Help. Advice required.

[Guest graemepugh]

Hi everyone. Nice to see a good website about Adelaide. Hopefully be out there soon once job front is finalised. We are a family of 4 aged 38, 40 and 2 children 4 and 5 , currently living in Staffordshire. We have so many questions about the move and how people got on etc. The biggest question is about schooling. Where are the best primary schools around Adelaide and which suburbs are they in?

Would love to hear from anyone who has already made the move down under. Any advice appreciated. Thanks.

[Guest ebstar]

Hi everyone. Nice to see a good website about Adelaide. Hopefully be out there soon once job front is finalised. We are a family of 4 aged 38, 40 and 2 children 4 and 5 , currently living in Staffordshire. We have so many questions about the move and how people got on etc. The biggest question is about schooling. Where are the best primary schools around Adelaide and which suburbs are they in?

Would love to hear from anyone who has already made the move down under. Any advice appreciated. Thanks.

 

helllo and welcome to the site.In order to answer your questions it would be good to know a bit more about you.Do you want to be close to cbd or transport,shops etc

[beckdownunder]

Hi Graemepugh,

 

Good luck with the job front - I guess area's etc are alot to do with personal preference ie do you want to be near the hills, beach, close to CBD or further out. If you are working in the centre of town, you will have to think about commute times etc. If you have a search on this forum there is loads of info on different area's and schools etc. I think there is also some kind of ofstead equivalent in oz, so you could try and google that. To be honest though, i would try and think of a few area's to research first, or you'll be at it for months!

 

Then there is also the choice of public or private schools.....the list of decisions is endless!

 

Don't let it daunt you though, take it step by step and you'll get there. Good luck with everything.

 

beck

[Guest graemepugh]

Hi. We would locate near to a good school. But prefer to be close to the beach. I can copewith a 30 or 40 min commute to the cbd.

 

Thanks for the interest.

[Guest ebstar]

Hi. We would locate near to a good school. But prefer to be close to the beach. I can copewith a 30 or 40 min commute to the cbd.

 

Thanks for the interest.

 

Many of the poms on here (me included) like the Hallett Cove area.It's close to the beach,has good transport links,school and would be about the right commute for you.

[Diane]

There are lots and lots of schools around, so probably the first thing you need to ask yourself is whether you are looking at state or private education.

 

I think a lot of the schools with the best reputations tend to be in the Eastern suburbs - only because that's kind of the "stockbroker" belt of Adelaide, where lots of doctors, legal types, and other high earners live (house prices obviously reflect that too). That carries on to the South East and North East up to a point, so with the beaches being on the West side of Adelaide, you may have to decide on a compromise between having a beach on your doorstep, or having the "best" schools nearby.

 

The further you go out of the city, the less choice you will have in terms of local schools - a bit like in Britain really: if you live out in a country village you often have the choice of the local village school or nothing! Not to say that means they are not good schools themselves though.

 

There is a Myschool website you could look at, but really with the ages of your children, I would think it is more about pastoral care and them finding a school they are happy and settled in, rather than purely academic results... and you and your OH not having to spend hours commuting to and from work, and thus missing out on time with your kids.

 

I'm not being snobby with my next comment and will probably get shot down in flames for it, but Adelaide like most cities now has policies where if a lot of housing is being built, a certain percentage of social housing must be included, so obviously if you pick a newer suburb or one with a lot of new builds you will find a wider socio-economic mix in the attendees of the local school. Personally I think this is a good thing as it teaches kids to mix with a good range of children, but I know not everyone will feel the same.

 

HTH

[tinkertailerdog]

We recently moved to Norwood. That is the eastern suburbs. Our daughter who is 5 has just started at Rose Park school and we love it. It is a public school. The area is great and hubby commutes to the city on his bike, taking him about 15mins. We decided on here because of the great public primary and secondary schools. I know our daughter is only just starting primary but we want to put down roots and stop moving around.

It takes us about 20 to 25 mins to get to the beach. We decided that to shorten the commute to work was more important as that is done everyday and a trip to the beach isn't.

So far we love it. The five minute drive into the city is also pretty good.

[Riponian]

You might want to take a read of this thread

 

http://www.pomsinadelaide.com/forum/adelaide-migration-issues/22911-suburbs-schools-research.html

 

AT the end of the day you have to make your mind up as to what is important to you. Good luck, you will probably change your mind once your here anyway :-)

[Guest leeozbound]

Hi graemepugh, we also live in Staffordshire and are looking to be out there April 2012. It's great having PIA to use to get information on pretty much everything, we are looking at Hallett Cove and have heard that the schools there are very good.

[Guest Glenn]

Hi we moved here Dec 10 we live near port adelaide its a great location to everything hope all works out for you all the best from Glenn and Cindy and girls

[ratters2005]

Staffordshire gods country...

[Guest graemepugh]

Staffordshire gods country...

 

Thanks for all the advice. Its good to see some fellow Staffordshire poms on here.... But thanks to the rest of you as well.

 

If my two are 4 (5 in Feb) and 5 (6 in July), can they join a primary school when we get there in August /September?? Josh is currently in Year 1 over here, will he drop down a year over there? Will Emily have to go to Kindy?Do we have to pay for this if I am on a 457 visa? Any advice, or guidance will help?

 

Thanks again.

[Guest graemepugh]

We recently moved to Norwood. That is the eastern suburbs. Our daughter who is 5 has just started at Rose Park school and we love it. It is a public school. The area is great and hubby commutes to the city on his bike, taking him about 15mins. We decided on here because of the great public primary and secondary schools. I know our daughter is only just starting primary but we want to put down roots and stop moving around.

It takes us about 20 to 25 mins to get to the beach. We decided that to shorten the commute to work was more important as that is done everyday and a trip to the beach isn't.

So far we love it. The five minute drive into the city is also pretty good.

 

Hi, thanks for the advice, we will look into Norwood. School definitely takes priority over beach location. I am hopefully going to be working in the CBD so a 15 minute bike ride gets my vote.

 

Is your daughter in Kindy or year 1? Only my son who is 5 (6 in July) would be in the same situation. My daughter is 4 (5 in Feb) so assume Kindy is only option.?

 

Thanks

[Diane]

Thanks for all the advice. Its good to see some fellow Staffordshire poms on here.... But thanks to the rest of you as well.

 

If my two are 4 (5 in Feb) and 5 (6 in July), can they join a primary school when we get there in August /September?? Josh is currently in Year 1 over here, will he drop down a year over there? Will Emily have to go to Kindy?Do we have to pay for this if I am on a 457 visa? Any advice, or guidance will help?

 

Thanks again.

 

In South Australia, you don't have to pay international fees for schools (like you do in some other states) if on a 457 visa. You just pay the same as any other Australian would - around $200-$400 probably a year for state primary.

 

Josh may do another couple of terms of Year 1 here between August and December, then go up to Year 2 in January/February. Not sure about your youngest...

 

D

[Guest BrianS]

norwood does have some good schools, also with kensington and st peters next door they have some good schools aswell.

would say however that the costs of living in norwood st peters isnt a bundle of joy.

[RockDr]

Re: cost of living, do bear in mind that living within walking/cycling distance to work can save you substantial weekly transport costs. for a single adult, bus is $30 a week to get to/from work. Car parking in the city would be $55 a week in the cheaper earlybird car-parks, plus fuel. So by saving those costs, that money can be used to somewhat offset the more expensive rents in these areas.

[Guest ozarsenal]

I live in a beach suburb - Aldinga Beach - 40 minutes from the city (60 in peak hour).

The extra 20 minutes is always the bit between Flinders Uni and the city.

There are 5 private and public schools within 10-15 minutes. The private ones are $35 to $100 a week.

All pretty good - I have 4 kids who have been to 3 of the 5, plus the local high school in Willunga. If the kids want to learn - they'll be fine at any of them. You will get the odd bad crowd at every school.

Good parents create good kids and vice versa IMHO

 

Aldinga Beach has a great long sandy beach, a couple of reefs and rock pools and is only 10 minutes from McLaren Vale wine district.

[tinkertailerdog]

My daughter is in reception, just started. They also have a feeder kindy that my other daughter starts in July. I have a friend who;s children are at Norwood school and she is very pleased with it.

The area is more expensive to rent but as said there are no commuting costs so that knocks a big chunk off.