Shaz36

Hi. I cannot comment on Bardon State School but have also looked at Indooroopilly High School. I went to the open day and tour of the school, and also to a few information evenings. I have applied there and my daughter has an interview in a few weeks time however ,am not decided on schools yet so am making sure I have a few options. The reason I looked at this school is that it performs very well academically and is in my local area. It is one of the only schools around here without a uniform, the reason being, they aim to have a university campus feel about the school, with the kids being encouraged to take responsibilities for their actions and not follow a strict regime. The kids I met were all very confident, polite young kids, who took their education very seriously. I was shown round the school by the Head Girl who was on the Spanish Immersion programme and doing very well academically. She was an articulate young girl who had her head screwed on. This is the special programme that I am looking at for my daughter. They have a few special programmes such as an engineering and maths course for high maths achievers, which fast track their learning so that they are studying university level in year 11 or 12. My only concern is that people who live in the area have expressed their experiences of the school as being one which due to the lack of discipline and uniform, they feel attracts kids who dont want to conform to a traditional schooling system and they have said that the school attracts 'problem kids' who are badly behaved. I didnt see this personally but guess you only see the kids the school want you to see on an open day. It offers the International Baccaulaureat programme which is very highly regarded too. I also felt that it did not seem very big on sports, although has a strong performing arts department. It all depends on what your child is interested in and if you feel they are the kind of child who does not need to be spoon fed at school or prodded as I feel this school allows the kids a lot of independence and creativity. Its so hard to pick a high school I think when you have not lived in the area long. I have been here 2 1/2 years and still am not sure which one to go for. I have another year and half to make up our minds. If there is anything you would like to know, I could ask at the interview if you wish? Which area will you be living in, as Bardon is not in the catchment for Indooroopilly its in the area for The Gap State High School. Its not a big deal getting in out of catchment tho as I think the non uniform puts a lot of the catchment area people off. A lot of them go private in Indooroopilly. The area, and surrounding suburbs are a great place to live. A feeder primary for Indro would be Ironside State School which has a very good reputation. Shaz

Hi. I didnt use private cover as I arrived 30 weeks pregnant I found the public system excellent here in Brisbane. I had a pretty straightforward delivery so midwife led, and never got to see a consultant during delivery. The midwife was superb and very experienced, and with a problem that could have been an issue, she dealt with it very well and wasnt a problem. There was only 2 in my ward after. I didnt have to pay for anything, mind you, I didnt have any scans as all were done in the UK, but if you go to a bulk billing practice, shouldnt have to pay up front, it is automatically claimed on medicare. My niece is pregnant at the moment and has not had to pay anything towards any scan so far. It was my 3rd child, and I was discharged after 2 days but asked if I wanted to go after 24hrs which I declined and chose to stay another day which wasnt a problem.

when I was looking I managed to get one on ebay UK. I searched for Safe and Sound carseats as thats the Britax name for them over here. Someone mustve brought it back to the UK and no one was bidding probably as theyd never heard of that brand in the UK so I got it for a tenner! Arranged to send a courier so paid £20 for it all in. Try ebay, you never know.

We booked trough http://www.holidayautos.co.uk and the car was to be collected from europcar. I have also used east coast rentals and both were great. Definitely book that end tho, as they charge the insurance as one lump sum, whereas if you book it here, they charge insurance by the day which takes the price way up. We booked 2 weeks car hire from the UK before arriving then had to extend it a week and got stung that way. We couldve gone back thru the UK company but it needed 48hrs for approval and we just wanted to extend the hire for the car we had already and couldnt be without it for 48hrs. Also dont underestimate how long it will take to buy a car. 2 weeks for us just wasnt enough to go car hunting and find a suitable one in our price range. Also, it seemed to be much more expensive to collect from the airport and as we arrived in the early hours of the morning when the places seemed to be closed, we collected the next day from the city which worked out much cheaper.

are you on facebook? Theres a group on there called the brisbannittes, who are a group of british people, mostly from pio i think originally, and arrange meet ups. Its a good way to meet people and you never know, might make some contacts. I know from the people that I've spoken to on the group, have met a few in my line of work and there's also a recruitment consultant on the group. Its a closed group so you just have to be accepted by one of the moderators to view the wall, then could ask if anyone on there knows of work in your field. Worth a go....

Hi Lorna, I also rented a holiday let for about 4 weeks so my 8yr old had that time off school til we found a rental, then I took in the lease agreement and other docs, and as Jersey Beans said, got her started just a few days later. I came during the Easter break and she started a few days after the start of term 2, but was a bit ahead anyway after having done around 7 months of P4 in the UK, and then going into year 3 here. Most schools wont let you enrol til you have a lease agreement to show that you're in the catchment area although some dont have strict catchment rules. You wont be in a rush to get him started though as I'd expect you'd want him to be in school near where you are going to live so will wait til you find somewhere. Good luck for the move over.

I had been told that the kind of info you could provide are NAPLAN results, ICAS competition results (these tests are optional), letter from teacher or principal, any evidence of sporting or musical excellence, ie playing sport at regional level or music gradings as well as school reports for the last 2 years. A neighbour of mine, also a teacher at my local primary school got her son into an out of catchment high school this year, and provided the above as well as a letter from the son saying why he thinks he should go to the school. He also is a member of various out of school things like Rotary Club, and is on a few committees at the school - debating club etc. He's a pretty high achiever, and got in with no problems to the school he wanted. It was a state school, not private. I also agree that go to a few open days to get a feel for the schools for yourself, meet some of the pupils and teachers and make your own mind up about the school, because everyone has an opinion when it comes to schools here, and as I have seen, people will justify why the school they have chosen is the best and that all others are no good, whether thats the case or not. So go and find out what you can for yourself.

The queens birthday is actually in April but in oz they celebrate it on the 2nd monday in june to avoid it clashing with easter and anzac day.

Are Australia only celebrating one holiday, being the queen's birthday, and not both her birthday and the jubilee?

Hi. It depends on your degree, when you did it, and where. If you go to the ICAA website who are one of the assessing bodies for visa purposes, they have criteria that you must meet to pass the skills assessment as accountant. Some degrees will cover all the criteria, some will not, depending on your choice of subjects. You only have to pass about 9 of the criteria. You will need to provide a transcript from the uni, module descriptors and your degree certificate. For the purposes of the visa, you will need to provide your successful skills assessment, and a letter from your employer detailing the work undertaken for the required number of years. I got my visa in 2009 so there may be some changes since then but a good place to start is by looking on the ICAA or CPA websites for the skills assessment criteria. oh, and you also must provide your IELTS results.

I have used a capsule RF with the top tether and can say that its not difficult to use. I would say that moving most car seats between cars is a hassle and it doesnt take much longer doing so with a top tether. Once you've figured out how to do it, its no problem. I used the Maxi Cosi Mico which has been designed for the Australian market and found it to be a great capsule. I used Maxi Cosi car seats in the UK and this one wasnt hugely different, and as Snifter said, it actually feels more secure using the top tether to be honest. There are good and bad car seats here, but if you buy one of the better ones, I reckon theyre just as safe and secure as some of the European ones, but thats my personal opinion. After she outgrew the capsule, I bought a car seat which can be RF or FF.

Hi. I am asking on behalf of someone else, and they are considering using an agent who advertise they can help find employer sponsors. Do they do what they say, or is it money wasted? Has anyone used them, and been successful in finding a sponsor? Thanks

I live in Oxley, and am in the catchment for Corinda State School. My daughter loves it, and we have been very happy with it. The high school looks very good too and has a good reputation.

Hi Lorna, I arrived last April, and although had contacted a few schools by email before arriving, basically it came down to where we would be renting as to which school she would go to. We took around 4 weeks before getting a long term rental and only then, could enrol her in school as we required the lease agreement as proof that we lived in the catchment area for the school. We then arranged a meeting with the principal. she sat a test to ascertain which year level to go into, and started after that, so started early May. She only missed about a week or two of the 2nd term. Term 2 breaks up on 22nd June, and Term 3 starts on the 9th July so bear in mind the schools may be empty during those 2 weeks. You will also need proof of his immunisations to show they are up to date as they wont take him unless they are. Birth certificate and passport for proof of residency/visa status too. I also brought previous school reports. I have a friend living in Springfield Lakes although she does not have her daughter in the local school so cant comment on the school but she likes the area. If you want to know anything else, just ask. Cheers Shaz

Hi Joe, When do you leave? My sister will be coming over from Glasgow some time later this year, but has no exact date yet. She will be looking for a car at least. She is looking into shipping her furniture just now though. Where abouts in Glasgow you going back to, as I am also from Glasgow. Been here a year, but in the SW suburbs. Shaz

hiya. You are not heading back home again are you?? Shaz x

Thanks for that Luke. I am in the catchment for Corinda SHS, but do know that BSHS is a selective school so only takes the brighter kids so either you live in the area...or...you sit the test, and if you apply to one of the special programmes that KSHS offers, you can sit the test to get in. What did your brother think of ISHS? I do like the specialist programmes that they run, and it is very highly regarded, but has no uniform. Slightly puts me off, but am going to the open day next month for a look around. Shaz

Hi. I am living in Brisbane, and have my daughter in the local state primary school. From what I've heard, the local high school isnt that great, although from the published school results it looks quite good. Most people I have spoken to have said I should consider other schools. My daughter is in year 4, and will be one of the first years to go up to high school in yr 7, so I've been told I should be thinking about it now. Does anyone know how easy it is to get into Kenmore SHS or Brisbane SHS if you are outwith the catchment area? These are the 2 that I think look the best based on where we are. I know you can sit the ACER test to get into Kenmore, and BSHS have their own test. Has anyone known kids who have sat these? I do know that BSHS will allow you to sit the test in yr 5 and yr 6, to be offered a place for HS so will be putting her name down to sit it next year. For Kenmore, I guess I have to wait til term 3 of when she is in yr 6 to apply. Thanks Shaz

Hi. I cant help with those seats, but I do have a safe n sound car seat and they are very good. What I would say is that I have a 4 yr old who is desperate to get out of it, and into a booster seat, so cannot imagine trying to keep a child in a big car seat til 7 yrs of age. I am waiting til she puts on a bit more weight, and then will get her a booster seat, but have sat her in quite a few in the shops and lots are just far too big for her, and some are pretty short in height so cant imagine theyd last long. I always google reviews on car seats before buying which is good to do. They all must anchor to the top tether in the car to be legal here I believe.

Hi. I live close to Graceville, and it is lovely with a great state school. Some of the surrounding suburbs are nice too, and still on the train line, i.e Sherwood and Corinda. Parts of these areas did flood but also parts did not, so just check out the flood maps for the streets or areas that flooded.

Hi. My daughter is also turning 4 in March. She is in kindy just now (since Jan) and will start prep(first year of school) in Jan 2013. She attends a daycare centre where they have the kindy programme, and I pay for her to attend 2 full days a week, but I get a % back in child care benefit. http://www.centrelink.gov.au/internet/internet.nsf/payments/childcare_benefit.htm

Hi Andrea, I arrived at 29 weeks pregnant, and a day after arrival, made a doctors appointment to get checked over after the flight, and registered at a medicare office. Everything was pretty straightforward. The doctor put in my referral to the hospital, and the only problem you may have is that at this late stage, your first choice of hospital on the public system is full and you have to choose another. My experience was fantastic, and care was superb. I was in the Mater and there were some slight complications but my midwife was very experienced and handled it perfectly without the need for a consultant. I would say that it was a better experience than my previous NHS one, due to there being less patients per nurse on the ward, therefore more attention. I shared a room with one other person which was fine. I would not pay to have a baby on the private system as I dont believe there is much of a difference in care received. Good luck, my flight over was surprisingly ok. Make sure you get up and walk about a lot, and drink plenty of water (which will keep you going to the bathroom anyway so will keep you up :laugh:) I also got support stockings from my gp before leaving, and a medical certificate which was handy as I was asked in Dubai for it even though I technically didnt need it til after 30 weeks.

jeyes fluid is what was recommended by my shipping company

I sent the form P85 and got a small tax refund which was nice

Hi Henry, Sorry, but my kids are too young for the HS right now, so not sure but from people around here have been told that Corinda SHS is a highly regarded school, and I must admit, looks very impressive. I am not sure about the ESL offering, but do know that they have international students attend when they ask families if they can have them as homestay pupils. They are mainly from Asia, I think. As Tina said, try emailing and the calling them when they are back. This is from the website: Student Support Our international Student Program has several officers to assist students and parents. Guidance and Counselling The School Guidance Officer plays an integral role in supporting International Students. This officer overseas the educational and personal welfare of the students. On arrival the Guidance Officer takes time to plan the curriculum program with the student and assist them in becoming acquainted with the school and Australian life. English as a Second Language (ESL) The ESL teacher is dedicated to working with international students along with subject teachers and support staff to help students with their English skills and their transition with study programs.