This is my first thread.......
Hoping to get PR by next summer (docs now in London for processing). We want to live on the Island and are looking at Victoria outskirts, Saanich Peninsula or Mill Bay.
What are the secondary schools like? 15 and 13 year old kids. Have looked at the BC school comparison website - but that's just like a league table. Hoping to go for a recce in November to check out a few and see how we feel about them.
Are the neighbourhoods pretty good on the whole? Love looking at the mls website for property!!
Any thoughts and experiences gratefully received.
Thanks

we've lived in Mill Bay for 2 1/2 years. Suits us very well. Since we manufacture and distribute ice cream we spend a lot of time in the other areas you mention too. Victoria and the Saanich Peninsula are busier and I would say more "cosmopolitan". Mill Bay is quiet, leafy, friendly - very much a community. Very active choral and theatrical scene here (I'm sure that's true of the other areas too). High school - Kelsey - has a good reputation and all the kids we know who go there enjoy it. Big shake-up of the school structure here over the last few months. Look at the website of SD79 (school District) for details. We no longer have a middle school system - much in line with most of the Province from what I can gather. If you write a few more postings you will be able to send private messages if you'd like specific information.

Quite and active Brit' community here if that's what you're looking for.

Good luck with the application. What route are you applying under?

Thanks Rivingtonpike, we are applying under family sponsorship - OH has kids from 1st marriage in W and N Van as well as mother and brother on north shore. Hopefully only a year to go as documents now in London.
Useful to know Mill Bay is a bit quieter (probably suits us more as we are currently in North Devon) The kids would like a bit more of a buzzy atmosphere, I guess that is quite accessible in Victoria for day trips etc?
Will check out SD79 website - did look a while ago as they seem to be changing to a more student led education. Not sure if that works for unmotivated kids though

Hi,

Similar to Rivingtonpike we've been in Mill Bay for just over three years and we found this ideal coming from South Devon.

The school changes have shaken things up recently and my daughter is starting Kelsey (high school) in September... the change in the end is that the are moving AWAY from the student self paced learning for the first couple of years in high school and will then allow it if the model works for the students (it was self paced or nothing before). As you mention that this learning model may not work well for all but from what we have seen locally it is surprising who it works for and who it does not - at least the choice exists now without moving schools.

As for Victoria for the day, Mill Bay is a popular commuting location - I did it for 2 1/2 years and would happily do it again if I needed to.... so we really treat Victoria (and epecially Langford area) as local(ish) - a lot closer than North Devon to Exeter for example.

Drop me a PM if you need any more info.

M.

Thanks MarkM, good to hear the self pace is now more of a choice, although my kids would start in Grade 10 and 12 (hopefully) so I guess would see how it works.
It would be great to have fairly easy access to the city rather than the long haul it is for us currently - try to get to Exeter as much as poss - but it is a good hour drive (as long as you are not stuck behind a tractor!). Still manage London most school hols for a couple of days just to remind ourselves what's going on in the real world.

Hiya, we live in the Shawnigan Lake area which is near to Mill Bay (I love Mill Bay!) On the whole its a nice quiet area, 50 mins from Victoria over the Malahat.
What part of N. Devon are you from? We still have property in a little village called Monkleigh near to Bideford.

We live in Gordon Head and find it perfect for families. We have a great choice of good schools and it's very well placed for accessing downtown Victoria as well as the surrounding areas.

I've four children so I have had a taste of the local elementary, middle and secondary and have found them all to be good.