BECCY.FR

Hi all,
we are coming too,hopefully asap,thinking of coming to Brisbane,would love to know if anyone has any suggestions of good suburbs on the the qld postcode list and good schools too.I am finding it difficult to locate any useful info regarding schools,and i really need some good info as my kids have only been to school in France and had a french ed,both are fluent in French and English but find French easier so would like to save the 2nd language any useful snippet would help

Thanks in advance Beccy

newlife_downunder

Hi Beccy lots of lovely suburbs depends what you are looking for and work etc. We are looking at the Gold Coast. I am sure you'll get some responses on here. All the best Karen

myrtle1

have a look at one of my past posts here - fish.01 offered some particularly fab info

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...61#post8208961

myrtle1

Forgot to say I am unable to help with schools though.
Try searching through past posts or start a new thread making it clear you are looking for school info as it will catch more people's attention. Good luck

Poitin

Hi guys,

Not been on for a while - but good to see so many off to Queensland.
We have just booked our flights to valiate in April - so we will go for 2 weeks- plan to check out areas, where to live, schools and the job market (of course) and make a little fun for the kids as well.

If all goes well we may go before end of year but maybe early 2011 - lets see - no set plans yet.



Looking at Brisbane.

Alfresco

Good luck! Please feel free to post all your observations on this thread when you get back.

Poitin

Sure I will - but I'm sure I'll have lots of question before that

DadAgain

Heres a list of all high schools in QLD (public and private):
http://www.qldacademies.eq.edu.au/pd...utcomes_08.pdf

stats being stats only give you a part of the story of course - but look for high numbers in 'column 10' (percentage of students getting a OP score high enough to be considered 'uni entrance').

If you cross-reference this with google maps you'll be there for ages - but eventually may come up with a short list of suburbs! Any school on this list not called "xxx state high" is likely to be a private school so you might want to check their fee structure (anywhere between $4k and $16k a year depending on school) before deciding its a contender.

lmct

Hi Beccy

How old are your children, my grandchildren aged 5 & 10 went to Brisbane 2 yrs ago and went to a state school it was a nightmare. Parents took them out and paid private ,St Pauls Lutherian they absolutely love it, never been happier.They are now 7 & 12, and the 12 year old had an extra year at the junior school (in England you have to change schools at 11)

Well graduation day came and they were all in tears at having to move to the senior school.Hope you find a suitable school cos it makes all the difference if the children are happy.

BECCY.FR

Hi everyone,
thanks for all your replies some good info there especially the op grading thing.our kids are 11 and 12 ,the 12 year old started high school this year in France,loves school, hates work(its a boything).He is worried he won't catch up on the English,do they teach French over there?would love to carry on their French.Also do you have to live near the school as in England or is it pot luck?
We have no chance of selling our house here in France as the market has died,so we will just rent it out i think,have to validate before july and don't want to come back to France.I am stressing now and need to go to work

Any more advice deeply appreciated Beccy

DadAgain

Any state high school will have a catchment area - but enrolments are taken from students outside the catchment area in some cases.

For example the catchment area for The Gap State high is here:
http://www.thegapshs.eq.edu.au/forms...ent%20Area.pdf

Different schools will have different curriculums (curricula?) - so you might want to enquire with schools to find one that includes French as an option. (Lots have a couple of German, French, Chinese, Japanese)

fish.01

Hi Beccy,

Mansfield State High School has run a French Immersion program for the last 20 years.

"What is the French Immersion Program?
• The program runs from Years 8 to 10.
• Students study Maths, Science, SOSE and French in the French language.
• The classes, workbooks, homework and exams are in French."


Mansfield is a nice family suburb in the southern suburbs of Brisbane about 15-20 mins "off peak" drive from the CBD (40 mins on the bus). See bus 180: http://download.translink.com.au/tim...1,186,P189.pdf


Mansfield State High has long had a reputation as a good govt school. Though these things are heavily dependent on the principal/head and I don't know its current situation. It also has a strong music program. It has a state primary school next door: http://www.mansfielss.eq.edu.au/

I think the high school does years 8 to 12. Year 8 used to be for students turning 13 that year - not sure if it still is?


You must live in the catchment area to be guaranteed a place in the school. The catchment map is here: http://mansfielshs.eq.edu.au/wcmss/i...ment290409.pdf

Mansfield has an older 70's brick area and a newer 80's onwards brick area. The newer area is roughly east of Ham Road and south of Broadwater.

If I was choosing to live in the catchment area (which includes neighbouring Wishart) I would look around the following streets:

- Around Sandringham St (1980's houses) and Banika St (80's), Mansfield - both have access to nice park and long walking/bike paths/bbq's.

- Around Kensington Place, Wishart (90's) - access to nice park and long walking/bike paths/bbq's, very family orientated with kids playing on the street last time I was there 5 years ago.


More info on the French immersion program here: http://mansfielshs.eq.edu.au/wcmss/i...luesheet09.pdf

Quite a lot of other schools do French as a subject and there are probably other schools that offer an immersion program.

Bonne chance

BECCY.FR

Merci fish-o1,
Thats been really really useful,we have been given certain postcodes we can live in as part of the qld sponsored visa,so need to check up now if they are catchment areas for that school.OH is setting off soon to do his exams in Adelaide,he's a spark so needs a certain license to work,but after that he needs to suss out all the other stuff like schools,housing,jobs etc.
Do you know if this school does the bac as well?it sounds perfect but kind of confused as to what years are what.My eldest turned 12 in December and i just assumed he would be in high school,as in France.

Cheers for that though and Bonne Annee a toi et vos

james1972

We are a family of 4 (boy 4 and girl will be 2), Once we get the visa we are looking at June to go.

Hopefully get the Visa at the end of the month.

Will join the group as soon as Visa is agreed and we tell people other than close family & friends, dont want them to see the group pop up on FB and wonder what is happening !

Alfresco

Just be honest.