3yrs old at preschool in UK, nothing until 2013 in OZ

[Guest IlkleyMoorBahtat]

I have a little boy who started at a private school (preschool year) in Sept aged 3yr. He attends 5 mornings per week and really enjoys it. After researching Aus schooling I see he wouldn't be eligible to attend prep (preschool) until 2013 (August birthday).

It has been suggested that a private school might take him earlier than this depending on his ability.

 

We will have lots to see and do and learn about when we arrive in Oz but 2013 will make him almost 6 before he goes back to school again. He's a bright little thing and I'm not sure with a 1.5yr old also at home I can give him the attention he is used to.

 

I'm just wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences?

Louise

[ali]

Have you looked into Nursery places or perhaps a montessori school

[Daffod1lly]

Hi Louise ....

 

Did I read earlier that you're heading for Brissy? I know a few of my friends have found themselves in the same situation. They have all plumped for a couple of sessions in local childcare centres ... apparently though, they are quite a bit dearer than the UK (from their experience) and the best ones have pretty substantial waiting lists. I'll have a look around my area and see what I can find out.

[Quoll]

Yup, plenty of child care places but you will have to pay for education before he hits school age. With an August birthday you are unlikely to get an early entry into school but if you were to go down that track you would likely need a full psychoeducational report indicating gifted and talented skills and development. There are lots of alternative groups around for preschool age kids - you can usually find music, dance, gym groups pretty much anywhere.

[Guest IlkleyMoorBahtat]

Hi Louise ....

 

Did I read earlier that you're heading for Brissy? I know a few of my friends have found themselves in the same situation. They have all plumped for a couple of sessions in local childcare centres ... apparently though, they are quite a bit dearer than the UK (from their experience) and the best ones have pretty substantial waiting lists. I'll have a look around my area and see what I can find out.

 

Hi,

Thanks for your reply, yes we are heading for Brisbane. I think we'll be on the north side as my husband will be working in Eagle Farm near the airport. Any info you could give me would be really helpful thanks. All this time I was thinking he was too little to start at 3 and school at 4 but the prospect of him not doing anything until he's nearly 6...yikes!

[Guest IlkleyMoorBahtat]

Yup, plenty of child care places but you will have to pay for education before he hits school age. With an August birthday you are unlikely to get an early entry into school but if you were to go down that track you would likely need a full psychoeducational report indicating gifted and talented skills and development. There are lots of alternative groups around for preschool age kids - you can usually find music, dance, gym groups pretty much anywhere.

 

Thanks for your reply. Do you refer to early entry in state school or private or both? My concern is he's starting to read already. I don't what him to wait all that time and then be bored when he gets there!

[Guest Kels07]

Hi there,

 

assuming you have but have you tried this website

 

CareforKids.com.au ® - Search for Child Care Centres Nannies Babysitters Au Pairs

 

- seemed very helpful to me in explaining what is available. We have a similar challenge - my daughter is 3 at the end of January & has been at pre school since her second birthday alongside Nursery on the days I work. We also have a 3 month old so the thought of funding child care for at least the next 6 years does not bode well!! Plus having a bored 3-5 year old pegging it round the house - not good!

 

Good Luck in finding a solution,

 

Kelly

[Guest cosmicsis]

you can get assistance with childcare if you are entitled to it ie if you have perm residency visa. If you look on the centrelink website it should give you an idea of what you may be entitled to. I know that we found it actually cheaper than the UK with 2 kids in childcare. Hope this helps x

[pommekate]

He certainly won't be bored when he starts school, I know they start school later than in the uk, but they do get straight into the academic work, no playing in the sandpit or toy box, my sons first day a kindy he brought home sight words to learn to read and write them, week 6 he was expected to start sentence writing and bringing home school readers. By the end of kindy he had done his 2 and 3 times tables. I am a strong believer to keep kids with their age peers, If he does go to school early, later down the track it is tough on them when all their mates are driving and he can't, when it is legal for all his friends to go out drinking and he can't. If he joins any sporting groups he has to be with age peers not his school friends. Hopefully, someone on here can give you some advice where he can perhaps go in the mean time, My middle child is five and a half and starts school this january, I am not too sure what the education system is like in Queensland as we are in NSW

[calNgary]

Hi my daughter is just 7 she will start yr2 in Jan. She did Yr 1 last year and full time prep at the same school the year before that. School have nearly completed their kindy building and this will be for the children to attend the year before prep.

 

So although they dont class starting school until YR1 at 6, there is education available (free to you, other than uniform, books etc) from 4 years old. You have the choice of attending private kindy although as someone has said these cost approx $50 and centrelink contribute a percentage depending on your income and visa type.

 

Cal x

[Quoll]

Thanks for your reply. Do you refer to early entry in state school or private or both? My concern is he's starting to read already. I don't what him to wait all that time and then be bored when he gets there!

 

Probably both in reality. He need not be bored, give him a good dose of hand (practical), foot (physical) and mouth (social/artistic) activities and he will probably be reading well ahead of his peers - he doesnt have to go to school to do that and it will be his choice about whether he is bored or not, hopefully the teachers in whichever school he attends will be working with Bloom's Taxonomy and tailoring activities to meet the needs of all the kids in their class - and if they arent then you can direct them to the sort of activities which allow for individual development and progress.

[Guest IlkleyMoorBahtat]

Thank you all for your replies. As I understand it we wont be entitled to any help as we are on temp 457 visas. I'll certainly have a look at the suggested website Kels.

Part of me (on a good day) thinks I should just cherish the extra time I have with him that I wouldn't have had here in uk and on a bad day (when he wont keep his clothes on and is building towers of toy boxes to climb up...naked) thinks his poor brother will suffer and I might just go mad lol!!!

[Liz Steve R]

Thank you all for your replies. As I understand it we wont be entitled to any help as we are on temp 457 visas. I'll certainly have a look at the suggested website Kels.

Part of me (on a good day) thinks I should just cherish the extra time I have with him that I wouldn't have had here in uk and on a bad day (when he wont keep his clothes on and is building towers of toy boxes to climb up...naked) thinks his poor brother will suffer and I might just go mad lol!!!

 

Ha ha ha :biglaugh: our house is just the same sometimes!

We have a three year old daughter, she attends nursery for 3 days a week (and is thriving on it). Must be 3 year olds - she's hardly ever got any clothes on! lol Great thread, was wondering what our daughter will do when we move too. If she doesn't go to a nursery then I think we (Mummy and daughter) will be visiting lots of Mums and tots groups and arranging play dates.

 

We are migrating to South Fremantle August 2011 with the RAN and will be permanent residents.

 

Sorry, don't want to muscle in on your original thread topic but I'm also wondering what school year our kids will fall into when we move. Can anyone tell me what month is the cut off for the academic school year? (i.e: it's end August in the UK)

And does the Oz new school year start in January?

 

We have a daughter born April 1998 (currently UK Yr8),

a son born October 1999 (currently UK Yr6)

and a daughter born October 2007.

 

Thank you in anticipation of any replies :smile:

Liz x

[northernbird]

Ha ha ha :biglaugh: our house is just the same sometimes!

We have a three year old daughter, she attends nursery for 3 days a week (and is thriving on it). Must be 3 year olds - she's hardly ever got any clothes on! lol Great thread, was wondering what our daughter will do when we move too. If she doesn't go to a nursery then I think we (Mummy and daughter) will be visiting lots of Mums and tots groups and arranging play dates.

 

We are migrating to South Fremantle August 2011 with the RAN and will be permanent residents.

 

Sorry, don't want to muscle in on your original thread topic but I'm also wondering what school year our kids will fall into when we move. Can anyone tell me what month is the cut off for the academic school year? (i.e: it's end August in the UK)

And does the Oz new school year start in January?

 

We have a daughter born April 1998 (currently UK Yr8),

a son born October 1999 (currently UK Yr6)

and a daughter born October 2007.

 

Thank you in anticipation of any replies :smile:

Liz x

 

School year in WA starts on 2nd February 2011. The cut off dates run from 1st July to 30th June. Therefore years for your children are as follows:

 

April 1998 child will enter Year 8 in 2011 (first year of High School in State Schools)

October 1999 child will enter Year 6 February 2011

October 2007 child will enter Kindy in 2012 (part time, non compulsory and enrolments are usually done around June - August). Keep an eye out at your local school/local paper to find out when your school are taking enrolments.

 

Hope that helps.

[fish.01]

I have a little boy who started at a private school (preschool year) in Sept aged 3yr. He attends 5 mornings per week and really enjoys it. After researching Aus schooling I see he wouldn't be eligible to attend prep (preschool) until 2013 (August birthday).

It has been suggested that a private school might take him earlier than this depending on his ability.

 

We will have lots to see and do and learn about when we arrive in Oz but 2013 will make him almost 6 before he goes back to school again. He's a bright little thing and I'm not sure with a 1.5yr old also at home I can give him the attention he is used to.

 

I'm just wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences?

Louise

 

You should look into the C&K centres. They run a great programme with fully qualified teachers.

 

Kindergarten - pre-prep (C&K Home)

 

Your nearest appears to be this one:

Ascot Centenary Kindergarten and Preschool | ourbrisbane.com

 

But there appears to a couple more nearby eg http://wagnerroad.candk.asn.au/

 

Note the waiting list messages. Is demand to get entry into these great centres so put your name down early.

Pre Prep - 2014 Waitlist opens Friday 8am 15th October 2010 for children born 1/7/09 and 30/6/10

Pre Prep Waitlist open for 2012 & 2013

 

(http://candk.findnearest.com.au/findnearest.asp?OriginSuburbPostcode=EAGLE+FARM+QLD+4009&EnvironmentID=744&submittopage=locatorresult.asp&Log=1)

 

Some are part time (2-3 days per week from 9am-2:30pm) while others run full day care extension programmes on top of their schooling programme.

[Liz Steve R]

School year in WA starts on 2nd February 2011. The cut off dates run from 1st July to 30th June. Therefore years for your children are as follows:

April 1998 child will enter Year 8 in 2011 (first year of High School in State Schools)

October 1999 child will enter Year 6 February 2011

October 2007 child will enter Kindy in 2012 (part time, non compulsory and enrolments are usually done around June - August). Keep an eye out at your local school/local paper to find out when your school are taking enrolments.

Hope that helps.

Thank you very much for taking the time to work those dates out for us - much appreciated :biggrin:

[northernbird]

Thank you very much for taking the time to work those dates out for us - much appreciated :biggrin:

 

I work in a school so it is second nature. Good luck with your move.

[Guest Toorak Trev]

It does surprise me constantly when people say they are coming to Australia for the lifestyle and to give their kids a better life.

 

Then they start by associating UK school systems and making assumptions about early educational requirements.

 

Children are being educated from 3 in Australia, perhaps its just in what the parents need more teaching.

 

Social interaction, cooperation, manners, problem resolution, sun smartness, swimming, being a kid ie

 

Dont associate being top in class in UK to necessarily mean top in an Australian school. There have been countless parents coming to my daughters school on short term ie 3 or 5 year placements making this assumption. When they find their precious princesses are often behind in things like mathematics whereas they are ahead in reading. They are also often embarrassed to find their children have the intellect but lack the social maturity and are therefore held back.

[Guest IlkleyMoorBahtat]

It's not so much the educational side of things because I can assure you if my son wants to know something he will hound me until I explain the inner workings of a combine harvester for example. It's more trying to juggle to the requirements of a 3.5 and 1.5 year old. I don't know if you have ever been at home full time with young children but I do personally find it hard to make sure that the older one doesn't dominate all the time so the younger doesn't get any age appropriate play or dedicated time. I won't have any family or friends in Oz when I arrive and my husband will work 5 days a week, I sometimes find it tough on my own with two boys and need a bit of down time too.

I did already say there will be lots to see and do for us in Oz, we will all have a lot to learn and I'm looking forward to it.

I was raised in the UK and have been informing myself about the UK education system since I had children because if you don't apply at the right times you don't get in, it's all I know and therefore natural to compare with any new systems we will come across.

I didn't state my reasons for coming to Oz but it is for a different life, how can I yet say it is a better one.....I'll decide when I get there!

[docboat]

Our children are 4 and 6 - both very bright boys. The younger one is reading fluently, and they both attend Kumon - and I can heartily recommend Kumon. Little one started at Buggles child care - they are not limited to following the class, but each child is given encouragement to develo as they mature. So our little reader, who is going into kindy in February, has been given encouragement to develop his skills but within the context of a shared group. He has developed very well. I m not sure how things will go in kindy - it is attached to the school of big brother, and follows a curriculum, but the teachers are supportive, and have a program of child development which is under uni study, allowing children to develop at their own pace.

 

If all else fails, he will simply be given his books to read in school, and we will continue to encourage his interests out of school - which is the job of a parent anyway. Both boys are on the waiting list for my old alma mater, a private school in Perth, and they will enter in 2015 in years 6 and 3 respectively. At that school there is an even more developed system of mentoring and pastoral care for children, both above and below the bands of average.

 

BTW - state schools here are filled with brilliant and committed teachers. Schools in areas where the majority of parents do not care about their children have poorer results, social problems to the hilt. But that is an issue of the clientele, not the teachers. Choose your residential area well, and that problem diminishes (but of course does not vanish)