Need Help in Choosing a Public Primary School in QLD

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  PVA on 04/07/2016 - 11:45

  +1

  public school with be the one in your local area.

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  geek001 on 04/07/2016 - 11:46

  +1

  QLD is pretty big, would help if you say which suburb you live in for example. No point someone suggesting a school in Cairns if you live in Toowoomba. :)

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  montorola on 04/07/2016 - 12:40

  +1

  Since you specifically said SEQ, I'll suggest Mansfield State Primary School.

  Their high school is also very good for a public school - strict and a very high standard of education.

  • 

    MiaSanMia on 04/07/2016 - 13:34

    I've heard that Mansfield is very competitive to get in. And they strategically aim for higher ranking scores rather than overall performance?

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  mshanann on 04/07/2016 - 12:56

  If you are in western suburbs of Brisbane ..

  Google - "Free public primaries outperforming some elite schools"
  and check out The Australian article from March 9, 2016

  Note the article spelling mistake for outperforming - not a good start!

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  inherentchoice on 04/07/2016 - 13:22

  http://s2.quickmeme.com/img/1d/1dbb3a550b5a5675b873ed81c3e3f…

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  mskeggs on 04/07/2016 - 13:28

  +2

  Most local school principals will be happy to meet you and have a chat. If they are not, I would suggest that is a bad sign.
  All public schools will have events open to the public that you can attend to get an understanding of the school community. At my kids' school this included plays, choir performances, award ceremonies, book week 'parades and dozens of other things.
  There are also Parents & Citizens meetings where the most involved parents will meet to discuss issues. If their meetings are well attended and they have an active calendar of fund raising events and related activities (e.g. school disco nights, Bunnings sausage sizzles etc.) I would see that as a very good sign.
  Of course, these things don't mean much unless you can be involved with your children's school as parents, so let that be a consideration too. A school located so that you can easily leave work early to attend a ceremony is better than one 30 mins further away, even if the further one has better 'scores'.

  And remember, scores and league table rankings can vary substantially from year to year, so I would tend to rely less on these. Perhaps eliminating schools at the very bottom of the league tables, as they tend to have social issues that are difficult to over come, and, in my opinion, those at the very top of the league tables, as they tend to have an unhealthy focus on academic achievement at the expense of the child's broader development.

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  LXE3 on 04/07/2016 - 15:29

  It is very difficult, if not impossible to choose a school in which you are not in the catchment on the Gold Coast. We were effectively forced into private. The curriculum is the same as the State schools but you get some extras like specialised teachers for language, music, art and PE. The biggest difference for us was the kids are all nice.

  • 

    mskeggs on 04/07/2016 - 15:33

    Yes, this is important. Private schools prevent kids enrolling unless they are nice, and are in no way swayed by the parent's cheque book. /sarcasm.
    The private school near me, a high school, has a mix of dim rich kids, bright kids on scholarships and troubled teens their parents are paying a lot of money to school in the hope they won't run further off the tracks.

  • 

    Euphemistic on 05/07/2016 - 15:49

    +1

    Forced into private? That's nearly as funny as all the kids being nice.

    How much should I rely on those school league table ranking?
    Not too much, some schools target higher scores by 'training' for the test despite not being supposed to, other school focus on educating the kids properly. It's hard to pick between these two models from the outside.

    What other factors should I consider if I want a friendly, multi-culture and motivative learning environment for my kid?
    Look for a friendly principal, look at the families in the area, look at the schools involvement in extracurricular/multicultural stuff.

    How to check out schools info rather than visiting on their websites? I don't have many friends having kids that's why I'm posting this discussion up here
    Know any teachers? They often have some decent insight, but also may have prejudices. Visiting the principal may help.
    Names of good schools from your opinions in SEQ, SWQ?
    Are you planning to move somewhere to get your child into a good school? No point recommending a school 2hrs away if you aren't moving (not that I know any schools outside my area). Will you be living/working in the area for a long time?

    IMO it is more important that your kid has a supporting home for education than travelling extra distance for a 'better' school. I was talking to someone yesterday who thought it was fine for kids to be travelling up to an hour on the bus to/from school (private school) despite other options being available. But don't forget about getting your kids involved in after school activities with school mates or visiting a mates house that might be an hour in the opposite direction. My kids go to the local public school, we moved to the area specifically to be in zone for the local high school before our kids were school aged. Their mates live within a few minutes drive because they are in zone, the soccer team is local. It can take an awful lot of your time getting your kids around if they are out of zone.

    • 

      LXE3 on 05/07/2016 - 21:47

      Isn't looking at the families in the area the same as looking for nice kids? I did look at the families of the school my child was required to attend and on that basis I really did feel forced to a private school. Sure, not all of the kids at the private school are "nice" but they typically come from families who at the very minimum care about their child's education enough to help them through.

      • 

        mskeggs on 06/07/2016 - 08:36

        HA! I am lovely, but some of my kids are dreadful!

        I was being truthful in my earlier comment where the local private high school has many troubled kids from wealthier families. The local public has the bad kids smoking dope, the bad kids at grammar are doing lines.
        You are correct that there are some schools in Australia, often in socially deprived areas, where there is a cluster of children with parents who don't care much about their kids education, or to put it in a way that is more accurate, they do care, but they lead difficult and unstable lives dealing with poverty, violence, unemployment and substance abuse, which sometimes leaves little opportunity to sit down and read the Gruffalo together.
        Private schooling will largely escape this, but brings its own problems. Sucks to be your kid if he hooks up with the wrong mates and they get in trouble with the cops. Their Dad's all get them QC's and know the judge, so it is easy to see who will carry the blame…
        I get disappointed when I see the response that the way to fix problems is to wall ourselves off from others.
        My kids all go to public schools, with a range of experiences and diverse fellow students. They are all achieving well academically. Each of the schools has many parents strongly involved in the well being of the kids. I'd urge other parents to consider if they want a good education for their kids, and a good community to live in, then being those involved parents is hugely better response than spending thousands of dollars on a private school.