School Years/Ages - please teach me how it works here

The terms used here in Australia for school are different than what I'm used to (in the US) I'm hoping someone can provide me general information such as:

- what is first - kinder or prep? at what age can children start kinder (or prep). Are either of these optional (I'm not asking about home schooling, only when are children required by law to start school)

- what is the first year of school called? at what age do children start this first year?

- when someone says "junior school" - what school years/ages are they talking about?

- What's Form 1, Form 2, etc. and when does "Form..." end and become Year 7, Year 8, etc.?

- What years are considered "high school"?

- What years focus on VCE preparation?

- What is the last year of school?

- DS was born on 12 Dec 2010 - what year will he be expected to start school?

Thanks!

Confusing isn't it - especially as different states are different!! Will answer for you as a teacher in Victoria!

- what is first - kinder or prep? at what age can children start kinder (or prep). Are either of these optional (I'm not asking about home schooling, only when are children required by law to start school)
Kinder is optional. In Victoria there is 3 yr old kinder and 4 year old kinder. You DS would start 3 year old kinder in 2014 when he turns 3 in December, 4 year old in 2015 and then Prep (first year of Primary School in 2016.


- what is the first year of school called? at what age do children start this first year? Prep is the first year of school in Victoria. They have to have turned 5 before April of the year they attend.

- when someone says "junior school" - what school years/ages are they talking about? Usually Junior school here is referring to years 7-8.

- What's Form 1, Form 2, etc. and when does "Form..." end and become Year 7, Year 8, etc.? People don't really call it forms anymore. It goes Prep, grade 1-6 then Year 7-12.

- What years are considered "high school"? 7-12

- What years focus on VCE preparation? VCE is in Yr 11-12

- What is the last year of school? 12

- DS was born on 12 Dec 2010 - what year will he be expected to start school? 2016!

Hope that helps!

Fantastic Tanstar - I'm in VIC so this was perfect and very clear! You must be an excellent teacher :)

Hee hee no worries darls! It is really confusing, especially if your child is born in April for eg. you can choose to send them at 4 turning 5 or else hold back for a year so they will be 5 turning 6! My DD was born in May so will be a bit older and DS is an October baby so it makes it a bit easier for us not being in between and having to choose! Your DS being born in December is the same! He just start at his age which is great!!

Will the starting age cut-off have changed by then? I know they're trying to standardise them across Australia. In NSW children must turn five by July 31, I think in Qld it's June 30. Most children born after about May seem to be held back here, some from earlier.

Tanstar - a followup question - what is the process (in VIC) if you want to enroll your child in a public prep that is outside of your given zone (as in close, but different zone) - is there a process? is it first come, first serve? do you need to "wait list" your child like you do for private schools?

Thanks!

With most public schools they will accept all enrollments unless they have 'capped' enrollments which means they can only take a certain number of students. Find out if you are applying at a capped school and ask the process if that is the case otherwise you can generally just apply as per normal. Most enrollments are around September the year before they start.

just in case you were to move to qld

kindy is optional generally child starts at 4 but depends when born as they go from july1 - june 30

ok on your childs birthdate would do kindy in 2014
prep 2015 (not compulsary ybut i dont know anyone who hasn't sent child)
grade 1 in 2016 primary is thru to year 7 at present
highschool is yr 8 thru 12

I'm in Vic I've only ever heard the term "junior school" used to refer to P-6 section of a P-12 school

My son goes to one and the junior school is up to and includes year 6

Kindergarten and preschool are used interchangeably in Vic and neither is compulsory

Form 1 = Year 7 but I have not heard the year levels referred to as 'Form..' in a very long time

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I'm in Vic I've only ever heard the term "junior school" used to refer to P-6 section of a P-12 school

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i was just going to say the same thing! i went to a school that was P-12 & we referred to P-6 as "junior school" & 7-12 as "senior school".

Ah ok - the Junior School makes sense, I think I have heard that too, along with a Junior School campus at a High School - like Mt Waverley Secondary for eg. who have a Junior/Middle and Senior school campus I think.

As for enrolling, it really depends on the school. Some schools that want enrolments will take students from wherever they are from, others are full to capacity so it isn't so much that they are zoned like the Secondary schools but they do prioritise based on who lives closest I think and it might be a first in first served. Which area of Melbourne are you looking to move to? I would be calling the public schools you are interested in once you move to find out what their process might be.

As a parent of a kindy kid....its stressful i tell ya lol finding the right one making ure its right...waiting and hoping u go into the one u want lol I livei n the westerny subs of melb and here its hard to get into kinder...in the area abt 300 kids miss out and have to look else where....so they say...

For kinder there are two different times u can do...10.5 hrs a week or 12 hrs a week.....if u have a health care crd its free for the 10/5 hrs for the 12 hrs its like $56 i think....if u dont its $255 per term ( which is me lol) reminds me i gotta ring and tell em my next fees will be paid next week ( they want em today damn being paid mthly)

As for schools....public schools are easier to get into....im not really sure myself as im doing cathloic schools ( now thats a pain)

The council where I live were pretty good with late fees if you let them know, especially over term holidays.

Apologies in advance for tangent below.
Depending where you live some children are missing out on places in council run kinders whilst others in the same area are half empty. In Wyndham I think at least 300 children missed out on council kinder places, but I know the kinder DS went to is running 2 classes both half empty. Some of it comes down to the preferences and ability to get to (transport etc) the kinder as well

I think its 2014 that all schools across Australia will be on the same system. QLD for example is changing their high school years to include yr 7 as of 2012 I believe.