Lee and Joanne

Looking at rental properties and schools. HELP ME?
So many to choose from, so many schools.
Does anybody know if Pulteney Grammer school is ok?
Plus areas to avoid. (Some rentals are really cheap, I wonder why?)


Joanne

Wendy

I haven't any experience of the school, but I've just looked and it seems very posh!. Are you sure you want your kids to attend school in the city? could make life difficult as you would need to live pretty close by and the housing market around the city is pretty expensive for anything decent.

Rental prices can vary hugely from suburb to suburb, and really depend on what type of thing you want. You can get a decent 3 bed rental in a nice enough suburb for around $300 per week, I'd say less than $230ish would probably be in one of the 'poorer' suburbs.

Hills Boy

Just looked up the school too and agree with Wendy that it looks rather posh (but then again considering its location - just off South Terrace - it's unlikely to be a dump).

If you like the look of the school and to give you an idea of rentals in the area here are a random selection of three bedders from realestate.com.au (I hope the links work):

1. right near the school at $470/week;

2. a little further south in Unley at $320/week;

3. a little further north of the school at $660/week;

4. further north towards the city at $420/week

We didn't have the extra complication of needing to find schools when we arrived (not school age yet), so we were able to get a short term rental (three months) to suit other considerations (such as cats) while we looked for houses (as it turns out we bought rather than renting).

One thing to be aware of is that short term rentals are normally furnished, but the great majority of long term ones are unfurnished - just be sure to check.

Areas to avoid? Hugely subjective. I'm sure there have been posts in the past about 'good' and 'bad' areas so it might be worth a search, but as with most places: desirable = higher prices. I'm ready to be corrected but if there's somewhere that's:

(a) close to the city;
(b) big enough for your family (i.e. excluding one/two bed apts); and
(c) the rent's way south of $300/week

then I'd be thinking again. However, head out of the city and some way south to Aberfoyle Park (chosen at random and not known as a bad area, or not that I've heard) and a three bed house will set you back $275/week.

Happy hunting (from someone who spent countless hours shortlisting areas on the internet before getting here and then bought a house somewhere we'd never even heard of before we arrived).

Lee and Joanne

Thanks for all this info. It's great !!Your a star

Joanne

Hills Boy

No problem. More than happy to help if I can - only been here six months so can still remember how time consuming it is to get things sorted from so far away.

Wendy

Excellent post.

milly123

Hi, I looked around at a lot of private school,s, and Pulteney Grammar is a good school, But like others have said it is in the city, which can make it hard for rental accommodation.
If i was to send my child private in the city it would be Ainsley College.
If your child attends private in the uk, do not be fooled by the word Grammar it does not have the same meaning.
If you have girls,Seymour College is good and for boys St Peters.
There are a lot of private or semi private(religious schools) in most areas.
So i would choose my Area first. Unley has a lot of good schools to choose from.
If you are looking at living more to the South of Adelaide then Westminster is The best.
Top Full private in Adelaide are
Scotch College, St Peters girls / Boys, Westminster.

Good Luck......

Lee and Joanne

Thanks for the info. One of my two boys does attend a Grammar School over here in the UK. Its in Lincolnshire so it isn't private. But your child has to be pretty bright to get in. Our son had to sit two exams and be in the top 25% to get into this school. All I want is a really good school .They don't do OFSTED reports there. To me this is priority for my son. He's worked so hard I don't want to regret taking him out of this school at such an important time(yr10). So If you can recommend any, please please tell me.

Is it true, German is not a language taught in schools over there?.
Also Jack turned 15 in January and over here is in Year 10 which is the first year of taking his chosen subjects. Next year (September)being his final.
Would the education be the same over there. I'm a little confused as the schools over there seem to have a year 12?

Joanne

milly123

If your son is Gifted as explained, over here they too except , Scollaships , But you have to show your worthiness by exam pass, like the uk , But they are all set at a certain time of the yr and they is a lot of competition.
Personally i would just opt for the pay option then may be proceed for the following yr as an assisted place. which means they will help with the cost if your boy shows promise.
Yr 10 uk would be yr 11 here,
But age 15 would be yr 10 here, ( remember they average start age is 6),

Hence i would advise your boy to start with his own age yr ( yr 10),
then complete yr 11 & 12 to end up with the A Level equiverlent.
St peter's boys is most definitely the most talked about.
But Westminster is were tony Blair did a few terms.
But again a religious school like Macedeades college , has a good rep with good results for halve the cost. & they also can do the SACE exam & the World diploma exam.
Educationally your boy would be able to handel yr 11, But its the age that becomes the problem, as they would all be 17 in his class.
Yr 10 would give him time to settle relax make friends , then go in to the next yr 11 with the heading of the equiverlent to uk college , then yr 12 to A level equiverlent.
I do talk from experience of my daughter in Grammar school uk to a semi religious school here.
the first semi religious school i sent her to was, Rubbish in comparisment to the one in the uk.
then i shopped about at ALL private schools, and have found the one that suites her, we are now happy.