good school/poor school, how do i know?

[tony and sheena]

Hi folks,

Just wondering if anyone can advise me on choosing a high school. We hope to move to Brisbane in Nov, and this is my only worry. She is doing really well at school and works hard, I'm terrified of messing it up for her. I am aware of OP results which were published, but didn't find it much help. Could anyone recommend a good school around Manly/ Wynnum/ Wakerley areas? Even more worryingly, are there any that we should definitely avoid?
Can I also check which year she would be starting in Jan 09 if she turns 14 in Jun 08???

Thanks

Sheena

[tony and sheena]

Sorry, I also wanted to ask if anyone would recommend state schools or independent?

[Quoll]

Best thing is to first find your house - you may have picked areas which you discover you dont like or cannot afford once you get there. Once you have decided where you will be living, nothing works as well as a bit of over the back fence chatter! Aus doesnt do league tables so it is hard to see how they stack up against each other. I dont know Brisbane but I would expect there to be some sort of indication of comparison of year 12 results - it may be hard to extract if from all the other feelgood bumf they put out but it may be available. The message from any departmental person will be that any school is as good as any other. That may be, in effect, true but what will be reflected is the nature of the neighbourhood in which the school resides and you may find that a low socio economic area is not going to have a school with as good results as that within a high socio economic area.

One hates to say it but generally the high fee paying schools - Brisbane Grammar etc - tend to have higher outcomes for their students (there will always be exceptions of course) probably because the parent cohort has a vested interest in making sure that their kids participate appropriately.

Listen to the local jungle drum when you get there, watch a few bus stops at school arrival and departure times and check out the behaviour of kids with identifiable uniforms, then make a decision.

[kdal]

Hi Sheena, Think if your daughter is in year 9 here in the UK , then she will be in year 9 in Australia until January, as this is when their school term starts again. Thats if you go in November and she starts school then!

Regards

[Raphkat]

Hi,

My daughter is year 9 now and we are hoping to go to Brisbane in APril 2009, this means that in the UK she will be starting yr10 in the september before we leave, do you know how this will effect her entry?

Thanks

Kat