How to decide if your child is ready for school next year, or the year after. 

BY HEJIRA CONVERY, KINDICARE

NOVEMBER 14, 2022

There are some big decisions to be made at this time of the year, and we’re not just talking about holiday budgeting and Christmas present choosing.

School is front of mind for many parents, and if your little one could start primary education next year, or next next year, then you may be feeling some time pressure around enrolment, and also some uncertainty about what’s best for your child.

To help you come to a decision that feels right, there are a few things to consider, but first, it’s important to know when your kiddo can – and must – start school, based on their birthdate.  

Every state and territory has its own rules around this.

New South Wales

In New South Wales, children can begin Kindergarten at the start of the school year if they turn five on or before 31 July that year, and all children must be at school by the time they turn six.

Victoria

To enrol in a government school in Victoria, a child needs to turn five by 30 April of the year they start school, and all kids must go to school from the age of six.

Queensland

In Queensland, a child must be five by 30 June in the year they enrol for Prep. Early or delayed entry to Prep is possible, but all children must be at school by the age of six years and six months.

Western Australia

In Western Australia, all children must be enrolled in Pre-primary from the start of the year in which they reach the age of five years and six months, and this school age calculator spells out each child’s start year, according to birth month and year.

South Australia

In South Australia, public primary schools have one intake date: If a child turns five before 1 May, they can start school at the beginning of that year, and if they turn five on or after 1 May, they can start the following year.

Private schools do things differently, and as a guide, most Catholic schools offer two intakes per year for kids starting Reception: If a child turns five on or before 30 April, they can enrol in Term One of that year, and if a child turns five on or before 31 October, they can enrol in Term Three. Children who turn five on or after 1 November start at the beginning of the next year, and all children in South Australia must be enrolled by their sixth birthday.

Tasmania

In Tasmania, a child who has turned five on or by 1 January in any year must start Prep (or an approved home education program) in that year.

Australian Capital Territory

In the Australian Capital Territory, if a child turns five on or before 30 April, they can start Kindergarten on the first day of Term One that year, and if they turn five after 30 April, they can start on the first day of Term One the next year.

In some cases, early entry to Kindergarten is allowed, and although all children must be enrolled by the age of six, later entry is possible with a formal exemption.

Northern Territory

In the Northern Territory, school is compulsory from the age of six. If a child turns six on or before 30 June, they must be enrolled at the start of the school year, and if they turn six after 30 June, they must be enrolled at the beginning of the next school year.

If your child can start school soon or later, it may be tricky to know what’s best.

Being ‘young’ for their year (or ‘old’ for next year) isn’t necessarily a negative, but you do need to think about how ready your individual child is to spend longs days at school, with all the concentration, independence and dexterity that involves.

Research tells us that, “Children who start school when developmentally ready to learn, tend to do better in school,” and the Australian government says school readiness includes lots of different skills and behaviours, including:

• Social skills
• Emotional maturity
• Language skills
• Cognitive skills
• Physical health and coordination, and
• Indepedence

 

This means you need to think about your ‘whole child’ when deciding if they’re ready for the big move to school, and it helps to ask yourself questions, like:

• “Can my child play well on their own, and also share and get along with other kids?”
• “Are they able to keep their emotions under control, concentrate on tasks and do what grown-ups tell them to do?”
• “Can they communicate their needs, wants and opinions?”
• “Do they know a few letters, sounds and numbers?”
• “Are they capable of waiting and taking turns?”
• “Can they do things like hold a pencil, handle a ball, run, jump and climb?”
• “Are they able to get dressed, open their lunch box, go to the toilet and look after their belongings without a grown-up’s help?”

 

These are just some of the things to consider, and because school readiness is a multi-faceted deliberation, and every child is different, it really helps to talk to your child’s educator.

They know how your preschooler is tracking developmentally, and can provide some clarity if you’re not sure whether your child is ready for school super soon or a little later. 

Confidence can also be a clincher when deciding whether to enrol your child in school next year, or re-enrol them in early learning.

Bronwyn Sterry, Centre Director at Belonging Early Learning Centre Hornsby South says, “If a preschooler is confident with their belongings and fairly independent, these are good indications that they’re ready for school.”

And regardless of your child’s birthdate or disposition, a quality School Readiness Program, like the one at Belonging, will help them prepare for primary school at their own pace.

What happens next depends on the decision you make.

If you decide to send your child to big school next year, then you need to:

• Contact your school of choice (sooner rather than later) to ask about enrolment and orientation.
• Share your plans with your child’s early learning service, so they know you won’t be re-enrolling.
• Start searching KindiCare for any outside school hours care you’ll need next year.
• Report a change in circumstances with Services Australia, if you receive the Child Care Subsidy.
• Get organised with uniforms and school supplies – not just by buying them, but labelling them, too.
• Encourage your child to practise some self-help skills, such as putting on their shiny new school shoes, finding their hat in their bag and opening the latch on their bento lunch box. You can also practise things together, like crossing the road safely, writing letters and numbers, copying shapes, cutting, pasting, catching and throwing,
• Build some big school excitement between now and their first day! You can do this by organising a few playdates with future classmates, reading entertaining books about school and talking up all the fun your child will have next year.

 

If you decide to keep your preschooler in early learning, then communicate this to your service, safe in the knowledge that education is a journey, not a race.

Your preschooler will transition to primary soon enough, and in the meantime, there’s fun to be had learning through play and developing school readiness skills.

And if you’re still not sure about the best course of action, after consulting the rules and conversing with educators, you might just need to follow your heart and make the decision that feels best for your bambino.

This could mean going to big school with friends from preschool, or staying at kinder to build a little more confidence, and whatever you decide, here’s to a happy new year of learning and development!