Advice on Australian Itinerary

[SafferMom]

Oh wow - I didn't even think of that. Something else to look forward to!

 

[PrincessInOz]

It is now certain that we will be moving to Melbourne - it is definitely the best place for dh career right now, so now we are frantically researching suburbs and schools but it is all very exciting.

Fantastic news! Hope the move goes well.

When are you planning on getting here?

Feel free to join in on one of the Melbourne DisMeets when you've settled in

Absolutely! We live in different quadrants of Melbourne, so I'm sure you'll get plenty of contrasting views on which is the best suburbs to live in.

 

[SafferMom]

At this stage we are planning on arriving at the beginning of January - just waiting for confirmation from dh boss on when it would be best to start. His office will be in Nottinghill so at this stage we are looking at schools in North east and once we have a few potential schools chosen we will look to rent in the school zones. My dd will be going into Year 8 and ds into Year 5. Both are pretty academic kids.

 

[Aussie Wendy]

Congrats on the move. Hope you enjoy your new life here. Melbourne will be a great place to live and with all your family scattered you get to enjoy a bit of everything!

 

[zanzibar138]

Ah, east is my area

I don't have kids so can't really help with schools, but feel free to PM me about different areas, getting around etc. I would probably stick to east or south east rather than north east for ease of commuting, unless you've got a specific reason to go north.

 

[PrincessInOz]

At this stage we are planning on arriving at the beginning of January - just waiting for confirmation from dh boss on when it would be best to start. His office will be in Nottinghill so at this stage we are looking at schools in North east and once we have a few potential schools chosen we will look to rent in the school zones. My dd will be going into Year 8 and ds into Year 5. Both are pretty academic kids.

Glen Waverley Secondary is one of the more highly regarded state schools within close'ish proximity to the Nottinghill area.

Not sure if you're already aware of this website or not...and I would recommend using it with a grain of salt. Most schools use it for marketing purposes.

https://www.myschool.edu.au/


FYI - I have a child in year 10 this year. Feel free to PM if you have any questions.

 

[aussie shaz]

I had friends that made a killing when selling their house a few years after building, as it was in the Glen Waverly Secondary zone.
Definately look in the South East. Great area to be in.

 

[zanzibar138]

Yep, Glen Waverley is pretty hot area at the moment!

 

[SafferMom]

Thanks all of you. Glen Waverly is on my shortlist. We like the idea of living south east (as much as one can without actually being there) but somehow I started looking at schools in north east - Balwyn High etc but after all this good advice I am going to look at south east again.

Initially we only looked at private schools as that is what we are used to, but after getting details of dh salary and the cost of living in Australia we very quickly realised that would be unaffordable for us (elite private schooling is much more affordable in South Africa) but both kids are strong academically so I think they will both do well in a state school that is academically focussed.

@PrincessInOz I have been using https://www.myschool.edu.au/ and http://bettereducation.com.au/ quite extensively while making lists (Like all good Disney planners I love a spreadsheet!!) and they have been invaluable but I do know nothing will beat actually visiting the schools in person to get a feel for their vibe - if that makes sense. It is also very very useful to get personal recommendations from people.

 

[aussie shaz]

If your kids are quite academic, you may also look at select entry public schools. One near me (in the outer South East) is Nossal High school. There's also Melbourne High (inner South East) for boys, or MacRobertson Girls High (inner city)

 

[aussie shaz]

Just saw the ages of your kids. The select entry schools are high school and I think only start at Year 9. Maybe something to think about though in regards to location.

 

[SafferMom]

Thanks @aussie shaz we will definitely look into selective schools. Am glad we have a year in Australia before we have to look at that just so my daughter can gauge her level compared to Australian kids. South Africa could very well be below the education levels in Australia and then such schools would not be an option