Hi all,

i would like to hear any comments you all have on the schools in Adelaide, how differant are they from the uk, do the children get more homework, do they have schools trips, parents evening ect . I did hear that children are not wrapped up cotton wool like they are here what are the differances, do children walk to school on there own from a young age. our children go to a small church school which is really nice and a caring environment which we really like, will we find
similar schools in Adelaide or do they tend to be larger schools.

Any Comments would be great to put our minds at rest.

Many Thanks

The O'Reilly Family (Surrey)

Chloes only just started at school here so Im not totally up on everything yet but from what Ive seen theres not a huge difference :blink:

She brings a reading book home everynight and a book for us to write in to say what shes read .
We had our first parent teacher meeting last night which was very informal ,as normal Martin chatted too much and she over ran so we didnt talk much about chloe :angry:

Chloe has a packed lunch as do most kids but there is also a canteen that offers pies,pasties and sandwiches .Unlike when I went to school in Aus they also do a few plated meals .

Wearing a hat outside is compulsory most of the year and they do alot more sport.

Her school is beautifully clean with a great climbing area (unlike where she would have gone in the Uk which was mostly concrete).

Hopefully thats helped a little Im sure some of the parents with older children will be along later.

Sorry ment to add we chose this school because it is quite small the one most of her kindy friends went to is much bigger .One of her kindy friends live in the same rd as Chloes school but chose to go to the larger one (10 mins away) .Apparently other schools will accept intake from outside their area in the 1st term only ?

Whichever school you chose has to accept your child and brings in extra staff to deal with numbers.

The schools seem to be very closely linked to their local area Chloe will be in the "come out Adelaide parade" later this month also the "way to go Unley fair " .And children visit the local kindy once a month.

hi

Thanks for the reply, do you find the Australian children are more adventurous than some english children both my Daughters are quite and i just hope they do not find every thing to overpowering, do the children walk to school on there own or the parents take them and watch them go in like in the uk.

Sorry to ask so many questions, also did you find many English children in the school and what did they do when your daughter first started did they pair her up with someone to show her the ropes.

Thanks for the replys

Tina (Surrey)

WE've found the kids get involved in lots of fantastic extra-curricular activities here. Geoff's 2nd, 3rd and 4th days at school in Oz were spent at Noarlunga beach learning to surf and snorkel!

He's also had an overnight trip to an eco centre in the Hills (Arbury Park), various shows etc coming to the school, things organised by parents committee eg sponsored fun run, and he plays cricket for the school each Saturday morning in the summer terms (frum 8.15 am ugh...) He also learns violin and has been involved in concerts both at the school and in the city.

At his school they wear hats all year round. As at most schools there's a canteen relying largely on parent volunteer help, plus the P&F, or Parents and Friends committee of which I'm a member. We meet over coffee each Tuesday morning and put together the various events, often fundraisers.

All the usual familiar things still happen - sports day, parents evenings, concerts, even an invitation to join in with the assembly they hold once a fortnight.

Our kids get less homework - largely because they both seem to have teachers who tell them to finish off classwork, and they make sure they do it at school!

Vicky, at high school, is on a Special Music Scheme where she gets lots of extra music lessons, she gets one aural and one theory lesson per week plus instrument lessons and a practical music class lesson.

I would say there is far more emphasis on all round development of the children here, rather than just academic achievement.

lots of children still get driven to the school gate and dropped off ,a few walk but have seen lots riding bikes to school on their own with the compulsory bike helmet :rolleyes:

Children are children I dont think you could say Aus children are more or less adventures than some uk children.My eldest whose very active and rough has made friends well mainly with the boys :P but there are also very quiet girls in her class.

We havent met any other english families in the school but have through other activities .


I think they did use a buddy system with the older children when Chloe started .

Hiya , Ive found the schools to be the same in some areas and very different in others ,

SIMILARITIES;

Reading book bags, reading record books etc
Phonics , first sounds etc ,
numeracy,
School Values
rules (ie no running , play together etc )
The kids (kids are kids where ever you are!)




DIFFERENCES

Mixed age classes , (JJ is 7 , there are kids in his class up to 10 !!,Cameron is 9 there are kids in his class ranging from 7/10 ?? Sorry dont understand !!
No school meals as such , school canteen run by volunteers and sells sandwiches,snacks ,hot dogs ,ice cream and sweets! (or lollies as they are called here )
Open doors, access in and out of school , kids allowed out on their own at end of day (not handed over to a parent (even reception!)
Much more sport and PE
Children encouraged to speak, think for themselves. Given organizing roles within school from early age
Resource centre (library within school) trips made within lesson to encourage reading
Not as academic ,more hands on!Reminds me of teaching as it used to be before the UK government decided on curriculum , back to basics, literacy and numeracy strategies etc.
Excursions are run by parents in their own cars, meet class teacher there !! :sign68:


The above is about primary schools. I have not really much idea as to what my daughters school is like as you do not have the same contact,she walks ti and from school. I think that generally Uk kids are more academically advanced and are usually put up a year( Megs 14 and there are kids in her class 16 and 17 !!)


I do not understand the age system I have asked and asked but cannot work out how kids of 13 can still be in primary and yet Meg is in year 10 ( Senior schools run from year 8/12 ) How come they all leave at the same age ?? :sign69: This is something I need to get to the bottom of !!

Hope this helps , I know its worrying , because I was the same ..but my kids have done it without a care , they are much more resilliant than we give them credit for !!

LOL JulieWxx

I think schools here do encourage children to be a lot more independant, Tina. As Julie said, they don't 'count' children out of class, they can just leave once they're dismissed by the teacher. There are no special rules for collection by another person other than a parent and lots of kids make their own way in in the morning, or are 'kiss and dropped' by parents (basically a slow drive through the car park with children being dropped off on on the way round). After school a lot of children go to OSCH (Out of School Hours Care), certainly on our school campus, making their own way there and following procedures once they arrive. They aren't 'hand held' as they are in the UK and have to find things out for themselves a lot of the time. The same goes for us as new parents! I have to say, a lot of this freaked me out before we arrived - I'd done a lot of research and knew the score but it was still a shock once Megan (7) became part of the system. That said, she has adapted beautifully (although always a gregarious child) and is becoming more and more independant by the day. She started OSCH this week as I have uni and she LOVED it. Likewise, Katy (3) is thriving at child care.

The schools here certainly hold extra curricular activities in high regard - music, sport, environmental issues, fitness activities in general and a lot of these classes aren't after school but during the school day - children are taken out of regular lessons to go to Chess Club (which Megan loves!) for example. Most mornings before lessons begin, Megan's class goes for a walk around the campus grounds - the teacher feels this gives them a good start to the day - and I'm sure she's right. Just not what we've been used to! There is a high priority placed on looking out for each other and helping other children too - which is lovely. Megan goes to a catholic school (Nativity) which is one of four separately run schools on the same campus, so there are a lot of children on campus in total. Megan has 25 in her class. By the same token, there are much smaller schools with smaller class sizes all around Adelaide, depending on what you feel is best for your children.

I think academically, certainly at Megan's age (just turned 7 and in year 2) far less emphasis is placed on academic subjects than in the UK. Megan is cruising along in class doing very basic work - she brings in a book from home because she reads well beyond the level of books held in her class. All very bizarre - but things are much more laid back here and if she reads her own books, that's fine with the teacher! Open evenings have been group affairs so far and vey informal, there is very little 'them and us' between teachers and parents. The P&F is very active and proactive on the campus. She has been on a school trip recently to the Murray Bridge Wetlands Centre, with parent helpers as in the UK and she loved it. They start going to overnight camp in year 3.

As far as mixed ages in classes go - they tend to put children in a class according to ability, although following basic age parameters. Megan is one of the youngest in her class with most being 8. She was originally placed in year 3 on ability, but was with 8 and 9 year olds when she was only 6, so we felt it best to keep her (as far as possible) with her peer group. Schools here are far more flexible and relaxed with regard to 'streaming' and there doesn't seem to be any stigma attached to being in a class with younger (or older) kids. The school year runs from Jan - Dec so you would normally be placed in a class according to your age in the Dec before term 1 starts.

Try not to worry about schooling too much Tina - if my girls are anything to go by, children are totally adaptable and just slot into the way things are done here, almost seamlessly. Yes, things are much more laid back here, less academic (certainly in the early school years) and far less pressurised than in the UK. When I start to flap about the 'three r's' and the lack of homework and spelling tests, David reminds me that this was part of the reason we moved over to Adelaide, to ensure our children are happy, well-rounded, independant individuals free from the pressures of SATS and having to wear the 'right' clothes and go the the 'right' schools and mix with the 'right' type of children. I'm sure this will come in their teens but at least they (and us) are spared that at 7!

We felt before we came and still believe 4 months in, that we've made the best possible move for our children's future and for us as a family.

Julia :)

I agree with everything that's been said you've summed up Aussie schools to a tee. I must add though Charlotte's at Heysen at the campus in yr 1 and their teacher makes them go back into class if a parent/carer haven't turned up for them and the children know that this is the way it's done.

I think it's good that the class gets a mixed age group gives the younger ones someone to look up to. I think it's done this way because of the number of children that attend the school too.

Readers are brought home each night for the child to read and there's a good range of books for the children to choose from. Julia mentions that her daughter brings books from home which doesn't happen at Heysen because the levels go from picture books right up to novels. I also find that the children are taught a lot more though play and learning is made much more fun for them far from my days at school!

Today the children from rec/yr1/yr2's went to the Star of the Sea school at Henley for an excursion and all had a wonderful time.

Juls