Please explain the QLD school system ???

Ok so I have been asked by so many people what school I will be sending Ds too??? He just turned 2 today so I am in no rush lol!

But I have no idea how the QLD system works now wiht this prep year and what year he will start etc?

Cause he is born in October does that mean he will start prep the year he turns 6 and school the year he turns 7??? I will be stoked if this is the case!!

Also do they ahve kindergartens anymore? I daont need him to go to childcare but thought a few hours a wek at kindy might be good!

Thanks hope it makes sense :doh:....... Still cant believe I have to think about this when he is only 2!

ok I will tell ya how jack will work seeing as he is sept born 2006

yes there are kindy's in QLD not compulsary...Jack starts kindy in 2011 he has been booked in nsince he was 14mths or so... he will be 4 yrs and a few mths when he starts
he goes to prep in 2012 so 5 years and few mths

depends where you live in relation to booking kids in to schools etc, out where I live we have 1 kindy but limited places hence the early book in we also have one school but dont need to book in due to they work around the number of kids coming thru

being you are in brisbane if there is a specific school you may want to look into just on the off chance it is a fabulous school with high demand for enrolments

HTH!!!!

Ok so Myles will start the year after Jack? in 2013?

We dont know where we will be as we are looking to move so it will just be the school which is closet to us!

Might have to look at kindys though.

thnaks hun! Its soo confsuing wiht the june to june and prep :)

yeah he will go to prep in 2013 I didn't look at your ticker till after I posted

the best kindys I have heard a c&k community ones I think thats the name :lol: as for schools again private versus public is the other factor ... but yeah if your moving not much point etc

oh and Happy birthday Miles :)

Thanks Rach! So now the hunt begins!

thanks for the bday wishes :)

kindy he will be 4 going on 5
prep he will be 5 going on 6
year 1 he will be 6 going on 7

it is up to the parents at this stage is QLD if you want your child to attened prep as it isnt complusery, but highy recommened... year 1 is still the offially the 1st year of school here...

Kindys in QLD can cost the earth and can also have huge wait list so just be perpared for this as well...

My DD2 is a june baby so she will have to start prep when she is only 4 going on 5 I am not happy as this means she will be 4 for 6 mths which seems very young, and will be 12 mths younger than the oldest child... but there has to be a cut off some where, and as someone pointed out to me the other day at least when she is in yr 12 she wont be the one been bullied into buying all the younger ones the grog she would just be the one begging for some, plus she will still be tecniquely a child while still in school so still will have to do as I say pmsl..

Thanks Tali! yeah i am really happy M will start when he is going on 7. But i wouldnt be too happy having my 4 yr old in school! Can you choose to keep them back?

Rofl about the grog thing soo true! That and ciggeretes i spose! lol

Nope you cant hold them back ( well most school wont let you ) as you dont have to send them to prep you dont have too but if I choose not to they will put her into year 1 and not prep... so she might as well go to prep...

Thanks so much for asking this question. I was getting so confused. being from overseas and people's habit of confusing the issue by using the wrong terminology really doesn't help. I have been told about 2 and 3 year olds going to school. The they're talking about pre-school happening before kindergarten. I'm lost! My in-laws don't help as they just keep talking about getting DD into the most expensive private school around. I however don't want that...

I hope you don't mind if I hijack a little...

So, kindy is for 1 year only? How many days a week / hours a day is that?
Prep is not the same as pre-school, is it? How many days/hours is that?
I suppose primary school is 5 days a week. But how many hours?
What is the difference between kindy and prep? What do they learn at each?
Prep is usually offered by primary schools, isn't it? I'm asking that as I would prefer not to have DD change institutions too often.

Gee, it's so mcuh easier in Germany. At least it was when I was young. Kindy was from 3-5 and it was 5 days a week but only 1/2 days. Not compulsory. Then at 6 we started primary school which went for 4 years. Still only half days 1-2 afternoons as we got older. After that it was on to secondary school for between 5 and 11 years (depending on academic level). Some kids, who weren't quite ready to start primary school, were sent to a pre-school year. But apart from that I found it really straight forward.
Oh, and kids who were born near the cut-off usually did an assessment test to see whether they should start school or stay in kindy. Like me. I was born after the cut-off but the assessment said I was ready. So I went to school. I really wanted to and was actually quite good at school. I think this is better, to base it on the individual child rather than just on mere dates.

Sasa
xx

Boomba - thanks for asking this question - it all confuses me! so i will be keeping an eye out on this thread!

So, kindy is for 1 year only? How many days a week / hours a day is that?
It depends where it is. If it's a C&K one, they are usually either 2 or 3 days a week. Some are for a couple of hours a day, some are all day. If it's a kindy at a childcare centre, then it's for up to 12 hours.
DD1 goes to kindy at a daycare centre. It's for 3-4 year olds, and when she turns 4 she goes to the Preschool room (which is for 4-6 year olds).

Prep is not the same as pre-school, is it? How many days/hours is that?
No, it's different. Preschool used to be the year before Grade 1, but that's been replaced by Prep.

I suppose primary school is 5 days a week. But how many hours?
Usually 9-3.

What is the difference between kindy and prep? What do they learn at each?
Kindy/preschool just prepare them for prep. They start teaching them to recognise letters and numbers, and mainly the social interaction.

Prep is usually offered by primary schools, isn't it? I'm asking that as I would prefer not to have DD change institutions too often.
Prep is offered by all primary schools, public and private.