Information for 13 year old moving to Sydney

[SkyePom]

Hi there. We are a family of four (and dog) moving from Scotland to Sydney in Jan 2013. Our eldest son is 13 years old and is extremely anxious about making friends, changing school etc. Please can anyone in his age group send me any info. about life in Sydney for teenage boys, maybe contact details or advice to help him learn a bit more about what it's like, so I can pass it on? At the moment he's not willing to go onto forums or chat. He is interested in music (plays drums and guitar), movies, gaming, mountain biking, BMX, and generally enjoys sport, but is not competative. We are not sure yet where we will be living or where they will go to school. We have yet to find out more about the school system, what years the boys will be put into (they are in 3rd year secondary and primary 7 in the UK). Although we lived in Edinburgh for many years, we now live in the Highlands, so Sydney is going to be a bit of a culture shock!!

[fleabo]

I am not a younger one!

Our son is now 11 and moved out here when he was 9 from a small village near Edinburgh. There are lots of opportunities to play new sports here - many kids play a winter sport and a summer sport - for ours that is Rugby Union (winter) and baseball (summer) but there are many other possibilities. Most teams are not particularly competitive and there is usually a grade to suit your ability in most sports. Most kids just want to take part.

The primary school that our 3 kids goes to has a school band that nearly all the kids from P3 upwards play in. Quite a few high schools will also have school bands. So plenty of opportunities there. They also have sport and have an annual 'camping' trip.

Hopefully one of our younger members can give you some info 'from the horses mouth', so to speak.

Good luck!

[SkyePom]

Thanks fleabo. Any info is very much appreciated.
Our youngest son is 11 and not nearly so freaked out at moving. He is fascinated by wildlife and reading up on the more gruesome biting things we might encounter :) Are you in Sydney? Which year is your son in? Still trying to get my head around the school system! Not sure when primary becomes secondary/high school etc. Wondered if our sons would have to attend different schools (they'll be 14 and 12 by the time we arrive in Jan)?

[fleabo]

Yes - we are in Sydney - Northern Suburbs. Our 11yo son is in P5. There is a P6, then after that is high-school. At 11yo he is at the older end of the scale for his year, but has probably benefitted from that.
He has 11-12 yo friends that went to high-school this year. So your sons may well be able to go to the same school if that is what you want to do, likewise, the alternative is a possibility. I hope that helps.

You can get loads of help and advice on here if you have other types of questions. Just don't go asking about sausages!

[xXHopeXx]

Well I'm a girl who is in the same situation as your Son, even though the next school i go to will be my 7th school it is still really worrying! Me and my Mum and Dad have lived in Australia twice but we are currently in the UK. And recently they dropped a bomb-shell saying that we would be going back to Australia hopefully before the new school year starts! But since they still want me to be in year 9 we are moving to Sydney, whereas we have always lived in Melbourne before and I have good friends in Melbourne :(

I'm quite worried about making new friends there since I know it gets harder as you get older. So if anyone has any advice can they please say?

[SkyePom]

Hi xXHopeXx
Gosh, you have moved around! We are not going until January and my sons will be starting school when the new term starts (if we can get a placement organised on time). My eldest son will be 14 by that stage and his younger brother will be 12. Both boys are now accepting of our move and just hoping that they will be happy in their new schools and have a busy social life. If you do end up in Sydney at around the same time, let us know! Best wishes :)

[xXHopeXx]

Hey SkyePom :)
I agreed to go two days ago and feel a lot better about going, I think we will be going early next year around January time! We are looking at schools in the Hills area and they look very good :)