The Hills - Sydney

[Guest IanP]

Hi,

 

I have a firm job offer, with all visa work done, so really its just yes or no! ANyway the office is in Castle Hill, I would like to live around there so to avoid a commute, everywhere I read says that it is a good area etc... but I need convincing.

 

I have 2 boys 8 and 10 and they will need to go to school, so has anybody any experience of the schooling around this area, or can anyone shed a light on the best suburb for me to live in, with education being the prime concern.

 

Thanks

 

Ian

[Lynne2007]

Hi Ian, well we live about 10 mins drive from castle hills in a place called Kellyville and it is beautiful here, we are really happy and settled here, you have amenities from all directions in short walks or short drives so it is fantastic, we have a local Aldi down road etc, we happen to get a house (not realising it at the time) right at the back of Kellyville local primary so kids will be able to walk themselves but have to go and see them tuesday morning first to see if they have spare places then we can sort that, if you want to know anything else then feel free to ask away. I am working all day today but will reply as soon as i can :yes::jiggy::jiggy::jiggy:

[Guest IanP]

Thanks Lynne for your reply. I am Ian's partner Helen. To me education is paramount and would move to get the children in the best school regardless of housing or close proximity to Ians work. My real concern is the High school (my eldest son is nearly 11) - do they publish league tables in Oz to highlight the best performing schools. Although we cant afford private schools - are there any state schools where the children can take an entrance exam? Are the popular schools oversubscribed and do I have to put names down now (we will be coming out in August). When would be a good start date for the children? Does the High school curriculum encompass langauges?

I am concerned about education because I am giving up one of the best state secondary schools in Britain to support Ian in his work move. Is there a website I can look on regarding local schools. How interlinked is the curriculum to England (sorry I dont know your nationality) - are there many English in Kellyville? What do the children come out with at 15/16 when they finish their education? In Englan the qualifications are called GCSE's.

is it worth contacting the Australian High commission.

 

I hope I haven't bombarded you with qu's - i've just typed my thoughts as they tumbled out.

 

I look forward to your reply.

 

Regards Helen:wacko:

[samozsoon]

Hi Helen,

I dont live in The Hills but did look at moving there when we arrived so I had done a bit of research before we came.

 

What I found was.....There are no league tables in NSW but one of the papers does print something similar although I trailed their website and couldnt find it. I cant remember which one it was now either (try doing a search on britishexpats for 'school league tables' as I'm sure thats where I read about it).

 

There is a selective school in Baulkham Hills Enrolments | Baulkham Hills High School you could have a look at, you would need to be here for the entrance exam though which I would think is going to be fairly soon as the new year starts next week if you are thinking of Jan 09 to start High School.

 

Another thing I found out is that the school HAS to take the child if you live in its catchment area (not selective schools tho) even if its full! I'll see how true that is tomorrow when we go to register at our local high school.

 

As for leaving age and exams, most kids stay at school until they are 17/18 and have finished their HSC (high school cert), they can leave 2 yrs earlier at 15ish with just their SC (school cert) but most stay.

After HSC they can go on to Tafe or Uni, depending on what they want to do/how good their results were.

I have a 16yr old daughter who did gcse's last year and now I want her to go back to school but she wants to go to Tafe instead, but most courses want the HSC, not sure yet if gcse's will be enough.

 

Hope this is a bit of help, but please try not to worry, I know its hard but I've had 2 kids already go through school in UK (18 yr old still there doing A levels) and both went to really good schools but my 11 yr old just wants to go to local school so he can make friends who live close by, so thats where he's going to go for now. We'll be moving soon (in rented at mo) so I can always move him if I'm not happy with the school.

 

Good Luck with the move.

 

Sam x

[Lynne2007]

Thanks Lynne for your reply. I am Ian's partner Helen. To me education is paramount and would move to get the children in the best school regardless of housing or close proximity to Ians work. My real concern is the High school (my eldest son is nearly 11) - do they publish league tables in Oz to highlight the best performing schools. Although we cant afford private schools - are there any state schools where the children can take an entrance exam? Are the popular schools oversubscribed and do I have to put names down now (we will be coming out in August). When would be a good start date for the children? Does the High school curriculum encompass langauges?

I am concerned about education because I am giving up one of the best state secondary schools in Britain to support Ian in his work move. Is there a website I can look on regarding local schools. How interlinked is the curriculum to England (sorry I dont know your nationality) - are there many English in Kellyville? What do the children come out with at 15/16 when they finish their education? In Englan the qualifications are called GCSE's.

is it worth contacting the Australian High commission.

 

I hope I haven't bombarded you with qu's - i've just typed my thoughts as they tumbled out.

 

I look forward to your reply.

 

Regards Helen:wacko:

 

Hi Helen, well sorry but cant help you with all the info regarding gcse's etc with the school as we are just concerned to get them in a school and as with my job i need the car so hubby has to walk kids etc to school so the one at back of us is perfect and our neighbours have said that their kids have had no probs there. We cant afford 2 cars, at least we can hopefully get kids in a school which is a start. I think schools is a trial and error thing so we are going to give it a go and see how they get on. Regarding to are there many english people in Kellyville, do you mean are there many people from the UK in Kellyville or do you mean just english speaking Australians as all our neighbours are Australian who all speak English :yes::cute: