Secondary schools for Mentone

[Ruth1972]

Hi

Howe are hoping to move to Melbourne and I have been trying to research ares based on decent state / public high schools. Berwick seems to be my favourite so far, so any opinions on that will be greatly received.

PI have also been looking closer to the coast and Mentone sounds nice but as I have daughter (10) and a son (7) I seem to be struggling to find a mixed state school. Does anyone know of one accessible to those living in Mentone?

 

Thanks

[judgemental]

Mentone Girl's Secondary College is good. It is zoned. The nearest mixed state school is Mordialloc Secondary College which, when I last looked, was contemplating one of those zoos where Years 7 and 8 are herded together in wall-less classrooms. This a trend in some primary schools, too. Avoid like the plague. Cheltenham Secondary College is near Mentone, but I know little about it.

 

Sandringham College is nominally mixed, but is massively a boys' school.

 

The presence of so many private schools, and MGSC means that genuinely mixed schools are rare, as is the case in the UK; people often want their girls to be educated in girls' schools, and the boys in mixed.

 

The next mixed state school is Brighton Secondary College, some way off and also zoned. I think there's quite a lot of renting into zone goes on.

[Petals]

Both of your children would be in primary school and these are co-ed so you would have time to sort yourselves out before high school. Parkdale as a high school and my friend's son when there albeit a while ago now and it was fine. I am of he belief that as long as children are happy at school they will learn. In fact in a paper yesterday an expert was saying that putting children into a high achieving school may be bad for a lot of children as they feel second class against the brain boxes as the article called them.

 

If you want to live near the coast you could look at Mordialloc, Aspendale, Edithvale Chelsea these areas are close to the rail link and close to the beaches. Also older areas so all services are aok in them.

 

Suggest you join up with the Life in Victoria forum there is a link at the foot of this forum. A lot of the people have children a similar age and they will be able to help you with schools and areas to live etc.

[Ruth1972]

Thanks for the replies:biggrin:

[KazzKing]

Hi Ruth,

My daughter attends MGSC and she loves it,it is a very good school. We live in Mentone, Parkdale end and it's 10 mins drive away.

Parkdale Secondary college is mixed and seems to be fine. A friend's son goes there and no compliants.

Within Mentone, Parkdale, Mordi and Aspendale you'll find decent schools. I agree with Petals that as long as kids are happy in school they will learn.

As for Primary, I'd recommend Parktone PS which is in Parkdale. My youngest attends and she's encouraged to get involved in anything and everything. The teachers are very approachable and all kids seem to thrive there (in different ways).

Hope this helps.

Kx

[jennlx]

I would avoid Sandringham College. I don't know how things have changed, but I went to high school in Bayside and it was known mainly for the fact that it took on kids who had been expelled from the local schools. My aunt lives locally and has advised that this has not much changed today. One person's opinion, of course!

[judgemental]

Sandringham College, in common with all government schools, is obliged to take in all students who fall within their zone, expelled or not.

 

This includes all the wasters/drug dealers/malcontents the private system can't be arsed dealing with.

 

Also those with special needs, or who inconveniently won't get the private school's idea of a good ATAR score at VCE. The latter are those who the private schools have been very happy to take the parents' money from years 1-10, but will show them the door come exam time.

 

My own knowledge is mostly of the senior campus, where many students come who would not be given the time of day in other places, get a very good education. Great teachers. Real commitment.