School system

[Guest Andrea&Andrew]

Hi

 

I was just wondering how the school system works out in Oz. My eldest son is in year 9 and his year group are just about to choose their options. William won't be as he leaves in a weeks time. Do they have the option system out in Oz? Also, in UK schools we have the SATS, targets and attainments. Does the school system in Oz have something similar.

 

Any help, advice or information greatly received.

 

Thanks,

Andrea

[Rachiegarlo]

Hi,

hope you're not getting too nervous seeing as your departure date is soon.

 

Yr 9 here in south Australia is the second yr of high school. The government schools will set a skills attainment test this year for the first time. The kids already do them in yr 3,5, and 7. These just show whether your child is reaching the benchmarks and show the skill band they fall into. This test doesn't determine what they do beyond it, it's just a check to see where they are at. The school yr here runs January to December so our yr 9s have only been back at school for about 5 or 6 weeks. Around August September most schools have subject choice for the following yr. Yr 9 is usually still fairly broad, and it is more yr 10 that is the foundation for the 2 final yrs of 11 and 12. The subjects chosen in yr 10 will determine what can be studied beyond. If passes are not good enough in science then the child will probably not be able to do Physics/Chemistry in the senior yrs. There is a similar pathway for maths. English is compulsory until yr 11. If you want advice about choosing a school to meet your children's needs then email me. Primary school is from reception to grade 7. High school starts at yr 8. There are some high schools that specialise in maths/science,languages, agriculture, accelerated learning, music , sport and dance. There will be a high school in the area you live, that you are zoned for and will always have a place at, but you can apply for your child to attend a different high school for a specialist program, or if the local high school doesn't offer the subjects your child wants to do, for example he has been studying latin or international baccerlaureate and wants to continue. It comes down to places spare then. Primary schools usually only zone if they are getting full.

There are no school lunches here, you either buy from the canteen if the school has one (most high schools do) or bring food from home- a packed lunch. Some primary schools have a tuck shop or will outsource to a local deli.-called lunch orders. Children in yr 7 are between 11 and 13 yrs.

There is a fee that you have to pay the schools to cover materials etc. Primary schools charge $110 - $300. High schools average $250 - $500. In high school you have to buy your own stationary. There is a school dental service, with a nominal fee for the year, which covers any treatments. Each education area has one usually situated on a local school property. Children in yr 5 are usually 9 - 10 yrs. The school day starts anywhere from 8.45 -9.00 and finishes at 3.00 - 3.30. Most high schools have 1 day where they finish early to allow for meetings or sport. If you have already chosen a school, if you go to www.dete.sa.gov.au and follow the links to schools from the parents site, each school has to provide a context statement which covers numbers of children in each yr, local area background, numbers of non english speaking children, numbers of children on school fee assistance, extra curricular offerings etc.

I can't think of anything else at the moment, but do ask if you want to know anything else.