I am looking for some advice on starting DS at kindy, I'm really not sure what to do and in a bit of a flap. Sorry this is going to be a bit long!
DS will be 4 this June and so could start kindy next year (at the end of January) although he will be just under the cut off and young for the year. Before we left the UK last October DS had just started preschool because he would be starting school this year in the UK. He did 3 months of preschool before we left for Oz and came on a lot in that time, he'd never been in a group daycare situation before. But since moving to Sydney we haven't been able to get him a preschool place (he's on waiting lists) and for an almost 4 year old he seems a bit behind in some respects. He doesn't really draw or recognise letters, or write his name. He can count up to 10 though.
I've spoken to the school and they are strongly of the opinion that he should be held back a year and started in kindy when he's 5 and a half (rather than 4 and a half), most Australian families hold their children back if they are young for the year apparently. Most of the school's classes are composite, so he could be in a Kindy/Year 1 class with other kids up to the age of 7. My problem is that I'm worried it won't do him any favours to not go to school for another year. We plan to return to the UK in 2/3 years time, and he will have missed 17 months of schooling that he would have had in the UK.
Should I just go against the teacher's advice and enrol him anyway? He has just been offered 2 days a week at preschool starting in late July, which gives him 5/6 months there before school starts. He might be woefully unprepared compared to the other kids in his class. I don't want him to struggle and be unhappy.
To add to the confusion, my job search has been pretty much ruined by my "surprise" pregnancy! We would pay $4500 a year to send him to school, or $140 a week to send him to preschool for 2 days. So obviously school is the much cheaper option next year given I'm not working.
Thanks for reading, if anyone has any advice to offer I'd love to hear it!