OzTennis

Yep, I appreciate that too. Just out of interest, apart from the country Year 12 schools with too few candidates which have an asterisk (Wycheproof and Derrinallum), the 'top 50' schools feature 3 state schools - McKinnon, Charlton and Glen Waverley at 45th, 46th and 47th. The overwhelming majority are fee paying schools.

The moral if you look at league tables is that if you want your child to go to the 'best achieving' schools then you send them to a private school and preferably one for girls or those of the Jewish faith (MacRob, Bialik, Leibler Yavneh, Camberwell in top 5)

OzTennis

RooksieJ

it makes for pretty depressing reading so far !!!

OzTennis

No, stick with it, that's what league tables do! Repeat after me, a child CAN do well in a state school. One could argue in a number of ways that the outstanding results at Glen Waverley SC for example are even better than those achieved at MacRob Girls High.

OzTennis

RooksieJ

im not going to make the same mistake as before and lose sleep over schools. surely the best way to decide is to go and check them out for myself, right

OzTennis

Yep, do your homework, look at school websites, ask questions here and in BritVics, talk to other parents, do some visits and keep an open mind. Many state schools perform well (and can save a lot of money into the bargain)!

OzTennis

Sam

HI Jacs

Can't help you with your question, sorry as you know i'm over here in Perth not in Melbourne

Just wanted to say


CONGRATULATIONS

on the birth of Baby EVE, don't come on here very often now (but you can find some of us on the other side )

I take it your looking at heading back but to Melbourne this time???

Have you thought of Perth at all or WA in general????

Bexie

Awwww!

The_Pom_From_Aus

what are you expectations of schools in Melbourne, are you considering state school or private or maybe catholic schools, its a can of worms, i know i work for the education dept in a state school.

so it all depends on what you want for you kids, also what your child wants to do are they academic, if so then depending on the school & what they have to offer for your child NOT YOU and whats the best for you child NOT U.

There is lots to consider, lots of people here have a negative attitude in respect saying if you dont send your kids to private school they wont get a decent education, thats just bollocks, when you visit a school ask loads of questions with respect to there curriculum and how you think your kids will fit in, please do remember its different from the UK kids are kids the Aussies kids love the accent & when they make new friends and your kids are invited to new friends for an evening jump at that opportunity.
it makes friends for the entire family, kids & parents..

Think of the entire family & you wont go far wrong.

regards

& best of luck

Arthur.

PS

if you need more assistance with schools just ask
Oh all schools have to publish there end of year results for all year levels, especially Yr 12 thats how they base all school results on after all after Yr 12 they enter the real world.???

RooksieJ

you know what mate - we have no idea where we are headed (ring any bells!!!! )

RooksieJ

thanks for the reply - brilliant. well i can certainly narrow it down - we are looking at catholic schools, being catholics!! im really really worried about eldest daughter because she has just started secondary school over here having transferred with all of her friends from primary school. would be a significant upheaval for her (having done it once before and hating it on sunshine coast). dont want to make any mistakes this time.

Bexie

Feel for you, my daughter is in the middle of her final year of GCSEs and we are faced with the decision as to whether to let her do her A levels here or convert her GCSE s to VCE s.

RooksieJ

how does she feel about it? im sure if she could my daughter would stay here!!!!! she is NOT happy about potential move.

Bexie

My daughter is most definitely NOT happy. However, after much soul searching, we have decided that she will come and validate the visa and then return to UK to complete GCSE s. We haven't told her yet, but I think that if she really wants to do A levels here I will have to let her. It breaks my heart, but 16 is very nearly an adult. I don't want to lose her. I just hope and pray that she will fall in love with the place like I did! It makes it doubly difficult that her natural father died 4 years ago and she fears that leaving will cut the last ties to him and his family! It is so hard to try and put myself in her shoes. It has caused and is causing a lot of angst. I just have to tell myself that what will be will be? It rips my heart open when I think of being apart from her. I bet she wishes she could read this, we argue like cat and dog! She has worked so hard for her exams that I feel it is only fair to lether finish?
Sorry for that outburst! (Tourettes woman!)

RooksieJ

oh crap!! my eyes are almost leaking. daughters eh i am all over the place with it and just dont know what to do. we ballsed up big time when we moved out to sunshine coast and are now flat broke - we just cant afford to make any more mistakes.

Good luck

Margaret3

Awwwwwwwwe Bexie, it must be tough. We have a 15 year old and we are taking her kicking and screaming all the way, as we are in the unfortunate postition of not having close family around , she will have to come, otherwise i would definatley leave her here to finish school, coz she is quite happy at school here and doing really well. a year ago , i never would have even considered this, but i would defo now, she has just sat her standard grade prelims and worked hard, it brings me close to tears to see this, she basically never gives up hope that we WON'T GO