Private schools Brisbane

[Cheery Thistle]

Moving to Brisbane and I’ve noticed there is quite an emphasis on private schools compared to where we are in the UK. 
There seems to be much greater choice of the type of school and also the costs involved. Catchment generally seems to be quite tightly adhered to (as it can be here too due to capacity issues usually). 
Does anyone have direct experience of the private vs state in the Brisbane area or on any benefits they have found to the Aus system over the UK? 
We will be over in March and plan to visit a few schools. Aware there are waiting lists etc for a lot of them. 

 

[Quoll]

There is, roughly, a Catholic system which runs parallel to the Gov school system - it's a cheaper form of private. If you're Catholic, that's a good option. If you're not Catholic then proving you adhere to Catholic values could be tricky.  Private schools generally tend to have better outcomes for kids and the more you pay, generally the better the outcome but they can decline to enrol kids who may bring their rankings down for whatever reason. It used to be that the very prestigious schools had wait lists that you needed to hop on at birth but I think with the financial situation as it is there are probably more vacancies. Around 35% of kids go private with relatively more in The HS sector which is where parents believe their money is better spent. There are selective gov schools which do well but you've got to be selected and competition can b e  fierce with a lot of tiger mums pushing their kids.

Best schools ranking here https://bettereducation.com.au/school/Secondary/qld/brisbane_top_secondary_schools.aspx

Edited to say, all gov schools have a priority enrolment area and they are obliged to find a place for a kid residing in that area, so it's not like.UK in that regard where, if they are full, you could theoretically live next door and not get a place. Some schools will take out of area enrolments but they are not obliged to. Generally the schools reflect the suburb around them so if you wouldn't want to live in the suburb you wouldn't want your kid in the school there!!!

Edited January 10 by Quoll

[Marisawright]

Are you asking in terms of job opportunities for you, or for your kids?  I know something about the teaching side of things.

Private schools in Australia aren't the preserve of the very rich.  A lot of middle-class parents send their kids to private schools.  There is also an extensive Catholic private school system which parallels the state system.  So there is certainly a lot of opportunity for teachers in those networks.

My ex is a Physics teacher and we got our visa on the strength of his qualifications. Though there was a desperate demand for HSC Physics teachers in Melbourne, the Education department insisted he had to spend two years in a country school. After one year teaching junior science, geography (which he failed at O level), and life skills, he was thorougly pissed off and started applying to private schools. He got a job in Sydney.  His best friend migrated to Queensland and had the same experience. He taught in a couple of schools on the Gold Coast. Both had similar feedback about the private system.

The upside of independent private schools is the lavish environment. As science teachers, my ex and his friend were like pigs in mud, with all the latest lab equipment etc  The downside of the independent schools is the extra duties.  All teachers, regardless of subject, are expected to be involved in "the life of the school", which means supervising at weekend sports activities, excursions etc. My ex effectively worked a 6 day week, because he had some duty or other almost every Saturday. Well, being a teacher, I should say he worked a 7 day week, because as you know, he had so much prep work, homework marking etc to do as well.  He got fed up of it in the end, and got a job in a private college for international students (like a 6th form college).  

I don't know what teaching is like in the Catholic private schools.  

Edited January 10 by Marisawright

[Cheery Thistle]

I am asking as a parent rather than as a teacher. 
Unless I struggle to get a well-paid job in my current field I don’t think I’ll be teaching, it’s the back up plan only! 
Just the private school idea is more or less alien to us. The school our daughter would go to here is a top 50 Scottish state school and also the one I taught in for a long time. We are Catholic so that’s a consideration but not the main priority. 
Looking forward to visiting and getting the ‘vibe’ from the schools. 

[Marisawright]

47 minutes ago, Cheery Thistle said:

Just the private school idea is more or less alien to us.

Me too.  I think Scots are pretty egalitarian and I always thought Australians were too, so I was surprised that so many Aussies opt for private schooling.  Ideologically, my ex hated the idea of working in a private school and I think that's another reason why he got out of that system eventually.  He was in a wealthy independent school (Cranbrook) and got really sick of the entitlement attitude. 

I'd suggest the Catholic system as a good option for you.  I wouldn't consider any of the independent private schools unless you are well off.  One of my friends was a school counsellor at Kambala (private school in Sydney) and she saw a lot of girls whose parents had saved up to send her to the school, or who'd got a scholarship, and then couldn't cope with the peer pressure, with the rich students flaunting their clothes, hair, fancy birthday parties etc.

 

[Jon the Hat]

Our finding so far is that Public High School in Perth at least seems rather more relaxed than in the UK, and this is good for some kids and not for others.  If you want a different academic approach you may need to look at private, or state selective, which can be much more results focused.  

[Cheery Thistle]

I really don’t like the idea of state selective and have already heard not great things about the atmosphere in one of the Queensland Academies. We are not pushy parents, relaxed sounds quite good! However our daughter is quite arty, plays piano and is into swimming. I would like somewhere that approaches things holistically and where she’ll have a range of opportunities. Whether that’s state or private I don’t know. The private options don’t look horrendously expensive and it’s only for 6 years. It’s not something I would even consider here because the schools are too far away and it’s prohibitively expensive, plus most of the kids seem really annoying if I’m honest!! 

[InnerVoice]

I can't add too much more than what @Quoll and @Marisawright have said given that my experience in Australia is based entirely within the state school system, although I've had a couple of interviews in Catholic schools and I can confirm how much better their facilities are.

Having worked in a very good state school in the UK for a while I can say with confidence that the academic rigour was significantly higher than it is in QLD state schools, but I think our schools are more holistic and students don't feel quite as pressured. As you've mentioned your daughter is quite arty, plays piano and is into swimming, so I think she would be served well by the state system - just as long as it's a good school. The list that Quoll posted is an excellent resource and even the state schools towards the bottom of the list have a good reputation. In fact I know teachers who have taught in the bottom two, Ferny Grove and Wynnum SHS, and both said they enjoyed working there.

My advice would be once you've decided where you're going to live, have a look at the school website for the SHS in that catchment area. Scroll down to the bottom of the home page and open the Annual Report. Most state schools would love to bury this deep within their website, but they can't - it has to be on the home page. Open the report and scroll down to Table 5: Staff Survey. We complete this every year and it's completely anonymous, so we don't hold any punches. In fact staff who work in crappy schools rather look forward to giving them both barrels! The following table is for Wynnum SHS, and I've highlighted the 3 most important fields in my opinion. If any of those values are less than 90% then I'd have some concerns, and if they're less than 80% then I'd start to question if I wanted to send my child to that school. As you might expect, there's a strong correlation between how well behaviour is managed at the school and staff moral.

Another section of the report I'd pay particular attention to is the 'rap sheet' (next table down). I would be concerned if there aren't any exclusions because that means they have a touchy-feely principal who's all about inclusion at any price (or can't be bothered to do the paperwork), and won't exclude a student regardless of what they've done. It doesn't take long for them to work out that they'll never be kicked out, so they can do more or less what they like. These kids don't care about suspensions as that's another holiday in front of the X-Box to them, so bring it on. I wouldn't support kids being turfed out willy-nilly, but if every now and then someone's head rolls then they know there are major consequences and it keeps them in line.

Given your that private education has never been part of your ethos and what you've mentioned about your daughter's needs, I'd be looking at state schools initially, and if the school in your catchment area looks poor then consider the Catholic system. I know a lot of teachers in a various state schools, so if you'd like info about a specific one then please feel free to PM me.

WSHS_annual_report_2022.pdf

Edited January 11 by InnerVoice

[rammygirl]

Just to say that even state schools are not free here. Unlike the UK there are admin fees, often expensive uniforms and you are expected to provide books and equipment.  Not a fortune but worth knowing, most school websites will give lots of info.

Ours briefly went to a Lutheran school in SA, we are Catholic but it was a better school..bigger with more facilities.  Similar to the Catholic sector it had much lower fees than private but similar facilities and a good holistic education without ramming religion home.

Some of the top private schools here do  produce a lot of  entitled bullies, although that is down to the culture of the school and the parents.

[Cheery Thistle]

Thanks for all the info. My instinct is saying private, possibly Catholic. Will keep you all posted on progress. 

[ramot]

5 minutes ago, Cheery Thistle said:

Thanks for all the info. My instinct is saying private, possibly Catholic. Will keep you all posted on progress. 

We have been to the Immanuel Lutheran College in Buderim many times, as we have been adopted by my son’s godchildren as extra grandparents, and have been invited to various different events there. We are blown away by the school, the facilities are outstanding, there is a lovely atmosphere, only wish my children could have gone to a school like that in England. I cant speak for the academic results, as they are in the Primary school part, but I’m sure they can be googled, but It’s such a popular school, I doubt they are bad. 

[Ferrets]

It also depends on where you settle as well - would you locate for the school or choose a school in your location?

 

[Cheery Thistle]

2 hours ago, Ferrets said:

It also depends on where you settle as well - would you locate for the school or choose a school in your location?

 

Not sure at this point, hoping things will become clearer after our visit! 

[Ferrets]

12 hours ago, Cheery Thistle said:

Not sure at this point, hoping things will become clearer after our visit! 

Looking at the options it’s either city for the top top schools, or then Bayside (including Cannon Hill) for CHACs / Ormiston.

Our kids are at the Moreton Bay Colleges and really enjoy them, MBC seems really good in particular for our daughter though there do seem to be some marmite reactions to it.

[Lisa Kent]

When my family moved to Brisbane, we had a conversation on this as well. We visited a few schools, and what stood out to us was the emphasis on specialized programs and extracurricular activities in the private sector. While state schools offered a solid education, we found that private schools often had smaller class sizes and more tailored support for students. Ultimately, we chose a private school that aligned with our values and priorities for our children's education. It's been a positive experience so far.