ItchyFeet76 Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 My youngest currently benefits from the free pre-school sessions in the UK (15 hours per week in term-time). Just wondering if Australia has some sort of similar system or if one has to pay for pre-school? We would most likely be on a 457 visa... (I know that PRs and citizens get 50% fees back for childcare but we obviously wouldn't). Also, are there many mums 'n' toddler groups and how much do they tend to cost (over here they're either free or £1 - £1.50, which includes tea and biscuits). Thanks, I-F :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisH1 Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 (edited) We pay. As far as I know, so do everyone else. Our 3 yo goes to a K&C kindergarten 5 days a fortnight for about $500 per term. They are privately run in Australia. Or there is home care. Edited April 20, 2014 by ChrisH1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petals Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Nothing is free, even when they go to school you have to buy books, stationery, pay for school trips. More American type system here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurls Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Varies by state. ACT Government funds 4 year old preschool for 15 hours a week in Canberra. There are voluntary contributions though. Some schools here are starting to offer a 3 year old program, not sure if fees apply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 The local C & K Kindy near us is $29 pr day and they do a minimum of hours a week. If you receive Centrelink you can then claim the child care rebate to recoup some of the cost. The private centres (often referred to as long day care) charge around $50 pr day. Cal x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 As Jurls mentioned, it varies by state and I'm not sure where you will be settling. (Here in Tasmania 4 year olds attend kindergarten half time and it's free. Before that you pay for child care, either in a nursery or a family based daycare situation). However, for mums and toddlers, there is a nation wide organisation called Playgroup: all the information is here http://playgroupaustralia.org.au/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammy1 Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 (edited) Depends on where you live.For example, in WA four year olds and those that are three years old but who will turn four before June 30th in year of entry ( entry is February) can attend free kindy. Kindy's are normally attached to a primary school and places go quickly, so it is important to put names down the year before. The only thing you will need to pay for are uniforms and school items such as pens and pencils. The hours are normally four half days a week or two whole days a week. A 457 holder would not be able to access the program for free. Otherwise, there are paid kindy programs at private schools or daycare centres. Edited April 22, 2014 by Sammy1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 In WA my little one goes 2 days one week 3 days next week, makes up to 30hrs fortnight for free in WA but I think you would have to do private Kindy on a 457, and remember in 2015 they start charging for school for temporary visa holders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItchyFeet76 Posted April 22, 2014 Author Share Posted April 22, 2014 Nothing is free, even when they go to school you have to buy books, stationery, pay for school trips. More American type system here. I didn't say school was free, I said her current pre-school place (in the UK) is free, which it is. We don't pay for anything. I accept that there are costs incurred with school in Aus, just like in the UK (our other two children are constantly bringing letters home from school asking for money for something!). I presume pre-school isn't compulsory though? If I can't afford to send her to pre-school / kindergarten then I just wait until she turns 5 and send her to school? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItchyFeet76 Posted April 22, 2014 Author Share Posted April 22, 2014 The local C & K Kindy near us is $29 pr day and they do a minimum of hours a week. If you receive Centrelink you can then claim the child care rebate to recoup some of the cost.The private centres (often referred to as long day care) charge around $50 pr day. Cal x So Kindergarten is the equiv of our pre-school, is that right....? Thanks for the info :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItchyFeet76 Posted April 22, 2014 Author Share Posted April 22, 2014 We pay. As far as I know, so do everyone else. Our 3 yo goes to a K&C kindergarten 5 days a fortnight for about $500 per term.They are privately run in Australia. Or there is home care. Thanks for that. I think Aus has 4 terms a year (as opposed to 3 in the UK), so that's $2k a year.... Cheers :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItchyFeet76 Posted April 22, 2014 Author Share Posted April 22, 2014 (edited) In WA my little one goes 2 days one week 3 days next week, makes up to 30hrs fortnight for free in WA but I think you would have to do private Kindy on a 457, and remember in 2015 they start charging for school for temporary visa holders Yes that's a shame... we would have loved to have gone to Perth but the school fees put us off (that and the lack of jobs, which I guess is also kind of a deal-breaker!). You're very lucky to live in such a beautiful state :-) Edited April 23, 2014 by ItchyFeet76 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItchyFeet76 Posted April 22, 2014 Author Share Posted April 22, 2014 As Jurls mentioned, it varies by state and I'm not sure where you will be settling. (Here in Tasmania 4 year olds attend kindergarten half time and it's free. Before that you pay for child care, either in a nursery or a family based daycare situation). However, for mums and toddlers, there is a nation wide organisation called Playgroup: all the information is here http://playgroupaustralia.org.au/ Thanks Skani, I'll check that site out :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 I presume pre-school isn't compulsory though? If I can't afford to send her to pre-school / kindergarten then I just wait until she turns 5 and send her to school? So Kindergarten is the equiv of our pre-school, is that right....? Which state will you be moving to? You may have mentioned it but I may be too thick to have noticed. :rolleyes: Even terms like "kindergarten" vary from state to state. Confusing I know....but pre tertiary education is administered by each state...and they all have different ways of doing things. In this state Kindergarten is the first compulsory year of school. Attendance is half time, but they are part of each primary school and children start in the year in which they turn 5 (so, in practice, some have only just turned 4). There is also a "Launching into Learning" program from birth to age 4 - school based activities, but children attend with parents. These also are free. However, whether any of this applies in any other state I don't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItchyFeet76 Posted April 23, 2014 Author Share Posted April 23, 2014 Which state will you be moving to? You may have mentioned it but I may be too thick to have noticed. :rolleyes: We're hoping to move to Melbourne (if we ever find sponsorship, that is!). Areas we've looked at are Sanctuary Lakes, Edithvale, Narre Warren and, if the the budget affords it, Brighton Beach... So let me get this right... if Kindy is compulsory, then is it free (i.e. no upfront fees)? My youngest will be 4 in August so I assume she'd start end Jan 2016. My middle is just 5 (Foundation in the UK) so would be in Kindy now, and my eldest is 7 (Y2 in the UK), so would be in Year 1...? Cheers, I-F :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 (edited) We're hoping to move to Melbourne (if we ever find sponsorship, that is!). Areas we've looked at are Sanctuary Lakes, Edithvale, Narre Warren and, if the the budget affords it, Brighton Beach... So let me get this right... if Kindy is compulsory, then is it free (i.e. no upfront fees)? My youngest will be 4 in August so I assume she'd start end Jan 2016. My middle is just 5 (Foundation in the UK) so would be in Kindy now, and my eldest is 7 (Y2 in the UK), so would be in Year 1...? Cheers, I-F :-) Victoria is different from us here in WA, but I used to live there so i think this is right, its called Kinder for starters and its not compulsory in Victoria, you only get a Council funded place of 15 hours at 4 year old Kinder, there is a 3 year old kinder programme but it is done in private kinders and you would need to pay. Am not sure of the cut off dates in Vic now but my little one was 4 last October and she would have went to Kinder this year if we were still living there. It can be quite hard to get a place as well, you need to apply to the local council with your preferences but they allocate the places so you might not get the one you want! After 4 year old Kinder the kids do a year in Prep, then go into Year 1. http://www.liveinvictoria.vic.gov.au/living-in-victoria/education-and-childcare/kindergartens Edited April 23, 2014 by AJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigandDebs Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Hi everyone. Sorry to jump into your thread with my own questions. Has anybody had to look for kindy or school places before migrating? How would I start? I have 2 girls age 6 & 2. We are moving to WA when our house sells here in the UK. Should I get in touch with schools directly? Soon many questions.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammy1 Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 (edited) Hi everyone. Sorry to jump into your thread with my own questions. Has anybody had to look for kindy or school places before migrating? How would I start? I have 2 girls age 6 & 2. We are moving to WA when our house sells here in the UK. Should I get in touch with schools directly? Soon many questions.... You can certainly contact schools. Do you have an idea of where you will be living? Some schools (not too many) will let you enrol from the UK if you can give an address in WA, whilst others will insist that you do it once you are here. All schools will require you to formalise the enrolment by showing visa status, birth certificates and immunisation records. At age 2 your daughter is too young for kindy in WA. She will be able to attend a school kindy when she is four, or at age three if she turns four before June 30th in the year of entry. However, she can attend paid kindy at a day care centre if you need it. School kindy places go quickly and you really need to register interest by September for the following year. To start the process you need to have an idea at least of which suburb you wish to live in. Or, I suppose you could start researching schools and decide to live in a suburb based on that, however it does depend where you will be working and how far you wish to travel. Edited April 25, 2014 by Sammy1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amywestwood86 Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 In WA my little one goes 2 days one week 3 days next week, makes up to 30hrs fortnight for free in WA but I think you would have to do private Kindy on a 457, and remember in 2015 they start charging for school for temporary visa holders In nsw they charge $5000 for schooling already for 457 visa holders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammy1 Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 In nsw they charge $5000 for schooling already for 457 visa holders Fair enough though, education is very expensive and a 457 is a temporary visa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigandDebs Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Thanks Sammy. I know where we are moving to initially thanks to some very helpful family in Rockingham. We have an idea of which school we would like to enrol our eldest into, purely based on location. Guess I'll get in touch with them directly. And thanks for the heads up on early registration for kindergarten That's 1 question answered....... Only about 99 more. :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Findaupair Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 As you know, nothing is free. Payment depends on where you live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted April 26, 2014 Share Posted April 26, 2014 We're hoping to move to Melbourne (if we ever find sponsorship, that is!). Areas we've looked at are Sanctuary Lakes, Edithvale, Narre Warren and, if the the budget affords it, Brighton Beach... Sorry, IF76....have only just seen this post. Not living in Victoria so don't know the current situation in that state. AJ's link should be helpful...or the Victoria subforum on PIO which may also have parents with that age group at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbie Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 very informative thread.... am hoping to move to Victoria on 457 and will have a 2yr old.... thank you for the thread all the information. will be following closely..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbie Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 As you know, nothing is free. Payment depends on where you live. just from your name... do u supply au pairs in Aussie? :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.