Clarendon Primary School admits children aged 5 years at the beginning of each school term.  Although the great majority of children begin school soon after their fifth birthday they are not required to do so until the age of six.  You may wish to make an appointment with us to help you with your decision.

Please enrol your child at about the time he or she begins pre-school.  This will help the Pre-school as well as us.  We would like to know as soon as possible so that our staff and our classes can be well organised.

Parents who wish to visit the school before their child begins are very welcome to do so.  Please telephone or call at the school to make the necessary arrangements.  After your child starts school, you may also wish to observe or take part in classroom lessons.  The class teacher will advise you of the best times to visit.

Yes, we like children to have orientation visits, on one morning each week for four weeks prior to commencing school.  This will be at the end of the term before your child commences school.  Please contact the school to find out the arrangements for these visits.

The time at which a child begins school influences the length of time spent in the Junior Primary classes.

• Children admitted at five years of age in February will have twelve terms (three years) in Junior Primary classes.

• Children admitted at the beginning of second term will have eleven terms.

• Children admitted at the beginning of third term will have ten or fourteen terms.

• Children admitted at the beginning of fourth term will have thirteen terms.

• Talk to your child about starting school, making new friends and learning new skills.

• Listen to your child (this helps children at every stage of their schooling).

• Help your child to learn to tie shoe laces, manage clothes, etc.

• Label full name on all things that are brought to school.

• Help your child to recognise her/his full name in the modern cursive print used at school. Copies of modern cursive are available from the school or preschool.

• Help your child to develop responsibility, initiative and independence by giving her/him little duties to perform which require one to two verbal instructions. This will give confidence to complete tasks.

• Give your child the opportunity to play with other children, as well as use scissors, cut, paste and paint.

• Allow your child time away from parents so that she/he accepts that parents will not always be present.

• Teach your child to be safe by knowing first and last names, address, phone number and parent names.

• Discuss any fears about school before the first day. Reassure your child. Do all you can to make your child happy and confident about entering the school world.

On the first day leave cheerfully. Don’t linger unless your child’s teacher suggests that you stay. Let your child know you will be back at the end of the day.

Encourage your child to openly discuss her/his feelings about school and meet with the teachers if you have any concerns. Our teachers care about how parents and children feel.

What does my child wear?

Our school has a school uniform which children are expected to wear.  Items can be bought through the school or purchased elsewhere.  Hats are necessary and shoes or sandals need to be sturdy.  A copy of the school’s dress code is available from the office.

The school hours are from 9:00am to 3:20pm.  There is a teacher to supervise the play area from 8:30am until school starts at 9:00am and from 3:20pm, when children are dismissed, until 3:35pm.

We share an OSHC (Out of School Hours Care) programme with Kangarilla Primary School held at Kangarilla after school Mondays to Friday. A bus picks up the children in Clarendon at 3:50pm to take them to Kangarilla.  A staff member escorts the children to the pick up point and supervises them until the bus arrives.