SaraC Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Hi, I wondered if someone would be kind enough to explain the Australian education system to me please? We have 2 children, one is 3 and a half and the other is 8 months, our 3 year old will be starting pre-school in September here in the UK and is due to start full-time school next September. I have heard that Australian's don't start full time education until they are 5? With this in mind what are the arrangements for pre-school and is there any funding for it over there? I've looked around and it seems that "kindy" would be our option for our daughter if we moved to Australia within the next few months (which we're hoping to do) but I wondered what the funding streams are for this. Also, any tips for picking a primary school? Are there any types we should avoid and are there any OFSTED type sites I can check to see where the best schools are? Thanks for your time :biggrin: x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickyNook Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 http://www.myschool.edu.au gives on overview on all schools and their relative performance. Which state are you moving to? Different states have different rules re pre-school funding. In NSW your 3.5 year-old would start school in Jan/Feb 2014 - around 4 months after she would have started in UK. Other states are probably the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwkl Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Kindy is kindergarten and is the first year of school. School terms start in Jan and they are allowed to start in school if they turn 5 by end of June of that school year (as a guide because states/schools will have their own rules timescales). The term pre-school covers a variety of child care before starting school and depending on your status, income you can be eligible for assistance in paying for costs. It would be a good idea to visit a local family assistance office to get the forms and guidance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Hi, I wondered if someone would be kind enough to explain the Australian education system to me please? As mentioned, there are variations between states. It appears that you are going to WA? Could you confirm if this is correct - so that you are given the correct information for that state. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickyNook Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Kindy is kindergarten and is the first year of school. Only in NSW. First year of school is called something different in all the other states. :wink: That's why it's important to know which state the OP is going to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Only in NSW. First year of school is called something different in all the other states. :wink: That's why it's important to know which state the OP is going to. Kindergarten is first year of school in Tasmania too - but either half a day 5 days a week or 2 or 3 full days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaraC Posted August 23, 2012 Author Share Posted August 23, 2012 As mentioned, there are variations between states. It appears that you are going to WA? Could you confirm if this is correct - so that you are given the correct information for that state. HI Skani, Yes we will be going to WA originally (for 2 years) and then hopefully over to QLD to be with family once we have served our 2 year Sponsorship Agreement, so I would be interested in both states as our baby would be eligible for "pre-school/kindy" once we get to Queensland Thank you x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mum of 5 Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Hi SaraC, I've been looking into this too. I have gone as far as emailing the vice-principal in the school we hope to send our girls. From what I understand in WA you attend Kindy (optinal), then Pre-primary, then yr1 to 6 or 7 depending on private or public, then yr 8-12 is high school. I can't figure out what kids who attend private school do for yr7??? So yr 11 and 12 would equate to A levels (i think, i'm Irish so here it's leaving cert) approx age turning 16and 17 yr 8-10 would be GCSE's (irish Junior cert) approx age turning 13-15 pre-primary to yr 7 would be primary school approx age turning 5-12. I got good info from the v-principal, pick a few schools and email them giving your kids DOB and they will advise on what they provide. hope that helps :smile: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob1 Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 this will tell you when your child can start school in WA- http://www.det.wa.edu.au/curriculumsupport/earlychildhood/detcms/school-support-programs/early-childhood-education/home/calculator.en?oid=Article-id-11572345 Kindy is optional but most parent send their child - it is offered in all schools and is usually a couple of days a week. Some private schools offer pre-kindy for three year olds and full time. Pre primary is really like UK reception class - it's not just play and most children would be expected to have started reading by the end of it- know their letters sounds and have a small sight vocabulary. Year 7 is a bit more complicated. Private schools and Catholic schools (which are fee paying in Australia) decided that all year 7's should be in high school a couple of years ago. The Govt schools didn't follow suit but now have pressure to change, particularly in the more wealthy areas (Western suburbs) as the numbers in Year 7 in the local schools are dramatically affected when all the Year's 7 go off to private school. So in 2015 all schools will have Year 7's in high school - http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/shakeup-puts-year-7s-in-high-school-20111208-1oknc.html The other thing they did in Perth a few years ago is raise the school starting age in line with all the other States - it use to be you began Year 1 the year you turned 6 - but then they introduced the half yearly cut off. It now means students are older when they leave school. I think the current Year 10 are the first group going through who are 6 months older (and same age as the other states). There is no equivalent to GCSE here - the only exams that count are in year 12. Year 11/12 is a two year course like A levels. Students (they're not called pupils here) have to have studied 5 subjects in each year in order to get what's called the WACE WA Certificate of Education to graduate. These subjects are at different levels - one, two and three. Level one won't get you into University. That's a long way off for you at the moment and might have all changed by the time your kids get to that age! Kindy places are free, though it depends on your visa. There are lots of child care facilities which fit in with kindy if you are a working Mum. There is no offsted, but this web site lets you look up the NAPLAN results - like SATS for years 3/5/7 and things like attendance rates. http://www.myschool.edu.au/ Type in a suburb and it will come up with all the schools - private and Govt. Go to where it says 'results in numbers' at the bottom for a school and if you see lots of red then don't send your child there! You want white bits or green - means the school is average or above in terms of results. Catholic schools worth mentioning. They'll take non Catholics if they have space and the fees aren't bad - about $5,000 a year - one of the cheapest private school options. Several go from Kindy to Year 12 so you don't have to change school, most are co-ed. the single sex ones are a bit more expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaraC Posted August 23, 2012 Author Share Posted August 23, 2012 this will tell you when your child can start school in WA- http://www.det.wa.edu.au/curriculumsupport/earlychildhood/detcms/school-support-programs/early-childhood-education/home/calculator.en?oid=Article-id-11572345 Kindy is optional but most parent send their child - it is offered in all schools and is usually a couple of days a week. Some private schools offer pre-kindy for three year olds and full time. Pre primary is really like UK reception class - it's not just play and most children would be expected to have started reading by the end of it- know their letters sounds and have a small sight vocabulary. Year 7 is a bit more complicated. Private schools and Catholic schools (which are fee paying in Australia) decided that all year 7's should be in high school a couple of years ago. The Govt schools didn't follow suit but now have pressure to change, particularly in the more wealthy areas (Western suburbs) as the numbers in Year 7 in the local schools are dramatically affected when all the Year's 7 go off to private school. So in 2015 all schools will have Year 7's in high school - http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/shakeup-puts-year-7s-in-high-school-20111208-1oknc.html The other thing they did in Perth a few years ago is raise the school starting age in line with all the other States - it use to be you began Year 1 the year you turned 6 - but then they introduced the half yearly cut off. It now means students are older when they leave school. I think the current Year 10 are the first group going through who are 6 months older (and same age as the other states). There is no equivalent to GCSE here - the only exams that count are in year 12. Year 11/12 is a two year course like A levels. Students (they're not called pupils here) have to have studied 5 subjects in each year in order to get what's called the WACE WA Certificate of Education to graduate. These subjects are at different levels - one, two and three. Level one won't get you into University. That's a long way off for you at the moment and might have all changed by the time your kids get to that age! Kindy places are free, though it depends on your visa. There are lots of child care facilities which fit in with kindy if you are a working Mum. There is no offsted, but this web site lets you look up the NAPLAN results - like SATS for years 3/5/7 and things like attendance rates. http://www.myschool.edu.au/ Type in a suburb and it will come up with all the schools - private and Govt. Go to where it says 'results in numbers' at the bottom for a school and if you see lots of red then don't send your child there! You want white bits or green - means the school is average or above in terms of results. Catholic schools worth mentioning. They'll take non Catholics if they have space and the fees aren't bad - about $5,000 a year - one of the cheapest private school options. Several go from Kindy to Year 12 so you don't have to change school, most are co-ed. the single sex ones are a bit more expensive. Thanks Bob, that's really useful and gives me some reading to do! x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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