Help with Sydney high schools and suburbs
Feb 8th 2013, 9:40 pm
#1
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Help with Sydney high schools and suburbs
Okay, so we're leaving London in Dec for Sydney as hubby has a job offer which we accepted. We have two children aged 7 and 11. We think we have found the school for our younger child in st Ives (sydney grammar) and now wondering about high schools for our daughter. Here's our thinking which we need some advice on...
Our daughter likes the look of Mosman High. Others we are considering are Killara high (public), ravenswood (private), Roseville college (private), pymble (private), wenona (private).
We haven't visited any of these high schools yet so we would like any comments. We are thinking we could afford the higher rents in Mosman area if she went to mosman high and then drove to st Ives each day? Or perhaps sending her privately and pay less rent for a house in st Ives....
Hubby is working at opera house so needs to get there easily.
Any views on either suburb as place to live?
Our daughter likes the look of Mosman High. Others we are considering are Killara high (public), ravenswood (private), Roseville college (private), pymble (private), wenona (private).
We haven't visited any of these high schools yet so we would like any comments. We are thinking we could afford the higher rents in Mosman area if she went to mosman high and then drove to st Ives each day? Or perhaps sending her privately and pay less rent for a house in st Ives....
Hubby is working at opera house so needs to get there easily.
Any views on either suburb as place to live?
Feb 9th 2013, 4:19 am
#2
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Re: Help with Sydney high schools and suburbs
We live in St Ives and have a daughter in Ravenswood. It is an easy 12 min drive to Gordon, and the school is very near the station so handy for the commute into the CBD.
DD is in Y12, having been there for 4.5 years, and is very happy there. Fees are high- for Y12 we reckon on about $30k by the time all the additions are thrown in- but they are less further down the school. Ravenswood is a non selective private school and very well used to migrants and people coming and going. It has a small boarding house that you can use if you go away and don't want to take the kids- senior school only though. It is smaller than PLC, so may not offer the full range of subjects , but does the IB as well as the HSC and is small enough to get to know your daughter rather than for her to just be a cog in the machine. It has room for the individual, and a very good music and art department and strong swimming team.
St Ives has good sporting facilities and a reasonable shopping centre. It has a village feel still, although large apartment blocks are springing up everywhere. You get more house for your money here as it isn't on a train line, but the buses are also frequent if you don't want to drive. It is 15-20 mins from large shopping centres and 20-25 from the beaches. No pub, but it does have a wine bar and numerous restaurants scattered about. Very family friendly. Lots of parks and lots of dog-friendly ones too.
Don't live in Mosman and drive to St Ives every Day- it is a bad commute.
Killara high is a good school as far as public schools go- has lots of demountable classrooms and parents clamouring to get in, so is a little overcrowded, and prices for homes in the catchment area are steep.
DD is in Y12, having been there for 4.5 years, and is very happy there. Fees are high- for Y12 we reckon on about $30k by the time all the additions are thrown in- but they are less further down the school. Ravenswood is a non selective private school and very well used to migrants and people coming and going. It has a small boarding house that you can use if you go away and don't want to take the kids- senior school only though. It is smaller than PLC, so may not offer the full range of subjects , but does the IB as well as the HSC and is small enough to get to know your daughter rather than for her to just be a cog in the machine. It has room for the individual, and a very good music and art department and strong swimming team.
St Ives has good sporting facilities and a reasonable shopping centre. It has a village feel still, although large apartment blocks are springing up everywhere. You get more house for your money here as it isn't on a train line, but the buses are also frequent if you don't want to drive. It is 15-20 mins from large shopping centres and 20-25 from the beaches. No pub, but it does have a wine bar and numerous restaurants scattered about. Very family friendly. Lots of parks and lots of dog-friendly ones too.
Don't live in Mosman and drive to St Ives every Day- it is a bad commute.
Killara high is a good school as far as public schools go- has lots of demountable classrooms and parents clamouring to get in, so is a little overcrowded, and prices for homes in the catchment area are steep.
Last edited by carolinephillips; Feb 9th 2013 at 4:22 am.
Feb 9th 2013, 9:10 am
#3
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Re: Help with Sydney high schools and suburbs
We live in St Ives and have a daughter in Ravenswood. It is an easy 12 min drive to Gordon, and the school is very near the station so handy for the commute into the CBD.
DD is in Y12, having been there for 4.5 years, and is very happy there. Fees are high- for Y12 we reckon on about $30k by the time all the additions are thrown in- but they are less further down the school. Ravenswood is a non selective private school and very well used to migrants and people coming and going. It has a small boarding house that you can use if you go away and don't want to take the kids- senior school only though. It is smaller than PLC, so may not offer the full range of subjects , but does the IB as well as the HSC and is small enough to get to know your daughter rather than for her to just be a cog in the machine. It has room for the individual, and a very good music and art department and strong swimming team.
St Ives has good sporting facilities and a reasonable shopping centre. It has a village feel still, although large apartment blocks are springing up everywhere. You get more house for your money here as it isn't on a train line, but the buses are also frequent if you don't want to drive. It is 15-20 mins from large shopping centres and 20-25 from the beaches. No pub, but it does have a wine bar and numerous restaurants scattered about. Very family friendly. Lots of parks and lots of dog-friendly ones too.
Don't live in Mosman and drive to St Ives every Day- it is a bad commute.
Killara high is a good school as far as public schools go- has lots of demountable classrooms and parents clamouring to get in, so is a little overcrowded, and prices for homes in the catchment area are steep.
DD is in Y12, having been there for 4.5 years, and is very happy there. Fees are high- for Y12 we reckon on about $30k by the time all the additions are thrown in- but they are less further down the school. Ravenswood is a non selective private school and very well used to migrants and people coming and going. It has a small boarding house that you can use if you go away and don't want to take the kids- senior school only though. It is smaller than PLC, so may not offer the full range of subjects , but does the IB as well as the HSC and is small enough to get to know your daughter rather than for her to just be a cog in the machine. It has room for the individual, and a very good music and art department and strong swimming team.
St Ives has good sporting facilities and a reasonable shopping centre. It has a village feel still, although large apartment blocks are springing up everywhere. You get more house for your money here as it isn't on a train line, but the buses are also frequent if you don't want to drive. It is 15-20 mins from large shopping centres and 20-25 from the beaches. No pub, but it does have a wine bar and numerous restaurants scattered about. Very family friendly. Lots of parks and lots of dog-friendly ones too.
Don't live in Mosman and drive to St Ives every Day- it is a bad commute.
Killara high is a good school as far as public schools go- has lots of demountable classrooms and parents clamouring to get in, so is a little overcrowded, and prices for homes in the catchment area are steep.
Thank you! I take on everything you say, especially commute from mosman to st Ives.
I like the look of st Ives as its greener and yes, you seem to get bigger house for money.
It really will come down to our daughter as she is the one that may be difficult to please/persuade. Good thing is that she will be starting senior school at same time as everyone else. Se is sporty and loves her swimming and netball. Do you know whether there's a netball team in st Ives or near district??
She really want co-ed but that seems to be hard to find apart from Killara and mosman. I really like the look of ravens wood and of Roseville. The IB is a pro as that is more internationally recognised....I think, no?
We are over in July to start the school/house hunt..... I hear rentals are a nightmare to get hold of...is this still the case in st Ives? I know it's true for mosman.
Feb 9th 2013, 9:23 am
#4
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Re: Help with Sydney high schools and suburbs
Rentals everywhere are hard to get. You need to be prepared to rush round in 15 minutes to as many rentals as you can, fight off the crowds and have your paperwork pre-prepared. All the showings are on wednesdays or saturdays- very few are by appointment- and you certainly don't get the chance to have a good look around. You will also need to show that you are solvent and have a good credit record. I took along character references from the minister, school, and from the estate agent who sold our house, as we had never rented. Be prepared for a shock, as rentals for houses are around $800-$1000 plus (for anything decent) A WEEK. After 6 months we bought a house - 4 bed with pool. So much nicer than renting, and with the amount of equity we had, cheaper than renting. A good website to check out is domain.com.au. Bear in mind that descriptions and pictures may bear very little resemblance to what you actually get!
St Ives has lots of sporting teams, but for netball, Ravenswood has good teams. There will be softball, cricket, soccer, swimming, water polo, hockey, diving, rugby, gymnastics, athletics, tennis, and even surfing! This is to name but a few sports that Ravenswood offers. I found them easy to communicate with from the UK, unlike Pymble which was a bit snotty in my honest opinion.
My daughter is a swimmer, and the head coach Mitch is brilliant. He has got her up to state level, there are lots of state and national swimmers in the team. The second coach who takes the younger swimmers is an ex world record holder and olympic medallist at the 400m. We have a big schools comp coming up in March - last year we came second, which is the best we have ever done, and is especially good as unlike the larger schools we don't offer swimming scholarships. The swim club is very active and is open to anyone with Ravo connections - so we have lots of young boys- some are only 6.
St Ives has lots of sporting teams, but for netball, Ravenswood has good teams. There will be softball, cricket, soccer, swimming, water polo, hockey, diving, rugby, gymnastics, athletics, tennis, and even surfing! This is to name but a few sports that Ravenswood offers. I found them easy to communicate with from the UK, unlike Pymble which was a bit snotty in my honest opinion.
My daughter is a swimmer, and the head coach Mitch is brilliant. He has got her up to state level, there are lots of state and national swimmers in the team. The second coach who takes the younger swimmers is an ex world record holder and olympic medallist at the 400m. We have a big schools comp coming up in March - last year we came second, which is the best we have ever done, and is especially good as unlike the larger schools we don't offer swimming scholarships. The swim club is very active and is open to anyone with Ravo connections - so we have lots of young boys- some are only 6.
Last edited by carolinephillips; Feb 9th 2013 at 9:31 am.
Feb 9th 2013, 3:59 pm
#5
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Re: Help with Sydney high schools and suburbs
Rentals everywhere are hard to get. You need to be prepared to rush round in 15 minutes to as many rentals as you can, fight off the crowds and have your paperwork pre-prepared. All the showings are on wednesdays or saturdays- very few are by appointment- and you certainly don't get the chance to have a good look around. You will also need to show that you are solvent and have a good credit record. I took along character references from the minister, school, and from the estate agent who sold our house, as we had never rented. Be prepared for a shock, as rentals for houses are around $800-$1000 plus (for anything decent) A WEEK. After 6 months we bought a house - 4 bed with pool. So much nicer than renting, and with the amount of equity we had, cheaper than renting. A good website to check out is domain.com.au. Bear in mind that descriptions and pictures may bear very little resemblance to what you actually get!
St Ives has lots of sporting teams, but for netball, Ravenswood has good teams. There will be softball, cricket, soccer, swimming, water polo, hockey, diving, rugby, gymnastics, athletics, tennis, and even surfing! This is to name but a few sports that Ravenswood offers. I found them easy to communicate with from the UK, unlike Pymble which was a bit snotty in my honest opinion.
My daughter is a swimmer, and the head coach Mitch is brilliant. He has got her up to state level, there are lots of state and national swimmers in the team. The second coach who takes the younger swimmers is an ex world record holder and olympic medallist at the 400m. We have a big schools comp coming up in March - last year we came second, which is the best we have ever done, and is especially good as unlike the larger schools we don't offer swimming scholarships. The swim club is very active and is open to anyone with Ravo connections - so we have lots of young boys- some are only 6.
St Ives has lots of sporting teams, but for netball, Ravenswood has good teams. There will be softball, cricket, soccer, swimming, water polo, hockey, diving, rugby, gymnastics, athletics, tennis, and even surfing! This is to name but a few sports that Ravenswood offers. I found them easy to communicate with from the UK, unlike Pymble which was a bit snotty in my honest opinion.
My daughter is a swimmer, and the head coach Mitch is brilliant. He has got her up to state level, there are lots of state and national swimmers in the team. The second coach who takes the younger swimmers is an ex world record holder and olympic medallist at the 400m. We have a big schools comp coming up in March - last year we came second, which is the best we have ever done, and is especially good as unlike the larger schools we don't offer swimming scholarships. The swim club is very active and is open to anyone with Ravo connections - so we have lots of young boys- some are only 6.
I'm sure both my children will thrive. Is there a good expat community around st Ives?
Another area we are thinking about is Roseville and Roseville chase. It's really hard to do all this research so remotely!
I really appreciate all your help.
Feb 9th 2013, 7:56 pm
#6
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Re: Help with Sydney high schools and suburbs
Thank you! I take on everything you say, especially commute from mosman to st Ives.
I like the look of st Ives as its greener and yes, you seem to get bigger house for money.
It really will come down to our daughter as she is the one that may be difficult to please/persuade. Good thing is that she will be starting senior school at same time as everyone else. Se is sporty and loves her swimming and netball. Do you know whether there's a netball team in st Ives or near district??
She really want co-ed but that seems to be hard to find apart from Killara and mosman. I really like the look of ravens wood and of Roseville. The IB is a pro as that is more internationally recognised....I think, no?
We are over in July to start the school/house hunt..... I hear rentals are a nightmare to get hold of...is this still the case in st Ives? I know it's true for mosman.
I like the look of st Ives as its greener and yes, you seem to get bigger house for money.
It really will come down to our daughter as she is the one that may be difficult to please/persuade. Good thing is that she will be starting senior school at same time as everyone else. Se is sporty and loves her swimming and netball. Do you know whether there's a netball team in st Ives or near district??
She really want co-ed but that seems to be hard to find apart from Killara and mosman. I really like the look of ravens wood and of Roseville. The IB is a pro as that is more internationally recognised....I think, no?
We are over in July to start the school/house hunt..... I hear rentals are a nightmare to get hold of...is this still the case in st Ives? I know it's true for mosman.
We started off looking around St Ives, Turramurra, Pymble, Gordon. Lovely leafy areas, but I don't think we ever saw another person when we were looking around. So we decided it was a bit too quiet for us, but it could be perfect for a family. Roseville is indeed also considered a very nice area.
Feb 9th 2013, 9:30 pm
#7
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Re: Help with Sydney high schools and suburbs
The rental market is competitive, but if you are organised it is not too bad. We did one weekend of house viewings, but after that we also found we had no problems at all lining up private viewings, you have suggested that your budget is on the higher side and the agents seem to be more willing to do private viewings for the more expensive houses.
We started off looking around St Ives, Turramurra, Pymble, Gordon. Lovely leafy areas, but I don't think we ever saw another person when we were looking around. So we decided it was a bit too quiet for us, but it could be perfect for a family. Roseville is indeed also considered a very nice area.
We started off looking around St Ives, Turramurra, Pymble, Gordon. Lovely leafy areas, but I don't think we ever saw another person when we were looking around. So we decided it was a bit too quiet for us, but it could be perfect for a family. Roseville is indeed also considered a very nice area.
Seriously, all the activity happens in the early morning with walkers, joggers, cyclists and there is a bit of a coffee culture too. Then after school you have the evening sports etc. There are expats in St Ives, but most have integrated well and don't feel the need to get together as expats. In my street we have 3 British families, 2 Korean, 2 South African and about 5 Aussies, all of varying ages. My neighbours and I have the occasional get together and we chat over the fence, and I recently dog sat for my lovely Essex neighbour and OH helped her OH with his computers.
The school has social groups too- I go to a mahjong group on a friday morning and we natter, have coffee and occasionally play a game- our group is very multicultural. Ravenswood (Ravo- I'm getting Aussie now) has a really good set up for welcoming newcomers, and you get invited to all sorts of things. When my furniture was delayed the school and staff, who I barely knew, lent me furniture, crockery, irons etc until it arrived 6 weeks later. Di Morrison, who was the lady in charge of enrolments at the time and is still there was superb. When I had 2 operations recently she organised a team to make gluten free meals for me (I couldn't see!) and has been wonderful.
Roseville- quite nice, but more expensive than St Ives as it is on the north shore line and closer to the CBD. Lots of Ravo girls live down that way, or in Lindfield and they get the train up. But if the OP is putting her son into St Ives prep with a view to the Grammar school, it makes more sense to live out nearer. She could also try Turramurra. The school at Roseville is quite good, but not one of the best for sport- our swim team trounces them. (I am biased here.)
If the OP has a big budget she should live in Pymble!
Feb 10th 2013, 11:25 am
#8
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Re: Help with Sydney high schools and suburbs
Maybe we knew you were coming and hid!!!!!
Seriously, all the activity happens in the early morning with walkers, joggers, cyclists and there is a bit of a coffee culture too. Then after school you have the evening sports etc. There are expats in St Ives, but most have integrated well and don't feel the need to get together as expats. In my street we have 3 British families, 2 Korean, 2 South African and about 5 Aussies, all of varying ages. My neighbours and I have the occasional get together and we chat over the fence, and I recently dog sat for my lovely Essex neighbour and OH helped her OH with his computers.
The school has social groups too- I go to a mahjong group on a friday morning and we natter, have coffee and occasionally play a game- our group is very multicultural. Ravenswood (Ravo- I'm getting Aussie now) has a really good set up for welcoming newcomers, and you get invited to all sorts of things. When my furniture was delayed the school and staff, who I barely knew, lent me furniture, crockery, irons etc until it arrived 6 weeks later. Di Morrison, who was the lady in charge of enrolments at the time and is still there was superb. When I had 2 operations recently she organised a team to make gluten free meals for me (I couldn't see!) and has been wonderful.
Roseville- quite nice, but more expensive than St Ives as it is on the north shore line and closer to the CBD. Lots of Ravo girls live down that way, or in Lindfield and they get the train up. But if the OP is putting her son into St Ives prep with a view to the Grammar school, it makes more sense to live out nearer. She could also try Turramurra. The school at Roseville is quite good, but not one of the best for sport- our swim team trounces them. (I am biased here.)
If the OP has a big budget she should live in Pymble!
Seriously, all the activity happens in the early morning with walkers, joggers, cyclists and there is a bit of a coffee culture too. Then after school you have the evening sports etc. There are expats in St Ives, but most have integrated well and don't feel the need to get together as expats. In my street we have 3 British families, 2 Korean, 2 South African and about 5 Aussies, all of varying ages. My neighbours and I have the occasional get together and we chat over the fence, and I recently dog sat for my lovely Essex neighbour and OH helped her OH with his computers.
The school has social groups too- I go to a mahjong group on a friday morning and we natter, have coffee and occasionally play a game- our group is very multicultural. Ravenswood (Ravo- I'm getting Aussie now) has a really good set up for welcoming newcomers, and you get invited to all sorts of things. When my furniture was delayed the school and staff, who I barely knew, lent me furniture, crockery, irons etc until it arrived 6 weeks later. Di Morrison, who was the lady in charge of enrolments at the time and is still there was superb. When I had 2 operations recently she organised a team to make gluten free meals for me (I couldn't see!) and has been wonderful.
Roseville- quite nice, but more expensive than St Ives as it is on the north shore line and closer to the CBD. Lots of Ravo girls live down that way, or in Lindfield and they get the train up. But if the OP is putting her son into St Ives prep with a view to the Grammar school, it makes more sense to live out nearer. She could also try Turramurra. The school at Roseville is quite good, but not one of the best for sport- our swim team trounces them. (I am biased here.)
If the OP has a big budget she should live in Pymble!
Feb 10th 2013, 10:09 pm
#9
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Re: Help with Sydney high schools and suburbs
http://bettereducation.com.au/Result...llRounder.aspx
Makes for an interesting read if you are forking out $30k a year!!
Feb 10th 2013, 11:49 pm
#10
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Re: Help with Sydney high schools and suburbs
For a completely unbiased and objective view of school results of all types (Public/Private/Secular etc) have a look here:
http://bettereducation.com.au/Result...llRounder.aspx
Makes for an interesting read if you are forking out $30k a year!!
http://bettereducation.com.au/Result...llRounder.aspx
Makes for an interesting read if you are forking out $30k a year!!
Feb 11th 2013, 1:47 am
#11
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Re: Help with Sydney high schools and suburbs
Oh I have no doubt that things can be skewed. What I wanted to demonstrate though is that having an open mind is best. I went to a private school back in UK and as such I am aware of its benefits and also its pitfalls. But you can get great schooling in the Sydney area without having to pay a fortune, I am sure you will agree that having a good look at all aspects of a school is important.
But, as I mentioned in another post, parents will always be very defensive about their choice of school for their children
But, as I mentioned in another post, parents will always be very defensive about their choice of school for their children
Feb 11th 2013, 4:46 am
#12
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Re: Help with Sydney high schools and suburbs
Oh I have no doubt that things can be skewed. What I wanted to demonstrate though is that having an open mind is best. I went to a private school back in UK and as such I am aware of its benefits and also its pitfalls. But you can get great schooling in the Sydney area without having to pay a fortune, I am sure you will agree that having a good look at all aspects of a school is important.
But, as I mentioned in another post, parents will always be very defensive about their choice of school for their children
But, as I mentioned in another post, parents will always be very defensive about their choice of school for their children
Feb 11th 2013, 8:38 am
#13
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Re: Help with Sydney high schools and suburbs
I'm not defensive- I firmly believe in matching the school to the child, and getting a good feel for the ethos of the school and how it works by visitingand asking lots of questions. This applies to both public and private. The OP wanted an opinion from someone with experience of the schools she is interested in. Relying on a league table doesn't give a complete picture. Some people I know didn't like the school and left after a year. Conversely some people leave other schools to come to Ravenswood. I speak from personal experience and what I hear other parents saying. But the OP must judge for herself.
Feb 11th 2013, 2:56 pm
#14
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Re: Help with Sydney high schools and suburbs
Killara High has a very good reputation. Our daughter went to SCECGS Redlands in Cremorne 2005-11 and we were very happy with it (she left with a 39 in the IB). We lived in Killara (the West side of the Pacific Highway is not quite as expensive) but had signed up for SCEGS before we moved to Killara, after one year in Castle Cove and then found out about Killara High! Anyhow, we were very fortunate in that we were able to afford the Redlands fees ;-). My wife did the school run every day and it wasn't too bad (around 30-35 mins usually). Ravenswood also has a very good reputation.
Feb 11th 2013, 3:05 pm
#15
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Re: Help with Sydney high schools and suburbs
I should have added that netball is absolutely everywhere and you will enjoy the Saturday morning routine!
As far as suburbs go then anywhere on the North Shore line is worth considering. Roseville and Gordon both very nice, more of a villagey feel. Chatswood very good for shopping and some good pubs/restaurants, but the large Chinese contingent puts some people off.
If you start missing a good curry then I'm just going to add a shout for Nilgiri's in St Leonards...took us a while to find it.
As far as suburbs go then anywhere on the North Shore line is worth considering. Roseville and Gordon both very nice, more of a villagey feel. Chatswood very good for shopping and some good pubs/restaurants, but the large Chinese contingent puts some people off.
If you start missing a good curry then I'm just going to add a shout for Nilgiri's in St Leonards...took us a while to find it.
