Primary Schools, Western Suburbs-Melbourne

Bigfoot

Hi guys, anyone here staying around the Western Suburbs in Melbourne?

Kindly provide feedback regarding you experience on primary education for your kids.

We're flying to MEL on Jan 2014 and planning to stay somewhere in the West as housing is relatively cheaper though the area is farther from the city. We have 2 kids; daughter, 8yo and son 2yo.

Your feedback is greatly appreciated!

gj3037

http://www.pinoyau.info/profile/Bigfoot, We live in Hillside and our children are studying in Parkwood Green. My kids enjoy going to school, I am not sure about other ones but it is no whee near as competitive as it is in Phil. They don't want kids to be stressed.

Bigfoot

Hi gj3037, I believe that's your postal code right there, ain't it? We have the same postal code but we're in Sydenham. My daughter's going to Emmaus this school year. It will be a welcome change from the Singapore education system, and our daughter's quite excited.

Shirlie

@Bigfoot ,
We are family of 5 and my 3 kids are also studying here at SG (actually last day today). We'll be in Melbourne west side too. Flying this March.
Please share your experience finding school for kids. Aside from report book here are there any documents that the school need? I know BC and immunization records are basic requirements. My 3 kids are aged 15, 12 and 8. Are they accepting by age? Because my 2 eldest girls were downgraded here. Thanks to advise.

Bigfoot

Hi @Shirlie, ma'am I can only comment for your 8 year old kid since she's about my daughter's age.

We were lucky since we had friends who helped us out with relocation and finding a school for our daughter. Generally, the school accepts students in each level by age. The teachers conduct an interview to assess the level of each kid's numeracy, vocabulary, and reading.

School will be starting this Monday and our daughter is so excited. We we're told that other Pinoy parents here are not impressed with the education system since kids here play more and not much driven academically so that's one thing we have to adjust to. For us, it's a welcome change from all the daily home work in Singapore and we also want our daughter to enjoy being a kid more.

Welcome to the West Side! God bless!

Shirlie

@Bigfoot,
Thanks s info.
Your daughter is P2 na dyan? Saang school sya? We will be staying sa Derrimut and nearest school is Derrimut Primary School. Sa tingin mo once mag email ako sa school I consider nila kids ko para mai reserved lang?

Bigfoot

Hi @Shirlie, my daughter's in P4 here. You should try to email the school now. School starts tomorrow, 3 February. There's no assurance though that your kids will be accepted but generally they should be alright unless punong puno na ung school.

God bless!

Shirlie

@Bigfoot,
Thanks uli. I'll send an email para malaman sagot nila.
Sang school daughter mo?

Bigfoot

Sa Emmaus, Sydenham sya. God bless and I hope matanggap kids mo sa school nearest your home.

yhanie_17

Hi po. My daughter is currently P1 here at mag-move kami sa Melbourne next Jan 2015. Ask ko lang po when is the best time to email them. We'll be staying most probably St. Kilda.

Bigfoot

Hi @yhanie_17, wala po ako idea sa ibang schools but based po sa experience namin nagemail kami as school principal late November of 2013. Based on feedback we heard may katagalan daw po kasi sila magreply, fortunately for us nagreply naman agad then they asked us for some documents (birth cert, baptismal cert, immunization cert, visa grant notice, passport) to be scanned and emailed to them. Try to email the school po earlier or call them if possible sometime latter part of this year to express your intent. They may ask for your address in VIC to make sure that you are under their district. God bless po!

Shirlie

@Bigfoot,
I sent an email attn sa Principal but as of tgis writing no news pa.
Sana lang di mahirap maghanap ng school, kasi dito SG nag AEIS pa mga kids ko para lang may school na papasukan.

Bigfoot

@Shirlie, you'll get used to it. Chill lang talaga working style dito and it might take a few more days before you receive a reply so you may want to follow-up by end of this week. As for the kids school here, I don't think you'll have a problem enrolling them. If you're Catholic you can even check out the nearest Catholic school in your prospective area, they usually have slots available.

Cheers!

Shirlie

@Bigfoot,
Thanks for the advise. Crossing my fingers that everything will be fine. Right now stop na sila sa schools and uuwi n kmi sa pinas next wk.

Bigfoot

No worries. God bless!