chaleyscott

We are in the process of migrating to Melbourne, and in particular the mornington peninsular. Obviously we are looking at good schools in this area and am prepared to do my research. What I need to know is any tips about going about this and if Victoria has an ofsted equivalent. Also does anybody know good schools in that area?.

samnrob2

My wife (Sam) would probably be able to tell you, but I think (wish on this occasion that I'd listened to her! ) that there isn't an ofsted equivalent.

Sure someone will be able to say for definate tho'

Rob

moneypenny20

I think they are planning on bringing in something like it in 2006. Not a lot of use now obviously - sorry!

chaleyscott

how do you tell what is a good school or not? Also when would our daughter join school (she is 5 in June). Our son will be 4 in October so would he go to pre-school? and does anyone know if that is free?

thanks.

Coulterk

Although not what was asked for in the original post - the following is a website for 2ndary school comparisons in Perth:

http://www.curriculum.wa.edu.au/pages/publication02.htm

Also good is the aussiemove site http://www.aussiemove.com/city/city.asp?f=2&c=7 which links through to some other education sites http://www.eddept.wa.edu.au/ that are good for school info. Again for Perth.

There must me similar things for Melbourne and other areas.

walter99

I would go by how happy the children are in the school. I would avoid a school like the plague if it was praised by some OFSTED equivalent. I don't want my children going to some school where the teachers have to teach like robots and test scores indicate success.
In Queensland he would go to Kindergarten I think and I am pretty sure that is only a couple of afternoons or mornings a week. A new prep year is being introduced that is like the British Reception year (god forbid,lets completely drain them of enthusiasm for learning before they are six!!) That is not compulsory until 2007 and is for children turning five in that year. There are some already operating in various areas. Preschool is five days a fortnight and is free apart from all the costs of excursions and equipment needed occasionally. You will find in Australia that the parents pay for all equipment needed. Pens, exercise books, glue etc etc. There are private day care centres for younger children that are not free, they also emphasise learning outcomes etc (god forbid if we just let kids be kids and play a little without there having to be an outcome).

Paul and Chloe

Hi...

We have just arrived in Perth and were suprised at the difference between the way UK pre-school child care is run (where we lived anyway) and how it is here. The day care places we have seen have been very much commercially driven and much larger than the UK nursery our girls went to, catering for 85+ kids. We have managed to find information on some "not for profit" centres that we have visited and the atmosphere and approach seems to be much more in line with what we were used to in the UK. It is very difficult when you arrive to know the good from the average from the bad...child care is just one example....doctors etc is same also.

Paul and Chloe