Where in Melbourne, good public high school, on train and tram?

**wysiwyg** · January 11th, 2014, 07:57 PM

Firstly this has nothing to do with our "neighbor issues". It is something that has been on my/our mind a while - we currently live in a small 2 bed flat in Camberwell, we are zoned for a good public primary (bilingual program) which I like (DD due to start 2015), and also I am happy with the idea of the local high school Camberwell High.

However, it is going to be difficult to afford to move up to a three bed house here (in part due to shortage of that size of residence), and we may end up always having to rent. We also don't really 'fit in' round here, which isn't really a problem but maybe elsewhere would be better? We ended up here by complete chance, and the only other place we have lived in Melbourne was 3 months in Elsternwick.

Anyway so in terms of doing my due diligence really and actually thinking about if maybe we should look elsewhere, trying to work out where else might suit us.

Criteria

On train and tram (train approx 20 mins from city)
Good public high school (co-ed)

So not many criteria really - I tried looking on a list of good schools, but I am not that convinced those lists are always the best account of schools, also was taking forever trying to rule out single sex and selective schools and not knowing where half the schools are in the first place.

Maybe we would still not be able to afford a three bed in these areas but at least I would feel like had looked into them.

**nothing2lose** · January 12th, 2014, 07:37 AM

Glen Waverley Secondary
Balwyn Secondary
Ringwood Secondary
Mount Waverley Secondary

The problem is though that property prices/availability are affected by the fact they are good schools!

Eta - sorry, didnt see the 20 mins from city criteria.... These are all further than that. I think you'll find the 'good' public schools close to the city are either selective entry or single sex or both.

**~Gee_Whizzy~** · January 12th, 2014, 07:59 AM

was going to say Glen Waverley High too. It's got a great rep and is used as a selling point for many of the properties in the area. It is further than 20mins but there is a train line right in the heart of Glen Waverley.

**wysiwyg** · January 12th, 2014, 08:24 AM

Thanks for those replies - yes those schools all come up if you do searches - we would rather stay put than move further out. Balwyn isn't far from city but its public transport isn't much cop in my opinion, and is as pricey as where we are really.

Yes good schools do effect the prices significantly it seems. Camberwell High School - which would be current possibility, or Auburn High School (which is new - well is Hawthorn Secondary rebranded and offering new language initiatives) is not as high as those listed above in the rankings - so I suppose I am looking for is schools of a similar standing - when I say good I suppose what I mean is not a 'bad' school - not necessarily placing that high in academic rankings etc. It seems difficult to find out much information on people's perceptions of schools without knowing the names of schools to start with IYKWIM.

Northcote is one that have read positive things about - and while area is still pricey median is significantly less than where we are. I looked that up because happened to drive past it yesterday.

**wysiwyg** · January 12th, 2014, 08:36 AM

I suppose the other thing is - is there an easy way of working out what the zones are for the various schools - some just say it has to be nearest school by distance - but if you don't know the other schools in the area how do you work that out?

**nothing2lose** · January 12th, 2014, 08:38 AM

Blackburn Secondary is good too. On the Camberwell line.

**nothing2lose** · January 12th, 2014, 08:39 AM

I suppose the other thing is - is there an easy way of working out what the zones are for the various schools - some just say it has to be nearest school by distance - but if you don't know the other schools in the area how do you work that out?

Some schools have maps on their website. Otherwise, the schools will be marked on a Melways, etc.

**wysiwyg** · January 12th, 2014, 09:21 AM

Yes seems very few have maps unfortunately. It seems a hardcopy Melways is the only way. Some even have a predefined email format to use to ask for confirmation of an address being in a zone.

**myturn** · January 12th, 2014, 01:55 PM

I suppose the other thing is - is there an easy way of working out what the zones are for the various schools - some just say it has to be nearest school by distance - but if you don't know the other schools in the area how do you work that out?

Have you looked at the myschool website? You can get a list of schools in particular suburbs and compare stats etc... Take some of the results with a grain of salt, but you can compare them a bit. You can at least see how far different schools are from each other...unfortunately schools are not "zoned" per se anymore. It really is simply which is the closest physically. They used to have particular zoned areas, but it's different now... Although you could argue its still a "zone"- DEECD just doesn't really refer it them in that way anymore... It seems to be just the real estate agents that do that.

**wysiwyg** · January 12th, 2014, 02:28 PM

Have you looked at the myschool website? You can get a list of schools in particular suburbs and compare stats etc... Take some of the results with a grain of salt, but you can compare them a bit. You can at least see how far different schools are from each other...unfortunately schools are not "zoned" per se anymore. It really is simply which is the closest physically. They used to have particular zoned areas, but it's different now... Although you could argue its still a "zone"- DEECD just doesn't really refer it them in that way anymore... It seems to be just the real estate agents that do that.

Thanks that is what I have found - it certainly doesn't make it easy to work out when you are looking at areas you are unfamiliar with - it seems the only way is to get Google maps, and plot on to it where the schools are (using the myschool website listing) and then can see which would be closest to.

The primary school here does actually display a map showing it as a zone - but it is under review so I wonder whether they will stop using the term zone too. It seems funny they are considering shrinking the zone - we are dead center of it, but I don't actually know anyone else with children who lives in the zone, and yes they are building more flats and apartments etc in the zone (which is the rational listed for the review) but these aren't in the main getting filled by families. I would like to know where all the children that are filling up to the enrollment ceiling hang out - because I never seem to see many or cross paths with them. The other family in this block of flats that had two children have moved out now they have got them both into the school - so maybe lots of people do that?

I doubt we will end up doing anything - things could all change by the time DD is ready for secondary school - but at least now I know how complicated working out a move would be.

**e_p** · January 12th, 2014, 08:15 AM

over the other side of the city is Williamstown High. It's 20mins by train from the city

**sloane** · January 14th, 2014, 08:26 PM

I was going to suggest mackinnon as well. Apparently esp good for music. Sandringham high good for art (this is from working at a uni a few years ago so may have changed now!).