spid

Well, will the research ever stop? Actually that's not the question.
If you remember i have two girls (13 and 11) and a boy (8) and was looking for schools in the Wellington area. I found good private schools but a bit expensive really. ANyway, I like the look of Wellington Girls and Wellington College. Does anyone have any views experience of these two?

Looking at these schools means living nearer town or in it - so places like Crofton DOwns (seen a lovely house there - pity it's on the market 18 months too early), Wadestown, Highland Park, Wilton, Northland, Karori, Karori West, Karori South, Kelburn, Highbury (oo, sounds posh),Mitcheltown, Aro Valley (parts of), Thorndon, and Brooklyn (parts of) - all defined by the catchment zone. Anyone get any dirt to dish or good stuff to say? We would be looking for a 4 bed with a little land (enough to put the trampoline up and maybe have a small veggie patch).

ta once again!

Maz

Hmmmm.... yep in those catchment areas with a 4-bed, "a little land" is going to be all you'll get unless you really shell out.

No experience here with Wellington schools, though I do see a lot of schoolchildren on the trains in the morning going in to those schools.

Sorry I'm absolutely zero help at all!

spid

Zero help with a friendly attitude though!

What are the secondary schools like up your way?

Maz

Geez sorry

I can only speak for our local seconary, Aotea College. It has a percentile rating of 4, last time I looked. However, percentile ratings have **** all to do with what students actually achieve. I'm in a very fast-growing area, and I'm thinking a new college will be needed in this area before my littl'un goes to college in 8 years' time.

spid

That's what i think about Whitby which is where I would rather live - as far as I'm aware ( and correct me if I'm wong) but there is only Samuel Marsden Whitby up that way (and that's private) - the primaries look good though.

Maz

I like Whitby immensely. Lovely place.

ETA: Whitby seems extremely family-friendly

Not overly sure about colleges yet.... but yes the primaries - which of course are up to 14 anyway! - are very good. If memory serves, neither Discovery not Adventure is zoned.

MOSO

Hi, I can't be too much help, but we have just returned from Wellington from our fact finding mission before moving out there once we sell up here.

Our kids aged 5 & 7 have got places at Karori Normal School. They went for a day to try it out and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a large school. They thought the work was much easier than the UK but we shall see! The Deputy Head has taught in the UK and in Canada and knew the UK system well. She was really helpful both before our visit and during (her name is Ali Stockwell if you want to email her). They also have quite a few kids from the UK there which helps integration.

They got places from the UK through the ballot system. If you live in the catchment area of a school you have an automatic right to a place, however 10% of places are allocated by a ballot system to anyone who applies. It is worth asking the schools when their ballot is. We had looked at Discovery School in Whitby but missed out on their ballot. If you get a place you can take it up at any time during the school year.

We thought that Whitby was a bit remote when we got there and a harder commute (one of the things we're trying to avoid!). We liked Karori - it seemed to have a good community spirit and lots of activities for kids based around the centre and only 10 mins from Wellington. There is also a swimming pool next to the primary school.

We also visited St Marks Private school, but it wasn't to our taste - we found it very business like and not as child-centred as the state schools - but that's just our opinion. It has a good reputation.

We also had a visit to Waterloo School in Lower Hutt. It was very impressive we liked it alot and the head has an outstanding reputation but we're not sure about Hutt Valley High School. It's received a lot of bad press recently so you'd need to do research into it. We're not up to secondary school level yet so can only go on hearsay from friends and family in Wellington who said that Wellington Girls/Wellington College are excellent. Wellington High School is okay - very average. One relative thought Onslow was good and another said it wasn't!!! Someone else told us that more and more parents are sending their kids private. All in all it's a matter of what you want I suppose and I'd suggest visiting them all!!

Good luck on the research!

spid

Thanks for that - things have moved on a bit since my original post and we are looking nearer to Wellington that Whitby purely becuase of the lack of secondary schools in the area. SO Johnsonville down. This will also make the commute easier.

I've been in touch with Onslow College (very impressed with the head there), Wellington Girls and Wellington boys. We've decided to go down the state route as the other route is far too expensive with three of them. We shall be visiting them all though. Primary schools are less in our mind as we would only be there 6 months before the youngest would go to intermediate (dependig on area) but there doesn't seem to be a problem in that area. But again will visit.

Good advice about the out of area stuff -thanks.

Kiwiprincess

Regarding Karori – City End Karori is really expensive but if you can live nearer central karori that would be a lot easier for your children if heading to Wellington Girls or Wellington College. The bus from karori park takes AGES and AGES and AGES around 730-8am. Crofton Downs isn’t too bad as it is near the train station (so your daughter can get to school easy – your son would still have to transfer to a bus but there are lots of kids that do that). Living in Karori would mean living near the bird sanctuary so that is pretty cool!

Brooklyn is nice but more expensive because it is closer to town.

Wellington Girls has next to no outdoors space. That is the only slight concern I would have about that school. Onslow has a good reputation (albeit a slightly liberal one so that may or may not attract you).

spid

Funny thing is, I showed the girls all the websites and they liked Onslow the best, as did I. They liked it for the non-uniform, I for other more academic etc. reasons!

luvwelly

Know an expat lady whose kids had started at Onslow in January and she said they were very happy there...they chose the school themselves after visiting several.

Is Wellington Girls East not an option as it is right next door to Wellington College (Boys) and therefore would be logistically easier?

Of the suburbs you listed Karori is probably the one I'd choose but I haven't visited all of them.

Ted Logan

[QUOTE=luvwelly;6022743]
Is Wellington Girls East not an option as it is right next door to Wellington College (Boys) and therefore would be logistically easier?
QUOTE]

Different school zone.

Wellington Girls and Wellington College are very good choices, acadamically both very good and sport wise Wellington College also very good. Problem is location, live out of city and than your paying train fare, bus fare plus paying for books, uniform all soon adds up.

Brooklyn good option if not far from bus stop, excellent bus service, passes Wellington College (Basin Reserve) and stops at railway station (Wellington Girls up the road).

So noe you have found the school best to find a home. Again as you have teenagers best to look around city as I beleive it has better options for teenagers to do than out in the further out suburbs.

spid

It is an option but has a much tighter 'zone', and doesn't do SPanish which my daughter does at the moment and wants to continue - in the end we will visit them all and see which ones the kids want. Then we just have to find a rental or a house in the right area. Not too much to ask!

spid

[QUOTE=Ted Logan;6022869] I've had to stop looking at schools now - I've made my 'informed' decisions and will stick with them until we are actually there. Can't even begin the primary school stuff as that is so much more dependant on where we end up living exactly. Now, just keeping an eye on the housing market and working out finances etc.

saritabear

Or you could just send her to me for Spanish lessons - I'm an ex Spanish and French secondary teacher. Very competitive rates and a double discount for all expat members!!