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

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'.

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.

Apparently, McKinnon is a highly sort after high school.

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.

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.

I have been reading suburb reviews on Homely - maybe not that useful but some are funny.

Ah, wrote a long response and lost it. Darn.

Let me try again.

Ivanhoe? 20 mins from the city, in the Kew High zone, which is an awesome school. Can be pricey to buy into it but you can look around the surrounding suburbs and sometimes there are some bargains in Ivanhoe itself.

How about the Northcote/Merri/Thornbury area? Some great schools there and I think still some affordable areas.

Or, would you consider a bit further out? How about near me? I love this area. Schools are plentiful :D If you look a little closer to the city from me, Rosanna/Viewbank, you are in the Viewbank College zone, which is the school I want to get my kids into, but it is zoned and we are just out. We will try anyway. Rosanna is really nice.

Re your wondering about how fair a view you are getting of the public system from people in your area, I suspect they don't even consider public schools so you would not get an informed view. Fwiw I would love to be a "dreg" in camberwell and send my child to a local high school. LOL.
Re finding out what it is like to live in an area, just ask on here. There are heaps of Melbourne people who could give their opinion/experience.

Kylie Minogue went to Camberwell High. Make of that what you will :)

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Ah, wrote a long response and lost it. Darn.

Let me try again.

Ivanhoe? 20 mins from the city, in the Kew High zone, which is an awesome school. Can be pricey to buy into it but you can look around the surrounding suburbs and sometimes there are some bargains in Ivanhoe itself.

How about the Northcote/Merri/Thornbury area? Some great schools there and I think still some affordable areas.

Or, would you consider a bit further out? How about near me? I love this area. Schools are plentiful :D If you look a little closer to the city from me, Rosanna/Viewbank, you are in the Viewbank College zone, which is the school I want to get my kids into, but it is zoned and we are just out. We will try anyway. Rosanna is really nice.

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Northcote area seems good - good public transport, schools sound ok, houses of the right sort of size scale. (I am not really thinking price particularly as long as is not more expensive than Camberwell, as we may never buy another place but just rent anyway depending)

Ivanhoe area - just had a friend move that way but not really into the sort of housing we would want or ever be able to afford either. The area doesn't seem to be that walkable? Attractive, leafy etc but not very compact? Maybe there are other parts though.

We have one car, and is important to not go somewhere that would require two. I want the kids to be able to walk to school, or if at high school have a short public transport journey.

Rosanna - I think is a bit far out and is probably less walkable - have been using a site called walkscore to assess that part (not sure how good it is but currently seems to agree with my thoughts about the suburbs I know about, but it does depend where you live in a suburb too - but the less 'compact' ones have less options on the rail links).

Box Hill area I wouldn't rule out in the future - providing could get close to train station.

If either DH or I were likely to have long-term jobs not in the city, then I might think more about moving further out, but I don't want to move somewhere where we are looking at school days being school and after school care from 7:00 till 18:00. Currently daycare days are 7:30 to 17:30 and that makes everything rush enough and is only three days a week. If you can get a job that is CBD extension of train times past 20 mins or so is not so bad - but if you start having to tag on getting down St Kilda Road for example adds on an extra 20 mins. Would rather stay put and live in our 2 Bed forever - than consign us to lengthier commutes.

Northcote is great , I lived there for many years and would recommend it. Well serviced by train and tram and even walkable from city, definitely cycle able. Northcote high is also pretty good.

Brunswick, princes hill and UNI high are also zoned but good schools in the area. They do have specific catchment areas and are published on the websites.

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!).

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.

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!!

I grew up in that area- my parents still live there.
Nothing to do with schools- but batman park is COOL!