Sandra

Right - the ones over here tell you that there is no such thing as Schools ranking - and that is right, but there are certain places you can go to get information. For the current HSC (NSW) results, for those that are looking for higher education.

a place to start

http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/

leads to information like

http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au...ND_2003_12.htm

But the reason for my post was the Daily Telegraph Dec 27 has HSC 2003 results for each area round Sydney and wider.

I cannot get the results on line - and I have been looking, unless someone on this site can help? I have the paper but obviously it is too bloody big to scan, even if I did bother plugging the scanner in - in these days of digital camara!

OzTennis/TennisOz is off for Christmas break otherwise he might help me interpret the results!!! (not joking) I was disappointed in my school of choice performance until I played with the stats!! The reason I envoke the name of OT is because I believe the results I see back up the argument - the more you support your child in school the better they do? regardless of the school you send them to.

Anyway....anyone want to help me get this information on here?


Cheers

Larissa

When looking at Stats, look for value added ones... which is the best indicator of the performance of the school. These stats show the improvement the kids have made between entering and leaving the school. It's also important to have a good look around at the school facilities. Having said that, I worked at an impeccably maintained school, which turned out to be a nightmare! You can also gauge the school according to people's opinions - ask around. Also think about the children's behaviour out of school - are they generally sensible? (hence learnt good social skills etc.) Another thing which is "telling" is school employee turnover - are the teachers dying to get out?
Larissa

Sandra

Larissa I totally agree with you, I have two very different children in terms of education. I enjoy the fact that both want to go to school and enjoy it! This fact alone has meant I am happy here in Aus.

I wanted to try and post the results I have read for NSW because I have heard so many reports of the education here being c**p. I was one who would have agreed 12 months ago. All the hard work I put in in the UK to get my kids in the "right" school for each of them paid off and it was one of my many regrets when I first came over here - did I swap for less? I spent alot of time looking at schools here before I came over - via internet and phone calls and then visits when we arrived. We could barely afford private but we would have done it - ??

I am happy with my childrens education here - mostly because of the valued added, I was also happy with the valued added in the UK as well. It has taken me a while (20 months) to be able to say (type) this.

I will add I 'pay' for the education in certain ways because I live in 'good' area in Sydney. I would be interested to hear other parents feedback on education comparisons a year or two in ?

Thanks

S Oldfield

My 2 sons attended 2 very different schools, the eldest was bullied, stabbed and in general his life was made hell. He constantly seeked help but was branded as an attention seeker. When my younger son was due to go to sec school we were given a place at the same school. I refused to sign the slip to accept the place, due to what had happened to our eldest.

We were threatened with prosecution, but by now I was like a dog with a bone, I was not giving up.

I kept my son off school for 3 months, attended court hearings and at the same time rang the `required` school on a daily basis to check the situation.

He was on the waiting list and had been so since the may of his last term at Junior school. He had been top of the list since June of the same year.

He finally got in.

The school is amazing and is one of the best in the area. He achieves A* in ALL he does.

Although the whole situation was very stressful, he is proving it was well worth it.

Sandra

Where are you going to in Aus, Sandra - what ages are the children?

You have obviously made choices already and will stick by the best ones for your children, and good for you. I hope all goes well.

Cheers

S Oldfield

Hopefully will be able to continue to `absorb` all that comes their way.

The elder of the 2 is now at college and is doing ex. well. Often gets `student` of the month.

Only thing is he doesnt want to be `The new boy` and wants to look for work. when we get to Oz. We have said it is up to him. Its a funny age to migrate so really I will just `go with the flow` with him.

NickyC

Hi Sandra,

You are right in that there is no official ranking of High Schools in NSW. Funny, because every parent I know would love get their hands on one - plus most of the Private School principals too! The people who stop such a thing happening are the very powerful NSW Teachers Union (they will not allow anything that might show them up as not performing as well as they'd like to believe.)
They're also very anti any form of interim testing and will only allow those tests as long as schools are not compared!

The media are given the same info as published on the Board of Studies website - which are really only the top 5000 achievers and their schools - and they try to produce meaningful lists from it. The Herald produces a special HSC Results lift-out section every year but really they're only playing with only limited data that's available. I looked for an online version of the lists on the Herald website but found nothing.

Also the schools themselves are only given students HSC results. The just-as-important UAI (University Admission Index) is only provided to the students. If the school wants that info they have to ask each student what UAI they received. And just hope they respond with the truth!

Banksia

Until a few years ago, UAI figures by school were made available publicly but that is no longer the case. Now, far less meaningful (in terms of university entrance) information is published which can reward students who choose subjects and levels of subject below their ability. Since that strategy doesn't get you the university course of your choice, the whole process is easy to ignore.

This, on balance in my view, is a Good Thing and seems to be bi-partisan policy as all the media interest is on the top performers when it should be about improvement for everyone if life long learning is to mean anything.

So we no longer have UAI figures which put the state schools in a "poor" light and the market share for state schools continues to decline anyway. The State Government professes to be concerned and there is a big re-organisatiuon underway at the top in the Department.

And yes, sadly the Teachers' Federation is very much part of the problem. They can cope with granting university places on merit for their students but would go on strike for ever if any concept of merit based pay was introduced. They complain of poor pay and teacher shortages but want whatever additional funds are available to be shared across their membership - equally.

Their argument is "how do you assess teacher performance?" A friend of mine who is a (good) teacher if only because he loves teaching it says: "It's easy - ask the kids!"

Although private principals may profess the pine for the days when they could get the UAI scores, I hope they don't really mean it. After all, their market share is going up without them. In their absence, they can concentrate more on admitting less able students and giving more students whatever benefits they claim to impart.

The public needs a deeper understanding of these issues but sadly they can't look to the media for a better debate.