Schooling and Kindergarten

[Guest K.gordon]

Hi there, when we arrive in Adelaide in July our daughters will be 5 (just turned 5 in June) and our youngest will be turning 4 the end of July. Am I right in the information provided on various websites that our eldest will be able to start full time school and our youngest will have 4 sessions per week at kindy? How many hours does this equate to and do you have to pay for kindy care, if so roughly how much? They are very excited about meeting new friends and teachers, they can't wait for their new adventure

 

Thanks for listening, Kate

[snifter]

They can start the term after they are 5 as I understand it (due then to change in 2014 for the reception intake with one specific cut off point, which I think is the start or end of April). Although someone may know it as being different and I'll happily stand corrected

 

Our son has a birthday around the same time and hubby explained it to me if he was starting half way through the school year he would do the last two terms of reception and then next year in Jan would most likely do another year of reception (which is quite normal I am told and he would be one of the eldest in the year therefore). My hubby doesn't bat an eyelid about it but it can be a bit strange to get your head round if you are not used to the SA system. Some children do only do two terms of reception and then go up to year 1 with the older reception children, but many of those that start in the last 2 terms end up doing 6 terms in reception in total, seems to be accepted and quite normal.

 

There was this I found elsewhere

 

From 2013, South Australia will have the same first day of preschool for all children – the beginning of the school year. From 2014 the same first day of school for all children will be the beginning of the school year. If your child turns four before May 1, they will start preschool or school on the first day of Term One in that year. If your child turns four on or after May 1, they will start preschool or school on the first day of Term One the following year.

You can use this link also to work out when children born from 2009 onwards can start school

 

http://www.earlyyears.sa.edu.au/pages/HOME/samefirstday/

 

Kindy I don't know much about as our son will be past that when we move. Although if we have another I'll have to learn about it all

[Guest The Dimmocks]

The kindy my boys go to start 5 sessions a week from term 2. They will be doing 8.30am-11.30am every day, and will cost $65 per term. The cost would be more if your child did full day sessions as they charge for the hour between morning and afternoon session. All Kindys are different though so this is just what happens at the one my kids attend.

[Guest K.gordon]

thanks for the information, its still a bit confusing but I'm sure will all make sense once we've arrived.

[snifter]

thanks for the information, its still a bit confusing but I'm sure will all make sense once we've arrived.

 

It will. Your oldest having that bit of breathing room to settle in and so on should be good. She'll already have done some reception in the UK also so while things will be different, she won't find it too much. And if she is out of school for a few weeks while you look round Adelaide its not bad thing, she'll be finishing a full school year in the UK and missing out on her summer holiday so a bit of a break won't be a bad thing IMO.

[Guest Brigitte-SH]

Hi can anyone just let me know what the difference between kindergarten and preschool is in SA? Thank you.

[Guest mandy.s]

sorry to butt in on your tread but was wondering what the situation is for 7 and 10 year olds,, and do we have to pay for them to go to school, i also have a 16 year old, if we have to pay for them all this will really bite into our budget

[Guest vikkiann]

sorry to butt in on your tread but was wondering what the situation is for 7 and 10 year olds,, and do we have to pay for them to go to school, i also have a 16 year old, if we have to pay for them all this will really bite into our budget

 

 

I'm pretty sure that you pay around $300 per school year towards each childs education.

[Rachiegarlo]

Kindy is usually just for four year olds, for the year before they start school. In the older suburbs these are stand alone facilities. In the newer suburbs these are often incorporated onto the primary school grounds, but still for kids for the year before they start school. Sometimes kindies will have a playgroup session for younger kids. Preschool can be the same, kindies are often called this interstate. Preschools can be private like Montessori preschools or attached to private schools. There is not really much difference, but preschools often have younger kids in a childcare environment, unless a montessori or steiner or whatever.