jamesnparry Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 :smile:Hi Hope you are comfortable! Here goes... We hope to immigrate on a RSMS in nov '12. Our girls will have turned 6 and 4 at the end of summer '12. I'm a Nurse. In Wales Lizzie started fulltime Nursery class at the age of 3. She is currently finishing Reception class and starts Year 1 this Sept. By Nov. '12 she will just have started Year 2. Ellie starts fulltime Nursery in March '11 (she is and will be part time until then) and Reception in Sept. '11. She will have just started Year 1 in nov. '12. These are my questions: What does oz have that is equivalent to reception class? Is that what Kindy is? What classes will they go into in Jan '12 when they'll be 6 and 4? Do we have to pay for kindy? Can we choose any school or are there catchement areas? Am I worrying over nothing? Lizzie will be 5 next month and completes 2 school years. She is currently in the top group in her reception class for literacy and maths. Don't expect to get the home and job perfect from the start but so so want to get the school right so that they can settle quickly. Thank you in advance Ann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foy465 Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 What does oz have that is equivalent to reception class? Is that what Kindy is? No this is Prep, Kindy is before Prep and optional. They start Prep the January after they turn 5. What classes will they go into in Jan '12 when they'll be 6 and 4? Your 6 yr old will prob go into Yr1 (depending when she is 6). Your 4 yr old will be ready for kindy if you wish. Do we have to pay for kindy? Yes you pay for Kindy, I have my 4 yr old in a kindy at the moment which is quite rare as you can pay by the hour. ($9 an hr or $50 for full day) although I found it really difficult to find somewhere suitable. There is long daycare which run kindy programmes and with these you pay $60 ish and you choose the times between 6am and 6pm. Can we choose any school or are there catchement areas? There are catchment areas, and of course I can only speak for my area. The catchment areas are not strict. I chose a school a bit further away because it had better reports. I just had to put in writing to the Head Teacher why I wanted my child to go to that school instead of the closer one. Below is a great website for checking out scores/reports on schools. http://www.myschool.edu.au/SchoolSearch.aspx Hope this helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish.01 Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 In Qld you start prep in January when you are aged 4 if you will turn 5 by June 30th that same year. If not, you start prep the following Jan when you are 5. After prep you go into year 1. The year before prep has a variety of names as things change. Could be called kindy, pre-prep, pre-school. Usually run by long day care centres or creche and kindergarden (C&K) association who are great. In demand state schools have strict catchment areas, others don't. Many of the inner city state primary schools are strict catchment. Here is the list of strict catchment controlled schools for Brisbane: http://education.qld.gov.au/schools/catchment/metropolitan.html If you are PR you get 50% of your child care costs back at tax time regardless of your income. If you earn under a certain amount you get more back on top of this. By all reports Australia follows a philosophy of socialising children when they are young, and catching up the academic stuff as they get older. Independent international testing puts Australian educational results on par with the UK so seems to be just a different way of doing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foy465 Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 I stand corrected on the age question. I answered the way I did because my son is only 5 in August so therefore doesn't start Prep until January. Also we are on a 457 so get no help with fees. Again personal answers to what I have found out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish.01 Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 I stand corrected on the age question. I answered the way I did because my son is only 5 in August so therefore doesn't start Prep until January. Also we are on a 457 so get no help with fees. Again personal answers to what I have found out. No worries, your post seemed very helpful - I assumed your child was post June 30 - takes a while to realise all the nuances :wubclub: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish.01 Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 I stand corrected on the age question. I answered the way I did because my son is only 5 in August so therefore doesn't start Prep until January. Also we are on a 457 so get no help with fees. Again personal answers to what I have found out. Shame about the 457 thing btw but lucky you're in QLD I guess. In NSW childcare is more expensive and you don't get free schooling but instead have to pay thousands when on a 457... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madcatjane Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 In Qld you start prep in January when you are aged 4 if you will turn 5 by June 30th that same year. If not, you start prep the following Jan when you are 5. After prep you go into year 1. The year before prep has a variety of names as things change. Could be called kindy, pre-prep, pre-school. Usually run by long day care centres or creche and kindergarden (C&K) association who are great. In demand state schools have strict catchment areas, others don't. Many of the inner city state primary schools are strict catchment. Here is the list of strict catchment controlled schools for Brisbane: http://education.qld.gov.au/schools/catchment/metropolitan.html If you are PR you get 50% of your child care costs back at tax time regardless of your income. If you earn under a certain amount you get more back on top of this. By all reports Australia follows a philosophy of socialising children when they are young, and catching up the academic stuff as they get older. Independent international testing puts Australian educational results on par with the UK so seems to be just a different way of doing it. Hi there, just wondered what you meant by PR - did you mean private and if so does this just apply to prep or school too? We are moving to Brisbane in October and thought our son (who is 5 in December) would start school in the new year but it now looks like it will be prep.... is prep full-time and is it easy to get into do you know? Sorry to but in on your posts!! I have a 2 year old who is 3 in October, would she get a funded place in something next year? Many thanks! Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest welshspark Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 Hi there, just wondered what you meant by PR - did you mean private and if so does this just apply to prep or school too? We are moving to Brisbane in October and thought our son (who is 5 in December) would start school in the new year but it now looks like it will be prep.... is prep full-time and is it easy to get into do you know? Sorry to but in on your posts!! I have a 2 year old who is 3 in October, would she get a funded place in something next year? Many thanks! Good luck! PR is permanent residencey :biggrin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish.01 Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 Hi there, just wondered what you meant by PR - did you mean private and if so does this just apply to prep or school too? We are moving to Brisbane in October and thought our son (who is 5 in December) would start school in the new year but it now looks like it will be prep.... is prep full-time and is it easy to get into do you know? Sorry to but in on your posts!! I have a 2 year old who is 3 in October, would she get a funded place in something next year? Many thanks! Good luck! Prep is full time and part of school so your son would be starting school. Your local state schools has to admit your son and even saves places for people arriving during the year. If you live closer to the city the state schools are often restricted to people who live in the catchment as the top inner suburban state schools are in demand. If not catchment controlled you can apply to any state school. Private schools may have a waiting list depending on where you live. Many state and private schools have before and after school care but you should check if you need it. Everything before prep is private but if you are a permanent resident you get 50% of all costs back from the govt (see Childcare Rebate) and if on an income lower than around $110,000 you get further relief. See Childcare Benefit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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