Jan4kids

Hello Everyone

Well we are getting closer to being a family in QLD Rob has been there nearly two weeks, whilst I hold the fort here in Adelaide.......

Between us we think we have narrowed down the prospective areas. Helensvale keeps popping up in our discussions

Now (learning from our previous 'settling mistakes' here in Adelaide) we are basing alot of our final decision on High School Zone.....Which (at last ) gets me to my question!

Does anyone on here have kids attending Helensvale High School, if so could you find the time to give me a brief opinion?

I really need to be there, this is nigh impossible from cyberspace Roll on settlement!

Jan

Fed Up Waiting

Some food for thought for you on your skool choice

I do school runs as part of my job mmmmm. Nice.

MY opinion only i might add....... cos i am sure i will get some interjections on MY opinions.

Helensvale High kids are the not so badly behaved kids on the buses BUT there are quite a few who could do with a lesson or too in the finer points of acceptable behaviour.

Schools to avoid in MY opinion are.

Coombabah nightmare kids! badly behaved

Upper Commera State college they are the worst school on the entire Gold Coast the bus generally cant be used after there school runs. Throwing stuff at passing cars smashing the bus windows on a regular basis fighting with each other and the obvious stuff like smearing the days food over the windows floors seats and the classic warm bottle of coke (non diet for better effect) bursting over the entire bus

St Stephens are well behaved also the Commera Anglican college and Rivermount but these are private schools.

St Hilda's at Southport are good. Southport state are pretty good too.

All Saints on the southern end are the best by far but again private,

Emanuel College are a bit iffy at times but will respect your wishes to keep it down a bit.
Marymount at Burleigh are good too.

Cant think of many more in your area but if i have transported them ill tell you what there like if you like :scared:

I am sure that when the kids are at school they are little darlings but my kids will not be attending certain schools if you get my drift.

Good luck inyour search.

acbh2

Thanks for that had been seriously thinking about Upper Coomera state college (if we get our visas!!) as people had been quite positive about it, it just goes to show that you should make no decisions until you actually get there and can check the schools out in person (which I kinda knew as not totally thick 0
A
xx

Fed Up Waiting

Yup

I could not agree more, we found that having an unannounced walk round the school was a good way of getting a feel for the behave in the classrooms.
Most schools will do this for you if you ask .

In MY opinion Rivermount on the north end is worth the drive and also if you can afford it.

Good luck.

fluffy1

Hi,

Dont want to be treading on any toes here but I feel that the comment regarding how kids behave on th ebus after school does not reflect on the way the school is. My kids have been going to Upper Coomera State college now since March and have came on far better than any school they have been to.

We also done an unannounced walk around the school and found all classes to be quiet and well behaved, absoultely no sign of bad behaviour and this was fairly early on in the morning when kids were just getting settled into class. The kids that walked past us were polite and said hello.

I really think it is each to their own and that you do have to look for yourself. I really would not want my kids to be leaving this school now as they are so settled and especially as their level of education has taken a turn for the better. This is purely my opinion and I just wanted to let others know that we have several friends whom kids also go to the same school with no problems or any signs of bad behaviour. Each more than happy with the school.

As the saying goes...while the cats away the mice will play, kids are kids and Ims ure that as theres no parents or teachers around they will be trying to see what they get away with......also there are hundreds of kids attend that school whose parents collect them and they dont get the bus! Dont know what the percentage is that get the bus but theres 2,200 kids at that school. Our house backs onto the school too and theres a lot of kids walking around before and after school and we have never seen any trouble of any sort, including bad behaviour or fighting etc.

Like I said you have to look and judge for yourself, this is our opinion.

Marie

Fed Up Waiting

Whoops Sorry......

Yup

Well said could not agree more with Judge for Yourself........ Just thought people would like to know a different point of view........ MY opinion as i said, just funny how some other school kids appear to be better behaved whilst the cats away Its most likley to be the 60 or so that get on my bus

As you say yours are doing great so that has to be a good thing.

Paul&Nic

I agree 100%

We too have been here since March and my two (year 9 & 10) have been going to the UCSC since we arrived.

We did our reccy in July 2005 and we picked Upper Coomera (now in Coomera) solely because the UCSC came out on top (by far) as the best school out of many we visited on The Gold Coast.

My kids were doing very well in the UK and they have continued to do 'as well' there ... ... and still after almost 5 months LOVE going to school! ...

The UCSC has many new people starting as they have many people moving into the area from other states because they offer subjects that only a few schools will offer. My son next term will be doing 'Rock music' as a lesson ...

Now going back to the OP's question about Helensvale. I can ONLY give the little I know about the school, but a friend of my daughter (parents are BE members, but don't post anymore) lasted 2 hours at Helensvale and left as she was bullied! ...

As I say, that's the VERY LITTLE I know, but is fact also!

That's NOT a UCSC vs Helensvale comparison, I just wanted to add my pennies worth about Helensvale and also agree with Marie about UCSC.

paulf

Oooo, gonna go the other way here mate, as you know we were thinking UCSC same as you, but after looking around we could,nt make up our mind and narrowed it down to UCSC, Oxenford, Gilston and Pimpama.
we had just about decided on UCSC when we met up with a teacher from said school who was a friend of our relatives here, and in her own words " I would,nt send a child of mine to UCSC in a mad fit"
it put me off just a bit coming from a teacher there! but what really struck home was what you already know, the fact that it is acceptable for pupils to swear and cuss in front of the teachers!
I am old school and expect discipline from a school, a major factor in giving UCSC a wide berth.
As for the Rock school, St Stephens, Coomera Anglican, both do the same, and Assisi Catholic school run after school music, drums sax guitar etc.
In fact nearly every school has a school band, our relatives girl has learned the Saxophone in Oxenford State school and has just passed auditions for the Gold coast orchestra aswel

moneypenny20

There is no right or wrong though. It's down to the child and home behaviour, learning capacity, confidence blah blah blah. As far as I am concerned there are no "bad" schools on the Gold Coast, just some schools may not suit you or your child.

We are down "bottom end" and could have gone with Elanora High or PBC High. Went with Elanora because it's half the size of PBC and got better vibes from it. Others love PBC and the size - horses for courses.

LIBBY

My Son is at UCSC in year 2 and he loves it. We are actually moving to Pacific Pines and therefore he is moving schools, but while he has been there he has enjoyed every minute of it.

I have always found the kids that I see to be nice and polite and the teachers are very approachable.

As for Helensvale school, I do know of someone who knows of someone who took their son out of there because they did not like the school, but for what reasons I dont know.

LibbyX

Paul&Nic

Yeah all horses for courses without doubt!

The teacher who showed us round the school in 2005 sends her kids there, that spoke volumes to us, but it was more the 'vibe' we got when we was there looking round. Two days before we'd been to Keebra Park and had a group of girls the age of my daughter giving her SERIOUS dirty looks as we walked through the library. Then we're at UCSC and as we walk past another group of girls they ask my daughter "will you be coming to our school?" ... she replies "I hope so" and one of them says "ok, we'll see you then!" ... different kettle of fish!

As for the 'Rock Music' bit I'm taking about part of their curriculum, not after school activities! I know all schools have 'after school' lessons and stuff, but as I say I'm talking about curriculum! ONLY what I've been told, but this is why people are moving into the area to put their kids in the school. The proof tho is in the pudding as the kids tell me they have kids who've moved to the Gold Coast to come to this school from all different parts of Australia.

I'm not saying UCSC is the best school out there, no way, but from the lot we see or heard about when we was here in 2005 it stood out by far as the one we wanted the kids to go to, and they did too!

At the end of the day uprooting and moving to the other side of the world is a VERY risky move as far as the kids go, I keep hearing about teens that aint settling and want to go home to the UK, but five months on and mine still love it there! ... I can't complain! ...

paulf

Dunno about teens wanting to go home.. I know I do the thing is with me the kids also love school here and get upset if i even mention returning to the UK, the rock lessons are also part of the curriculum in the schools I mentioned before, St Stephens, and Coomera Anglican, but they are private schools, BUT what we call private schools in the UK and Private schools here are very different, the cost here is very modest in comparison,
http://www.ssc.qld.edu.au/web/index....=1&top=3&p=fee
and there are of course scholarships available.

Paul&Nic

You still want to go back then ... ... altho I suppose many do and Oz isn't for everyone or 40% (I think, read it on here somewhere) that migrate wouldn't return.

Yeah UCSC is a State school, and like you say private aint what private cost in the UK, altho with PR you get a grant from the government, non PR don't so when we looked into private schools and the fee's, it was just too expensive still. State school alone is costing $14k a year, but as I say we're happy with UCSC so mustn't grumble.

How's the welding goin? ... not giving you any inspiration to stay?