garryhg

Hi All,

OK, reading books gives us an idea, but nothing like your personal view, or as my wife would say, a mothers view.

An important matter in our move to NZ is to ensure the kids (girl 13, Boy 6) have a happy school life. We think we are settled on the North Shore, so I would like to hear from some of you who were in the same position as we are now (moving out in July)....are your kids now in school?, and are they settled and more importantly, happy ?

Could you also give me the names of the schools, this will allow me to check out more on the internet .

Thanks

currytiffin

Please share this information: a lot of us think this is pretty important stuff - happy YES! good chance at life: YES! which adds up to a good education... Too late when you get to 15/16 and find you can't qualify for a career chance at Uni, or whatever.

garryhg

Everyone who thinks this is as important as us, please rate this thread to make it stand out!!!!

Thanks

phil01

Hi,
We are not in Auckland...we are in Northland South of Whangarei in One Tree Point.

Have a 9 year old daughter and the school she goes to is fab! Has it's own swimming pool (I think most schools here do) they have large open playing fields, climbing frames, a huge library and the learning experience for my daughter is good! The school day is 8.25 to 14.20 and the school bus picks her up and brings her back. As well as the usual lessons they also choose a musical instrument to learn, Em is doing guitar and they learn Maori. They have camps and loads of other activities such as recently done St Johns First Aid.

I have a niece and nephew that came over with us they are at high school and again...love it. Their opinion is it's more like college, they are treated more like adults and because of that take control of their own learning to a certain degree. My niece who is doing history was struggling not knowing a lot about NZ and the teacher took her to Waipu to the museum after school to help her catch up.

School in NZ from our experience is positive!
Debbie

Spacecake799

Hi,
We arrived in November, our youngest son of 7 started Glammorgan school in Torbay at the beginning of December. He loves it and has never complained about going, yes its different from the UK, they have more freedom and are allowed to play. A few weeks in he told me this country was way better than the UK.
My 13 year old daughter goes to Northcross Intermediate, this school has a great reputation. It is just year 7 and 8. Although she could have gone to college due to her age she chose to stick with year 8 as that was the year she had started as we left UK. This is in between junior and senior school, shes just been on a great camp and she loves it. They have many different types of classes to choose from, from a normal class, to a digital class, where computers and digital equiptment are used to do class work, to a sports class where learning is sports based with lots of excersize and work based around sport. Again my daughter has never said anything about not going and has loved it from day one.
My oldest son is 14 and goes to Long Bay college. We chose that school as the other popular choice of Rangitoto college has over 3000 pupils.
It took him a couple of days to get chatting to people, he has fitted right into year 10. He has been moved onto some year 11 work. He got all the options he chose. Again its not England and they do some things slightly different, but he walks out each morning with a smile on his face and has never complained.
Just incase you think i have really outging children you would be very much mistaken and i feel very lucky they have taken to it all so well.
You would probably get a conversation out of my youngest, a couple of words from my daughter but nothing other than a yes or no from my oldest. Their not rude just painfully shy. Theyve made me very proud!
Hope this helps, i cant comment on any other schools which could be equally as good.
Carole

donnaf

Hi, we're down in Welly but our older 2 kids who are 10 and 9 have settled really well in school. One of their greatest fears (and mine for them) was going to a new school in a new country but it is one of the best experiences they have had. The teachers at the school they attend treat them as individuals who can make choices and decisions. They are encouraged to risk take and think about the consequences of their actions - both kids have matured since we've been here and are much more outgoing and willing to try new things.
I've posted this before but the principal at the school sets boundaries and expectations - he believes that if the kids act within those boundaries they will be safe ie they can go on the climbing frame but if they do something that they shouldn't they may get hurt and that's their lookout - a fact of life!
My kids o tons more sport - my daughter wouldn't even contemplate sport in the Uk but has joined the school netball team here. My son ho was football mad has joind the basketball team. In the summer my son swam 4 times a week in he school pool, my daughter has been rock climbing with the school. My son's teacher also told us when the class are unsettled she chucks them outside to run around and let of steam - much more sensible than the Uk schools where they have to ait for break no mtter what. The work standards are different - some for the better some for the worse but in general the whole ystem, we find, is an improvement on the UK and our kids are really happy.

rickoshea

Hi,
We arrived in Tauranga in January, my oldest girl13 goes to Tauranga girls college and loves it. The same applies to my youngest daughter 10 who goes to Tauranga primary. My only concern is that in the UK my 10 year old was in a Middle school (3 tier system) in the top halve of her class academically but here she is miles ahead of the other students and completing work she did over a year ago.My concern means that if after a year os so we decide to go back IF we didnt like it she has missed a whole year of new work if you know what i mean.

Herm

Hi, we came out here 6 years ago dragging along our three kids who at the time were 12, 14 and 15.

Can't comment on the North Shore but with the eldest 2 now at Uni and the youngest in his final year of college intending to go to Uni next Feb I would say they have done more than ok.

They all settled reasonably quickly and at least as quickly as they did when we moved 12 miles down the road, changing schools on the way, in the UK.

The school life has been different to the one they would have had in the UK. They certainly did not have as bigger choice of subjects but that was partly our doing as we chose a small(ish), 900 pupil, school for them to attend and size does limit options. IMO school life here was much more relaxed, much more emphasis on sporting and social skills and less pressure placed on them to achieve academic excellence. One observation having had numerous friends of theirs visit over the years is that they have all ended up with a maturity far exceeding their peers in the UK whilst, at the same time, having an almost extended childhood.

All my kids are happy and all agree that the NZ experience has been a great success and something they would not have missed for anything.

Interestingly though, and this is something that anybody bringing children here needs to recognise, all 3 kids intend on leaving NZ as soon as they have their degrees. This is not because they have any dislike for NZ, far from it - they love the place, but because they recognise that there are limited opportunities to forge ahead with a career that is both challenging and financially rewarding.

As my eldest son keeps telling me, if your under 25 or over 45 NZ is a great place to be - anybody else go make some money elsewhere then come back. This is slightly sad but, on reflection, there is some truth in it.

Frenchy

I feel that the ability to settle in school really does depend on age. We arrived in January and our son (13) went to 1st year senior so like all the others he was a new kid on the block!!!

Our daughter (15) transfered from UK year 10 to year 11 here, she had just started her GCSE work in UK and is finding it really hard to settle into NZ school. She is a shy quiet girl who never wanted to miss a day at school in UK. They went to a very good school in the UK and were both doing well. Here she looks for any reason possible not to go to school finding the lessons rather boring with a general lack of control and discipline within the class. She has made friends and its very early days (4 months). She plans to go to Uni in UK at the moment .

I think that 15 is possibly the hardest age for transition and it must also depend on how happy they were in the UK education system. The move is a life changing experience that they have not chosen we have inflicted it on them!!!!!! Generally I think the move will help develop a more confident individual but it is by no means easy!!!!!

Herm

Hi Frenchy, Not wishing to burst any bubbles but our son, who was 15 when we arrived, looked at going to Uni in the UK. Bottom line was that because he finished his education in NZ he could only attend as an overseas student and that was going to cost mega pounds (I converted mega pounds into dollars and it was just not on).

If you know how it can be done please share. Youngest finishes school this year and would also like to go back for Uni.

Cheers

minky

Both my boys go to Point View primary school Dannemora / Howick they have settled in really well all the teachers are so enthusiastic and helped us get into NZ way of schooling. They have technology which they have made their own short film and we went to see it at the sumo screen at Botany.Year 4 so far kayaking and swimming.Lunch times so far is hockey and basketball afterschool sportz up. Year 6 waterwise ( kayaking sailing) camp next week Tues-Fri near Hamilton.Lunch time hip hop movie making soccer after school table tennis.Both of them really enjoy the school and are making great improvements with their learning they are encouraged to make there own decisions and think for themselves.It is so more relaxed the children are happy and well behaved just I cant get used to them wearing no shoes!
They have and are still building new friendships as they mix the classes every year which was a bit hard on my eldest being a bit quieter as we started in term 4 but I think its the best thing that could of happened as in uk they would have stayed with the same children.My only regret is that we did not come sooner.

Frenchy

Thanks for that
I never thought about the transfer bit, we have only been in NZ for 4 months, Is this the case? anyone got any experience of this? Daughter struggling at moment and in reality desperate to go back!!! (early days I know) any advice/ thoughts would be apreciated!!!

currytiffin

I wonder whether Uni in the UK could be done through other family members - just a thought - staying with an Aunt or whatever? If you are living locally, does that still count as an overseas student?

Herm

Looked at that as well and considered son moving in with my Mum but made no difference at all. What counted was where he had finished his schooling. An option might have been that if he had moved back to the UK and then been resident for a year he could re-apply for Uni as a perm resident.

mickey_d

Our Daughter is at Takapuna Grammer & Son at Belmont Intermediate School.
Both seem very good & they settled quickly. Both schools have excellent learning support facilities as well.
Subject contents do differ from the UK, but the teachers allow for this & give good support.