Hi,

Was just wondering if anyone can tell me what age kids are when they start Kindergarten up here? And how old they have to be to start school?
Also any other info anyone can give on the schooling system up here would be great too!!

Thanks in advance

Kids start Pre-school at 4, BUT alot of the preschools have started an early intake at 3.5. You child needs to be 4 by June 30, to start at the beginning of the year. Or they can just start as soon as they turn 4.

5yrs - Transition
6yrs - Grade 1

Though of course with early intake now these ages vary slightly. Just depends on what school your child is going to.

School isnt compulsary until your child is 6, but you will find that nearly everyone in NT starts as soon as your child turns 4.

Hope that isnt confusing, lol.

Not confusing at all, that has helped me out so much!! I understand it all now. Thanks!

ATM, my daughter is doing 3 year old kinder, and 3 1/2 year old kinder, and i wanted her to stay at that until she was 4, but i wasn't sure if they allowed that up here, since she isn't 4 until July, i was thinking maybe i had to wait until next year for her to go to Kindergarten.

So will i have to wait til my daughter is 5 1/2 for her to start transition, since she doesn't turn 5 before the 30th of June next year? Hope that makes sense.

It depends what school she is going to> Do you know yet?

Our school is only starting the early intake this year so I'm not 100% sure but I'd say if her birthday is in July then she can start preschool as soon as she turns 4 but wont beable to start Transition until she is 5.1/2 (the January year after she is 5) as they dont like to do mid yr intakes. So she will have 1 and 1/2 yrs of preschool (which is a pain!)

Someone correct me if Iam wrong, but this is how our school was doing it last year. If her birthday was a few weeks earlier then she would start Transition in January (at 4.5yrs old).

Luckily all my kids have birthdays at the end of the year so this doesnt apply to them BUT my new bubs is due in July and I'm already hoping it comes early as it interferes with the school yr :wink:

It is a pain, but not much you can do.

Haven't decided what school/preschool to put her into yet, we have only been here roughly 6 months, so i still need to research schools and find the best one for us.

I love the look of Essington, but not sure if my partner will like their prices, lol, so might have to look elsewhere.

What are the best schools/preschools up here? Do spots in the schools fill up quick?