Education/ Nursery equivalent for Toddlers?

[Guest Littlesar76]

Hi everyone,

 

We're moving over in April on a 457 visa as my husband starts a job in Reynella. No idea where we'll settle yet but prob coast or hills.

 

I'm trying to understand the SA child care/ education system as it took me ages to understand the UK one. I know kids start school later and can only atted pre-school/ Kindy for a few terms (1 year?) before that - so my question is what do I do with my 2 and 3 yr old girls in the meantime?

 

I work full time in the UK so they're both at private nusery and I want to put them in nursery for 1 or 2 short days in Oz so they can play with other kids and I can have a break (full time motherhood with two toddlers is hard!). I won't be working in Oz for a while so need a plan.....

 

Thanks! Sarah

[Guest ebstar]

Hi Sarah,

 

My kids are a little older and already at primary but i've heard lots of possitive reports on the childcare centre at Happy Valley. They also take the kids to and fro the kindy which is opposite the primary and so get to keep some of the same friends as they progress through school. Its also next door to the Blue Dolphine swim centre that is great. Swim lessons there were cheaper than what i paid in the UK and has a max 1:4 ratio instead of the 1:12 the kids had in the UK. Depending what area of Reynella your oh works the centre will be about 5mins away.

[Guest sun1]

Hi Sarah

Nursery is actually known here as “Childcare” . There is a big mix of private and community run ones but from my experience the Community ones are much better. There are several great ones in the south including Happy Valley. Also, “The Edge” Church run a child care centre which several of my friends use and rave about. My children are 2 & 4 and both attend Child care for 3 days a week. When you visit the different child care centres, make sure you go in with an open mind as the structure and day to day running of some of the centres can be very different to how it works on the uk. If you want any more information on childcare centres etc and areas, don’t hesitate to private message me.

[Guest Littlesar76]

Thank you so much, that's really useful. The first hurdle is knowing what to type into google....!

[Karen_Jon]

Do you know much about the childcare centres towards Christies Beach and Port Noarlunga at all?

 

I have a 2 1/2 year old who I want to try to get into daycare for 2 or 3 days while I go to work.

 

I too am just getting my head around how it all works etc. Plus costs and hours as surely there are other working parents out there and what do they do?

 

Cheers, Karen