help needed! area&schools ect??
 

:) hi to all..i joined today!!..i have been reading through alot of your threads!..help is needed!!..were looking to rent and thought these areas sounded nice..butler/quinns rock/clarkson/waikiki & fremantle..there are other areas the list goes on!!..obviously secondary schools are important..my son here will be starting year 10 sept!..if im right in thinking he will repeat year 9 over there?..i have just read a previous thread..and some views seem that schools in outer suburbs were not as good!!...i dont want to cause any offence :)..but why not?..are outer or northern suburbs not nice areas to live?..also my older son is at college here (mechanic course)..our plans were that he would continue with this at tafe!!..or maybe a apprentice position!..any views on areas to live schools/college ect i would be greatful.:thumbsup:

Re: help needed! area&schools ect??
 

Hi, and welcome to BE.
I'm afraid I can't answer your question but this will bump it up to the top of the list and hopefully you will get answers from those in the know :)

(Although they're asleep at the moment :rolleyes: )

Julie. x

Re: help needed! area&schools ect??
 

:thumbsup:thanks juliecabs.

Re: help needed! area&schools ect??
 

Mate, can't comment on the southern suburbs, but there are plenty of nice places to live in the far northern burbs.

We have found and the consensus generally agrees that there are plenty of good primary schools, but that you need to be more selective regarding high schools.

It's a subject that provokes a lot of strong feelings on here for some reason, but at the end of the day it's your kids education and that can't be taken too lightly.

What I have heard (so not from personal experience) is that Clarkson high school should be avoided at all costs. That has come from both parents and teachers, but again, only what I have heard and I'm sure there are people who have had positive experiences with the school.

We were in the catchment area for Ocean Reef high school, which does have a better reputation, but again not great.

If you can afford it, I would recommend you put your sons name down for one of the private high schools, don't be put off by tales of long waiting lists, although that generally is the case, you might be surprised how quickly you are offered a place in the right circumstances.

Re: help needed! area&schools ect??
 

:thumbsup:thanks for that geordiebloke..this school thing is giving me nightmares:frown:..it keeps me awake during the night!!..my son is very happy and settled at his school here many friends into and excels in all sports..hopes of becoming a pe teacher!!..i dont want him looking back and thinking were ruining his life :(..dont get me wrong he,s up for the move and looking forward to trying new sports ie: surfing aussie rules football!!..but has expressed concerns on entering a new school!..i have looked at one of the private catholic ones (hubby being catholic)..irene mccormac in butler?..any one have any views on this?..or can recommend a good school for sports?..please helpppp :fingerscrossed:

Re: help needed! area&schools ect??
 

Hiya

We live in Qiunns Rocks and although my youngest is still in year 5 at Primary, the eldest is in year 8. Like geordiebloke said, we wanted to avoid Calrkson High at all costs, so we sent him to Quinns Baptist College, OK, it cost us, but $4000 for the year for private education is really good. He loves the school and his confidence level has grown greatly. He's not bored and is learning so much new stuff, it's brilliant. The youngest has got a place for 2013 when he's due to start high school. I have no problems recommending the school at all.

Most of the northern suburbs are good areas to live, although like everywhere else in the world, there are some to be avoided.

Hope this helps. Just remember this is only my opinion, I'm sure others will have other ideas about areas and schools.

Catkin

Re: help needed! area&schools ect??
 

:thumbsup:thanks for that catkin..quinns rock is also another area were interested in!..all seems so difficult from over here..hope all falls into place once were there :fingerscrossed:

Re: help needed! area&schools ect??
 

Quinns Rocks, is nice and I would certainly be happy living there myself, but don't think where you live will restrict you in which school (private) that you choose, as they all have their own school buses, which generally pick up from all around the northern suburbs.

Re: help needed! area&schools ect??
 

:)thanks thats good to know :thumbsup:

Re: help needed! area&schools ect??
 

Hi there
Try this web site..... http://www.myschool.edu.au/

Type in suburb and check out the schools ratings.

Good luck.
Neil.

Re: help needed! area&schools ect??
 

we landed and live in the southern burbs... easier to get your kids into private schools down here... more places available on the whole in most years.. ours are in the public system but amongst the local immigrants we appear to be in the minority....... our lad is happy being more the TAFE trades oriented kid rather that uni hopeful...

Housing in perf is expensive all over... but less expensive down south... leaving more money available for those private school fees...:rofl:

If your lad is into sports he'll have no worries settling in.. whereever you decide.. but beware a child that excells with sports in the uk may just be average here... but no worries they like anyone who has a go... as well as those that are good

Dont forget its not just schools you need to worry about... its employment too... where will you be working? what kind of work? How far/long are you prepared to travel?

Re: help needed! area&schools ect??
 

On another thread, you mentioned that a TAFE course for your son was hundreds of kms inland - surely there's something in the metro area? Have you looked at http://www.trainingwa.wa.gov.au/trai...detcms/portal/ ?

Re: help needed! area&schools ect??
 

:thumbsup: thanks for the info helen.t..i will look at the south of perth!.hubby is a plasterer he's not too bothered about travelling to sites!..daughter 20 is a sales advisor (over here)..but says she'll try her hand at anything :fingerscrossed:..my son who's at college here training to be a mechanic(as said in other post) hope's to continue with this over there:fingerscrossed:..thanks for link regarding this..i seem to stumble across new info everyday :D..looks like there's more tafe training centres there than i originally found:eek:..great.. just hope finding a apprenticeship for him to continue.. falls into place!..schools well i havent a clue!!..went on the myschool link..thanks for that :thumbsup:..(your sons happy?..how do the aussies take to the brits?)..all info really helps :thumbsup:

Re: help needed! area&schools ect??
 

When we lived in Perth we originally went to Mandurah(south) but after a year we ended up moving to Butler (north suburbs). Mandurah was nice but the travelling to the city took its toll and we decided to move. My children went to St Andrews catholic primary in clarkson and it was a really good school but the area is a bit dodgy and i wouldn't put the kids into clarkson high. We did decide to move them to East Butler primary school (state) which is in Butler and they did enjoy it there but they didn't really push the kids that much. Butler as a whole is very nice and we did enjoy living there, apart from the teenagers doing doughnuts in the roads with their cars. Quinns is nice and thats on the beach side, there is old quinns and new quinns. Woodvale secondary school is geared up for sports so that might help you out a little and i know quite a few english reside in this area. There is also a secondary school being built in alkamos which is inbetween Butler and Jindalee, i think they have started on this as i know some kids that are going to it next year.
Hope this helps a little bit for you, good luck.

Re: help needed! area&schools ect??
 

:thumbsup:thanks halfcamoflauge..looking at butler do you know anything of irene mccormac?..

Re: help needed! area&schools ect??
 

yes my daughter had got into irene mcormack and she was meant to attend there Jan just gone but we came back to the uk. We used to live right across the road from the school. The children seemed well behaved when they were going to and from school. The dicipline is there most definately. The fees were about $3000 for the year but then you had to get the uniforms which would cost about $500 plus you have books to get also. We have a friend who's child goes there and she likes it, (they are english but not catholic)but they have to let so many in.When we put our daughters name down we had to pay $300 to secure her place but when we canceled it we couldn't get a refund, so make sure you ask first about the deposit. We had another friend who also wasn't catholic and they again put a $300 deposit down for the application form but they didn't get a place and no refund. Some people said it was 'too catholic' if you get my drift and they seem to really preach about it within the school. All in all no complaints from people who i know go there but people said that Quinns Beach sec was a better school.
If you need anymore info about the place don't hesitate to ask.
nat.

Re: help needed! area&schools ect??
 

thanks for the information :thumbsup:that's all really helpful..if you dont mind me asking why did you return to the uk?..and how did your daughter settle in?..(are the australians ok with the influx of us brits??)..also on another note..i have looked at waikiki (south of perth) do you or any others have any info on this area?..the rents there seem to be really well priced!! again thanks for all your info :thumbsup:

Re: help needed! area&schools ect??
 

Hi, no don't know anything about waikiki at all, in fact never heard of it.
We first went out to melbourne in 2005 but only stayed there for 3 months as none of us could get a job, we just found it really hard, we heard that there was a boom in Perth(my husbands a bricklayer)so we drove over across the nullabor and landed in Mandurah. We had some friends who had moved to Butler up north so we visited them a few times and i just felt a lot happier while i was up there. We bought some land in Butler and decided to build, we stayed in a rental until the house was built. While we were in the rental the kids went to St andrews catholic primary but once the house was built we took them out of there and put them into East Butler Primary cause it was just round the corner and they could walk themselves to school. We had eventually moved into our newly built house but something was missing. Couldn't put our fingers on it at the time but the kids were really bored in school, they never really pushed them and when i asked for homework they said they don't give that out as once the kids are at home its 'family time'. In the meantime we were missing family and just silly things like the birds tweeting, the snow, autum, some certain foods, curries, proper chinese food, tv,shopping, decent clothes. It was a lot of things that we missed and we found Perth to be really slow and nothing much else to do but go to the beaches.We also found that a lot of people seem to 'move on' from Perth, either back to the uk or to somewhere else within australia. We could make some friends but within 6 months they tended to move. If you are planning on flying anywhere it would cost you a fortune. I had no problems with the Australians at all, i worked in 'coles' supermarket and were around Australians a lot and they were all nice. Now we are back home in the uk, the kids are in really good schools but we can see the difference in 5yrs of being away. I don't want my kids to grow up here in the uk as its gone downhill so much. We are loving being back but we are planning our next move back to Australia about August next year but back to Melbourne. There was so much more to do there and places to go and not so isolated. We feel we're really gonna settle this time around. The kids are torn at the moment because they are in 2 really good schools and have met up with all their friends from when they first lived here, both of my girls don't want to go back to oz at the moment as they love being back in their schools, but we can see the bigger picture. My eldest has adapted really well to going back into school and while she was in Australia she did go to 5 schools within 5yrs, but that was purley our fault as parents as not settling down in one place, but when you do go to a new country you hear so many different stories and whats good for them might not be good for you, we have learnt so much from our experinces and the mistakes we have made but one day we'll put it all back right.
I wish you all the best of luck and again if you do need anymore info don't hesitate to ask.
nat

Re: help needed! area&schools ect??
 

thankyou halfcamoflauge..everything you have said ive found really helpful..i hope all turns out well :fingerscrossed:..i understand what you mean about the uk..and not wanting to bring your children up here!..not to cause offence i feel the country has gone to the dogs!!..saying that there are still some nice parts left :)..we have chosen perth due to construction work!!..i just hope we all settle..we will miss things as you have said..but we will give it 100%..what have we got to lose :D..good luck to you all hope things fall into place :thumbsup:

Re: help needed! area&schools ect??
 

No problem. Just Pm 'd you.
Good luck with everything.

Re: help needed! area&schools ect??
 

hi we have just moved
living in quinns temporary so we looked at quinns bapitist seems an excellent school, but we found a long term rental in greenwood nearer to my work, my son has just started duncraig senior high and my others duncraig primary
they both seem good schools and are government schools not private, i dont have anything against private but didnt know if we could afford them on our 1 wage so opted for duncraig, its higher placed in the league tables then quinns but i guess you cant always go on that, but seems ok after the first week, my son said its ok and he seems happy , which is a first for him being 13:)

Re: help needed! area&schools ect??
 

:thumbsup: thats a great help thanks i have looked into duncraig senior (heard good reports)..did you have any difficulties getting your son in?..waiting lists or catchment only rules?..we too worry about private school fees.(also for time being one wage only)..im really glad your son has settled..and wish you all well :D

Re: help needed! area&schools ect??
 

hi no didnt have any prob geeting him in , also put my year 6 daughters name down for when she needs senior

Re: help needed! area&schools ect??
 

:thumbsup:thanks for that :thumbsup:

Re: help needed! area&schools ect??
 

Hi there

we have been here a year and before we left I was on this sight all day! just thought would jump on and see if I could help as i found any answer a fantastic help. We live in Floreat this is a great suburb with a good state high school shenton college. my kids are at the local primary and loving it. Its fairly pricey but thats the price you pay to be 10 mins on a bus or train from city and ten mins in car to beach. My understanding is you can live in a cheaper suburb and pay for privates school to avoid the dodgy public schools or live in a pricier suburb where the public schools are good. Good luck with wherever you decide to be Perth is a great place to be.

Re: help needed! area&schools ect??
 

:thumbsup:thanks for that..its great to hear from someone..who's been through all this! :confused:...but now settled in perth and reccommending it :thumbsup: great

Re: help needed! area&schools ect??
 

I would go as far as saying exceptionally pricey. Beautiful suburb but I would hazard a guess that the average migrant couldn't afford to buy there.

Re: help needed! area&schools ect??
 

:(yes im afraid so!..i have checked out and admired...but sadly way out of my price range...:o