Childcare, nursery and schooling in Sydney.

[LKC]

Hi. We are moving to Sydney at the end of Jan on a 457. We have two daughters, aged just over 2.5yrs and 10 months. If we were staying in the UK, our eldest would have been due to start nursery school in September, to do 12.5 hours per week. I already send them for two 2.5 hour sessions because they have the opportunity there to do things that I have neither the space, equipment or nerve for at home! Plus, whilst they are at nursery, I have to opportunity to do the boring stuff like housework and shopping.

 

I have googled but I can't find out what the norm is for childcare and schooling in NSW. I know that the school year runs from Jan-Dec, and I know that on a 457 we will have to pay for it ourselves (although intending to apply for PR if we like it), but I can't find info about when they start pre-school or anything like that. I seem to remember seeing a long time ago that she won't be able to start until the January after she is three (she is three in April so would be only four months off being four when she starts) but I can't find where I saw it or find out if she can start earlier at all.

 

If anyone has any info, I would be very grateful!

[Quoll]

Preschool is the year before kindergarten and kids would start preschool in the January providing they have already turned 4 or will turn 4 before the end of July that year. So a child of 2 and a half wouldnt be going to preschool for quite some time yet (she'd start Jan 2010 from what you have said). However there are child care centres where you can put her (if you can get a place!) if you need to go to work but you will pay full price for these because you wont be entitled to any child care rebate as a temporary resident (ball park about $60 a day).

 

As I understand it, preschool places in NSW are scarcer than hens teeth and are fee based anyway - there are only 100 government preschools across NSW! See here for information.

[Guest herrytaillor]

You don't have an easy task ahead of you I'm afraid - preschools/daycare in Sydney are soooo oversubscribed people have their children's names down from birth. Anyway... Balmain / Rozelle is a really lovely area, great for families and a nice community feel, so that's a good start.

[LKC]

You don't have an easy task ahead of you I'm afraid - preschools/daycare in Sydney are soooo oversubscribed people have their children's names down from birth. Anyway... Balmain / Rozelle is a really lovely area, great for families and a nice community feel, so that's a good start.

 

Thank you for your reply. However, we have been here in Sydney for almost four years now and have pretty much finished the pre-school thing! We settled in Sutherland Shire, and managed to find both a lovely pre-school and a great school for our children.