Pre Schools run through DET at Public Schools - any experience with this?

Hi

I have heard that there are pre schools run from some public schools in NSW that children can attend one year prior to starting school. I think they usually go for 5 half days a week but some vary. Have you or anyone you know sent their kids to one of these pre schools? What is your opinion and was it worth it for your child? It's something crazy like $10 a week, but it actually is meant to prepare them for school, writing name, etc, which pre schools apparantly don't do.

I would be looking at still sending DD to her current pre school one full day a week then maybe doing this 3 or 4 times a week if she doesn't go to school next year.

Thanks

I am a teacher at a DET school but don' t know anything about the preschools.

Any good pre school will do a school readiness program which would include writing name, counting etc.

Thanks, DD goes to a community pre school and they don't do the school readiness program. I love the pre school which is why I want to keep her there though. This whole school thing is sooo confusing. Out of interest Mrsmac I see your son is a May 06 baby! Will he be going to school next year?

No he is going 2012. I teach kindergarten atm and I have learnt through experience that he isn't ready.

Our community preschool does school readiness, TBH even if your's doesn't she'll pick it all up at school anyway. The main thing is to get her used to socialising with other kids and being independant in toileting and looking after her belongings.

Maybe i just picked a dud pre school! haha

I have my mum telling me to send her, I know it isn't her decision, but she's a school teacher and sent me and my brother early so thinks she knows best I think! I am secretly hoping the pre school teachers strongly advise us to hold her back hehe...then my decision will be made easy. And as she is a vey shy kid at times, I think doing this school readiness program at the public pre school might be just what she needs :)

Thanks again

There was one of these where I used to live. I don't know much about it though. TBH I think the only reason they had it was because it was an isolated town, with underprivledged? kids who wouldn't have gone to pre school other wise.
As far as I know, it was free, but not too sure there. It was a seperate fenced off building in the school yard, but is more involved with the sctual school, so when it comes time for the kids to start kindy the transition isn't such a huge one.
I grew up in a town not far from there, but there isn't one there & that town wasn't considered isolated. From 30kms North the isolation line started.
It also had a high rate of Aboriginal residents & I think thats mostly the reason for it being there. It was the only pre school in the town. They had a bus too, to make it easier for kids to attend.

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Maybe i just picked a dud pre school! haha

I have my mum telling me to send her, I know it isn't her decision, but she's a school teacher and sent me and my brother early so thinks she knows best I think! I am secretly hoping the pre school teachers strongly advise us to hold her back hehe...then my decision will be made easy. And as she is a vey shy kid at times, I think doing this school readiness program at the public pre school might be just what she needs :)

Thanks again

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Is your mum teaching atm? She would be a good resource for knowing if your DD is ready. It depends on the area you are in too. If there are a lot of parents who hold their kids back early your DD will be disadvantaged by being much younger than her peers.
In my kindy class I have children turning 6 before others even turn 5 which is ridiculous!! I have a couple of kids who should have been sent last year and a few who shouldn't be there until next year!!

I would trust the preschool teacher's judgement mostly unless they are heavily biased in one direction.

MrsMac - I have a question when you say that your son is not school ready do you mean to learn to read and write and socialise? My DD is a May 06 baby and is in Kindy this year. I am in two minds as to whether she is ready as she does not socialise with other kids at all but she really needs the stimulation. So what do you actually mean by school ready? Some kids go to daycare all their lives and get the same interaction as at a Kindy class (sort of?) so does that mean that they are school ready? Sorry, I hope you know what I'm getting at, I'm so confused by this process. I am in Perth by the way so Kindy is 2 years before grade 1.

DS has a sensory disorder and possibly a language one also which means I will definitely not ready, however even without them I wouldn't send him as he is still very into play not sitting down and listening to stories etc.
I think school readiness has a lot to do with independence, can they put their own jumper on, pack away their lunchbox, find their own belongings etc
They also need to be able to verbalise requests of adults- I don't have a book, may I go to the toilet etc Seems obvious but you'd be amazed how many kids will just sit there cause they can't ask.

Ok thanks for clarifying. I think my DD1 is ready then. She likes to listen to stories and can verbalise what she wants. She has never been that much into play. She can do most things except dress by herself but I hope she doesn't have to do that at school.

As long as she can put a jumper on or off and take off her shoes and socks (not necessarily tie shoelaces though)