Hi there,
We have been in Curl Curl for just over a month now, which is just next to freshwater. We have a four year old son, so have been visiting schools in the area over the last couple of weeks. The schools on the Northern Beaches all seem to have a good reputation and we have been impressed with what we have seen. The general format is that they have school tours regularly throughout the year and once you are in catchment you can apply. Numbers are very big, compared to what we were used to at home, not unusual to have 800 plus in a Primary school.
As for area, we had a good idea where we wanted to be before we came, when we arrived, we drove around, walked around and got a feel for the suburbs, personal choice after that. We were willing to take an apartment in the first case until we figured out budget,
Hope that helps,