Now for the big question. I have now been told I will be working in Maroochydore. We understand we will have to visit each school but can anybody give us their thoughts on schools around that area? The good, the bad, and those you would love to send the mother-in-law too if you could. We do not think we can afford private. My son is 9

Cheers all

Private schools include Catholic here, and an example of the costing for Brisbane in 2007 was:

• Preschool & Primary : $744 per student or $1,048 for two children or $1,280 per family of 3 or more students, with a building fund contribution of $376 per primary school family.
  
• Secondary School : $1,576 per student or $2,628 per family (2 students or more), with a building fund contribution of $480 per school family

Just so you know what some options are...

There is a school called Mountain Creek which a lot of people rave about. I haven't heard any negative comments. It's not in maroochydore but close enough to drive to work.

To get into this school you need to live in the catchment area. Mountain Creek seems quite a nice area. I've only driven through there though.
Kate

maroochy high has a bit of a rep, have 3 friends with kids who have gone there at one stage, none impressed, however they have kids who get an OP1 so I guess its like any other school. The primary then, would have kids from same families. Both the state schools there are quite old, dont know if that matters to you.

Privates up there are Stella Maris Catholic, lots of familes on subsidised fees, the Sienna at Chancellor is looked on as more upmarket if your looking for catholic education, and it is quite hot on that point, may have cheap fees but its pretty full on. Lutheran, mixed reviews, most expensive is matthew flinders at Buderim/sippy downs, again only 10 mins from m'dore.

From Maroochydore your only 10 mins to BLi Bli, Mt Creek, Mooloolaba, Buderim etc, all have schools. My experience of schools here is its pretty much pot luck. If you get a teacher who can be bothered and a good mix of kids, fine, same school next year you might get the slacko teacher from hell ( had many of them) and kids with behaviour probs and your stuffed for the year. Keep a very close eye on whats happening, kids are so happy, yep could it be that class is not doing any work, that sort of thing.

Youngest has just started the much mentioned Mt Ck high, hes in the Zenith course which leads to IB if they keep up with the higher standards of work and behaviour!!, at last we find good behaviour. So far so good, really impressed, however have tons of mates with kids in some of the other grade 8 classes and the primary and reviews so far are very mixed, same as anywhere then.

Just go around and check out lots of schools, dont get sucked in by the "best in Qld' speel, heard that at every school weve looked at, see what suits you, then watch very carefully who and what they get each year

I have been looking into schools and this is what I ahve got from it (sorry if I offend anyone)

Grade 4 is age 9?

Maroochydore - rough
Mountain creek - good reputation, need to be in cachement to be sure. 58% go on to university but if you think as a state school not all parents are behind the kids so that is a good percentage. School is very proactive and try to help children build their strengths
Buderim state - primary - very nice
Mountain creek primary very nice
Mathew Flinders - SC top performing school quite competitive nice facililties, costs a bit more - I think this is where I would like my children to go for secondary school - 89% go on to university
Suncoast - private but only about 1.8k per year - 2nd top performer, very god squad, no bullying - I am trying to decide whether to send my children here for primary but think I will prob go Buderim state (also a feeder school for mountain creek state)
Immanual Luthean - Wises road - nice school, my kids swim here, good sporting facilities - good results - think its about 76%

With these percentages - its about the same percentage who get an A-E equivalent OP - excuse me but when I was comparing I transferred everything to UK marking to evaluate them

Chancellar park - looked good but I didnt want a newer school with newer feed in as you can;t really tell where its going

I havent actually finished the evaluation but was very taken with Flinders

Think it will be that or mountain creek state for us - the decision made by my finances

V

I have researched thoroughly Chancellor Park school which is in Sippy downs on the outskirts of Maroochydore.Within this subburb the Primary school runs from Prep to year 6 then Middle school campus years 7,8,9.The HS is in the same area for yrs 10.11.12 and University of the Sunshine Coast slap bang in the middle.My children are at private school in South Africa but this is government and I was very impressed.School zoning is big so you should find the right school then your home in that order if possible.

Chancellor park not that new I think it is 11 years old!

I didnt actually go see chancellor although it is not far from Matthew Flinders. I will maybe go take a look - what put me off were a couple of opinions which incidentally weren't really ones that I would necessarily hold of great value, just people at swimming etc. the other thing that put me off was the traffic into Sippy downs in the morning because of the university. I have had to go over there some mornings and its not a city by any stretch of the imagination but there is some traffic. It has taken me 30 mins to travel a little stretch.

I suppose if you live at Sippy Downs then that wouldn't be an issue.

If its a catholic school, I am sure that it would be good. They usually are. I will go try take a look in the next week or so.

We moved just out of cachement for Mountain Creek so would prob have to move later on or hope to get in as an extra.

Vivienne

Traffic at sippy certainly is a nightmare, close friend is in there, one estate with thousands of homes and one way in and out, as you say at school time it can take 45 mins to move a short distance.

Chancellor gets mixed reviews, again like most schools if you know enough people who go there. There are some very rough kids going there, the drug/party thing you get anywhere, one of the 15 yr olds attending was recently killed drunk, illegal driving, Teen driving incidents seems to be a big problem in OZ not just this part of it. It also gets rave reviews based on its links with doing some lessons at the university facilities. However my friends daughter has done grade 5 - 8 there and happy, her older daughter goes to Sienna, ( hard to get in, these people are genuine church goers so had only a small wait ) but by all accounts some of the girls there have behaviour to shock as well no surprise then.

Weve put three kids through 8 years of school in OZ, covered most grades, and seriously what each school churns out each year can be totally different depending on the teacher and the mix of kids in that class. Based on that experience its hard to say one school is good/bad as you can attend any school for even just 2 years and get a great year and a horror class in a row.