What did your chosen school provide in terms of information sessions prior to enrolment
I have not a great perception in some regards to school DD will go to - due to the lack of info and communication I had been hoping that tonight would change it.
I had been told there was an information evening 18:00 to 19:00 - turned up a few other parents loitering outside the office, chat to one who I recognize, by 18:15 we chase down a teacher who was about, she grabs the head (assistant head) who says she has to do another presentation - and really acts like she didn't know we were going to be there - so a parent (who had been to the session this morning) took us round the classrooms and tried to remember what she has been told! At about 18:40 we bump back into the assistant head and she says we can ask her any questions we want (there are maybe 12 parents) and we are just stood in the hall - with other kids and parents wandering about - a few people ask her stuff. I ask if they plan to have any 'official' information evenings - and the answer is yes towards the end of the year when you are enrolled :wall:
Someone asks a few other questions, and then I explain that you know as I haven't been in school a while, and classrooms all look so different was really after some information about how the teaching works these days - particularly foundation. She then did a long spiel about all sorts of bits and pieces - and said some things I thought were very good and appealed to me, and then was 7:00 and was over.
They do tours every Wednesday morning you can go to, but I know other schools do a lot more in terms of communicating the way preps work and the school philosophies - but I really think their attitude sucks. DD will still go there - DH reckons they are trying to put people off on purpose as they are bursting at the seams really, but unless they build another school between us and it that is where she will go.
What sort of info did you get from a school before enrolling? e.g. just a tour, info on their philosophies etc.
Re: What did your chosen school provide in terms of information sessions prior to enrolment
There was a school tour and principal interview, the principal interview was very 2 way, that's where we got most of our info
Re: What did your chosen school provide in terms of information sessions prior to enrolment
Are we talking primary school? Then nothing.
My children go to a private aka Catholic primary school that is single stream so pretty small. Total kids around 220 from K- Yr6.
No info sessions or tours are provided at the school. When you are granted an interview (interviews take place prior to acceptance of enrolment) you are then invited to tour the school and ask as many questions as you like. Thats it. All the other private primary schools in our area are the same.
High school is different. There are specific tour days and info sessions.
Re: What did your chosen school provide in terms of information sessions prior to enrolment
That's appalling. Hardly gives their school a good first impression. Our school (and all the local schools) have an open day in September/October each year where you get a full tour of the school, principal gives a talk and you get a very comprehensive information package to take home. Your kids can come along and they have activities organised for them while you attend the information session. then they put on morning tea for all the parents.
Once the school year starts, they have another information session to explain the learning programs they use.
Re: What did your chosen school provide in terms of information sessions prior to enrolment
Wow, that is really poor form from the school.
Due to moving interstate, I have had two primary schools for my eldest. The first school had tours and information sessions prior to enrolment. Then we had one on one interviews with the Principal so he could evaluate DS1's readiness for school and so my DH and I could ask any questions. Once our enrolment was accepted, we then had another 2 group information sessions, one on our own as parents and one with DS so he could ask questions.
We chose the second school when we were still in Victoria, as we were moving to Queensland. The enrolments/administration lady spoke to us by phone and answered any questions we had. We didn't get a tour but had feedback from others in the military community about the schools facilities. Once we had moved, we had a face to face meeting with the Principal as well.
Re: What did your chosen school provide in terms of information sessions prior to enrolment
I assumed that you were talking about sessions and tours prior to enrolment?
After acceptance of enrolment there is a half day orientation/info session in term 4 for children entering kindy. In term 1 there are individual info sessions for each class in around week 2.
Re: What did your chosen school provide in terms of information sessions prior to enrolment
We are talking primary school. Is Education Week here and most state primary schools round here are doing something. I have heard great things about some other local schools info sessions.
The school probably doesn't need to do anything because people will go there regardless - it is in high demand - but the attitude that they won't bother because they don't have to really irks me.
Re: What did your chosen school provide in terms of information sessions prior to enrolment
We have had one 1 hour info session to explain their orientation program (11 x 2.5 hour sessions with a teacher fortnightly beginning in June) and giving an overview of the school. We have another info session at the end of the 11 sessions with more specific info about the school and it's program's, uniforms, canteen, times, processes etc. Its been great, except the info sessions are all during the day, so my DH misses out. Most schools around here also have an evening session.
Re: What did your chosen school provide in terms of information sessions prior to enrolment
In all honesty our chosen school doesn't have an official open day. I'm ok with that as we have already been given a tour by the principal a couple of months ago when we enquired about next year for Moo. DH and I had maybe an hour long meeting where I asked many questions :) Then we took Moo for a tour which again was led by the principal. I have exchanged a few emails with the principal lately in regards to enrolment and she has said we are welcome to come by to have as many looks as we like.
There is something in the last term that I assume is for the new foundation kiddies, plus there will be transition days. They have their philosophies etc on their website.
Re: What did your chosen school provide in terms of information sessions prior to enrolment
There website is also useless - you cant even find school hours on it. E.g foundation finish at 2:30 for first term. I only know because have asked another parent, who I met at the park.
The school is bilingual, so their teaching methods aren't exactly standard, you would think they would see the need for a little more explanation. Maybe they are trying to put people off they already have 48 siblings alone down for next year, I know the parents association are trying to get siblings who have moved out of zone guaranteed a place again - maybe they don't want new families who are in the zone taking up places.
Re: What did your chosen school provide in terms of information sessions prior to enrolment
Of the schools I made enquiries at, half had an Open Day / Night - many of which are this week for education week, and generally much too early for me to realistically get to, or during the day. The rest only do tour during school hours.
So I had to use some annual leave, to do them. :( Rather frustrating, but that was the only way I could do it.
Also, some of the tours I booked in set it up for other parents to do the personal tours at the same time, so you couldn't actually ask all your questions, etc.
But over all, we got the information we needed, and got to see the schools ...
Re: What did your chosen school provide in terms of information sessions prior to enrolment
Your DH may be correct and they may be trying to actively discourage people from applying there. DDs school had its largest prep enrolment with her year and then another big year after that so the had over 100 children entering each year but only 60 going out so it does not take long for a school to grow quickly. Apparently Dept education does not like to put a ceiling on numbers or "zone" primary schools so schools have deal with the issue themselves.
DDs school started to not do the regular advertising of tours and telling parents who were coming a long distance to consider their closest school.
The year that we looked for schools for DD we only went to one school tour and luckily it was great!
Re: What did your chosen school provide in terms of information sessions prior to enrolment
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Your DH may be correct and they may be trying to actively discourage people from applying there. DDs school had its largest prep enrolment with her year and then another big year after that so the had over 100 children entering each year but only 60 going out so it does not take long for a school to grow quickly. Apparently Dept education does not like to put a ceiling on numbers or "zone" primary schools so schools have deal with the issue themselves.
DDs school started to not do the regular advertising of tours and telling parents who were coming a long distance to consider their closest school.
The year that we looked for schools for DD we only went to one school tour and luckily it was great!
The school is already zoned, as are most of the ones in the area (we are in the zone for this one). When they do the Wed tours they have different ones whether you are in or out of zone. There is quite an issue in the area in general because they keep having to change the zones due to numbers but are really not solving the problem.
Is not very good to try put people off who do live in the zone like me. As others surrounding schools are also zoned is not like I have a big choice within state system, even if I was prepared to travel further which am not.
You know when the assistant head attitude towards me changed, when I said I had been to their school fête many times. After that she was far more interested in giving me information. Very bizarre.
Re: What did your chosen school provide in terms of information sessions prior to enrolment
Sounds like they might be a bit weary of selling themselves if they don't need to. Great that her attitude changed when she realised you actually lived nearby and were interested in the school.
We are looking at a zoned secondary school in your area and had the experience where the assistant head seemed to have a script and did not want to give us any extra. the students did the tour and she actually asked us not to ask the students questions, to leave them all to her for the end of the tour. Was strange - how do you go on a tour for 30 minutes and not ask any questions?
Re: What did your chosen school provide in terms of information sessions prior to enrolment
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Sounds like they might be a bit weary of selling themselves if they don't need to. Great that her attitude changed when she realised you actually lived nearby and were interested in the school.
We are looking at a zoned secondary school in your area and had the experience where the assistant head seemed to have a script and did not want to give us any extra. the students did the tour and she actually asked us not to ask the students questions, to leave them all to her for the end of the tour. Was strange - how do you go on a tour for 30 minutes and not ask any questions?
I think from past threads I remember which school you were looking at, zoning and the demand seems to be an increasing problem round here. As long as the attitude (we are great no need to try to do better) isn't carried over to the students I can live with it. I am just jealous about friends going to other local schools and hearing really great presentations from enthusiastic teachers and staff - I am quite interested in 'learning' in general, and not so interested in the school facilities so the tour is less interesting (it is random who you get for the tour and the parent who did the tour for us yesterday evening from her memory of the morning, said she learnt more from the 20mins in the hallway then the tour). If they had ever advertised or put on their website that they did tours on Wednesday mornings I could have gone while I have had two weeks between contracts, but now I am starting a new job so is far more problematic.
Well next year when I am part of the 'club' I will be encouraging them to do something better (they don't do that well on parental satisfaction measures compared to some schools) - and I know the other family in this block who are new to Australia and have a son there, weren't told that school finished an hour early on the last day of term, and when they got there after being phoned up they just said "Well in Australia we always finish an hour early on the last day of term".!!
Re: What did your chosen school provide in terms of information sessions prior to enrolment
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"Well in Australia we always finish an hour early on the last day of term".!!
This is something I've never heard of - and I'm Australian AND a teacher!
Re: What did your chosen school provide in terms of information sessions prior to enrolment
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This is something I've never heard of - and I'm Australian AND a teacher!
We always have :)
Re: What did your chosen school provide in terms of information sessions prior to enrolment
