Sydney people - how competitive is your child's school?

[Phteven]

We're probably moving back to Sydney in the next month or so
I'm a bit (very) worried about schools. My boys love their current school - it is small and friendly and relaxed.
Talking to some Mums over the last few days I'm kind of horrified at the level of extra-curricula activity that their children have.
I'm hearing about tutoring for children who aren't having any troubles with their work (just so they get higher marks - in early primary) and 3 or more activities a week.
These Mums are people who weren't pushy parents before their children started school but now they say they are doing what all the other parents are doing because they don't want their children to be behind the others in their class.
Is this level of hot-housing the norm for primary schools in Sydney or have I just encountered an aberration?
I was already sad about leaving our quiet suburb by the lake and now I'm freaked out about sending them to school with stressed out, hot-housed kids.

[Jennifer13]

I'm only mum to one kindy kid and while there are extra curricular activities none are aimed at schoolwork or academic skills for the parents I know! But since there's no homework for kindy and no testing yet maybe I'm missing something. But I do have friends with older primary kids who aren't having them tutored, even where they might be struggling a bit. The parents just seem to put a bit more effort in.

DD does piano, dance and swimming. But not for competitive reasons. Lots of other kids seem to do music, sports and scouts. Not heard of a single private tutor in primary school yet. Not even amongst the private school kids I know. And schooling is taken pretty seriously in our area. Maybe you should just move near us!

I find our school pretty relaxed and friendly, with lots of emphasis on social interaction. There's no competing amongst the parents for what 'level' the kids are at, most are involved, willing to help out and encouraging of each other.

[MissM]

Wow Onyx! I feel for the kids who have parents and schedules like that.

DD1 is in yr 4 at an independant private school and she does a few activities:

1 - Music bus - she does piano. Run during school hours and at school
2 - after school activities which is run by the school and sport straight after school - she LOVES sports
3 - Little athletics (of course out of school hours) and she wants to do swimming.

None of these are competitive and DD1 only does these things because she wants to.

DD1 also does not have a tutor. Math is not a strong subject for her, however she still maintains a 76% mark in all her math work. I did consider tutoring for her, but after speaking with her teacher tutoring a child with that kind of mark is not really worthwhile IMHO sure there is always room for improvement, but as long as she is passing her grades & doesn't have major issues learning I'm not concerned.

[Jennifer13]

Well, apparently there are parents like that, Onyx, just not amongst my friends. I had coffee with a friend whose two DDs go to an elite private school and in her eldest DD's class there is one 8 year old who does 'Saturday school', which is apparently at a tutoring place where they do a whole day of extra lessons. We were both incredulous, but there you have it.

[christy]

My girls don't do much. They go to an independant school of 20 students total, and well... they don't do much. Matilda has OT every week and thats it. During school holiday's I try to pick up more, and this term for the first time we are trying one activity which is a martial arts class on Saturday (the girls want to be ninja's... maybe you could help them out? )

I've friends whose children go to swimming, dance classes and art classes along with school, but then again our school has a no homework policy so the kids may do more with their time after school?

I found here that its so different to living in QLD where people fit more into everyday, however, I'm not like that.