LainyK

Totally agree LKC, and we still frequent the area regularly

Hi Caroline, I'm pretty sure most of Caringbah south is zoned for Woolooware High School , and some may be zoned for Port Hacking. Quite pricey area to buy in. In general the closer you get to Cronulla the more expensive the property. Engadine is one of the most affordable areas to live and has good schools and lots of facilities, (we lived there) however its just that bit further for commuting so that's its biggest down side . cheers Lorraine

Hi Scott, firstly I can highly recommend the Shire.....great choice. Its a great place to bring up kids and well enough away from the hustle and bustle of Sydney. As a rule of thumb most of the public high schools in the shire get a good reputation and receive plenty of out of area applications from out with the shire, predominately the St George area. However having said that Jannali probably gets he worst bad press, this is mainly due to the catchment area having a lot of housing commission (a bit like council estates in UK) . I don't know anyone that has kids that go there despite knowing many people from the area. I have friends that have had kids attend Sylvannia , with 3 all at University now. Heard of a few bullying issues in Sylvannia and Gymea.....but sure that happens everywhere. Of course it does depend a lot on the kid and if they have a good head on their shoulders and not easily lead then they will fit in anywhere. Port Hacking and Kirrawee are currently the best academically performing schools in the area (no doubt helped by the fact that they tend to take the brightest kids from out of area applications). Have you checked the Myschool website...it gives an indication of the schools performance,size, staffing etc...however like any statistics they can be tweaked to suit so shouldn't totally influence your decision.My eldest is 14 and she was never sporty but plays in the band , is involved in school dance and drama,as well as being good on the academic front and for that reason we only ever considered Kirrawee or Port Hacking. Hope that helps Lorraine

Hi Caroline, we are zoned for Gymea High School and lots of kids from our area go there, however it does not get as good results. You have 2 'sell' your kid in the out of area application form and they ask for their recent report cards. They choose kids with good academic results but also ones who have sporting, musical and performance skills. I love where we live but would have chosen to live in the catchment area for port hacking or kirrawee if we could rewind and do it all over again as i now worry that my other child won't get into the same school as her sister in 2 years time due to its popularity. House prices in the catchment areas however are a major factor in any decision as you dont get much for your money in Kirrawee. There are also the christian and catholic schools which have waiting lists and are fee paying but extremely popular with many in the shire. Inaburra is probabley the most sought after. And they have a bus so it doesnt matter where you live. Down side you need 2 apply years in advance usually. Ps , lots of expats live in Oyster Bay and Kareela.

Port Hacking generally takes from Miranda, Yowie Bay, Gymea and some of Gymea Bay. We live in Kareela so completed an out of area application and were one of the few lucky ones to get a place. It is getting very popular now and does just as well as Kirrawee (if not better on some things) . We looked at Kirrawee but were more impressed by what Port had to offer. 3 years later I can still highly recommend it. The Principal doesn't suffer fools gladly and is firm but fair, exactly what you need for a big high school like this.