Tweenies

Hi there,

We have just recently started to look into moving to Australia.
We are currently living in Florida on a 2 year E-2 visa.
We love it here but with all the problems at the moment with gaining your visa in the first place and then now having to to renew it every 2 years (normally 5) worries us quite a bit.
So we have decided we need a back-up plan as none of us want to move back to the Uk.
We are only in the early stages of looking and have had trouble trying to find any good info on school ( for now in the Gold coast). We want to find out which schools are really good (a bit like the ofsted report in the Uk). We have 3 children 7, 5 and 2.
Any info ,advice etc would be greatly appreciated on schools or areas in the gold coast which are nice.
Thanks in advance

Suni&Jay

Search for previous treads on schools, there are quiet a few.
We are looking to send our 2 boys (11/12)to St Stephens College (private)
near Coomera.
Or try a search on oz gov. web site.
hope this helps

Suni

Tweenies

Thanks Suni,

Have just been looking but can't find anything with info on how to check how good they are, i have been able to find all the schools though, i will keep on looking and will look at the link you have just given me.
Many thanks !

Suni&Jay

We had same problem,no info on how good schools are ( no ofsted ratings like UK)
You will get some good feed back when the oz's wake up.
By the way that isn't a link, Just try a search on google gor schools in oz, or oz goverment.

Suni

Tweenies

Thanks again Suni......Yep realised after i had typed it, i did google it thanks.
Thought it was just me not looking harder enough or in the wrong place. Its a shame because it would be good to read about how good the schools were to give me an idea. Hopefully somebody will have know !

bezzanbob

From my limited experience of living and working on the coast:

TSS www.tss.qld.edu.au very good but very exclusive and expensive - 1200 boys with excellent reputation both academically and outside the classroom.

Sister school - St Hilda's - comments a s per TSS but for girls!

Somerset College - half way down the coast - co-ed and delivering the IB

All Saints - about 10 to 15 years old school - good reputation co-ed school close to the highway.

No idea about reports on these schools however

Bezza

Jonahs_mummy

This is an excellent site for the Gold Coast that my company are in partnership with.
www.studygoldcoast.org.au

Tweenies

Thank you, i will go and have a look now.

Jonahs_mummy

no worries - if you need help when you arrive we offer a school search service where we can pre-arrange school tours & meetings with the principals.
http://www.goldcoastsmile.com/smile_...r_migrants.htm

moneypenny20

Most of the primary schools are very good and friendly. We have two girls, one at Elanora Primary and the other at Elanora High. They both have very good reputations but in fairness, there are only a couple of High schools I have had bad reports about.

sherie_in_oz

Love your post as we nearly went to florida 3 years ago and had the same problems getting visas for all the family to stay there. Like you we have 3 children aged 16,12 and 10 and on an E2 they are not allowed to work and have to return to the Uk or get their own visa when they are 21. :scared:
For this reason we applied and got a permanent visa for the whole family to come to OZ and we are loving it on the GC, altho sometimes I think we might have made more money in the US, it is a good life here and our children are very happy here.
There are lots of good areas here on the GC and hardly any bad ones. Just as in Florida some people think living on waterfront is good, others want a big house on acreage, etc. so do a search on good areas on the Gold Coast as people have already done this on BExps.
We like the GC hinterland, and have a big house in a cul de sac backing onto fields, and are very near Somerset College, one of the most expensive private schools on the GC, the other most expensive schools are TSS and St Hildas.
My youngest goes to Cloverhill state school, an oversubscribed 2 year old state of the art school with excellent facilities and links with Bond University. This too might be another option depending on the catchment area you live in for state schools.
All the best with your decision and PM me if you want for further comparisons with florida,
Sherie.

Tweenies

Wow .......great minds think alike lol....
Thanks for your post and i am sure i will be asking you loads more questions in the next few weeks.....
We have been looking at Robina is this area ok ?? There is one primary school there....think it is called Robina State primary school.....do you know if this area/school is okay ?
Any thoughts would be great !

moneypenny20

Very good school. A poster on here "Debsy" - her girls go there and she is happy, even got them in there whilst living about 20 mins away because it's good. They all are. Try PMing her.

Tweenies

Thank You