[nippa&pippa]

In UK, you start to enrol your child into primary school a year before 4th birthday. My son's 4th birthday is in two week and we like him to start our local primary school soon after his 5th birthday (as his birthday will be fall during 2 weeks holiday) I wondering how it work in NZ when you got child in nz's kindergarten already? Do I need to contact primary school soon or just few months before 5th birthday etc? or do kindergarten do all for you?
Thanks for your help...

[Tia Maria]

I'm not sure if there is some kind of time limit, but I went to view local schools and pick up forms when my oldest was about 4 and a half and that was fine in terms of enrolling. The kindy also arranged visits for the children to go and see the schools.

He then did a couple of short visits with me a few weeks before his 5th birthday and then he started after the holidays as his birthday also fell in the middle of the holidays. This worked really nicely as he started with 2 other children so he wasn't the only new child in the class.

He settled really quickly so everything was quite straightforward, but the school was very flexible and allowed parents to stay for more sessions if necessary, or for some children to go home early if necessary.

Cheers

Tia

[sizzlingbadger]

Get them enrolled now, some schools you can turn up on the child's 5th birthday and get a place and some have waiting lists. I've got to enrol my 3rd child now really to secure a place even with two siblings there full time.

They'll then contact you for school visits, usually one morning a week for a set time. My eldest was 5 in Nov and we held him off full time until the Feb because of the 6 week break, we didn't want to start him and then stop him for that long as he'd wonder what was going on. It suited him just fine but with my middle one she's on school visits now and starts at the beginning of term 3 as soon as she's 5 although she'd like to be full time now :o

[nippa&pippa]

Thanks for information. Soon after his 4th birthday I will pop in local primary school to enrol him. It is very small rural school, so I don't know the waiting list is like.

[jubjub]

Another thing I have just realised, novice mummy that I am.... our local kindys have waiting lists, some as long as three yrs! so get organised folks if you live in a busy area, and want a good preschool!

[sizzlingbadger]

Sal, the kindys can have the waiting lists two ways, by birthday (which is the fairest) and when they went on (a bit unfair). But it is best to get organised as soon as.

Another one is school zones, we've only recently found out the out of town school here has now got a school zone because of increasing numbers. It's quite a big area but not many houses and a few friends who were hoping to send their children to that school can't anymore.

We're lucky in that we're shifting towns but can keep the kids in the same kindy and schools :clap

[dharder]

Another one is school zones, we've only recently found out the out of town school here has now got a school zone because of increasing numbers. It's quite a big area but not many houses and a few friends who were hoping to send their children to that school can't anymore.

And they review those zones, too, if it is a popular school! We thought we had it all in the bag planning to move into a house that was within zone for a good primary and secondary school, only to find that they were thinking of making the zone for the primary school smaller!

We seem to be okay for the moment if we enroll the boys at the end of the year, and with falling rolls, the little ones will probably be alright, too. But that was a bit of a fright there (schooling being the main reason for me to move away from where we are at the moment).

Daniela

[nippa&pippa]

Another thing I have just realised, novice mummy that I am....

:laugh we all are the same!! even i am expecting my third, and i am still learning new things everyday!!!

[mgbridges]

All very useful info folks - thanks. Any tips on what to do as my son will have done a full year of full time school in the UK by the time we arrive (early Aug 2007) and will turn 6yrs in Dec 07. We are planning to rent and then buy once we've sorted out where we like best in Auckland.

Sooo.... do we just put him into which ever Primary school we can get him into & like best in the area we are renting and then (potentially) move him when we buy? Or shall I just give him a long holiday and wait until the start of the new school year in 2008 by which stage he'll be 6 yrs old?

Have to say he is going to need some kind of break as all this full time school fair wears him out and he suffers dreadfully with "end of termitis" as last day of term approaches. OOooh, its a problem...:roll

Thanks in advance, Anneliese