Guest paularobbo Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 hi , we are moving to sydney in july we have a little girl who is 4. and we are looking at living in the north of sydney, we are just waiting for our visa's. i am soo confused about the schooling system, what age do they start in oz? i have only visited sydney many many years ago so i have no clue where is nice to look for somewhere to live, we are thinking around baulkham hills, is that a nice family area we will be staying in furnished apartment for a month while we get ourself settled. if anyone has any advice what so ever about where they like i would so appreciate it. i'm already stressing about where we live as we are bringing our dog charlie with us, and i keep seeing how difficult it is to find somewhere. thanks everyone :yes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest thefarrs Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Hi We moved to Sydney in March and totally understand how confusing it is. Baulkham Hills is a nice area. We live in Bella Vista which is right by Baulkham Hills. We also stayed in a couple of different serviced apartments for the first month or so - ours were in Castle Hill. Which ones were you looking at? With regard to schooling, I think they have to be in school by the term of their 6th birthday. My daughter is 5 and had already started school in the UK so we got her in school here as soon as we could to keep her in that routine. There is a lot of info on the internet about it and there is a great website where you can check all the schools out (cannot remember the web address but try and find it for you). The Hills District is great for families but please feel free to message me with any queries on areas etc. Cara Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest paularobbo Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 cara, thank you so much for your reply, i have no idea where we will be for the first month my husbands company are putting us up! it will be around chatswood area i would think my little one is just about to start school in september, i need for my own sanity to get her into something as soon as possible, as she needs to make some new friends! after all the looking and searching you do on the net you still cant get a real idea. did you find that wait list long for most schools or are they quite open? thanks:yes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sinead Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 cara, thank you so much for your reply, i have no idea where we will be for the first month my husbands company are putting us up! it will be around chatswood area i would think my little one is just about to start school in september, i need for my own sanity to get her into something as soon as possible, as she needs to make some new friends! after all the looking and searching you do on the net you still cant get a real idea. did you find that wait list long for most schools or are they quite open? thanks:yes: Hi, i am moving to Sydney in September.. My little girl is 4yrs old but will turn 5 in August.. She was due to start school in Sptmebr this year but wont be now. Ive just enrolled her in school in sydney. There academic year (school year) starts the 1st feb, so thats when you'll be able to put your little one in school. i think the rule is the child has to be turning 5 before the 1st July in there first year of school.. ie kindergarten.. hope that makes sense.. Oh an Castle hill is a gorgeous area. good luck with it all.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest paularobbo Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 thanks will let u know how we get on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anything is possible Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Hi We should be also moving to the area in june / july we have a 3 year old little girl and a 7 year old boy, schools are also what we are looking into at the minute. Useful website is http://www.myschool.edu.au/SchoolSearch.aspx Hope this helps some Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sk1nny Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 The information listed is correct, however I'd add that not all schools willl adhere to the July 1st cut off. We had several options presented when we arrived, the dates given varied from March 1st thru to July 1st, so I'd recommend you contact the schools you are thinking of & ask them directly. They may give consideration to children who have already attended school in UK and/or Kindergarten. My son's were born July & August & I had to fight tooth & nail to have them continue their schooling year without "being held back" a year when we transferred from WA to NSW so you may have to suck it & see. NSW seems to be slightly different to other states in that it is common for kids (especially boys) not to start "big" school until they turn 6, parents also condone it. Many times I had curious parents ask me why I sent them to year XYZ when they are so young....(jul/Aug babies) My daughter (feb child) started school the year she turned 5 & yet she is the second youngest girl in her year!! The other one is a March baby. So yes technically July might be the official cut off but check out the schools you like & ask them their policy. Cheers K x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKC Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 We have just started our eldest daughter at kindy. She started in February at age 4, and turned 5 in April. I was totally in two minds about whether to send her, or whether to keep her back a year, but was talked in to it by family who didn't think I should 'hold her back'. However, from what I have seen so far, she is at a slight disadvantage by being the youngest in the school (literally). Luckily she is pretty clever, so academically she is near the top of her class. However, physically there is a huge difference between her and her friends (some of whom are more than a year older than her) and to be honest it is likely that she will always come last or near to last in sport, at least until things even out in the later teenage years. I would imagine that further trouble will arise when she is 10/11 and her friends are 11/12. I am glad that I sent her for the academic side of things, as I said she is more than able to keep up, but had she not been as confident in this area I would have definitely held her back despite the pressure from family. From what I have seen of school so far being slighly older has an advantage. They have only done one and a half terms, but they are all already confident readers, and can write pretty good stories. I help out in class once a week, so I have seen first hand how much they have learned. Not sure that they would have learned that quickly had they been younger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest36187 Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Good luck with your move x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JoHunt Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Hi there I totally understand your confusion - it's all quite different over here! From my understanding, the cut off date for NSW schools is that they have to turn 5 before the 1st July in the year that you start them. However, if your child turns 5 at any point between January and July of that year, it's up to your discretion as to whether you send them to school, or keep them back a year. The Australian way of thinking is that boys do better being kept back a year. I understand the rationale behind it, but for me, I'd rather my boys started school to keep pace with the UK just in case we ever decide to go back as I'd hate them to be year behind. We arrived in Sydney in January and our then 6 year old started in year 2 in February as he'd already done a term of year 2 in the UK. The school initially wanted to put him in year 1 as he didn't turn 7 until March and the assumption was that he would be too young for year 2! As it turns out, he's not the youngest in his class, and the other child younger than him is a boy too. Our 4 year old is also a March birthday but we'll definitely be sending him next year in February rather than keeping him back. He may well be one of the youngest, but as he would have started in September this year in the UK, I'm reluctant to keep him back a year. My 7 year old is coping with being with one of the youngest - someone has to be it! It's such a grey area and everyone you speak to has such strong opinions regarding what's best. Mostly I've found the Australians I speak to gasp in horror when I say I intend to send Ollie to school next year and the English folk I speak to just don't get what the big deal is! I guess at the end of the day at least if you feel your child isn't ready, you get the choice to keep them back a year. And the if the worst comes to the worst and they don't cope, the school here told me they can always drop out and restart the following year, or they can repeat a year, which is also completely acceptable. Oh, and my understanding is that as long as you are the the catchment area, they can't refuse you a place - assuming you are talking about state schools, not private! We're in Turramurra at the moment (north shore) which isn't a million miles from Baulkham Hills, and also thinking about moving to the Hills district at some point this year as we've realised that long term, Turramurra's a bit out of our price range! If you need a friend, feel free to message me, I know how completely bewildering it is when you first get here! Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest saffyalice Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Hi there hope i have posted this correctly. My husband has been offered a job in Bella Vista we have a 6 year old daughter 7 in september is this a nice area to live and what schools are around this area thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest thefarrs Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Hi. We live in Bella Vista and my daughter (aged 5) attends the Matthew Pearce Public School. We had done some research before we left the UK and knew that the school had a good reputation. I have not been disappointed with it - it is a fantastic school. They had a new principal and deputy principal at the beginning of the year and, from speaking to other parents, it has been a fabulous move for the school (my daughter started at Easter). Although we have not been here long, I could not have asked for more with regard to my daughters development and the ease in which they have helped her settle in. Hope this helps but please feel free to message me if you have any other queries. Cara Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Alara Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 hi , we are moving to sydney in july we have a little girl who is 4. and we are looking at living in the north of sydney, we are just waiting for our visa's.i am soo confused about the schooling system, what age do they start in oz? i have only visited sydney many many years ago so i have no clue where is nice to look for somewhere to live, we are thinking around baulkham hills, is that a nice family area we will be staying in furnished apartment for a month while we get ourself settled. if anyone has any advice what so ever about where they like i would so appreciate it. i'm already stressing about where we live as we are bringing our dog charlie with us, and i keep seeing how difficult it is to find somewhere. thanks everyone :yes: Hi ! We have now lived in Sydney for 4 years and are returning back to Europe with my husband's job. We live in one of the most sought after school areas of Northshore Sydney and cannot speak highly enough of our local primary school -just 5 minutes walk away. Our two children have had the most wonderful 4 years of their lives here and it will be very sad to leave. So.....we have been renting a very nice detached house with swimming pool, backing onto a park area not far at all from Chatswood (10 min drive max) and we persuaded the owners to let us get a family dog - so it is pet friendly too (very few are) ! We will be leaving at the beginning of August 2011 - if you are interested you can drop me an email and I can tell you more/send you some photos and it has not yet been advertised for rent :biggrin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Colorana Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Hi !We have now lived in Sydney for 4 years and are returning back to Europe with my husband's job. We live in one of the most sought after school areas of Northshore Sydney and cannot speak highly enough of our local primary school -just 5 minutes walk away. Our two children have had the most wonderful 4 years of their lives here and it will be very sad to leave. So.....we have been renting a very nice detached house with swimming pool, backing onto a park area not far at all from Chatswood (10 min drive max) and we persuaded the owners to let us get a family dog - so it is pet friendly too (very few are) ! We will be leaving at the beginning of August 2011 - if you are interested you can drop me an email and I can tell you more/send you some photos and it has not yet been advertised for rent :biggrin: Hi Alara, sorry for jumping in. Do you mind sharing the name of your local primary school? I am also looking for one for my 3 1/2 year old son. Many thanks in advance :smile: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Alara Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Beaumont Road Primary School (http://www.beaumontrd-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/) - it really is a fantastic primary school and has a great school community. We are also in the Killara High School zone (http://www.killara-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/sws/view/41261.node) for older kids - one of the top NSW State High Schools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Colorana Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Beaumont Road Primary School (http://www.beaumontrd-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/) - it really is a fantastic primary school and has a great school community. We are also in the Killara High School zone (http://www.killara-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/sws/view/41261.node) for older kids - one of the top NSW State High Schools. Thanks very much Alara for your super speedy feedback. I will definitely have a look at the links you sent. Thanks very much again. I really appreciate it!:smile: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Alara Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Thanks very much Alara for your super speedy feedback. I will definitely have a look at the links you sent. Thanks very much again. I really appreciate it!:smile: No problem - we've had such wonderful years here at Beaumont Road School, so I'm very happy to recommend ! We are just in the process of doing the housing/school hunt in the reverse order now back to Europe - so we're also feeling the stress with only 2 months to go. I'm new to the forum and not sure if it's possible to send emails - if it is and you would like more info please feel free to contact me :smile: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Colorana Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 No problem - we've had such wonderful years here at Beaumont Road School, so I'm very happy to recommend ! We are just in the process of doing the housing/school hunt in the reverse order now back to Europe - so we're also feeling the stress with only 2 months to go. I'm new to the forum and not sure if it's possible to send emails - if it is and you would like more info please feel free to contact me :smile: Hi Alara, this is just to let you know I sent you a private message..:smile: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunwa Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Just wondering how your plans are going. We're planning to come out late August early Sept and are looking at the same area. Coming with two kids 6 and 1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Colorana Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Just wondering how your plans are going. We're planning to come out late August early Sept and are looking at the same area. Coming with two kids 6 and 1. Hi Dunwa...not sure if your email is for me but will reply. Our plans are progressing well. Thank you. We will stay in Brisbane with some relatives for a couple of days and then start our search for jobs in Sydney. Our location in Sydney will pretty much depend on where we find our jobs.....hope they are not too far from each other and in nice areas! And yourselves? are your plans going well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunwa Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Just waiting on the 457 Visa approval at the moment. We've got several companies round right now providing us with quotes for shipping but we're trying not to outlay too much money because in "theory" the visa could be rejected. The job offer is an IT consultant in and around the the Sydney CBD. So we're looking around the Northshores of the city, near a train station for the commute, so Chatswood, Kilara, Lindfield etc. Main consideration for us though is to find a good school for the kids as the quicker they get settled the happier we'll be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Colorana Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Just waiting on the 457 Visa approval at the moment. We've got several companies round right now providing us with quotes for shipping but we're trying not to outlay too much money because in "theory" the visa could be rejected. The job offer is an IT consultant in and around the the Sydney CBD. So we're looking around the Northshores of the city, near a train station for the commute, so Chatswood, Kilara, Lindfield etc. Main consideration for us though is to find a good school for the kids as the quicker they get settled the happier we'll be. Thanks for your update Dunwa...Hope you visa is approved very soon. yes very goodpoint about the shools...I am also looking into this but cannot start looking into this until we know where our jobs will be. Good luck with your visa and moving plans! :smile: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.