Primary Schools in Brisbane

[EmilyH]

Hi Everyone

 

We have just had confirmation of our 457 visas this morning and are so excited to be moving to Brisbane in early June, fingers crossed!

 

:biggrin:

 

We have an 8, 6 and 2 year old so really trying to look for areas to live which have good primary schools.

 

After major consideration we think we've decided to invest our funds into a nice area with good state schools, rather than go private. We like the idea of Camp Hill, Shailer Park, Daisy Hill, Mount Gravatt area. Does anyone have any advice about good primary schools in these areas? After much searching I stumbled across what looks like a league table ; http://bettereducation.com.au/school/Primary/qld/brisbane_top_primary_schools.aspx

 

is this reliable??

 

I've also had a look at some NAPLAN results for certain schools, but frankly I find its pretty confusing?!

 

Any advice or comments would be hugely appreciated. Thanks

[Tina2]

When you get onto the www.myschool.ed.au site it is a bite confusing as they changed it some time ago and it takes some understanding, but is a useful tool.

Once you are on the web site key in a suburb, your want and it will list schools in that area. Dont for get to fill in the security question at the bottom. The easiest i have found to understand is - scroll right down to the bottom of the page of your chosen school, you will see a box saying results in numbers, click on that. In the simpliest form the more Green boxes a school has the better the results, the more Red the worse the school did and the white boxes are where they are on average.

Sadly the results are just a guide as some schools are now pulling students out of class on testing day only leaving the brighter children to do the test.

[EmilyH]

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply to me, it's been really useful. It has certainly given me a much easier starting point! So much to do its exhausting but luckily very exciting too.

​thanks again Emily

[Tina2]

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply to me, it's been really useful. It has certainly given me a much easier starting point! So much to do its exhausting but luckily very exciting too.

​thanks again Emily

 

Morning Emily

 

Glad it helped. You may like to take a look at Macgregor Primary, it is close to Mt Gravatt and a very very good primary school. Before i retired in my work role i often visited the school and it has continually had a very good repretation for very high standards, not only in education but also disapline. Hope this helps you http://macgregorss.eq.edu.au/wcms/

Enrolement is strictly controlled, so if this school is of interest you need to email the school and ask for "a map of there catchment area", this will then allow you to find accomadation with in the catchment area. Best way to find accomadation in the area is to use http://www.realestate.com.au it has homes to buy and rent.

Good luck hope all goes well

[EmilyH]

Thanks again... I will definitely take a look at this as it's one of the areas we are interested in to live.... Mt Gravatt seems to have a lot of nice houses for a reasonable rental value. I feel like I am finally making progress with your help!! x

[Tina2]

Thanks again... I will definitely take a look at this as it's one of the areas we are interested in to live.... Mt Gravatt seems to have a lot of nice houses for a reasonable rental value. I feel like I am finally making progress with your help!! x

 

You are very welcome ! So much to do i am sure and if i can help i will, i know the Brisbane schools pretty well. This is a great forum with lots of people who live in Brisbane area who i am sure will also help.

Do ask schools for a map of there catchment area though, before you get to excited over a property you might like to rent, if you are not in the catchment area you have little hope of getting into the school of your choice. The better the school the tighter the restrictions on there catchment area.

I know one state primary down the coast that had a very limited number of places outside there catchment area that were offered a couple of years ago that had parents camped out "overnight" in the hope of getting one of the places, becasue it was such a good school.

Mt Gravatt is a nice area and good access into Brisbane if that is where you will be working. Good shops as well.

If you intend to put your 2 year old into kindy that is something else you need to look into as places can be very limited, with many mums now returning to work.

Happy packing !

[Tina2]

You (and other parents ) may find this a handy web site https://www.careforkids.com.au/search/ccvac/?drop_menu=ccvac You can registar your details to be sent alerts of vacancies at child care/kindy centers. Unlike schools you dont need to be in a catchment area.

This is a link to yellow pages where you can search for kindy/preschools in your chosen area http://www.yellowpages.com.au/search/listings?clue=pre-schools&locationClue=Mt+Gravatt%2C+QLD+4122&selectedViewMode=LIST&emsLocationId=

Basically there are two types of Kindy/Preschool government run which is around 5 days per fortnight and private long day care centers, sorry not as familiar with the kindys as i am with the schools.

Another good web site is http://www.whereis.com/ you put in the suburb, even a street in a suburb and it brings up a map of the street and suburb, if you then press directions you can put in a different address, press directions again and it not only brings up a map showing the route, but also gives you distance in km and the time to drive between the two areas, so you can look at a house you want to rent and it will tell you how long to drive between the house and a school, work, kindy, shops what ever. ( ad some time for traffic delays LOL)