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKC Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 It probably depends a bit on when his birthday is and how mature he is for his age. We started our eldest when she was a a bit under 5 (she has an April birthday), and to be honest, my overall feeling is that we may have been better to hold her back for a year, although that would have been difficult in other ways because she wanted to start school and it was becoming more difficult to keep her occupied. She is getting along fine (actually she is doing extremely well) academically, but I do frequently worry about her because she is tiny in terms of her size when compared to most of the other kids, and because she is less emotionally and physically developed she does come across as being ever so slightly babyish in comparison to some of the others in her class. Having said that, she has been more than able to cope with the work that she has been doing, and even got through to the finals of the school public speaking competition which was a fantastic achievement. Our youngest daughter turns five next February, and I have made the decision to send her to school 2013 rather than 2014. My main reasons for doing so are that out of the two of them she is far more confident, she is taller than Sophie was at her age, and she is already reading, and I think that to keep her back would be detrimental. It has been funny how differently I have felt about school between the two of them. With eldest, I still have these huge pangs of guilt at having sent her because I don't think that she was physically or emotionally ready, but with youngest I know that she will be fine. What I am trying to say in a roundabout and totally unhelpful way, is that it depends on your son and how you think he will cope with full time school. In pre-school/nursery (which is non-compulsory) they tend to do more learning through play type things, whereas in Kindergarten they are at school and so have formal lessons and learn to read and write etc. It may be worth thinking about placing him in a pre-school near to where he will go to school so that he has a bit of an easier time settling in and can make some friends who he will go to school with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Thank you! So if he has not started school in UK and we moved in April/May time would they take him? or might i be asked to start him the following session? I wouldn't want him to have missed too much but also feel he would be ready for school by then. If the child has turned 5 by 31 July of the year they intend to start kindergarten then they are entitled to a place. They wont care if he has been in school in a foreign country or not. It will be up to you whether you keep him back or not. If his birthday falls March - July then you will want to be sure that he is socially and emotionally ready for school - if he is, then send him. If, however the child's birthday is in August then you wont have a choice, they are pretty firm with cut off dates - he will have to wait until the following year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevelandWonder Posted June 20, 2012 Author Share Posted June 20, 2012 Thank you, very helpful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lemongirl Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Hmm, having read this I'm having second thoughts about sending our oldest to Kindergarten this coming January. She's turning 4 in two days, so would be easily the youngest in the class. She is extremely social, and loves her nursery school friends, but perhaps we should stick her in preschool for the next year or so, even if we have to pay for it, and wait until she is 5.5 to start "real" school. She doesn't read yet, and frankly isn't even properly potty trained yet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevelandWonder Posted June 21, 2012 Author Share Posted June 21, 2012 I think there are benefits to keeping them at home another year, but we are planning to be in oz for only 2-3 years and need to think about him not being behind coming into uk system. Difficult to know what to do for best! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Hmm, having read this I'm having second thoughts about sending our oldest to Kindergarten this coming January. She's turning 4 in two days, so would be easily the youngest in the class. She is extremely social, and loves her nursery school friends, but perhaps we should stick her in preschool for the next year or so, even if we have to pay for it, and wait until she is 5.5 to start "real" school. She doesn't read yet, and frankly isn't even properly potty trained yet... Not reading aged 4 is nothing to worry about. Its perfectly fine and normal for children to not be reading at this age, although some have started learning. But don't worry about it till school starts I reckon. The potty training would be an important thing if attending school. Sure teachers are prepared for accidents and so on but they don't have time to toilet all the kids as and when and its not for them to do the training so to speak. My son is due to start school here in the UK in September and his school have sent info home making it quite clear they expect children to be able to use the toilet and so on by themselves (but that they accept there will be occasions when accidents happen etc). But children must be able to manage on their own generally. Nothing wrong with keeping her back and starting next year at 5.5 especially if she is going to be the youngest in her year otherwise. Our son would be the same with his birthday if he goes into Y1 in Aus. Very youngest in the year, so he'll have to do reception over again in full but will be the oldest in his year which will stand him in good stead IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 I think there are benefits to keeping them at home another year, but we are planning to be in oz for only 2-3 years and need to think about him not being behind coming into uk system. Difficult to know what to do for best! In all honesty, at such a young age, kids generally adapt to the changes in schooling better than we might give them credit for. I'd certainly not be fretting about slotting back into the UK system if still at primary level. I think its more of a change and adapting to it when its moving on to senior school, around those years and beyond. There is always going to be some teething problems simply because of how the school year is 8 months different in start time and also that in Aus they don't start school till aged 5 plus, whereas in the UK it is 4 or 5, depending on when your child has a birthday. But if you are supportive when the transitions come round and do your homework, you should be able to make the move back without too much upset. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jillyg65 Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 so can i just ask please....... are the oldest children born in august? (for the school year) and then youngest are born in july? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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