How do you research school options?

Hello,

Whilst our primary and secondary school days are still a while away, DH and I are starting to talk about what schools we'd like our boys to go to. We live in Melbourne's inner west and the options here aren't extensive, especially at the secondary level. We see many kids on the train head over to the inner east to attend the catholic and independent schools in that area. If we want to go this path then we might have to start putting DS1's name down.

I'm not sure how to start comparing schools? I know we will definitely have to go and visit but I'd like to be able to cut things down a bit by doing some research online.

Does anyone have any good websites I can visit? How can I use the NAPLAN results to give me an idea?

Any tips people have would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Fiona

Values
Opportunities
Religion
Location
Cost

These are the basics that we used, in order of importance to us. They may be different for you, but the basic idea is the same. You will need to look at what schools belief, what their main ethos is first. Regardless of NAPLAN scores or TER or whatever their students achieve, if they aren't teaching core values you believe in, then what's the point?
One of the biggest criteria for me was opportunities - I may support public education, but if the school doesn't have an oval or a music programme, I am not going to send my children there. They must be able to provide the girls with as many opportunities for learning and experience as possible; offering a diverse range of subjects.
What religion the school is plays a art for us, because whilst I have no problem sending them to a school belonging to a religion we do not, the school themselves also has to have no problem taking secular students, some aren't. Some Catholic schools are more willing to take secular students than others, Anglican schools don't seem to mind as long as you pay the fees! lol
The two least important for us were the cost and location. We honestly believe the biggest and best investment in our children we will ever make is their education, and if that means moving house to do it, then we will. We even considered relocating from Perth to Romsey, Vic, simply so the girls could attend Candlebark.

Good luck! And yes, if you want to send them (even for high school) to any private schools you will need to get them on the waiting list now. :)

Great question. I've been looking at primary schools and sobbing over the public options. They are just awful. I think the picture is more complicated than what "myschools" for example, paints, but how to realistically find this out I do not know.

I'd go and visit the schools and see if they have open days - obviously keep in mind they will be a sales pitch too of course. Ask about and see what people who have school age kids think - so neighbours, relatives etc.
In the mean time you need to work out what your priorities are - as LS has covered.
I think the hardest part is trying to filter out all the bias and work out what works for you. Naplan/My schools info is only really a reflection on what has happened in the past IMO. Schools change with teachers/principals moving about and you cannot necessarily preempt this. However you can find out how the schools deal with bullying, any leadership/social justice policies that may influence the make up of the school culture. Also how they utilise technology and whether they implement any extras above the standard curriculum. So music/art/PE/library/languages - how are they provided/facilitated and is there anything that your kids like that they won't get access too.

we're asking similar questions ourselves at the moment ...

we've booked our boys into the school DH and I went, for high school, but we need to make a decision about primary school...

As a teacher, I would say that the My School/NAPLAN results aren't always the best way to judge a school. The data results can be skewed for many reasons. The school I work in for instance is a very small school with two special classes in it as well. As a result, at NAPLAN time it is not unusual to only have 15-20 mainstream students in a particular year level taking the test. If you then add to the mix 2-3 students with special needs (who's parents sometimes opt to have their student take part - which they have every right to do), our combined result can actually turn out to be below average due to the very low scores that some of these students with special needs receive. It therefore falsely makes our school seem 'not as good' IYKWIM?

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As a teacher, I would say that the My School/NAPLAN results aren't always the best way to judge a school. The data results can be skewed for many reasons. The school I work in for instance is a very small school with two special classes in it as well. As a result, at NAPLAN time it is not unusual to only have 15-20 mainstream students in a particular year level taking the test. If you then add to the mix 2-3 students with special needs (who's parents sometimes opt to have their student take part - which they have every right to do), our combined result can actually turn out to be below average due to the very low scores that some of these students with special needs receive. It therefore falsely makes our school seem 'not as good' IYKWIM?

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Yes I understand. It's hard. They do have a "similar schools" thing to compare to but bugger me if I can't find how they define "similar schools". I also look at how much funding they receive, the social demographics of the school, and the attendance rate. Those things are biggies for me. There is one school near me with an 84% attendance rate. Something is very wrong there, and it's a big school.

I absolutely agree with Chody's statement regarding NAPLAN results. Whilst I believe the individual results of a student are somewhat informative, the school results are often skewed and I don't believe they are a reliable indicator of a school's overall educational performance.

When choosing a school for our kids, we very much relied on 'gut feeling'. Go to the open days of the schools you are interested in. Pick the ones you like the most and make an appointment to meet with the principal. At the interview for the school we ultimately chose for our kids, the principal spoke extensively about 'the child as an individual'. Many other school's spoke about the school as the model and the requirement for the student to fit that model. (Ok, they weren't quite that blunt, but the underlying belief was clear!) A square peg never fits a round hole! I wanted a school where my children were valued for their own strengths and supported in their weaknesses, where they have the opportunity to explore their own interests and pursue their individual goals. A lot of the private school's in Melbourne place a massive emphasis on extracurricular sport. What if my children were not athletes? Are they less valuable than the student who excels at football? There is also a huge academic push, and I think NAPLAN and My School has brought this further into focus. Who hasn't heard of school's excluding lower performing students from NAPLAN? I have also heard of school's asking below average students to leave prior to VCE so as not to affect the school's VCE performance results. So, what if my kid is not an academic? The answer for me... a school which values the child as an individual.

We took a walk around the school with the principal and I was very pleased to note that he knew the name of every single student. The kids all looked happy and engaged. They were cheerful and confident, happy to stop and have a chat. They spoke well and respectfully, and they all spoke glowingly of the school. No grunts or single word responses! When we reached the ELC area, a horde of 20 odd children ran towards us, all calling the name of the principal. In his suit and tie, he got down on his knees and held out his arms. The children hugged him and climbed on him and again, he knew all their names.

The teacher's all seemed bright and happy, they were very eager to explain the activities in their classrooms and seemed very proud of all their students and their achievements (big or small). The classrooms themselves were bright and airy and filled with smiling faces.

The school's academic results were good. There are plenty of school's with better academic results. But the goal of our school is to support each individual student to reach their potential... the child as an individual. No one is excluded from Naplan, including student's with additional needs or learning difficulties. But at the same time, the school was quite forward in telling parents last year (when my DD sat Naplan) that whilst the results are of some interest, they are not a measure of a child's value or intelligence.

Ultimately, the school we chose just felt 'right'. I am pleased to say, seven years later, that the school followed through on all it's promises and my children are now two of those smiling faces.