Pre-school = primary = secondary???

[~me~]

I haven't worried about the "feeding thing" much myself when choosing schools for my kids. For me it's more about getting the match right... right kinder/school for each child at the right time.

Same here. My DS1 went to a great Kinder, he was the only one in his group to got the school we chose. The school we chose does have a secondary school that he would normally transition to, I wil be making my decision in the next two years so I can figure out what his strengths are, if that makes sense.
When the schools in your area have open days, go to them. They would be doing that about now.
Zoning will effect you if you are going state school and perhaps catholic. If you choose independant, it will most likely be select entry, as in a interview, perhaps a test for your little one.
When I took m DS1 too kinder I would listen to all the other parents converations about the school they chose, then investigate myself.

[Olive]

were we are i hav around 6 schools in looking at, more that i could look at..
our kinder seems to be a feeder kinder to the local catholic school but i know lots go to a huge number of other schools.
im not at all concerned if DD doesnt know anyone in prep, she will make new friends!

[Bathsheba]

I also meant to add that my shy middle child was the only child to go to the primary school he went to from his kinder group and he did really well there despite that. I think this was because other kids in our street were already in attendance and they used to look out for him. He has had to make further adjustments since we moved and has done very well once again... infact I suspect he is learning to deal with his shyness because of these learning curves. A similar thing happened to me when i was a child... i was basically shy until my parents separated and my mother moved us around the country! I had to learn to adjust to new schools whether i liked it or not. Sometimes wonder how i would be different had I stayed at the same school within my comfort zone... probably grown up shy... which isn't a bad thing BTW... but I feel like i have more choices in life now that i can cope with meeting new people more easily.