#2070057 - 03/09/10 06:21 PM
Re: Deciding on a school, how do you do it?
[Re: SIA12]
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Carpal tunnel
Registered: 04/01/07
Posts: 3431
Loc: The Madhouse
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I have chosen the school Gee is going to as have very good friends children who attend same school and so have had some involvement in the school since they started so has given me a reasonable idea of what they are like and this school just fits with our family. The other thing that sold me on this school is the locality - it is much closer to us than our actual zoned school - which is a very good little primary school BUT for me to drive Gee there in the morning and then drive to work is like back tracking hugely and I already find the mornings stressful enough without having to drive further! Also because I work I have looked into what support I will have with regards to before and after school care at all the schools we considered and will have more at this school than our zoned for school or any of the others. I still have moments of "OMG have I done the right thing?" which I won't know until Gee actually starts but I figure if it all turns to custard it won't be ideal but I can always look at moving her (would have to really turn to custard for me to consider this though) Good luck with your decision  Off to read the other thread now... Just being nosey, where did you choose in the end? Since I know you are around us. Did you chose the catholic one, or a state school? And, was that you I saw walking in the door at Botany yesterday? I knew the face, but couldn't figure out (in my fuddled preggy brain) where from! But I thought later that it might have been you.
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#2070122 - 03/09/10 08:10 PM
Re: Deciding on a school, how do you do it?
[Re: Kamox]
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Old hand
Registered: 29/10/05
Posts: 843
Loc: Auckland
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local, walking distance, no uniform, small, low decile (not sure if that matters, all the others are higher)
Our school is all of those things, and its wonderful. Low decile is not an indicator of low quality. I live in your area TC ... and I have to say - your local local one, is one I would NOT send my kids to in a million Years ... the Ero reads bad, reports from those who have attended (and left) are bad ... Everything about it (apart from its sat music centre) makes me go  However - you do have alot of choices in our area ... personally I would visit those you are most keen on. And get a feel that way. Id love to know which school has closed its rolls to out of zoners ?? (is it manuka/chelsea - sorry just thinking of those with uniform ??) If you have to drive (which you prob will given your closest school) - then it doesnt really matter if its 5 min, or 10 min away I dont think ?? As your driving anyway. I personally wouldnt pick on friends choices ... Kal started with a friend from kindy (birhday a day a part) - and they are no longer friends, as both have moved on to other friends ... yet they were inseparable at kindy ?? Are you talking Birkdale or Birkdale North? Willow Park is my first choice, I was told it was a recent decision not to take out of zoners due to the locals going, or something like that, but it was all based on 'numbers'. I'm pretty sure it was the same lady who 6 months ago told me we were in, so gutted still. My next choice I think at the moment after a visit would be Windy Ridge. It's close to the kindy (Ds is on the waiting list for the same kindy as DD goes to), so at least I wouldn't be back tracking. Fark what a mission.
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#2070474 - 04/09/10 12:51 PM
Re: Deciding on a school, how do you do it?
[Re: TrinityClair]
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Blah blah blah
Registered: 16/06/02
Posts: 18646
Loc: Auckland
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The school I dislike or B North TC ... I hadnt thought of Willow Park  Even tho just as close .... its a lovley school - and popular - but I would def ask to speak with them about their role policy. I dont have much knowledge of windy ridge in general - apart from I know the NE teacher there - I will PM you. Honestly - Go visit all the schools you are interested in ... have you had a look at Manuka ?
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K Mum to C, K and S 
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#2071687 - 06/09/10 01:43 PM
Re: Deciding on a school, how do you do it?
[Re: G*A*]
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Legend
Registered: 07/01/04
Posts: 6729
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Locality (closest or not) Not really in our situation. We have a small rural school just over the road but we chose to drive our DD 6kms down the road to another rural school. The closest one was just too small, and didn't have what we were after for our DD
Reputation Yes! The school that DD attends has a reputation for being a fab school, loads of interesting activities etc and fabulous teachers.
Friends attending no - all DDs kindy friends are at another school
family attending n/a
uniform (yes or no) no - but if they had one it would be nice. Not a consideration though.
size Yes - the one near us was just too small (35 kids) DDs one has 240 kids - just nice, wouldn't want her to be at a HUGE school.
word of mouth yes - we'd heard that this was the best school in the area.
_________________________
DD - 21/08/04
DD - 18/09/07
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#2071791 - 06/09/10 04:04 PM
Re: Deciding on a school, how do you do it?
[Re: TrinityClair]
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Chatterbox
Registered: 06/07/05
Posts: 8945
Loc: East Auckland
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We kind of did things backwards, as we wanted to move house, so we chose where we wanted to live and looked at the potential schools and were happy to live in zone for 3/4 of them.
We then read the ERO reports, kept an eye out for any bad rep or good feedback. I like the one we are in zone for as its a bit smaller than the other choices, has its own pool, it also has a very "happy" feel to it when you walk in. Didnt even consider out of zone apps for any of the others. Plus we are just about walking distance away from ours.
Didn't really consider where his friends may have been going, but the school do an introduction programme so he will meet some of his new classmates ahead of school starting anyhow.
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AJ Nov 05
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#2071983 - 06/09/10 07:42 PM
Re: Deciding on a school, how do you do it?
[Re: suomi]
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Obsessed
Registered: 05/03/06
Posts: 10727
Loc: Auckland
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I have chosen the school Gee is going to as have very good friends children who attend same school and so have had some involvement in the school since they started so has given me a reasonable idea of what they are like and this school just fits with our family. The other thing that sold me on this school is the locality - it is much closer to us than our actual zoned school - which is a very good little primary school BUT for me to drive Gee there in the morning and then drive to work is like back tracking hugely and I already find the mornings stressful enough without having to drive further! Also because I work I have looked into what support I will have with regards to before and after school care at all the schools we considered and will have more at this school than our zoned for school or any of the others. I still have moments of "OMG have I done the right thing?" which I won't know until Gee actually starts but I figure if it all turns to custard it won't be ideal but I can always look at moving her (would have to really turn to custard for me to consider this though) Good luck with your decision Off to read the other thread now... Just being nosey, where did you choose in the end? Since I know you are around us. Did you chose the catholic one, or a state school? And, was that you I saw walking in the door at Botany yesterday? I knew the face, but couldn't figure out (in my fuddled preggy brain) where from! But I thought later that it might have been you. Yes we went with the Catholic school although I did go and have good look around the school closest to you and was impressed and would have been my next choice except as I said above the drive there and back towards work in the morning would be enough to drive me to despair as I find it hard enough to get to work without adding on any extra time and am really happy with the choice we have made as is also a nice little school with good feel to it. Trying to think if I was at Botany that day - quite possibly was me as am there an awful lot!  Sorry if it was me and I didn't say hello to you - thats rude of me!
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#2072698 - 07/09/10 06:14 PM
Re: Deciding on a school, how do you do it?
[Re: suomi]
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Obsessed
Registered: 05/03/06
Posts: 10727
Loc: Auckland
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Yes, that drive to our school is just ridiculous if you live around the back. It is quicker to walk through the pathways. We live further down by Botany so can't even walk through the pathways over the back of M...Road! Should have thought about this more when we bought our house so we bought somewhere within walking distance but hindsight and all! Although actually we did find a house we loved but was near O primary 
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DD - 7 
Good luck!
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