Schools in queensland

[mariaandmike]

We are yet to confirm an area, but will be moving to QL on a stated nominated visa.  

Does anyone have any useful links, the children will be 15, 13 and 8 next year.

In the UK we have Ofsted as a guide ( I do keep an open mind reading reports but use as guide).  Is there something Similar in Australia?

Any tips for looking at schools and what costs do we need to factor in?

Both boys, youngest 2 love football, so will need to keep them involved in sport.

My daughter is into acting and often attends auditions and appears in shows in UK, would there be options for her in Australian.  We have privately funded drama schools in UK.

My daughter has mentioned Newcastle area, she knows more than me lol

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Maria x

[Quoll]

Newcastle is in NSW so that isn't going to be an option on a Qld state sponsored visa.  Most kids go to their local school and people generally live where they are going to work so rather than starting with schools you may like to start with where you will be working, how much commuting got want to do, what sort of house you want and where your budget will stretch to and where there are houses available. All schools have a catchment area and they are obliged to find a place for a child living within that area. 

No Ofsted but the closest would be https://myschool.edu.au.  Government schools are "free" but you still shell out for "voluntary contributions", uniforms, stationery packs, book packs, visiting teachers, performances, excursions, camps etc etc. Private schools can cost you anywhere between $5k and $25k pa all depending on what you choose. There's a parallel Catholic  system pretty much everywhere (bottom range private) but some private schools have long waiting lists.

Sport clubs everywhere, drama clubs everywhere although the larger the city the more opportunities in general. If they're top level sports or drama, budget for a lot of travel within Qld (very big stare) or interstate (very big country).  BTW in Aus Football is rugby and UK style football is soccer (so be careful which football clubs you sign them up with!)

Edited May 10, 2020 by Quoll

[Marisawright]

As Quoll says, Newcastle is in another state.   Your daughter will find plenty of amateur drama, but if she wants to get acting gigs, you'll have to base yourself near Brisbane. Most acting jobs and commercial work in Queensland are either there or on the Gold Coast, and there's not a huge amount even then.  I'm not aware of any drama schools in Queensland.

[calNgary]

Its a bit like throwing a dart at a map as QLD is so big, but Sheldon College could be an option. I have a friend whose children go there, her daughter does dance and performance arts and has appeared in many plays on stage in Brisbane and its surrounds, both dancing and acting/speaking parts. The school has a very good reputation and seems to be 'up there' academically too.

Cal x

[Gbye grey sky]

54 minutes ago, calNgary said:

Its a bit like throwing a dart at a map as QLD is so big, but Sheldon College could be an option. I have a friend whose children go there, her daughter does dance and performance arts and has appeared in many plays on stage in Brisbane and its surrounds, both dancing and acting/speaking parts. The school has a very good reputation and seems to be 'up there' academically too.

Cal x

That just so happens to be my daughter’s school Cal.  They are indeed good for drama, dance and music.

[calNgary]

3 hours ago, Gbye grey sky said:

That just so happens to be my daughter’s school Cal.  They are indeed good for drama, dance and music.

It has a very good reputation, my friends children are thriving there.

       Cal x

[Marisawright]

19 hours ago, calNgary said:

Its a bit like throwing a dart at a map as QLD is so big, but Sheldon College could be an option. I have a friend whose children go there, her daughter does dance and performance arts and has appeared in many plays on stage in Brisbane and its surrounds, both dancing and acting/speaking parts. The school has a very good reputation and seems to be 'up there' academically too.

Note that the plays are in "Brisbane and its surrounds".  I wouldn't be settling any further north than the Sunshine Coast if your daughter wants to stand a chance of getting acting gigs.

[calNgary]

58 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

Note that the plays are in "Brisbane and its surrounds".  I wouldn't be settling any further north than the Sunshine Coast if your daughter wants to stand a chance of getting acting gigs.

It depends if you like travelling or not. The local sports club i am involved with travel all over for competitions and myself and the parents love our little road trips. Furthest we have probably done is Gladstone, so around an 8 hrs drive but its very common to travel an hour or two to closer competitions. This year we wanted to go interstate but COVID put a stop on that.

 I bought my car in Adeliade and drove it back to Brisbane. Spent 3 or 4 days doing the trip and stopping off here and there to discover new places. Love it , its a fab way of seeing our country.

 Cal x

  Cal x

[Marisawright]

5 minutes ago, calNgary said:

It depends if you like travelling or not. The local sports club i am involved with travel all over for competitions and myself and the parents love our little road trips.

So do you take time off work to drive your children to the comps?   That's another factor to consider.    Also if she wants to get work in film or TV, those jobs would be during the week and often for several days at a time.  Auditions are also during the week.

Edited May 12, 2020 by Marisawright

[calNgary]

Just now, Marisawright said:

So do you take time off work to drive your children to the comps?   That's another factor to consider.    Also if she wants to get work in film or TV, those jobs would be during the week and often for several days at a time.  Auditions are also during the week.

As the comp girls train Friday nights, if we are doing a road trip we cancel training to travel then and set off in convoy around 3.30pm.. Although because we can plan ahead the majority of the time, a couple of times we have all left Thursday evening and turned it into a long weekend. 

Where my friend and her school is concerned, if the play audition is in school time they attend, no different to attending Eisteddfods (she has done lots of those too for speaking, singing dancing. 

If she was to work in film or TV she wouldnt be at school???? and im sure those at uni who study the arts dont factor that in as a problem or there wouldnt be anyone on the courses.

In the UK driving an hour or two seemed a lot, in QLD most people accept it as normal. 

        Cal x

[Marisawright]

1 hour ago, calNgary said:

If she was to work in film or TV she wouldnt be at school???? and im sure those at uni who study the arts dont factor that in as a problem or there wouldnt be anyone on the courses.

There are lots of professional child actors.     Harry Potter?   All the kids in the ABC kids' programs?   I took it from the OP's post that her daughter is one of them.  

A drama school will give leave to attend auditions - but if, say, they were in Brisbane, then that might only entail half a day off, or a day at most.  If they get a part in something long-running, special schooling arrangements are made. 

Edited May 12, 2020 by Marisawright

[ramot]

1 hour ago, Marisawright said:

There are lots of professional child actors.     Harry Potter?   All the kids in the ABC kids' programs?   I took it from the OP's post that her daughter is one of them.  

A drama school will give leave to attend auditions - but if, say, they were in Brisbane, then that might only entail half a day off, or a day at most.  If they get a part in something long-running, special schooling arrangements are made. 

Was chatting to someone in Maleny quite some time ago, and a girl from their drama group was chosen to play one of I think the 3 alternating  Matilda’s when it was on in Brisbane. As far as I know all these shows try to use local children, as it’s unrealistic due to the size of Australia to keep the same cast Australia wide. Amazing talent around.

My brother went to aLondon drama school years ago in the 1950’s. He was a very very successful youth actor, hardly ever out of work, obviously had time off for auditions, and had a chaperone and tutor while working . My mother went as his chaperone once when he was filming in Germany. Gave it up in his early 20’s as he was still playing teenagers. Lots of his contemporaries went on to be very famous. I was in a school crowd scene as an extra in a st Trinians film, my only claim to fame I have black and white cds of a couple of things he was in. So strange seeing him when he was about 15 or 16.

 No idea what happens nowadays, but it was regulated then.

[Marisawright]

16 minutes ago, ramot said:

Was chatting to someone in Maleny quite some time ago, and a girl from their drama group was chosen to play one of I think the 3 alternating  Matilda’s when it was on in Brisbane. As far as I know all these shows try to use local children, as it’s unrealistic due to the size of Australia to keep the same cast Australia wide. Amazing talent around.

My point exactly.   Maleny to Brisbane is a couple of hours' drive, I think, so manageable.   I wouldn't think they would look at children further afield because (a) there would be a big enough talent pool in the GC/Brisbane/SC area and (b) the problem of the chlidren having to be away from home for longer periods due to the driving distance.

[Quoll]

6 hours ago, Marisawright said:

So do you take time off work to drive your children to the comps?   That's another factor to consider.    Also if she wants to get work in film or TV, those jobs would be during the week and often for several days at a time.  Auditions are also during the week.

When my kids were younger and into sports we did a lot of travelling, mainly around NSW with swimming and rowing but occasionally national meets which were a bit more of a challenge although when they got older they tended to go with the club. Many weekends were at swimming carnivals and it was nothing to leave home after school on a Friday and drive 4-6 hours to somewhere or even leave around 4am on the Saturday morning to get to a 9am start.  It was a bugger to be honest.  It was mainly me that did the away meets because my DH was a bit of a workaholic and usually spent at least one day in at the office.  We organized our family holidays around swim meets - that's when you get State and Country meets. It doesnt do much for your family life if one kid is into one sport and another kid into a different sport as ours tended to be.  My granddaughter is into dance - but she is only at 3 classes a week and the odd performance but it all takes time, fortunately her parents have that flexibility and she isnt top level so classes are very local - one of the ladies at my knitting group has her daughter into 6 classes a week and regularly goes interstate for week long workshops and then they have loads of performances on top of that - costs them a fortune.