ali south

Hi

does anyone have kids attending Mosman High School or know anything about the school?

This is a possible school for our kids. Would love to hear your opinion.
Thanks
Tara

(6 days till we leave!)

ali south

ps why is my ticker factory not working

soapy©

dont know anything about this school ali, but i thought i would bump yir thread

ali south

bump
now 5 days to go!

CarlaA

Hi Tara,
I don't have kids at Mosman High (yet?) but I can share my impression of it with you. It's necessarily very subjective though.
I think that it's a good and unstuffy high school that is especially supportive of kids who are keen on the arts. It has a specialist (selective) arts programme.
The principal of Mosman Primary - who has seen the unpublished figures - has said publically that if you are looking at 'added value' (i.e. the difference between what pupils can do when they arrive and what they achieve in the HSC) then you couldn't ask for a better school than Mosman High and she wouldn't see why anyone would pay good money to send their kid somewhere private. (Of course this statement was part of an ongoing battle to support public education.)
Nonetheless, many many Mosman parents send their children to private schools. Thus Mosman High has pupils from quite a wide geographical area. I know a couple who live right at the top of the Northen Beaches who now send both their children to Mosman (1 hour journey), after having tried various other schools.
Mosman High (very unusually) has no school uniform. Some parents are put off by this. They think the children look scruffy. Personally I think they look more adult. You will see Mosman High kids slouching around the bus stops in their casual clothes and this contrasts rather sharply with other kids in their old-fashioned private school uniforms complete with straw boaters!
Some years back I'm told that Mosman High was thought of as 'druggy' - but not now I don't think - or at least no more than anywhere else.
All I've heard of it here in the last two years has been good.
Be aware that the public selective high school process means that those kids who are doing very well at the end of primary school are very likely to go to one of the selective schools. There are several within a reasonable travelling distance of Mosman. This may mean that a very fast learner *might* be an unusual pupil at Mosman High and teachers *might* not be best placed to accommodate them. But I don't know for sure about that. If one of your kids was in this situation it would be a question I'd want to ask the principal (though of course they would say it would be fine...).
My own son would love to be going to Mosman High - largely because he went on a school visit there and made banana muffins! But I am insisting he takes up his place at Manly Selective because he is (or has been so far) an unusually fast learner (he has been accelerated and put into a selective primary class) and is very very keen on science and computers. And we aren't going to stay living in Mosman anyway in the long term as the housing is too expensive for us.
If selective school had not been an option, I would have happily sent him to Mosman High.
Finally, I knew two Swedish lads (17/18) who spent two terms at Mosman High. They thought it was incredibly strict and the teachers had far too many rules and regulations. But at the end of their time there they decided that it was a good school and what they were reacting to was the cultural difference between Australian and Swedish high schools. They commented that at Mosman you are always congratulated if you do anything well. At their regular school it is just 'expected'.
I'm sure you'll have looked at the school website. The school prides itself on delighting in individuality rather than pushing conformity.

ali south

Thank you so much for taking the time to write this post.

My kids are very bright (sory I know that sounds smug). My daughter just got 6 As, 3 Bs and a C inher GCSEs. They both go to a selective school in the UK.The selective schools in Sydney will not take them as the date for enrolment has passed.They are both sporty too. Jade is arty but Jack is not.
Another issue is that we leave here next Monday and if teh kids do not go to school straightaway they will not meet anyone until Feb.

Thanks again
Tara

CarlaA

I think that in your position Tara I'd probably give Mosman High a go until Christmas and see how it suits your kids. At this stage of the year I don't think you've got a lot to lose even if you later decide on something else. At worst, as you say, it would provide a social outlet for them and keep them out of your hair while you get established? At best you may find that they and you are extremely happy with the school and that you can tick that item off your list. Also if they settle in at Mosman they'll have a chance to find out how to sign up for things they want to do next year (like certain sports), rather than perhaps missing out by not knowing how/when to sign up in the new year. (I believe Mosman runs surfing classes. )
Whatever school you chose, be aware that, despite the high numbers of folk from overseas here, people aren't necessarily very aware how much is unfamiliar to us. Your kids may be expected just to know how things work in an Aussie school and may well have to ask plenty of dumb questions! (My little ones were bemused by simple things like how the canteen worked and where and what the oval was.) I imagine that it could be uncomfortable for teenagers to feel dumb when they're trying hard to make a good impression.
If you want to pusue the selective school route you'd have to apply directly to the selective school you were interested in. The selection process is centrally managed for Year 7 entry (and there's a waiting list of children to fill Year 7 places that come free), but after Year 7 schools fill any places that become available according to their own criteria. Evidence of school work, IQ test etc. can help. Places at the 'old' selective schools such as North Sydney Boys and Girls are in very high demand. The 'newer' selective schools like Manly or Chatswood (which is part selective and part not) have less competition.
Good luck with your move.

ali south

thanks Carla

Another issue is that we cannot afford to live in Mosman. This is our base because my sister lives in Seaforth. I have contacted all of the local selective schools and they are all full. Jack is Yr 9 and Jade year 11.

I am trying to balance getting as much arranged from the UK with giving up and waiting until we arrive.

I cannot wait until we fly on Moday. I am going to have a good few glasses of wine.

Emigrating is the most stressful and exhauting thing I have ever done. I am working full time until this Friday! House sale completes Thursday.

Again

Thanks
Tara

CarlaA

I can relate to that. We've spent two years renting in Mosman (initially didn't know whether we were here for just 2 years or for good). It was a great place to start off. We've woken every morning to the sound of the ferry and knowing just where we are and feeling great about being in Sydney. But the houses are way out of our league.
We're now buying a house up in Avalon.
Based in Seaforth your other obvious schools would be the Northern Beaches Secondary College then - of which Manly Selective is one. They have some sort of collective system for letting students study the subjects they want even if the teacher is at one of the other sites (there's an inter-school bus). As well as Manly there is Mackeller Girls potentially for your daughter or Freshwater Senior college.
http://www.nbscollege-m.schools.nsw.edu.au/
One good thing about Mosman High is that it's not far from Spit Junction which has loads of buses passing through so your kids would find it fairly easy to travel to from many different places.

ali south

Hi
enrolled the kids today, was very impressed initally. Does anyone have any experience with the academic side of the successes in this school
Thanks
Tara