[Pooks*potters]

Yeah I know I'm jumping ahead a bit, but if we are going to send DS to an independent school we probably need to start saving now.

I was intending to send DS to a local public school, not thinking much about it. But I ran into an old school mate who is now teaching in the area I live, and she diplomatically strongly suggested either traveling out of the area, or going to one of the two local independent schools or a Catholic school. She suggested that was particularly so in terms of the highschools... And from my chat with her, alone, I'm pretty much convinced. Violence, bullying, underfunding, crowding and a 50% attendance rate in the later years... I mean, I went to the local public where I grew up which was low socioeconomic, but the school had a good culture and some great teachers... This is a whole different extreme and so here I am, wondering if we can afford it. My partner and I would not be comfortable sending DS to a Catholic school for a range of reasons. We could look into traveling out of the area.

A few questions.

One, are fees starting at about $3,500 a year in prep, up to about $5,500 in year twelve, considered to be high, or low, or what? I've nothing to compare it to.

Two, the school I am most interested in has prep-12, would you start your child there at prep or do you think switching them across in later years is okay? I worry that most of the highschool kids would have been there since prep so maybe it would be hard for a student to come in at say year 7. And do you think it's worth it for a primary school aged kid?

Any thoughts greatly appreciated

[lsolaBella]

Those fees would be low.

Prep is $10k up to $20 k for year 12

[lsolaBella]

Those fees would be low.

Prep is $10k up to $20 k for year 12

Our local Catholic school is $3k a year (ok only $500 a year extra for additional kids).

[ILBB]

Those are low fee paying schools - the ones in our area start at $15 grand for prep.

[haras1972]

That's very low - are you in a capital city?

Most of the schools we looked at for DD were @$22,000 by Year 12. I haven't come across any private schools that are that low in Melbourne.

Have a look at the class sizes for primary school vs Year 7 at the school you are considering. I went to a private school from Yr 7, and it went from @25 students in Grade 6 to @ 120 in Year 7, so the vast majority of the secondary students did go to a different primary school.

[TillyTake2]

Those fees are low (as independent schools go). In line with catholic & some of the cheaper Christian schools.

Our kids will go to an independent school for high school. They'll go to the local primary school as we couldn't afford private for primary.

[**Mel**]

I would say those fees sound very reasonable. Our 'top' independant school runs to about $20,000 for Year 12. That's in SA - I know that schools in eastern states run to more than that

I was looking at FYOS - 12 school for DD at one stage that went up to $12,000 for Year 12, which was much more palatable.

(I have since gotten over my obsession with private schools - good thing as I am a state school teacher . We are lucky in SA though, that the majority of our primary schools are not particularly tightly zoned, so (relative to eastern states) easy to pick and choose, within reason)

I currently work in a FYOS - 12 state school. DD will start there in 2015 and I am seeing a lot of advantages to staying at the same school all the way through (though, if I stay there, I will give her the option to do middle and senior school at another school if she wants)

The most important thing I wanted to say, though, is that schools do change. A new Principal, a few new programs etc can cause significant and quick change. Keep an eye on your local school to see if it becomes more desirable

[mum850]

low fees
look at your primary decision separately to your secondary decision.
put your child's name down now.
in our area for example, public primary schools are great and public high schools are terrible.

[tel2]

I have a private prep -12 Cathloic school only a 15 minute walk from my home in one direction, than in the opposite direction 10 minute walk from my house I have a public primary school.

Both schools are great and we can afford to send my DD to either however we did decide to send her to the public primary school as we feel a private education in primary school is just not worth it the money you pay. Also if she doesn't like primary school - what a waste of extra money it would be.

Once our DD gets to the end of her primary school yearswe will then reassess where she will be sent for high school. If she loves school and she has applied herself and everything has gone well, she will be send to the private Catholic school. If she hates school and hasn't applied herself and it's been a nightmare, she will be sent to a public high school.

[noi'mnot]

Where I am we have a slightly different situation. We have a great selection of public primaries but the public secondary situation is dire. So, we'll enrol our girl (when the time comes) in a public primary and wait and see what happens with the secondaries, because she's two now and as PP said schools can change quite dramatically with a new leadership team, or a change in demographic, or various other things.

Perhaps you could do something similar? Place him in a public primary, waitlist for year 7 private, and see what happens locally.

Where are you, OP? I'm sure you are right to respect your friend's opinion on the schools, but getting some alternative opinions on the ones local to you might not be a bad thing...

ETA - I started at a P-12 private school when I was in year 10. These schools often have new kids starting every year (just like any other school), I didn't really feel that it affected me that much to enter into this situation.

This post has been edited by noi'mnot: 07/01/2013, 12:08 PM