Aussie School Admission Age Criteria?

Hi Jo

The current rule in Australia is that children must turn five before the 31st of July in the year that they start Kindergarten. So I'm afraid your daughter is too young to start Kindergarten in Sydney.

The law with state pre-schools is that children must turn four before the 31st of July so she might be a little too young for that aswell. Although there are private pre-schools who accept younger children (ages three and up).

Please see these websites for more information: 
- NSW Public Schools
- Preschools NSW

To answer your other questions: Yes there are usually fees for pre schools in New South Wales but you can find the fee information at the above websites. It would be a good idea to find accommodation close to your school of choice as traffic in Sydney can be heavy in the mornings. 

I think the best thing to do would be to visit a few schools and see which would be the best fit for your family. 

Please see our page on Education and Schools in Sydney for more information. 

Good luck with your move to Sydney.

Candice

My husband is currently working in Sydney and I am in Kenya with my two kids ages 9 and 11. They both have birthdays before July 31 and have currently completed Grade 5 and 3. We are planning on joining him over the July/Au time frame but I'm not sure what grades my kids will get into at the local schools in Sydney. How will the change of school year time frames affect them. They are both bright and are in the top 10 of their grades. Your answer is very much appreciated. Thanks! SK