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Private or Public School


MaiTwo

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It's entirely up to you whether you want to fork out for private school fees. We have our kids in private (primary school) but it's not in Perth so the fees are cheaper than Perth private schools. Private schools can be expensive but generally have better reputations for results, but if your child is not academically minded then I think it's a bit of a waste of money

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There are so many factors to this decision. Main one is it depends where you end up living. There are areas of Perth where the performance between the private high school and the Govt one is huge so you might be better sending them to private. There are other areas that have excellent Govt high schools and with three children, you'd be better to spend the money on the higher rent to be within the catchment area of those schools, than pay for a not so good private school - Churchlands, Shenton, Rossmoyne for example consistently beat many of the private schools in terms of results.

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There are so many factors to this decision. Main one is it depends where you end up living. There are areas of Perth where the performance between the private high school and the Govt one is huge so you might be better sending them to private. There are other areas that have excellent Govt high schools and with three children, you'd be better to spend the money on the higher rent to be within the catchment area of those schools, than pay for a not so good private school - Churchlands, Shenton, Rossmoyne for example consistently beat many of the private schools in terms of results.

 

 

Think hard about what these "results" are telling you though. I've probably bored everyone to death in the past about my concerns with 'performance' testing schools. Children will thrive and flourish in a school that is right for them, where they are challenged and supported, given opportunities to identify and develop their natural skills and abilities, have their interests acknowledged and encouraged, even if that school's performance has been rated as 'poor'.

There are so many other factors that impact upon the learning environment beyond grade performance and no matter how good a school is, if your child doesn't like it or their teacher no amount of money or performance testing will resolve this.

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MaiTwo, my kids go to a private school in Dardanup. It has a good academic record, but the pricipal is quick to point out that you shouldn't concentrate too much on the results from the Naplan testing as one year can vary greatly from the next.

 

Chardy, I never said all Private schools are top of the heap, just saying they have a better rep. To be honest, there are plenty of good public schools in the Bunbury area where I live, but I have chosen to provide my kids with a Catholic education. Also the school we send the kids to is quite small and being in the country it has a great community feel about it.

 

At the end of the day, it's all about what you feel is right for your kids.

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My son started out in public school but for him his school was too relaxed and more sporty than academic which is fine for lots if not most kids it allows them to be children longer. We put his name down on the waiting list for a Private School which although is faith based they absolutely do not have religion forced down their throats and aren't required to have a religion of any sort . Since starting his new school in February the change in him is marked. His grades have risen back up and he likes going, the ethos is respect and learning. He was picked on in his old school for being brainy. We have had no trouble at all at this school. Far from it the kids are encouraged to excel and stand out. It's one of the best things we have ever done . But in the interests of fairness I have friends who still send their children to the previous school and are very happy. Every child is different as I suspect are the schools.

Edited by Give me a break!
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Guest guest9824

I think the other factor to take into account is, that alot of private schools are same sex schools, and this was something that was really important in the choice of school made by my eldest, she was in an all girls school in the UK and wanted the same here, where she too has thrived. Her school is not an elite private school like those in the city suburbs, nor does it fair well in the school tables, but it provides everything my children need and want, and that is all that matters, its our choice to pay for their education because it suits our needs. I dont feel that religion has been forced upon them either, but I certainly think the ethos of the school has had a huge impact on their thinking., ie. helping out in their community on a voluntary basis, going further afield to help raise awareness of the plight of less fortunate countries, learning how to be part of a global village and being a good citizen of that global village. Im sure that ALL scchools may offer this type of learning and understanding, but just wanted to clarify that not all private schools are about tables.

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We are looking to live in Joondalup area any recommendation on the schools around there

 

It will depend on which part of Joondalup but if you are going to up near the older Joondalup , north of the Sports Arena, for example then the local primamry school is excellent. Your choice of high schools for government looks limited to Belridge and/or Wanneroo. Anyway the site below lets you do some location research. The local private school is Lake Joondalup Baptist College but due to its reputation, and popularity, there are waiting lists. So it is not just down to recommendations, more so what a school has to offer, is it right for your child, location and in the case of private availability as well. Our son went to LJBC and loved it and we have no interest in religion, it was just a great school on many fronts. Not the best results necessarily if you look at the results tables but good for many other things. The best being it was 10 minute walk to the school gates!!

 

http://www.det.wa.edu.au/schoolsonline/home.do

Edited by StraighttothePoint
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Up until 6 months ago both mine went to a fairly decent private school. My eldest never really settled there and after almost 3 years of stress I have moved her to Belridge. By reputation they are not the best but I cannot fault them. They have taken a child who hated school and turned her into someone who goes to school everyday relatively happy. They have some excellent programmes there and small class sizes once it comes to years 11 and 12 if you are going down the ATAR path. Pick a school that is right for your child and this isn't always the 'best' school in the area.

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The hard part for me is not knowing what kind of school will suit my son. He is due to start kindy next year and has a place at the school in our catchment. I recently found out there is a new primary school that will be opening next year in walking distance of our house. We also have his name down for a place at the local private school is a place becomes available.

 

how do you choose from the loval gvt school, a brand new school that isnt finished yet, and the option of moving him part way through a year if he gets a place at a private school!

 

finding it all a bit daunting!

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The hard part for me is not knowing what kind of school will suit my son. He is due to start kindy next year and has a place at the school in our catchment. I recently found out there is a new primary school that will be opening next year in walking distance of our house. We also have his name down for a place at the local private school is a place becomes available.

 

how do you choose from the loval gvt school, a brand new school that isnt finished yet, and the option of moving him part way through a year if he gets a place at a private school!

 

finding it all a bit daunting!

 

I wouldn't even be worrying about it at Kindy to be honest. The local government school is always good as they make friends locally which is useful for playdates, making friends with local families - particularly if you are new to Perth.

 

Try not to worry, it's not the end of the world if you have to move him in Kindy if you decide to go down the private primary route.

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Private schools in the UK often have smaller classes which means children get more one to one attention. In the UK private school pupils outperform state educated children at GCSE and A Level for this reason. When privately educated children go to uni and have to work themselves they are found out and grades drop. Educational ethos starts at home and what parents instill in their children is of most value.

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Private schools in the UK often have smaller classes which means children get more one to one attention. In the UK private school pupils outperform state educated children at GCSE and A Level for this reason. When privately educated children go to uni and have to work themselves they are found out and grades drop. Educational ethos starts at home and what parents instill in their children is of most value.

 

I disagree. I brought both my children up the same and sent them both to the same private school. One thrived, the other didn't.

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I dont agree as well, i went to private schools and my uni grades were up there with all my school results. Made the deans merit list as well. Kids dont do well at uni if they slack off and party too hard. Except one guy i knew who smoked a bit of the old waccy baccy before all our tests and always outdid me, wtf!!

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