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Secondary schooling options. Last minute?

Secondary schooling options. Last minute?

Old Mar 18th 2015, 12:29 pm
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Default Secondary schooling options. Last minute?

We had resigned ourselves to not going to Aus, as a result of not having a job lined up. Well, to cut a long story short it looks like that has all changed at the 11th hour. Only 5 weeks left on the PR visa, and a job I went for some time ago has progressed right through 3 stages of interview, and it is between myself any one other candidate.

I don't want to reject the offer if it does come my way in the next day or 2 without a compelling reason to do so. The salary is good, the role is very interesting, but just cannot figure out schooling for the Daughter.

It looks like at such short notice it will be a case of arriving in Sydney (have eyed up Hornsby Heights) for our place to live, and then having to find her a place at any school that just happens to have a place? Is that basically, the only option we have available or are schools obliged to take a student?

Thanks
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Old Mar 18th 2015, 12:41 pm
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Default Re: Secondary schooling options. Last minute?

If it's the same as WA there will be a local catchment high school which have to take you. You can apply to others but they are not obliged and will only take you if they have room. Good luck.
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Old Mar 18th 2015, 2:06 pm
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Default Re: Secondary schooling options. Last minute?

You are obliged to send your child to school, and the NSW govt is obliged to offer a place in at least one local school. Schools are not all equal. Do your research on the MySchool web site: Home | My School.
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Old Mar 18th 2015, 2:30 pm
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Default Re: Secondary schooling options. Last minute?

Originally Posted by bra_boy
You are obliged to send your child to school, and the NSW govt is obliged to offer a place in at least one local school. Schools are not all equal. Do your research on the MySchool web site: Home | My School.
Can you elaborate on "local school"?

If I use the web site you enter and enter Horsnby, nsw. The only listed secondary is Hornsby Girls School. That school is academically selective, and from initial conversations I have had with the school mid term entrance is not something they offer.
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Old Mar 18th 2015, 3:45 pm
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Default Re: Secondary schooling options. Last minute?

Originally Posted by juckky
Can you elaborate on "local school"?

If I use the web site you enter and enter Horsnby, nsw. The only listed secondary is Hornsby Girls School. That school is academically selective, and from initial conversations I have had with the school mid term entrance is not something they offer.
All schools have a catchment area - obviously selective schools are selective but there will be a HS which will be zoned to take kids from your address. If you are in any doubt, email the district office and give the address and they will tell you which school is "local" for you. Many school websites actually have the catchment zone map on them - if you go to the Myschool website and put in the suburb then check for schools in the area you will get a list of those geographically closest.
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Old Mar 19th 2015, 2:44 pm
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Default Re: Secondary schooling options. Last minute?

Originally Posted by juckky
Can you elaborate on "local school"?

If I use the web site you enter and enter Horsnby, nsw. The only listed secondary is Hornsby Girls School. That school is academically selective, and from initial conversations I have had with the school mid term entrance is not something they offer.
I think the government only has to guarantee a place in a state school, not a private one (which Hornsby Girls School seems to be).

How does your daughter feel about the move?
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Old Mar 19th 2015, 2:52 pm
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Default Re: Secondary schooling options. Last minute?

Originally Posted by spouse of scouse
I think the government only has to guarantee a place in a state school, not a private one (which Hornsby Girls School seems to be).

How does your daughter feel about the move?
My Daughter is very unhappy about the move, but when asked why she cannot provide any reason. She just says "I just don't want to go"

My wife and I cannot think what it is that is causing her the anxiety, and can only deduce it is because she is scared of the change and having to switch schools.
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Old Mar 19th 2015, 2:56 pm
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Default Re: Secondary schooling options. Last minute?

Of course she is unhappy, she's a teenager and it's her job to be miserable, petulant and to give you as much grief as possible
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Old Mar 19th 2015, 3:05 pm
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Default Re: Secondary schooling options. Last minute?

Originally Posted by northernbird
Of course she is unhappy, she's a teenager and it's her job to be miserable, petulant and to give you as much grief as possible
I think you might be onto something there!
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Old Mar 19th 2015, 4:49 pm
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Default Re: Secondary schooling options. Last minute?

We've been looking at houses near Hornsby. Your local school is required to find a place for your daughter, though the quality of the local school can vary a bit. It's quite common here for people to choose the place they buy or rent based on the local public schools they want their kids in.

Catchment areas for public schools are not based on radius around the school, they are actually quite complicated shapes. This information seems to be hard to find though, I've been told to call or email schools you like the look of. I've also seen that the Domain real estate website lists the catchment area at the bottom of its house listings (like this one, scroll to the bottom)

Hornsby Girls is publicly funded, but academically selective and there is no guarantee of being accepted. Cheltenham Girls is not that far away though - its one of the top public schools in Sydney, and they accept any students who live in their catchment area. If you are open to living on the southern side of the harbour, I found that Strathfield and Burwood are similar to Hornsby (multicultural, middle-class, but less leafy) and have some top non-selective public schools such as Burwood Girls and Strathfield Girls.

Sydney schools often sound like they are private when they are in fact public - I think its just because so many of them are single sex. Not sure why that is, but there don't seem to be many mixed schools at all.
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Old Mar 22nd 2015, 11:08 am
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Default Re: Secondary schooling options. Last minute?

Originally Posted by bra_boy
You are obliged to send your child to school.
That's not correct. You can educate your child at home.
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Old Mar 26th 2015, 4:00 pm
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Default Re: Secondary schooling options. Last minute?

You can educate at home but you are obliged to register, and the parents curriculum has to be in line with the state curriculum.
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