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

[anney]

Hi wysiwig,
It must be really difficult to work all this out when you are unfamiliar with areas. it is bad enough trying to work out a high school in the area we live! we are on the lilydale/belgrave line about 25 minutes from the city so thought I would put in my 2cents worth.
The zone thing is confusing. it is my understanding there is no such thing as a boundary. It is more about going to the closest school to where you live. it seems to vary across the suburbs also. I have heard that in some of the inner city suburbs there are specific "zones" but at DD's school about 4 years they applied to DEECD to put a ceiling on numbers as they did not want to get any bigger. So they got approval to not advertise and to actively discourage people from enrolling if it was not the people's closest school. I got the impression that they weren't allowed to apply a "zone" but it may be possible closer to the city where there is a higher density of population. But as you say, it is strange that you never see these children!
In high school, they seem to be able to enforce the "zone" much more. AT the school DD will be going to , you have to prove you are a resident of the area every year and they don't guarantee enrollment if you are not a resident.
So to your specific questions, but I am only familiar with eastern suburbs so can't help much. Anywhere in from Box Hill toward the city is unlikely to be have property much cheaper than Camberwell. So that means you need to go out between Box Hill and Ringwood. But that will extend the travel time on the train to more like 25 minutes.When those areas were developed in the 1940's to 1960's there were lots of 3 bedroom homes and now they are knocking many down and building 2 or 3, 2 or 3 bedroom units on one block so there are lots of options.
As for schools, as N2L says Blackburn has developed a good reputation. Box Hill is good but has a selective entry component so difficult to tell how good the "normal" stream is as you can't separate out the selective entry.
Another option is Doncaster. If you are close to the EAstern Freeway, it has a bus lane and the bus trip to the city is really quick. Also you are then close to Eastlink for work in the south east. (I think I remember you are needing work in a specific industry) There is a good high school in Doncaster, doncaster east I think it is.
Perhaps you could go to a few open houses in an area that meets the criteria and just see if it is option for buying or renting. Moving out of Camberwell to a bit further out, sooner rather than later, might help you get some money together for a deposit.
good luck. schools are a difficult enough decision without having to factor in moving as well.

[wysiwyg]

Hi wysiwig,
AT the school DD will be going to , you have to prove you are a resident of the area every year and they don't guarantee enrollment if you are not a resident.

So is that you have to prove you are a resident every year to retain your position at the school - so you can start there and then if move away even a little bit you might not be able to go back the next year??

[Dollyroux]

Its' difficult to pick high schools based on location now - as things can change and somewhere that is 'good' may not be 'good' in 5-6 years time (though your 'great' ones such as Glen Waverley etc should maintain that 'reputation'). Also people within an area are often more negative about a school then people a little out of the area as they hear more negative stories. I can't imagine how difficult this is for you! Just keep asking and asking and you'll start to build up a little mental map of suburbs/schools and whether schools are good or not.

Another idea is to make the acquaintance or ask teachers that are in the areas you are looking at - I know that in primary school the schools are in networks and the teachers seem to know a bit about schools in that network and I have used that information to hear about schools that are not 'great'.

[anney]

Yes wysiwyg, states on the website for box hill high that people may be asked to move from the school if they move house but I think it is mainly to deter people from renting short term just to get in and then moving. Don't know how many schools do this.
With the rising cost of housing and private schooling I guess people will try anything to get in.

[LionsandBears]

Apparently, McKinnon is a highly sort after high school.

[wysiwyg]

Thanks for all the ideas. Any tips on how you find out what its like to live in an area without living in / knowing anyone in that area?

We would rent first in whatever area and rent out this place just to see how like it, but it would be in 3-4 few years anyway I think. (I read an article today - from May when DD turns 5 our flat will be officially classed as overcrowded, and that is when we don't have any overseas visitors :-) - that doesn't change my mind about our plans but thought was interesting that the age used for opposite sex children to share was less than 5)

Interesting about McKinnon as I wondered what options were for people on Sandringham line, I quite like West but we are better off due to DH's work and sports etc being on the side of town where train lines go into Richmond area in addition to knowing more people this side of town - I want to have some areas that I can try find info about, so that when the time comes I already know our options.

I suppose this thing about picking up information during primary school if stay here is in part what worries me - as I know that the % that attend public high schools is pretty low round here. I can't really work it out myself - if the % moving to the public high schools is so low where are all the children who go to the high school coming from? Hawthorn Secondary shut down and has become Auburn High School because the numbers had gone so low it wasn't sustainable - so has had to rebrand itself and bring in new programs to try and get people to go there instead of going to private schools. Several peoples view is that the public high schools here only get the 'dregs' that don't get to go to private school! That view doesn't bother me in itself (people are entitled to their own opinions :-)) is just I wonder how fair a view I am likely to get of the public system and in addition I am not sure will get much info about schools in different areas from school acquaintances here.

Maybe we will just have to go hang out in some areas on weekends to see what they are like.

[LionsandBears]

Bentleigh/McKinnon/Ornond are great. If we could afford to buy there, we would. They're on the Frankston line. Hampton & Sandringham are also great. I don't know what the schools are like though.

[Cassius2]

Northcote High. we lived down the road and we have heard fabulous stuff from there. has both train and tram and is within cooee of the city.

[wysiwyg]

Will def keep an eye on Northcote - DH likes the idea of Northcote - because he thinks Batman park sounds cool :-) Lots of Batman stuff around Melbourne, maybe I should investigate all areas with places/streets named Batman!!