lancastrian48

Hi

We have been in W.A for 3 years. Our 8 yrs boy has been to S Harbour primary,and Maranatha private for the last year and a half.
We have finally got a registration for Mandurah Baptist after a 2 yr wait.
Should we move him for a 3rd time in 3 yrs ? the dilemma..is it a better school ? or are they all the same ?
Still not comfy with the academic side of schools here, too laid backand too soft.
More painful when you leave a top Ofsted rated chrisian school in UK.
He's reasonably happy at Maranatha, but no close friends as such...hmmm

HelenTD

I don't know either of these schools personally, and don't know anyone who goes there. Hopefully someone on here will, there's nothing like insider knowledge. Sometimes it helps to look at the upper years in a school, to see what older kids are achieving. It can also help to make up your mind if you've heard about a particular teacher that you don't want near your child.

Looking at the My School Australia website, http://www.myschool.edu.au/SchoolSearch.aspx, both these schools have some "red" results in NAPLAN, which indicates results below those of similar schools (under SIM Results in Numbers) or Australian schools in general. Mandurah Baptist has less "red" and no "green", Maranatha has one "green" (results above Australian schools). Personally speaking, I have my doubts about the usefulness of NAPLAN results, but it might give you a general idea of how the basics are being taught. Mandurah Baptist has a better attendance rate than Maranatha (99% to 94%) and far fewer kids where English is a 2nd language - 7% compared to Maranatha's 17%. Maranatha had 642 kids enrolled in 2010, Mandurah Baptist had 1012 - while it might seem that a smaller school is friendlier (or whatever) than a larger school, it often means that there are less learning opportunities in terms of subjects or special programmes. Hope this helps, not an easy decision for you, but kids are adaptable and it might make all the difference if you move him, in terms of learning and making friends.

lancastrian48

Thanks for that reply

gobbyjock

I know several people with kids at Mandurah Baptist - all speak very highly of the school and all very happy with how their kids are doing there ( most are teachers themselves by the way). I also know a few with kids at Maranatha, also very happy - it`s a decision only you can make, however if he`s not made many friends perhaps it might be worth trying something else?? Facts and figure are all very well but mean nothing if you haven`t got a "personal feel" for the school.

kar-kier

My son has been to 3 schools in 3 years - South Halls Head, Dawesville Catholic and now Mandurah Catholic College. True, the move to MCC was down to him starting highschool, but never the less 3 schools!

I think the fact that MBC has a 2 year wait list says it all - kids go and stay there, they don't move elsewhere, as people are happy with the level of education. I have a few friends with children in MBC and they are very happy with the education their children are getting. I have one friend who has her children at Maranatha, and she is happy with that, HOWEVER, she did move him to a public school for highschool.