Best time to move to Oz, due to children starting school

[permutation]

Hi,

 

with my family we already came to Oz earlier this month to validate our PR visas and had our initial plans to move permanently in February-March 2014. Yet, we started to realize that even thou job prospects are low before march, our 2 boys - currently 6y4m and 4y9m - should start school in the beginning of February to better accommodate the change.

 

We read on other threads that it is much advisable to seek a move during early December so that we have time to rent, visit schools in proximity, satisfy formalities, etc. What was your experience - when did you move with children at school age? What strategy did you choose?

 

Greetings

[Que Sera Sera]

I don't agree with that at all. I think it's best to get kids into school ASAP do they can start to make friends. There is absolutely no reason that I can see to have them start in February. In fact the pressure of finding a holiday rental etc when first arriving would be far worse in December. Don't overthink it come when the work situation is best, young children are very adaptable .

[permutation]

I don't agree with that at all. I think it's best to get kids into school ASAP do they can start to make friends. There is absolutely no reason that I can see to have them start in February. In fact the pressure of finding a holiday rental etc when first arriving would be far worse in December. Don't overthink it come when the work situation is best, young children are very adaptable .

 

Can we enroll them to school anytime during the year? Can we go there next month or in march and have them enrolled with no worries?

[Que Sera Sera]

You need to be in the catchment area for Public schools and most will let you enrol and start straight away, our son was enrolled the first day of Term in July and started the day after . Some schools may have a problem accepting your application if you are in a holiday ( short let ) rental, some will require a utility bill. Also it's worth mentioning that different states may vary on this.

[debbio]

Hi,

 

We are going out next month...my boys are 4 and 7...we are planning on putting 7 year old into school as soon as we can so that he can make friends...my little one wont start until Feb due to age.

 

Good luck x x

[permutation]

Thanks!

 

There is one other complication that forgot to mention: children are not native in English and would have some difficulties in the beginning. Can they still be enrolled anytime?

[Wokos]

Hi we move in 4 weeks and I hope to have our 13 year old and 6 year in school ASAP. So they can make friends. Also I think the teachers will help them more to settle than in February when the whole school comes back from holidays but that's my opinion.

 

I would think you can enrol anytime no matter what their native language is.

 

Good luck with your move.

 

X

[Quoll]

Yes, as long as you have a permanent address - at least, not a hotel or holiday rental. Kids from non English Speaking backgrounds are usually assessed by ESL staff and all depending on your location may be offered a place in a special unit which may not be in the school you have chosen but nearby and usually with transport provided or they may be offered intensive English courses within the school or they may get varying degrees of ESL support in class. Starting at the beginning of the year is not necessary although it is nice for the school if the kid is there for census time (mid Feb, but it wont impact them or you at all!). You can rock up any day and the child could, theoretically start there and then but in reality, schools like a day or two to get things sorted - classes organized, desks placed, etc. You might want to rethink your 4.9 child starting school - they will be very young for the first year of full time school and may do better with language acquisition in a preschool environment. Best time to arrive in Aus is really between March and October although you could do a month at either end - again, it all depends where you are going; Canberra, for example is notoriously dead employment wise from November through to February but the rental market is red hot because of all the transfers and students coming in.

[permutation]

Really informative, thank you all.

 

As my older son born in May 2007 has to be in school year 1 in Australia next February, my concern is that he would not be able to score high on ESL, hence he would need to take supportive classes. Does that mean he would be delayed by a year compared to his peers?

[Quoll]

Really informative, thank you all.

 

As my older son born in May 2007 has to be in school year 1 in Australia next February, my concern is that he would not be able to score high on ESL, hence he would need to take supportive classes. Does that mean he would be delayed by a year compared to his peers?

No, they put kids through with their age peers.

[permutation]

I decided to ask you further for an advice.

 

We have recently visited Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne to decide where to live in Oz. We have troubles deciding where to go - they all have pros and cons - as if for new migrants availability of job opportunities, good schools and affordable housing shall be the leading criteria to select.

 

We have a budget of $350 pw for renting until I find a job (I am in IT, my wife is in continental european law and needs to re-qualify) but not many opportunities for this level of budget in Sydney, more so in Melbourne and Brisbane. Can you suggest decent neighborhoods with descents schools that fit our budget? We also consider that we may also live outside the city limits if time to commute is within 1 hour to CBD.

[Quoll]

Go where you can get a job. Frankly, you are probably going to struggle as a family of 4 near any metropolitan area - which is where work is likely to be - in that budget. Apply for anything and everything that you think you are qualified for and then go there.

[Guest The Ropey HOFF]

I think we have left it too late in regards to our kids, my son is 18 and my daughter is 15 now, they were 14 and 11 when we got the visa and they are both courting, my son has been with his girlfriend for almost a year now and he says he won't emigrate. We won't go without him, so it's not looking good, but ..... It was my dream to emigrate, not theirs. My wife has had health problems and won't be walking until sometime in the new year, which has effected her work prospects and from my experience the younger your kids are, the better, we should have gone in 2010 when my mate Kev's wife had got her a job at the Prince Charles hospital in Brisbane and I was practically in the Queensland Correctionals service, but ........ It didn't happen. I suggested getting the visa, I paid for it and I said that if at any time my wife and kids didn't want to go, then we wouldn't go. They all said they would emigrate last June, but since then a lots happened, which has made them all change their mind. But ..... We have over a year left of the visa and ....... You never know.

[ItchyFeet76]

I think we have left it too late in regards to our kids, my son is 18 and my daughter is 15 now, they were 14 and 11 when we got the visa and they are both courting, my son has been with his girlfriend for almost a year now and he says he won't emigrate. We won't go without him, so it's not looking good, but ..... It was my dream to emigrate, not theirs. My wife has had health problems and won't be walking until sometime in the new year, which has effected her work prospects and from my experience the younger your kids are, the better, we should have gone in 2010 when my mate Kev's wife had got her a job at the Prince Charles hospital in Brisbane and I was practically in the Queensland Correctionals service, but ........ It didn't happen. I suggested getting the visa, I paid for it and I said that if at any time my wife and kids didn't want to go, then we wouldn't go. They all said they would emigrate last June, but since then a lots happened, which has made them all change their mind. But ..... We have over a year left of the visa and ....... You never know.

 

I really hope it still happens for you, Hoff. It's always been our dream, too, and we want to do it before our kids get old enough to have a say in the matter (!) (they're currently 3, 4 and 6). We're just waiting for our mortgage fixed rate to end so we can fix again and then start job-hunting on a 457 (the first of our 3 mortgages (yes, just one house!) ends next Sep, so we'll begin then).

[ali]

I think it's individual, we moved in the January for our daughter to start school in the February, this was because she was in year 7 and it was the last year of Primary here before HS - we and she wanted a full year in school - she (later) said for her this was the best thing as it gave her an easy introduction, she could find her feet and feel a little established before moving on. My son was in year 2 and had they both been younger I wouldn't have been too concerned when they started - but my daughter really wanted to finish primary school life in the UK - she'd been with some of her friends since nursery and to be honest allowing that to happen was more important to us. So we had one last xmas in the UK and set off in the new year.

[permutation]

Ali, how did you choose where to go in Oz?

[ali]

Ali, how did you choose where to go in Oz?

 

We chose WA because of the climate, suburb wise, I got offered a job and because I was working shifts I didn't want a long commute, we drew a circle around my work place that equated to a 30 min drive (according to my hubby), we got a rental in Leeming (which we hadn't heard of), got into dialogue with one of the schools and bought in the same suburb ... all fell into place .. luck and fate I think