mweir

We moved here recently and found the most amazing independent school on the Sunshine Coast that we can highly recommend. St. Andrew's Anglican College is fantastic. It is fresh and innovative. Great staff and the environment is very energetic and warm from the minute you walk in. Incredibly friendly families. The sport is amazing, the academic opportunities are great and the music and arts program are good. We were worried about what Australian schools would be like but St. Andrew's is a great place to put your kids. They are thriving and shining!! We could not be happier and wish that all schools in the Uk could copy what St. Andrew's does. Amazing!!

Hutch

The Anglican schools seem to have a far better rep here than the Catholic schools. I'm an atheist snd would be loathed to send my son to a religious school, but if necessary I'll put on my cloak of hypocrisy and sign him up.

northernlights

But would you be willing to go to church every Sunday for several years? It's a big ask but that's what you have to do to get your kids in these days. Competition is fierce. Your kids name down don't count for much in good Anglican schools, gotta do the church thing as well. Depends how big your hypocritical cloak is?

mweir

Its actually not that religious. Religion is dying in Aus. St. Andrew's promotes great values without the full on church aspect. Since we have been here we have found that schools align themselves with the church ( probably for the funding) but that is about as far as it goes. We are happy with a great school that promotes great values and morals without relating it to a verse from the bible, but instead put it in a more contemporary context.

Hutch

They're actually not that anal about it at the school I'm thinking of round here. Obviously there's an interview at which you'll be gently 'probed' with regard your beliefs and (as I don't believe in god and therefore won't go to hell) I'll lie through my back teeth.

Famous 5

My children have been at St Andrew's for three years and they are all very happy there. They were at high achieving schools in the UK and found that school here is a lot more relaxed than the UK, but they still feel challenged and motivated and have been given some fantastic opportunities that I'm not sure they would have had in the UK.

The school is certainly going from strength to strength, got good results from its first year 12 graduates in 2008, has a growing reputation and it is very popular.

There seems to be no requirement to attend church in order to get a place at school as there are many families at school who do not attend church, but I'm not sure whether practising Anglicans get priority on the waiting list.

northernlights

I guess it depends on where you live and how the local state schools fair in comparison.

NickyC

There's definitely no necessity to actually attend the church that your school is associated with here in Sydney.

The only requirement is to be able to afford the fees (and maybe pay a bit of lip-service to the school's ethos). Like all providers of consumer items, when times are good, these schools are over-subscribed and might have long waiting lists. When times are tougher (like now) just show them your money and they'll welcome you with open arms.

My kids went to a huge, nominally presbyterian school (they're both card-carrying atheists now, so it appears they were immune to any brain-washing) where the student body consisted of every shape, size, race, religion and culture you can imagine. The thought of all those thousands of parents having to front up at their local presbyterian church is too funny for words..

Although, apparantly, if you were a son of a presbyterian minister you got a great discount on the fees. I bet they get one of them every 20 years or so.

shirlw

Moving to Maroochydore area some time this year with 3 boys......where is St Andrews situated and is there a website I can browse?

mweir

Go to www.saac.qld.edu.au

jad n rich

Perigian, in peak time a good 30 min drive from maroochydore. About 8 grand a kid in highschool.

3 boys same as me. Local high in Maroochydore is the State school, hmmmm.... Look some kids do well there, but from close mates with boys have have been there the drugs and sex reputation of the school wasnt entirely without merit However they had fun in their brief stints there. Private options avail, mainly in Buderim.

Mine have been private and state, youngest got into the advanced academic programme at Mountain Creek, so going to a State School again. So impressed with the disclipline there. 2000 kids, yet under control, some kid nicked a few bikes, they did a police style line up, no messing about there, very good school IMO and believe me I have tried a few.

Jen1977ni

Ohhhhhhhh I see they have a Primary School there too, do they need any teachers!? tee hee

shirlw

Thanks for that but Yeh Peregian a tad too far as we are actually settling in Sippy Downs.We are looking at Chancellor primary and college........will be a bit of a change as they are all currently in private school in South Africa(here it is a neccessity not a luxury),but it seems farely good but still relatively new at around 11 or 12 years old ?

fish.01

The Anglican schools are usually the dearer, posher schools but a lot of the Catholic schools are great as well. The Catholic primary schools often have a very good community feel to them. I've heard examples of 40% of the students and staff not being Catholic.

kiwinow

3 boys same as me. Local high in Maroochydore is the State school, hmmmm.... Look some kids do well there, but from close mates with boys have have been there the drugs and sex reputation of the school wasnt entirely without merit

So kids at a private Anglican school don't have sex and dabble in drugs and alcohol? Are you sure? Most kids don't do this at school, (if they do they get suspended or expelled) so I don't know whether you can blame the school. It's who your kids mix with and what rules you have that makes the difference.

Sorry the first bit is a quote and I don't know why I lost the box from around it.