Wait to see them or contact now?

[Guest La1ney]

Hi we arrive in SA on the 1st September. Reading other posts lots of people have already sorted out schools. I have two girls and was planning on waiting until we get there to look for school so we can all look around the school and get the feel for them. Should I be contacting schools from here or is it ok to wait.

[Guest Crushfamily]

Bearing in mind school term finishes on the 21st September - it will probably take you a week to get sorted then they would only be at school for 2 weeks or less which you might think is too short/not worth bothering with. We arrived and missed out and our boys did not start till the October term. They were bored rigid in our rental as they only had a few toys they had brought with them. So it might be worth a punt before. Find out what the school uniform is and buy some cheap stuff from Tescos before hand - worst case they can do the three weeks and chanhe schools if you/they hate it. Meanwhile it gives you a chance to look for work/OSCH/ longterm rental etc without them under your feet.

[Cherrypecker]

I would definetly wait until you are here. Have a short list of places to look around, but dont commit to anything. In my opinion, your children will be on an emotional rollercoaster that they don't fully understand. They will want to be with their Mom and Dad. Plus, they will want to check things out too and see the sights.

 

We gave it 3 weeks before our eldest started school over here. But I guess it is different horses for different courses.

 

Good luck whatever you decide.

[Guest La1ney]

That's what my thoughts were, to give them some time to settle. We have a short list. Just started to panic as lots of others have already sorted. Thanks for the advice feel a little better now.

[flossybeth]

We're arriving at the beginning of August and I wasn't planning on putting our 3 into school until the term that starts in October; I thought that way they get their summer holiday (although technically it will be winter!), we get to work out where we'll be living and they get to settle a little and explore some of their new country before they have to go into school.

 

I don't really understand the rush of needing to get them back into school so quickly given the upheaval that's been thrust upon them, so a few weeks of relaxing and not having too many expectations put on them in my opinion is a good thing.

[NicF]

We've reserved our kids places at a school already (still in the UK) but we haven't got anywhere to live in the area yet and when we first get there we will be living at my mother-in-laws which is too far away from the school to start them straight away anyway. Reserving the places was more a kind of wishful thinking that we'd be able to get somewhere nice to live in that area and send the kids to that school. We've still not decided for definite that we will live in that area and are going to look at other areas and schools once we get there.

 

Nicola

[snifter]

Hi we arrive in SA on the 1st September. Reading other posts lots of people have already sorted out schools. I have two girls and was planning on waiting until we get there to look for school so we can all look around the school and get the feel for them. Should I be contacting schools from here or is it ok to wait.

 

We only have a short short list of schools and that is because we know where we will be living and in what area we need to look. We won't actually settle on one till we are there. Some are zoned so are already ruled out for us.

 

There are a number of schools that are zoned and so your children can only go there if within the zone when they start. Its worth doing your homework on areas you like the look of to live, commute to work/city etc and schools in the zone (if there is one). Gives you some idea. But you certainly don't need to be set on a particular one or anything. Wait till you get there to go look round a few and get a feel for them.

 

I've made a number of trips to Adelaide now and know the area we will be living in and so on so perhaps its a bit easier for me in terms of where to look and other things.

[Guest miraclebabycaw]

I have asked a number of zoned schools if I could meet with the principal to have a look at he school when we arrive..Most have replied with please contact us when you have secured a rental in the area so rather wait till you get there.

[Guest Django]

Deffo wait until you get here. We looked before we came at schools and decided on where we wanted to live and had a short list of schools in that area. On arrival, after checking out a few we passed a school outside of our chosen suburb and popped in. We were so impressed with the school we decided there and then to put our children into it. We didn't bother looking at any more and have to say we don't regret it one bit. Great school and we prefer the area to where we would have lived. It really is a case of arrive, check ALL suburbs out first hand, find school, find house. Have fun exploring. )

[Guest miraclebabycaw]

@Django...will you share which school?

[Guest Django]

@Django...will you share which school?

 

Only too glad to, Woodcroft Primary.