In Australia, Primary Education, is still considered the first formal period of education as part of mandatory school attendance for children.

Primary schools in Australia are equivalent to Elementary schools in a number of other countries, e.g. US and Canada.

Primary education may be broken into Infants and Primary areas, the division commonly occurring at the end of the first couple of years of schooling.

Today, there is also a possibility of Middle Schools, covering Years 5-8. This is still very limited at this time, but may impact on the structure of Primary schools in the future. It is a more advanced concept in some places such as the Northern Territory.

Many children now proceed to Primary Education from Early Childhood Centres. These may be Day Care Centres, Kindergartens or Preschools. It is an increasing trend and is strongly supported by the current government. It applies whether these are state or private and irrespective of full or part-time attendance. In a number of areas, some preschools are run as part of the state system, e.g. South Australia, New South Wales.

Prior to formal primary education, there is considerable primary education by parents.

For a general Overview of Australian Education, including Primary Education, go to The Australian Education System from Australian Education International.

The following articles and information may be of help either in making decisions, or in preparation for entry to Primary Education.

• Back to School
  Coping at the end of holidays and going back to formal learning.
• British Medical Journal
  Report on ‘Child Psychiatric Disorder and Relative Age Within School Year : Cross Sectional Survey of Large Population Sample’. For those with children who are young for a school year, or when starting school, this is worth considering. PDF or full text downloads.
• Elmo’s First Day of School
  A Sesame Street presentation.
• Kindergarten Entrance Age and Children’s Achievement
  ‘We present evidence that children who are relatively old when they enter kindergarten score higher on achievement tests and are less likely to repeat grades or suffer from learning disabilities than their younger classmates.’
• Preparing for The First Day at Primary School
  Three sections cover Overcoming first day fears, After the first few weeks in Primary School and Finding out about your child’s Primary School. UK government site.
• Ready For The New School Year ?
  As a parent, see how you feel.
• Starting School
  While South Australian, general information still applies in other areas.
• Starting School : Deciding When Your Child Is Ready
  Short article from Kidspot Australia. Also has links to related articles on Preparing for Preschool and Preparing for School.

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Enrolments

For full details, check information provided on the Enrolments page.

Mandatory Legal Attendance

All children must be in formal education once they turn 6 years of age. There are some options with this including registered Home Schooling.

All states & territories make provision for children to commence earlier than this. You are referred to the Enrolments page for specific details for all states & territories.

Classes

There are normally smaller classes in the early years. These sometimes fall to between half to two thirds the size of classes at the upper end of Primary education.

Classes may be created in one of the following models or combination, based on multiple features. These will include :

• Single Sex Classes - less common in state systems, more common in non-government systems where single sex schools exist.
• Mixed Sex Classes - the most common model across all systems at this level.

These may then be combined with :

• Single Year or Grade groupings [e.g. Year 1, Grade 4].
• Multi-Age or Multi-Grade groupings, sometimes called Composite Classes, e.g. Years 3/4, Years 4/5/6. Very common in smaller schools.
• Some schools may use a mix of these in different parts of the curriculum and at different times of the day. For example, core classes for core subjects such as Language and Mathematics, with composite groups in areas such as The Arts.

If you have concerns about a multi-grade class and your child’s placement in it, consider the following points.

• Provided appropriate student selection is carried out, composite classes can be beneficial to all students involved. They can provide support, allow the development of leadership and much more.
• In smaller schools, it may not be possible to avoid them. If there are not enough staff for individual year groups there is no choice about having them. A vast majority have proven successful.

Before becoming upset by the possibility of your child’s inclusion in such a class ensure you do the following and make judgements on Knowledge not feelings, perceptions or a common belief that all such groups are less than desirable.

• Talk to the school.
• Ask how arrangements were decided and what benefits are anticipated ?
• Why was your child included and what benefits do they expect him/her to gain from his/her placement ?
• If your child knows about the placement, talk to him/her. You may find you are the only one who has a concern.

Several sites provide access to information about composite classes. These include the ones listed below.

• Getting The Right Mix
  ‘Are multi-age classes good or bad for your child ? Bridie Smith looks at both sides of a passionate debate’. 2003 article in The Age.
• Parents’ Views of Composite Classes
  In an Australian Primary School. A study of ‘Parents of children in a large primary school in New South Wales [who] were asked questions related to their attitudes towards and beliefs about composite [multi-grade] classes.’

Other options include the following. These may vary from state to state with some not found in all states.

• Family Groups are groups of children from across the whole primary school. There are often social benefits for All students involved in such groups.
• Streamed Classes are created by grouping students in the same cohort on their educational ability/capacity.
• Parallel Classes allow common groups from the same cohort of students.

Special Groups. In addition to the combinations possible above, there are also classes catering for children with special needs or having special talents, e.g. intellectual capacity.

• Opportunity C Classes [New South Wales] - children grouped based on high intellectual capacity. These only cover the last two years of Primary education. Some schools run their own gifted classes or groups.
• Classes for children with disabilities, e.g. Hearing, Vision, Behaviour, Learning, Physical, … . These are usually significantly smaller in size and have additional teaching/support staff. However, there is a movement away from separate classes toward the integration of such children into regular classrooms, with itinerant specialists and extra support staffing.

Progress

In normal circumstances, children progress from school year to school year, on an annual basis;

In some instances Repetition may be considered in the best interests of the child. Repetition involves taking the same grade level a second time. If suggested, the following criteria need to be considered.

• It should occur in the Earlier Years of school, though not recommended for the first formal year of school. In most instances, in the later years, it is at best of dubious quality.
• It Must be discussed with you, as parents, over a period of time before repetition becomes the chosen option.
• You must be made aware of all that has been done to eliminate the need for repetition.
• Evidence needs to be provided as to why it is considered, anticipated Benefits and what Other Alternatives have been considered.
• Note that with increasing options available to assist children maximise progress, repetition is becoming a less valued/valuable option with many schools not even considering it an option.
• There is also concern that the negative impacts of repetition - removal from peers, self-perception, etc., may be greater than any perceived or anticipated benefits. Certainly it requires considerable commitment on the part of student, school and parents.
• However, No Child should face repetition more than once.

Progression to High School

This is normally an automatic, accepted process unless there are extreme or special circumstances. Most children will proceed directly to their local secondary school. In a number of states there are choices available between regular secondary schools as well as specialist secondary schools in a number of curriculum or talent areas.

In all states there is a set Procedure which your school follows with you and your child. It is normally carried out in the middle of the last Primary school year. If you are planning to enrol your child in a non-government school, you need to ensure you are fully aware of all requirements, especially the application timetable, process and potential fees.

The Normal Age for students progressing to high school sits between 11.75 and 12.75 years of age, though this can vary upward slightly. There are some restrictions on the Lower Age Limit which need to be checked if your child fits this category. These particularly take into account aspects such as social and emotional maturity and the intellectual capability to cope with age differences and other demands.

The following resources may provide assistance for those parents with children about to enter high school. While they come from New South Wales, the general thrust of these would apply in all states [ ven though in some cases the Year/Grade might be different.

• Starting Year 7
  An overview of moving from Primary to Secondary schooling and some of the changes and requirements this involves.
• Getting Prepared
  Informs parents how both schools work together to help prepare students to handle the change well.
• High School
  Two videos that [a] introduces students to secondary school life and [b] provides tips on how to have a great first year in the secondary setting.
• How is Your Child Feeling About High School ?
  basic information and tips on how to handle the situation.
• Starting High School Checklist
• Ten Tips to Help Prepare
  10 specific tips for parents on ways to provide support and ensure a successful transition.
• The Introduction of New Subjects
  Covers not only the changed structure and content of subjects but also information on homework and study.

See the Important Examinations page for details about special placement tests in New South Wales and Western Australia.

Teachers

In most instances, your child will have One teacher for their everyday education;

In some circumstances they may be in a Team Teaching group. Two or more teachers may teach different curriculum areas. There are benefits from the use of specific expertise.

In addition they may experience some of the following specialists, based on school staffing & organisation, school size and individual needs.

• librarian;
• computing teacher;
• English as a Second Language teacher;
• music/choir teacher;
• foreign language teacher;
• sport/physical education teacher;
• art/craft teacher;
• Reading Recovery teacher;
• Itinerant teacher [various specialities];
• Relief from Face to Face teacher who takes normal lessons [relieving classroom teachers in some states].
• Some specialists may be from outside the school, others may be different classroom teachers within the school who have specific expertise in a nominated area.

Curriculum

• For specific curriculum information, check details from the Curriculums & Syllabuses page.

Uniforms, Fees & Financial Assistance

Check the following pages :

• Enrolments
  For state & territory information. Includes Uniforms and dress standards.
• Fees & Charges
• Financial Assistance
  School, Department & government assistance, scholarships, discounted fees, etc..
• Scholarships
  Most apply to secondary and tertiary education, but some are at the Primary level.

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