Hi

Was reading the thread about schools in the Brisbane area and it just got me wondering about when is the best time to start thinking about what school you want your little darlings to go to?

The boy will be 8.5 ish when we move over to SA and the lass will be 6.5. I have an idea of the areas we may look to move to and do hope to visit one or two of the primary schools when we visit in February. Should our decision regarding primary school be driven by our choice(s) for high school?

It's such a minefield and research over t'internet is all well and good but it isn't the same as being there.

All hints and assistance would be greatfully received

State schools are governed by where you live and that is going to be more a matter of where you work, what you can afford and what type of home you want to live in. General rule of thumb is that if you wouldnt want to live in a suburb then you wouldnt want to send your kids to a school there.

You may already have missed the boat for the high fee paying HS - some of them have wait lists as long as your arm and you have to put the kids down before conception but it never hurts to get their names on the waiting lists for a few hundred dollars just in case.

For the Catholic system it helps to be Catholic or at least overtly Christian.

In essence though, the primary schools are irrelevant. Just find a place to live that you are happy to live in and the rest will fall into place

Start researching - Before you buy your first house (gotta be in the right area - and cost of moving house in Australia makes unnecessary moving financial suicide - better get in to the right area from the word go!)

Start signing up/paying - as soon as you conceive (High cost private schools have waiting lists from birth , yeah they cost a fortune - but who knows what state the education system is going to be in 14 years time? and you *might* get that big powerball win or discover a benevolent wealthy dying relative....)

Start thinking about it - when they start primary school (All those schools you signed up for 5 years ago.... time to try and whittle down the list. What is everyone else in your area thinking? What kind of school does your child need? Any special requirements re: music, sport, academic extension, learning support etc etc)

Start panicing - 3 years before they leave primary school (Some schools are going to start talking about commitments and asking for money.... better have an idea what the plan is soon!)

In my experience you don't have to panic. My kids have gotten into top private schools, catholic schools and state schools outside our catchment at very short notice. This waiting list business is a big marketing ploy by the private schools to get everyone's 400 big ones when their children are born.

If money is an issue, don't buy a house until you are sure it is in your prefered catchment zone.

When the sperm hits the egg.