School in QLD

[Heaven]

Can someone please explain to me about school in qld!! I am totally confused. I have been googling and am confused about what kindy/preschool/prep is, are they talking about the same thing or are they different? And I see people on BB talking 3yo and 4yo kinder, do we have the same thing in qld? I am so totally confused.

My DD was born in March 2009. So when will she start prep?? (that's the yr before yr 1 right?) And what is prep? Is it like full time school and is it at an actual school?

What is the yr before prep?? Whatever that is (kindy or preschool?) I want her to go to that because I guess that's not every day. I don't want her going straight into 5 days a week, that would be a bit of a shock.

Soooooo if someone could help me by telling me what year she needs to go to what and what it actually involves that would be super awesome!! I can't work it out.

[Catastrophic]

Your DD is will go to school the year she turns 5, which is "prep" so 2014.



Love MN ;-)

[Catastrophic]

She can go to a preschool/kindy if you want her too. Will have to look around for some in your area.


Love MN ;-)

[Olive]

its soooo confusing, i wish all states named things the same.
here in victoria the cut off for primary school is to be 5 before mid-late april.
so we have
3yr old kinder-optonal
4yr old kinder-compulsary

primary school
prep
grade 1
grade 2
etc etc.. to grade 6

for us with DD2 being a feb baby she could go to 3 yr old kinder next year but we're holding her back so she will start prep/primary school in 2015

hope that helps

[Catastrophic]

Ah yes, has to be 5 before end of June. To start prep.

Here kinder isn't compulsory.


Love MN ;-)

[tellytubby]

Hmm I thought her DD would be going to prep in 2013, as the cut off in in June/July ???

My DS will be going to prep in 2014, he was born in November 2009.

I don't have the brain to explain my thinking. Sorry!

But that is my understanding.

Kindy is completely optional. Some day care centres have a "kindy" room, which is similar.
The traditional kindy, is a 5 day fortnight, around $30 a day. 9am to 2:30pm. (school hours).
Traditional kindy is in demand. If you would like her to go (Even if you are just considering it) ring up and book her in now. You can always cancel when the year comes. Most kindy's require a booking fee. ($5 roughly). Just for all the paperwork they send out as the year draws closer.

I hope i've helped! Its very confusing!

[Olive]

i highly recommend kinder as its really great for school readiness

[Heaven]

Thanks guys.

Ok, so kindy isn't compulsory here but I want her to go bc I think it will be a bit much for her going straight to 5 days a wk in prep.

I was wondering the same thing Olive. She is start of March so if I start her in 2014 she's only 4 when she starts (even though it's not for long) but that sounds so young to be starting full on school. And although she's very friendly and outgoing I'm not sure she'd be ready to be away from me on her own most of the time by then. Of course, I have no idea what she'll be like by then, I might think she's ready because she seems pretty clever already. I'm just worried about the emotional maturity side of things. So I can choose to start her the next yr if I feel it's right at the time then??

[Erin_25]

Your daughter will start school the year she truns 5 (if she is 5 before June 30, which she will be), meaning she will be due to start Prep (school) in January 2014.

The year prior she can go to Pre Prep (kindy), usually 2 days a week or something like that. My son goes 2days one week & 3days the next. He doesn't have to go to kindy but it's great interaction & the teacher is able to keep me up to date as to if he will be ready for school or not.

My son in an April baby, this makes him one of the youngest in his class due to the June cut off.

As for 3yr old kindy...I'm not sure if some people send there children to early learning centre/daycare and call this 3yr old kindy? but as I am aware you have to be turning 4 before June 30 that year to go to kindy & they take these children first before accepting younger children. But yes many early learning centres, childcare, montessori (sp?) have 3yr kindy rooms, but that's for if you want to send them.

[tellytubby]

Sorry I stand corrected.

Yes your daughter will be 2014. My son will be 2015

[Olive]

my DD2 is feb 09 baby and will go in 2015! my choice though...sending her to school as an older child

[Heaven]

Took too long replying. Thanks TT, I was wondering if I should be booking her in for kindy now too. I guess I better book her in somewhere JIC. So is it just at a daycare centre or are there just kindy's too?? Sorry, I have no clue, lol.

And then if I do decide to start her in 2015 instead should I still start kindy at the same time and do 2 yrs of kindy??

[tellytubby]

I've booked my daughter into a C&K kindy. It is exclusively a kindy. If you look in your local directory you'll find some. Ask some questions to see if they're exclusively a kindy. They're pretty helpful when you talk to them.

But definitely book her in now. I booked my daughter in two years ago (she is due to go next year), and she is number 79 on the list (they only except 44 per year!!)

[tellytubby]

Kindy is generally just the year prior to Prep

ETA ask the kindy provider on the phone about if you decide to start her in 2015.

[Arimeh]

And to make it even more confusing - Heaven, your DD1 will be going to kindy the same year as my DD1, even though your DD1 was born in the same year as my DD2....


LOL

If we were in Queensland this year (as we had planned) DS would be in kindy. He turned 4 in January. He will be in prep next year, then year one.

[Heaven]

And to make it even more confusing - Heaven, your DD1 will be going to kindy the same year as my DD1, even though your DD1 was born in the same year as my DD2....

Talk about confusing!! That makes no sense! LOL

[Erin_25]

I would book into a C&K Kindy, they are just a kindy....if there is no place for her you can look at a centre....but I would go with kindy first. I would go ahead and book, you can make the decision if you do or don't send at the beginning of that year.

As for being ready for School, kindy can make a huge difference here and the teachers can let you know if they are on track for school or not. So I would start in the year that she's due to, if she doesn't go well you can always stop, it may go great and be no problem for School. Or as others I know they just stay another year in Kindy and this doesn't hurt either.

A few weeks into kindy I was told Charlie would struggle with School (april baby) so lets see how he goes, we still have several months.....2 months on I'm told he will be fine at school & is now enrolled to go where many of his friends will be going.

[jaspen]

as far as i'm aware prep is still not compulsory In reality she is only "required" to start compulsory schooling at Gr 1 in 2015 but I believe unless you get appropriate authority (don't ask me who exactly that involves - teachers, child health, parents or combination) you personally can not just make the decision that she will be delayed a year and start prep in 2015 instead. prep is a full five days but at the majority of schools it is very play based with only a small amount of formal "teaching" (eg learning sounds - again in a play or activity like manner). My second child is a june baby and he is coping quite well at the level they are doing. he did attend kindy and childcare for a couple of days a week though in the year before prep and that certainly helped.