On your marks, get set ...

[knights13]

Hi Sarah

Just curious at what stage of options is your eldest at school.

Mine eldest is in yr8 at school and just chose his options not long ago.

So he will start yr 9 in sept.

Have you like myself worried about changing school at this vital stage?.

Any suggestions on this would be gratefully recieved.

Thanks

Janine

[SJT]

Hi Janine,

 

My eldest chose his options in March this year, if we were staying in the UK he would go into Year 10 in Sept. He could not see the point in choosing, but we said you never know what is round the corner and if you don't chose them, but we ended up staying for whatever reason, he would not get what options he wants. From what I have been reading he will now choose his Oz options next year, once he has been there for a little while. Its my middle son I feel really sorry for, and I have not told him yet, as he has enough on his plate, and to be honest I have been too scared to ask the question (I know its out there now and maybe someone can confirm this, but I think when we land they will be half way through their school year and he will go back into year 7, which I then think means he will start a new school at about Sept, but then he will start their version of high school in February 2014 as they go into high school in year 8, which means he will have to change schools again. Its not ideal, but if we don't go now, when do we go, after James has finished his GCSE's, but then Tom would be starting his, wait until Tom has finished them but then Emily will have started hers and by then James could be with a girlfriend or have his own life and say he is not coming and from what I gather GCSE's are not rated much outside of the UK. Luckily at the time we are going, when they will go into school they will have a few months left of the school year that they have just finished here in the UK which will give them time to settle in and make friends and not be too concerned with falling behind on school work.

 

Does any of this makes sense (in my mind it does, not sure if I have written it clearly enough).

 

To be honest I have no idea if what we are doing at all, never mind at this stage in their education is a right thing to do. It is so hard being a parent on a normal day to day basis. If its just you and your partner whatever decisions you make only affect you whether they are wrong or right, but with kids, you worry all the time if the decisions you make are the right ones. I have spoken to all three of my children's teachers and they have all said what a great opportunity it is for them and what a great adventure they are going to have and that kids adapt and get on with things. Not one has said its bad timing regarding their education. Emily's last teacher actually had family out in Perth and said they all love it there. I have spoken to lots of people who have taken kids out there and they have said how much better their life is, they spend more time outdoors because of the weather. Whilst I'm sitting here it is pouring down with rain and really cold, and its nearly our summer. Also lots of people on here have advised to get the kids out to Perth before they start their GCSE's so other than Tom might have to change schools twice, I don't want to keep him off school too long, so I feel that him finishing in July and then not starting high school til the February is far too long and hopefully he will have made a few friends who will also go to the same high school. I do personally feel now is the right time to go

 

You never know I could be writing on here in a years time saying it was the worse decision of our lives, but I need to try it out and give it a go.

 

I hope this helps, I'm not sure it will, I'm confused and its my life. All along I have gone with my gut instinct and even though at the very bottom of my stomach I feel really sick and sometimes it takes over, 99.9% of the time I am really excited and can't wait to get out there and thats how all of us feel.

 

Good luck with everything and I'm always here if you have any other questions.

 

Cheers

 

 

Sarah

[knights13]

Yes i know what you mean it does take over your every thought.

That has helped loads i feel less worried about it now.

Kids are definately any parents main concern in a decision like this.

I work 4 full days a week too so any time i do have i spend researching with a 1 yr old at my heels.

But they r what drives me i see a lot better future there than here for all 3 of them.

Thanks again Janine x

[travelchic]

Hi really enjoyed reading your posts.

I would love a question answered what comes 1st is it the ielts or skills assesment? .

We would like to try and do it ourselves only to save money really.

Any suggestions or advice would be much appreciated.

I am a hairdresser and my partner a boat repair/marine engineer.

3 kids aged 12 10 and 1.

Thanks guys

Janine x

 

be careful. I needed a positive IELTS for my skills assessment and therefore had to do that first. The results also had to be sent direct to the assessing body. Don't know if that counts for everyone but you should check beforehand.

 

Debs

[knights13]

Thanks Debs

Where should i check about that?

I get conflicting advice .

Thank you for reading and giving that advice most helpful x

[travelchic]

Thanks Debs

Where should i check about that?

I get conflicting advice .

Thank you for reading and giving that advice most helpful x

 

i am a nurse and needed to have it before the skills assessment could be sent off. I needed 7's. who is having the skills assessment, you or other half.

 

Debs

[Akasully2]

Hi Janine,

 

Regarding the skills assessment, we did that first because will did not need to prove his language skills for his assessment. There was no mention of it. As a Construction Project Manager he had to prove evidence of his further education, degree and relevant work experience. I guess it all depends on the skill / job you are applying under.

 

Angela

[Akasully2]

Hi Janine,

 

My eldest chose his options in March this year, if we were staying in the UK he would go into Year 10 in Sept. He could not see the point in choosing, but we said you never know what is round the corner and if you don't chose them, but we ended up staying for whatever reason, he would not get what options he wants. From what I have been reading he will now choose his Oz options next year, once he has been there for a little while. Its my middle son I feel really sorry for, and I have not told him yet, as he has enough on his plate, and to be honest I have been too scared to ask the question (I know its out there now and maybe someone can confirm this, but I think when we land they will be half way through their school year and he will go back into year 7, which I then think means he will start a new school at about Sept, but then he will start their version of high school in February 2014 as they go into high school in year 8, which means he will have to change schools again. Its not ideal, but if we don't go now, when do we go, after James has finished his GCSE's, but then Tom would be starting his, wait until Tom has finished them but then Emily will have started hers and by then James could be with a girlfriend or have his own life and say he is not coming and from what I gather GCSE's are not rated much outside of the UK. Luckily at the time we are going, when they will go into school they will have a few months left of the school year that they have just finished here in the UK which will give them time to settle in and make friends and not be too concerned with falling behind on school work.

 

Does any of this makes sense (in my mind it does, not sure if I have written it clearly enough).

 

To be honest I have no idea if what we are doing at all, never mind at this stage in their education is a right thing to do. It is so hard being a parent on a normal day to day basis. If its just you and your partner whatever decisions you make only affect you whether they are wrong or right, but with kids, you worry all the time if the decisions you make are the right ones. I have spoken to all three of my children's teachers and they have all said what a great opportunity it is for them and what a great adventure they are going to have and that kids adapt and get on with things. Not one has said its bad timing regarding their education. Emily's last teacher actually had family out in Perth and said they all love it there. I have spoken to lots of people who have taken kids out there and they have said how much better their life is, they spend more time outdoors because of the weather. Whilst I'm sitting here it is pouring down with rain and really cold, and its nearly our summer. Also lots of people on here have advised to get the kids out to Perth before they start their GCSE's so other than Tom might have to change schools twice, I don't want to keep him off school too long, so I feel that him finishing in July and then not starting high school til the February is far too long and hopefully he will have made a few friends who will also go to the same high school. I do personally feel now is the right time to go

 

You never know I could be writing on here in a years time saying it was the worse decision of our lives, but I need to try it out and give it a go.

 

I hope this helps, I'm not sure it will, I'm confused and its my life. All along I have gone with my gut instinct and even though at the very bottom of my stomach I feel really sick and sometimes it takes over, 99.9% of the time I am really excited and can't wait to get out there and thats how all of us feel.

 

Good luck with everything and I'm always here if you have any other questions.

 

Cheers

 

 

Sarah

 

 

Hi Sarah,

 

I have really enjoyed reading your honest accounts of your highs and lows of moving. The anxiety mixed with excitement. I have been going through exactly the same for a couple of years now, trying to decide if is the right thing to do. By reading back over old posts you get a picture of each person's journey, from initial tentative steps to getting ready to fly out. Addictive reading!

 

As mothers we worry so much about our children, whether now is the right time to go, will they settle, etc. I too feel all those things, however, as a secondary school teacher myself, I also see the other side. Over the years I have seen many new children arrive half way through the year. Of course for the first couple of days they look a bit lost, but they are buddied up with a nice, helpful member of the class who shows them where to go, where the loos are and takes them to lunch. Quickly these children adapt and settle and look as if they have always been there.

 

If we make it over during the coming year, then my son who is about to start secondary school (year 7) this Sept will still be a year 7 in Oz, but it would be the last year of primary there. So he too would have one year at a new school before moving onto senior school. I'm really pleased about that. In fact perfect timing, if we can pull it off. He can have a year to get used to the changes of moving to a new country before he has to worry about meeting the 'big boys and girls'. Hopefully he too would make friends that would follow to the same senior school.

 

When do they take options in Oz? If they don't have the equivalent GCSE, do they take any exams at 15/16? I read that they can leave then with a leavers certificate or continue to do exam subjects. So are these the same as A-levels? I got confused when I thought I read somewhere that they do their exams in year 11/12, so does that mean they don't have a year 13 (aged 17-18 years old) like here? Anyone with experience of this? Then the next step University...how much do they pay for that per year? Currently around £9,000 in the UK now.

 

All the best,

 

Angela

[bakersdozen]

Hi Bakersdozen,

 

No need to feel rude, you're not butting in, this is what makes this site so much fun. People just pop up!

 

Now, I feel woefully inexperienced to give advice but I will tell you what we found. When we first started looking at moving over to Oz OH was sending off his CV left right and centre hoping to be sponsored by an employer. No one was interested. He has a fantastic CV, having worked on large jobs with the top UK construction companies. It wasn't that they didn't want his skills just that they were not considering going to the effort of sponsoring someone when there were plenty of people who have got their visas and were ready to go. Much easier.

 

From doing our research on the recruitment sites, it does appear that there is work out there that would be perfect. Salaries look good too. In terms of applying for anything now we have decided it is not worth approaching them until we have a PR visa. I read somewhere that employment agents are not interested in sorting out interviews for people who say they are coming over in 3 months, etc because they are only thinking about roles they could fill now. I try to appreciate it from their perspective, they will only invest time in people who are likely to convert into commission for them, ie People who are there now and ready to go. I hope that is not an unfair picture of agents, apologies to them if reading this! OH said that he would be prepared to go over there with PR visa but without a job so could set things up face to face. Not sure how I feel about that...read on here (was it you on 'two and a half weeks in' thread) that some one was struggling to get a site manager role. I told OH that and he was surprised.

 

So, what is your situation? Are you there or in UK? Was that you In the thread I read? (Should go back and search the thread for name, but will lose all that I have typed, sorry, not being lazy). What sort of experience do you have? Were you the main applicant as a site manager?

 

 

All the best.

 

Hi Akasully2

 

Your right about the companies and recruitment agencies not showing much interest which is understandable , I've made a couple contacts with a few agencies and agreed to keep in touch and contact them nearer the time when we come over (end of the year).

They mentioned although the work with the blue chip firms was not as good as it has been but there is work out there and you would probably expect a fall in the wages that would be offered to someone who has more experience with the construction work in WA.

Got talking to a agent (came from Romford of all places I know it well) and he told me about some big projects looking to start in the latter half of the year down by the water front , you can take that with a pinch of salt, but your other half might want to keep his ears open for that one.

 

I worked for Wates and BAM and now work for a major contractor in London and worked on projects within the residential and commercial new build cut & carve and refurb sectors, hopefully I can put this experience to good use but I'm still expecting to get my hands dirty again just to get in amongst it and find a job and gain experience that's been mentioned on a few occasions.

 

Let me know how you OH gets on and if I find about about anything that might be of interest to him I'll let you know

 

Regards

[knights13]

i am a nurse and needed to have it before the skills assessment could be sent off. I needed 7's. who is having the skills assessment, you or other half.

 

Debs

Thanks again debs

It would be me for skill asses because oh has only been in his position for about a yr.

I have been qualified hairdresser/barber for 20yrs .

before when we looked migrating imagine my disappointment to find hairdresser was no longer on the sol. saved by the fact that it is on wa ss .

so if im right i need skills asses then ielts then lodge eoi?

sorry if sound a bit dense. but my brain is whirling.

Many thanks. am i right in thinking its just you and 1 child?

janine x

[Scot01]

Some information on education.

Students (they're not called pupils here!) choose their subjects in year 10. they'd choose 5 or 6. The big exams are at the end of Year 12 (there is no year 13). Year 11 and 12 is a two year programme so arriving for your child to go into year 10 is the perfect time. It is kind of the last relaxing year before the pressure starts.

Year 7 - most of the private schools now have Year 7's in High school. The Govt schools are going to follow in 2015 with all Year 7's moving into High school. Unless you go private then your son (depending on age) will have to be in Primary for a term. However this may work in his favour. Last term of Year 7 is when all the fun is and it'll be his chance to make some friends before high school. You may find the Year 7 class is smaller as all the kids heading off for private schools would have left at the end of Year 6. The education system is different between Oz and UK starting at different ages and called different things - so don't look at it as having to go back a year, you can't compare the two.

[knights13]

Thanks Scot01

That is so helpful and really takes the preasure off for us.

All on this site seem to be genuinely helpful and make this much more enjoyable.

Thanks all.

Janine x

[Akasully2]

Some information on education.

Students (they're not called pupils here!) choose their subjects in year 10. they'd choose 5 or 6. The big exams are at the end of Year 12 (there is no year 13). Year 11 and 12 is a two year programme so arriving for your child to go into year 10 is the perfect time. It is kind of the last relaxing year before the pressure starts.

Year 7 - most of the private schools now have Year 7's in High school. The Govt schools are going to follow in 2015 with all Year 7's moving into High school. Unless you go private then your son (depending on age) will have to be in Primary for a term. However this may work in his favour. Last term of Year 7 is when all the fun is and it'll be his chance to make some friends before high school. You may find the Year 7 class is smaller as all the kids heading off for private schools would have left at the end of Year 6. The education system is different between Oz and UK starting at different ages and called different things - so don't look at it as having to go back a year, you can't compare the two.

 

Hi Scot01,

 

Thanks very much, very helpful. So if they don't have a year 13 do they start university a year earlier over there?

 

Anyone know anything about the cost of University if you have a PR Visa?

 

Cheers,

Angela

[travelchic]

Thanks again debs

It would be me for skill asses because oh has only been in his position for about a yr.

I have been qualified hairdresser/barber for 20yrs .

before when we looked migrating imagine my disappointment to find hairdresser was no longer on the sol. saved by the fact that it is on wa ss .

so if im right i need skills asses then ielts then lodge eoi?

sorry if sound a bit dense. but my brain is whirling.

Many thanks. am i right in thinking its just you and 1 child?

janine x

 

it is just me and my son jonny. I don't think you need to have IELTS for your skills assessment. I think you can just prove you we're educated in and English speaking school/college. I think it's TRA that assess your skills. Look on the immi website and double check. You can do it for points though if you need more. I suppose it depends on what visa you are going on.

 

I had to do the IELTS academic ( because nurses have to ) and got above 7's in everything so my info has been sent of to assessing body. However, I needed 8's because I need 20 points (it's and age thing) so I have re sat the exam today but only had to do the general test and not the academic. Fingers crossed I get 8's this time. I'll scream if I don't lol. All of the international doctors that I work with think its hilarious that I didn't get what I needed. I only missed out by half a point though lol.

 

good luck with your process.

 

Debs

[Scot01]

There is no Year 13. Students start Uni the year they turn 18, with some already turned 18.

 

There are three levels of subjects you can do in Year 11 and 12. Level 3 is the highest and the equivalent of A level. level 2 subjects will also let you get into Uni but not as good. Level 1 are more vocational courses and will count towards going on to TAFE (college). At the end of Year 12 you don't get two A's and and B like the UK but the marks of your top four subjects are added together and the average ranked against every other student in the State. So for the University of Western Australian, they don't ask for e.g. three A's but want a rank of over 80 - the top 20% of all students who took the exams. It's complicated! All the work in Year 12 counts towards the final rank (called the ATAR), it's not just on the final exams. Level 1 courses don't count towards this.

 

The results are published each year and you can check how academic a school is by seeing how many kids took Level 3 subjects, and how many got the equivalent of an A grade.

 

Fees for Uni depends on the course and the University but certainly less than 9,000 quid, for a general arts degree it is about $5000 a year. If you are a PR then you have to pay the fees upfront before the course starts, if you are a citizen then you can get what is called HECS which is a student loan. Someone may correct me on this, I think that is the case.

[Guest guest9824]

Thank you Scot01 you have just explained everything I have been asking my 17 year old to explain to me in laymans terms for the last two years!!!!

 

pea

[Scot01]

Ha ha, no worries as they say here. If I want to complicate it more I could tell you about scaling! A student can be doing Level 3 or level 2 in year 12 (and to complicate it further it might be a/b or c/d but ignore that!!). If they do level 2 and get 60% in their exam, this will count towards the final rank but will probably be reduced to around 50% because it is an easier course. If they do Level 3, and get 60% this may be scaled up to 70% as it is a harder course.

This makes picking subjects and levels really difficult at the end of year 10 but schools will give advice.

[Guest guest9824]

Ha ha, no worries as they say here. If I want to complicate it more I could tell you about scaling! A student can be doing Level 3 or level 2 in year 12 (and to complicate it further it might be a/b or c/d but ignore that!!). If they do level 2 and get 60% in their exam, this will count towards the final rank but will probably be reduced to around 50% because it is an easier course. If they do Level 3, and get 60% this may be scaled up to 70% as it is a harder course.

This makes picking subjects and levels really difficult at the end of year 10 but schools will give advice.

 

He he, I was going to ask about scaling, thats a whole new ball game....she does 3ab in most subjects but some of her subjects are not as difficult as say physics (although the amount of work she puts into something like drama is massive) so scaling I believe comes into effect! So am I right in thinking even if she is doing drama say but at 3ab(nopt even sure it is scaled like that) it will not be scaled down ??? Oh my life, this is so bloomin complicated, give me the days when you got an ABC or D or in my case F in your exams, much easier to comprehend!

 

Pea

[Scot01]

It all depends on the school and how they mark the subject - as well as the level. My son did 3ab drama last year - it's massive, and no one in the class ever got over 70%, the teacher was a really strict marker, so when they went into the final exams, the average for the course work was very low. Then becuase the teaching had been so good, the average for the class in the final exam was really high, so all their marks were scaled up significantly. The other factor is how every student in the State performs - if the average mark is very low then they'll scale up. It's an unknown factor but doing 3ab in most things you should be OK.

[Akasully2]

Dear Scot1,

 

Thanks for answering my original question. Much appreciated. Once you got into scaling you Lost me...had to re-read it a couple of times!

 

The system is so different to the UK, hard to get your head round. Is the core material that they teach the same as the UK? Are there any British Teachers out there that now teach in Oz that can say if the content is the same? Easier or harder?

[Scot01]

It is a difficult comparison to make because if you come from a poor school in the UK to a good school here, or more likely, a good school in the UK then a poorer school here (most migrants can't afford to buy in the more affluent areas) then your perception of education standard will change. However recent research is showing that in Primary schools Oz education lags the UK in the basics because there is a strong emphasis on collaborative learning, social development, independence. The curriculum is much broader, but may be the kids are happier? The UK National curriculum is very prescriptive and influenced by SATS. There is more variation here. By High School the tables turn and 15 year old in Oz out perform UK in maths, science and english. http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/dec/07/world-education-rankings-maths-science-reading It's a while since I have taught in the UK so can't give an up to date fair comparison.

[Akasully2]

Thanks Scot01,

 

Disappointing to think we may not be able to afford to settle in a more affluent area and get a good school...have to do more research! I teach in a private secondary school in the UK and my children go to the local primary school. My eldest son who is year 6 has just been through his SATS and it was pretty intense. It is interesting to compare the different approaches and the results later on. I'll have a look at the article you sent me, thanks.

 

As for teaching in Oz I keep reading that WA have a surplus of teachers and many are finding it hard to get jobs. Are there certain subjects that are more in demand than others? I teach Design Technology - Textiles and Food, also Art & Design up to year 13. Much call for that? Do these subjects form part of the high school curriculum? What is the average pay for a full time teacher without management responsibilities? Sorry so many questions but you seem to know so much!

 

Many thanks.

[StraighttothePoint]

Thanks Scot01,

 

Disappointing to think we may not be able to afford to settle in a more affluent area and get a good school.......

 

What? Seriously??? Good post on here a while ago by an immigration agent of all people. They said if you are comfortable to well off in the UK then you probably go backwards here but if you have less or are struggling in the UK then chances are you go up in terms of things. This is one expensive place and so you are right probably just need to do some real good additional research. If you need a good costs sheet to work out figures then send me a PM with your e-mail address and I will e-mail it to you.

[Akasully2]

Cheers, will PM you once I figure out how to do it! I'll have a look now.

 

So what's with the, ''What seriously!?''. Is your comment directed at Scot01, meaning of course you can get a decent school in an affordable, affluent area? Or me, not a chance! Surely all the people coming over from the UK can't be living in s***holes? We live in a affluentish area in the South East of England. Not looking to settle in super-rich area, but want (like probably everyone else) a decent, friendly, smart neighbourhood with good schools. Possibly by the sea or up in the Hills. From the research I have done so far I think the house would have to cost $600k -$650k. Is that affluent? I must admit when we compare property with what's on offer on the Gold Coast that we visited, yes then Perth is a lot more expensive. Quite shocked by how much it costs.

 

So which areas would you recommend then based on my spec? How much do you think you need to earn to be considered sufficiently affluent/comfortable as opposed to stinking rich?

 

better go and find out how to PM.

[StraighttothePoint]

So what's with the, ''What seriously!?''. From the research I have done so far I think the house would have to cost $600k -$650k. Is that affluent? So which areas would you recommend then based on my spec? How much do you think you need to earn to be considered sufficiently affluent/comfortable as opposed to stinking rich?

 

The problem here, as you know are the spiralling costs, and that means you are getting less and less for your dollar. So living in a decent area, with a "good" school, and having a comfortable life does not necessarily equate to immediately having that here for a lot of people. It really depends on what your priorities are and how much you have to spend. The $600 - $650 bracket here will get incomers into some nice suburban homes that is for sure but when you think about it it equates to 400 to 430 and that figure in the UK, in many places now, will get you into some really good areas. (I know it varies depending on where you are in the UK.) Here though the bracket you quote is ok now, not great or excessive, because vast numbers of the suburbs we all look up to here are way over that as entry prices.

 

As for your other questions they are all really hard to answer because we all have our own little suburb lists we like, our priorities are all different and our financial positions are varied. I will PM you.