johnpod

HI all

Well our xrays were done yesterday, medicals in 10 days and PCC forms sent off on Monday so it is all going scarily fast now!! We are aiming for the north Gold Coast/South Brisbane are and need to research schools for our 2 girls (14 and nearly 12). Can anyone recomend some good sites for checking on school results/curriculums/out of school activites etc so we can do some research asap. As previously mentioned Sophie our 14 year old does not want to go and has been on MSN telling everyone how cruel we are and that she is deffinately not going to Oz!! Does anyone out there have girls of the same age who have MSN accounts who would be willing to 'talk' to my girls about all the possitive sides of moving half way round the world - any help would be much appreciated. John is a Podiatrist and I am a medical sales rep so would also love to hear from amyone in the same line of work as to what their experiences so far have been. Thanks Ali:

smoggieswilltravel

Hi there

We're in the same boat, our daughter is fast approaching 14 and is not keen at all, although sometimes there are glimmers of hope. Has your daughter been on the youth site on this forum. There are kids on there that have made the move and they share their experiences and tell the kids about schools, cloths, music and hmmmm boys of the sun bleached surfing kind. It may help. Its not as active as the adult site but worth a visit.

Good luck, we need it.

smoggieswilltravel

Where are you headed, we're of to Redland Bay, South Brisbane but not as far as the Gold Coast?

johnpod

As yet not sure exactly where. My OH is a podiatrist and there are plenty of jobs to choose from. He likes the idea if pacific Pines/Helensvale/Cummera. We have looked at some of the school sites but not knowing what all the exam/qualifiactions are it makes understanding the league tables difficult. Both our girls are good but not top students but the eldest (14) is expected to get good SAT results and 8 C-A GCSE's so we need to ensure she is in a good school to maintain those standards. Aim to move in Dec so they can start new term in Jan.

ex Tassiemum

We are an Aussie family and have just moved from Tasmania to Sydney and now the Gold Coast. We have a 13 year old daughter and she really arked up about the move to the Gold Coast but now, only 4 weeks later, she absolutely loves her new school and says its the best one she has ever been to. She is so happy and we have breathed a big sigh of relief. Obviously, your move is much bigger as you are coming to a new country, but it is fear of the unknown that is the big killer for teens.

My daughter has an msn account and may be willing to go online and chat to your dd and tell her how it was for her and how she has made the adjustment. Just let me know and then my dd can add yours to her contacts and they could go from there. I dont know a lot about msn as I never use it but dd is on there every day!!!

Good luck. Its a major move at a major time in a teens life...then again...everything is a MAJOR issue in a young teens life isnt it!!! lol

smiths

Hi,

We moved to Brissie last October (son 14 daughter 12 at the time).

At the time, son was adamant that he didn't want to be here and demanded a plane ticket and his passport so he could go back to UK.

OH decided she wanted to go back to UK for a couple of weeks at end of June (school holiday) and when booking the flights 3 months ago, son didn't want to go back - so OH and daughter are going back for a visit, while me and my son are staying here.

We've settled in Vicky Point which is in the Redlands area near Cleveland. The Redlands (or Bayside) area is generally regarded as a good family area and is very popular with expats. It's on the shores of Moreton Bay - although don't expect ocean beaches with waves crashing in - the bay is protected by Moreton and Stradbroke islands - so is good for boating and fishing but no surf - you have to go down to Gold Coast for surf.

Schools can be categorised as follows:
Private colleges - fee paying with best reputation
Church (catholic) colleges - modest fee paying
State schools - bit hit and miss.

However, ours both go to Cleveland State High School. They've both settled in really well there, and have made new friends easily - hence the change in sentiment of my son. The state school system is a bit of a lottery as they don't publish school tables here so it's hard to tell between good and bad. The fee paying schools seem to be better resourced but our two are happy - the only negative is that I don't think the school pushes them hard enough - that's probably why they're happy (enjoying the easy ride).

The directory of state school in QLD can be found as follows:
http://www.qld.gov.au/services_for_q...g/schools.html

Hope this helps

smoggieswilltravel

Hi


I'm glad I ran across your post as I've been searching for someone with information on the high schools in the area.

We're moving to Redland Bay this summer and I believe that normally our eldest (14 yrs) would have to go to Vicky Point High. But is it possible for her to go to Cleveland High? or do catchment areas apply. I have not heard bad things about Vicky Point but nothing good either. I would appreciate any information on the subject.

Cheers

Michelle

debsy

Hi John
Sent you a pm.
Debs

ridds

As well as the government site, try:

www.aisq.qld.edu.au
isd.com
BCL

Dreamy

Thanks for those links.

I've not been on here for a while, got peed off with the whole thing But now we're :::fingers crossed::: waiting for a job offer to come through for Himself, based in Brisbane, so, with 3 boys to find schools for, hopefully the next few months are going to be incredibly hectic and stressful