Guest Jo/Ray@westcliffRugby Posted March 8, 2007 Share Posted March 8, 2007 Hello:D We have made the decision and currently going through the process for a move to Brisbane Australia - have been searching high and low on the internet trying to find out about schools for my two children (daughter 13 - 14 in June) and (Son 10 - 11 in Sept). My daughter is currently choosing her options here in the UK (year 9) and wants to follow a career path in teaching (primary). My son is currently studying for his 11+ for grammer school education (year 5). We have SATs League tables in England is there something similar in Australia, how do you know what is a good school what is a bad school!!! We will probably be renting in Forest Lakes south of Wacol for a bit as we have friends living their who are going to help us adjust. It is important that we get the education right from the begining and our children settled, we are moving for a better life and their future. :confused: Also one more thing any advice on a great Rugby Union Clubs in Brisbane that caters for mini and youth squads? Any Advice Welcome - Thanks Jo & Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nev_n_angie Posted March 8, 2007 Share Posted March 8, 2007 Hiya Hubbie just got back from Brissie - his brother lives there with his wife and 4 kids - LOADS of sports clubs in and around Brisbane - his kids play soccer, tag rugby and rugby union. They're never home! Sounds good to me! As for schools....... http://education.qld.gov.au/ Follow the links and it will list all schools - there is also a list of term dates etc. We're going to ACT and our kids are - or will be - 16,15 and 11 Best of luck with it all - when are you planning to go?? Angie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jo/Ray@westcliffRugby Posted March 8, 2007 Share Posted March 8, 2007 Hello Angie Nothing is set in stone, my husband may have a job out their it just depends if they are willing to take him on a temperary visa (4years). Will looks on the website for schools - Thank you. Love the Springer Spaniel photo we have a golden cocker spaniel which we are hoping to take with us. Thanks again Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nev_n_angie Posted March 8, 2007 Share Posted March 8, 2007 Hiya You're very welcome - Brother-in-Law lives in Manly West and he is spoiled for choice regarding sports for kids etc. They also have an excellent over 35's tag rugby network!!!!!!!!!! Men and Women!!! Hubby is completing his coaching training with the RFU before we go. He currently coaches the under 15's in our local team. Springer is 'Floppy' and she's nearly 5! She's a bit nuts and is coming with us - we're using overhill kennels in Bristol! Take care and best of luck Angie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jo/Ray@westcliffRugby Posted March 8, 2007 Share Posted March 8, 2007 Angie Thanks again have been on website and added to favourites. My husband is fixtures secretary for our mini's club (under 6's - Under 12's) he also on the committee for Essex RFU, but doesn't play!!! If all works out we should be out in OZ by the Autumn fingers crossed. Good Luck for your new life in OZ (Queensland) Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ozman30 Posted March 12, 2007 Share Posted March 12, 2007 Jo, Forest Lake sounds really lovely, but it is in the worst area of Brisbane. The school there would not be good at all. If you really are stuck with Forest Lake, I would suggest putting your kids into a private school. They are very cheap here compared with the UK and are excellent value for money. No, we do not publish our SATS as this would lead to the ghettoisation of schools as is the case in the UK. We do not have a Grammar School system either, thank the Lord. Once again, "skimming the cream off the top" would lead to an education system akin to that found in the UK. I am a teacher in the private system (about a third of Aussie kids are educated privately), so my knowledge on the state system is limited; however, I think that you are pretty much compelled to go to the school local to where you are living. In your case, this would be undesirable. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jo/Ray@westcliffRugby Posted March 12, 2007 Share Posted March 12, 2007 Hello Peter Thank you for your advice, this is just the sort of thing we need to know. We have not set our hearts on Forest Lake we just thought it would be a good to be near friends for a bit. The company my husband is hoping to be working for is based in Wacol so we need to live in an area that isn't a too big a comute to work for him. Any suggestions their? Private school sounds expensive, we live in an area here in the UK (Essex) where private education costs a small mortgage every month, and we know that Ray will not get the same level of salary in Brisbane and he is currently getting in UK. Both our children are doing well in school and generally very happy but the children here have a very materialistic attituted and wanna be adults, it would be nice for them to be kids just that bit longer and have a different out look on life. This is what we hope living in Australia will give them, at the same time, I understand the it wont all be greener (so to speak) in Oz. Thank you again for your help and suggestions! Regards Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ozman30 Posted March 17, 2007 Share Posted March 17, 2007 I suppose you could like Brisbane to London. Where London has the East-West divide, Brisbane has the norht-south divide. The industrial area of Brisbane is mainly in the south; Wacol is a heavily industrialised area. I think the best school you would find in the area (for boys) would be Ipswich Grammar School. The fees there are $8900 pa for a kid in year 9-12. That would be about 3500 GBP, so as you can see, private schooling is about a tenth the price here! You would find that the extra-curricular program at IGS would be hard to beat. There is also the Girls' Grammar where you would get a discount if you had other kids in the boys' school. Have a look: http://www.igs.qld.edu.au/w04/media/fees2007.pdf I know that I a playing favourites with private schooling, but I just think it is such a bargain in this country. There are few other countries in the world that would subsidise their private schools. I know what you are saying about kids wanting to grow up to soon in the UK; I used to teach there! I think, from my experience anyway, that kids here tend to have a lot more respect for adults and seem to like appreciate their childhoods more. I suppose that they can just get out and about more and there is a lot more emphasis on sports in Oz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted March 17, 2007 Share Posted March 17, 2007 If you liked the idea of forest lakes ,check out the other land estates in and around brisbane ,you can find a list of them on , www.realestate.com.au just look for the link at the top,hope this helps Cal x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jo/Ray@westcliffRugby Posted March 18, 2007 Share Posted March 18, 2007 Have been looking at the private ed. costs for Australia and there are cheaper in comparison. It does say however that overseas students fees are $10,000pa and as we will are hoping to come to Oz on a 4year work visa (due to husbands age). I guess that puts our children in the expensive bracket and we wouldn't get discount for sibling have a girl and a boy? My hubby Ray has said he is prepared to commute an hour of more if he has to as long so that we can live in a nice area with good schools (it cant be any worse than the M25, M4 to Wales, which he does every week!!) This move to Brisbane is starting to feel very daunting! Thank you again for your advice. Jo, Ray, Ashley & Jamie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ozman30 Posted March 18, 2007 Share Posted March 18, 2007 The Ipswich motorway is actually our worst highway. However, they are finally starting to get to work on the awful thing with the federal government getting its back in just prior to election time. Please don't feel daunted, think of it as an adventure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jo/Ray@westcliffRugby Posted March 18, 2007 Share Posted March 18, 2007 Adventure!! Will have to play that angle on the kids - they don't want to go. Better get back to my revision - exam for me tomorrow morning - YUK Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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