Overview of Schooling in PerthRoughly 60% of WA children attend a government school, with the other 40% attending some kind of private school (source:ABS 2004). State schools are overseen by the WA Department of Education and Training, centrally and through its four district offices across the Perth metropolitan area (see links). Roughly half of the private schools are Catholic, most of the others are also affiliated to churches; Anglican, Uniting Church, Lutheran, Baptist and so on. There are also Montessori, Steiner and schools with other affiliations. Terminology & AbbreviationsState schools are also referred to as "public" schools. State secondary schools usually go by the name of "XXX Senior High School" (SHS) and state primary schools are usually "XXX Primary School" (PS). Private schools may also be called "independent" or "non-government" schools. "TEE" stands for "Tertiary Entrance Exam" and "TER" is "Tertiary Entrance Rank" - a score between 0 and 100 which is used to compare the performance of all students applying for university places. Parents and Citizens Association (P&C) is the most commonly used name for the group representing (mostly) parents and who are actively involved in fund-raising in many schools. The head teacher is usually referred to as "The Principal", sometimes "Headmaster". "Pre-Primary" is the year before compulsory schooling (Year 1), abbreviated to "PP" in our schools directory. "Kindergarten", usually called "Kindy" is the year(s) before pre-primary, abbreviated to "K" in our schools directory. ----- School Year & Entry AgesPrimary school caters for Years 1-7 and High school for Years 8-12 (note, it's "Year 8", not "Year 1 High School"). The Australian school year runs from February to December, with the long summer holiday being mid December to end of January. For children born before 1997, the child's school year is simply controlled by the year they were born, as shown in the following table: Age child turns
this year | School year the child
would normally be in | | 10 | Year 5 | | 11 | Year 6 | | 12 | Year 7 (Last year of Primary School) | | 13 | Year 8 (First year of High School) | | 14 | Year 9 | | 15 | Year 10 | | 16 | Year 11 | | 17 | Year 12 (Last year of High School) |
But a few years ago, the cutoff date was changed from 1st January to 1st July - the result being that kids born after 30th June 1997 start school from the beginning of the school year in which they turn 6 years and 6 months. This has the effect of delaying entry to school by 6 months. It's also harder to work out which year your child should be in. Thankfully, the Education Dept have a form which lets you enter your child's birthdate and tells you when they should start school: www.det.wa.edu.au/education/ece/calculator.html Compulsory SchoolingBy law, children must attend school from the start of the year in which they turn 6½ (Yr 1) until the end of the year in which they turn 15 (Yr 10). Pre-Compulsory SchoolingMany schools offer pre-primary classes (for the year the child turns 5½) and kindy (child turns 4½). What's offered and the number of hours offered will vary between schools. There are also many privately-run playgroups (see links). Post-Compulsory SchoolingMost high schools offer Year 11 and 12 classes, for students who wish to study for exams leading to tertiary study (University or TAFE). Considerations for MigrantsMigrants from UK (and other countries) may find that their children are academically ahead of where they are supposed to be in their Australian school, primarily because of how the entry ages are set but maybe because of curriculum differences as well. For example, an 11 year-old may have been at a UK high school for 6 months only to find they have to go back to primary school for 6 months when they move to Perth. Some may be concerned their children won't be extended and will want to push them into the next year up. Our understanding is that this would not be allowed in the public system (although, if anyone knows differently, please let us know) - but may be possible in private schools (again, any experiences would be appreciated). My own daughter was in this situation (January birthday) and initially my wife and I wanted to move her up, but didn't and in hindsight we feel it was the best thing for her. Some points worth noting: - Although the child may be academically ahead, there may be a downside to putting them into an older peer group. They may struggle socially or peer pressure may push them into trying things earlier than they otherwise would.
- They may be better off being one of the smartest in their class rather than just average in the next year up. As a new kid in the school, they may benefit from this advantage.
- Bear in mind that even those kids who go through to year 12 will still be just 17 when they leave school - quite a bit younger than they would be in the UK. If your child jumps to the next year up, they'll be even younger when they finish.
----- School Term Dates| Perth: 2007 School Calendar | | Term | From | To | | Term 1 | Wednesday 31 January | Wednesday 4 April | | Term 2 | Monday 23 April | Friday 6 July | | Term 3 | Tuesday 24 July | Friday 28 September | | Term 4 | Tuesday 16 October | Thursday 13 December |
| Perth: 2008 School Calendar | | Term | From | To | | Term 1 | Monday 4 February | Friday 11 April | | Term 2 | Monday 28 April | Friday 4 July | | Term 3 | Monday 21 July | Friday 26 September | | Term 4 | Monday 13 October | Tuesday 16 December |
Note
These dates apply to state schools.
Private schools follow the dates in general, but may vary by a day or two - check with the school. * Dates may be subject to change. See Dept of Education webpage for current term dates. ----- State or PrivateThere are some excellent state schools in Perth, but let's face it, if you pay for your education, you should expect better facilities, more attentive teachers, better discipline and so on. Compared to the UK, for example, private education in Perth can be more affordable for many families. The most expensive schools can cost around $12,000 pa, equivalent to about £5000, so that's still much lower than many UK schools and there are many that cost less than $5,000 pa. Therefore, many migrants who would have automatically opted for a state school in UK may find themselves considering private education in Perth, especially for the 5 years of senior school. Fees - State SchoolsIn state schools, there are no tuition fees, although you may be asked to make a voluntary annual contribution of up to $60 per child (primary) or $235 (secondary). A contribution towards the P&C (Parents and Citizens Association) may also be requested ($25 this year at my son's primary school). At high school, there may be charges for book hire and for some specialised courses in years 11 and 12. The official policy on public school charges and fees can be found on this link Fees - Private SchoolsTuition fees for private schools vary from around $2000 per year to more than $12,000 per year for the top private schools. FundingIn Australia, private schools are partly (about 40%) funded by government - the rational being that all parents are tax-payers and those who choose to pay for a private education should still receive some benefit for their tax dollars. More on this at ISCA - see Funding Of Independent Schools in the menu. ----- Choosing a State SchoolChoosing a good school for their children is obviously a key concern for many migrants. There's no simple answer, of course - it all depends on your own criteria for what makes a "good school". Most people will select an area first, based on lifestyle, cost of housing etc, then check out the local schools and choose the one they like best - probably based on recommendations and "gut-feel". For primary school, you may be able to choose from 3 or 4 in your locality (depending on availability), but there will probably be only 1 state high school, maybe 2 within a reasonable distance. Here are some points you may want to consider: - As far as academic results go, these are published for Year 12 high school students - some parents may find these useful. We're not aware of any comparative results for primary schools.
- Some schools have specialist programs in academic or sporting areas (see below).
See the discussion section for other migrants' opinionsLocationAll state schools in Perth are designated as "local-intake" or "non local-intake". A local-intake school generally only enrols children who live within their designated boundary.Lists of local-intake and non local-intake schools (PDF file) Schools with the best reputation (and therefore in highest demand) have to stick firmly to their intake policy - applicants must live in a street within the school's boundary and if renting, applicants may have to prove they have signed a long lease. Rossmoyne Senior High is a good example - they publish the map of their intake area on their website and in for-sale adverts you'll see houses described as "in RHSZ" meaning "in Rossmoyne High School Zone". Specialist ProgramsSome state high schools have developed specialist programs in fields such as sports, drama, technology etc. If their programs are accepted by the Dept of Education, they are allowed to accept a number of students from outside their local area to participate in the program.List of Programs ----- Choosing a Private SchoolConsiderations for choosing a private school are somewhat different from those for a state school: LocationFrom the school's perspective, it doesn't matter which suburb you live in, they are not subject to local-intake controls. Many children travel a few km to school and it's not unusual for kids to commute from the outer suburbs to the top private schools in the city. ReligionMost private schools are run by or affiliated to churches, but that doesn't mean they are only open to children who attend their church. For example, there's a Uniting Church school in Perth who's student population is comprised of roughly one-third Uniting Church-goers, one-third other church-goers and one-third non-church-goers. Check with the individual school. Academic ResultsTEE results for all state and private schools are published annually ( click here). Specialisations, school philosophyBy this, we mean the importance the school places on academic results, sporting achievements, etc. For example, some schools stress the importance of "pastoral care" of their students rather than pure academic results. Other schools may place a great emphasis on their sporting achievements. CostFees vary from around $2,000 pa for some Catholic schools to over $12,000 pa for some private schools. Incidental costs, for laptops, field trips etc. will probably vary more-or-less in line with the fees. AvailabilityLast but not least - many private schools are in high demand and cannot take new admissions. Plan ahead - to secure a high-school place in some private schools, you may need to get their names on the list when they're toddlers! Normally you pay a small registration fee (about $50) and don't have to commit yourself until they're in the last year of primary school. ----- School League TablesIn January of each year, the West Australian and Sunday Times newspapers publish the "school league tables" - statistics on the performance of Year 12 students in every high school in WA. The tables are also published on the Curriculum Council's website at the following link: www.curriculum.wa.edu.au/pages/publication02.htm Please note the Curriculum Council's comments regarding the effectiveness of these statistics: "While the media take the view that these statistics display the comparative merits of each school, it should be noted that researchers into school effectiveness agree that schools account for only about 9 percent of the variance between students. Students' personal backgrounds account for most of the variance in academic performance". We think this is a fair comment and should be taken into account when reading the tables. However, for migrants researching schools, this is about the only source of performance data available and as such, we consider it a useful resource. ----- Enrolment/Visa CategoriesWhether a state or private school, you apply to enrol directly to the school. It's probably a good idea to bring your child's school reports in your hand luggage - just in case they're required in the enrolment process. Also birth certificate, passport with visa to prove residence, immunisation records. Take note of the school holidays - if you arrive during the summer holiday you may not be able to enrol until the new year starts in late January. Eligible Visa CategoriesThe majority of migrants will be eligible for free education for their children in a state school. However, if you are in any doubt, refer to the following links: The Dept of Education's Enrolment Policy (PDF) Education & International Training website. ----- Perth & WA Education LinksWA State Schools OrganisationsEducation Department of WAThere are four district offices overseeing schools in the Perth metropolitan area.
Here's the map of the districts, and below are links to each district's contact details: WA Private Schools OrganisationsAssociation of Independent Schools, WACatholic Education Office of WA Selected Links for State SchoolingParents Guide (1.5MB PDF) Gifted and Talented Students program Specialist ProgramsHealth & Physical EducationParents Guide Swimming List of Programs (small PDF) Pre-Primary, Kindy and Playgroupswww.eddept.wa.edu.au/ece - Early Childhood Education at the WA Dept of Eductaion website ----- DisclaimerInformation on this website is intended to give the reader an overview of many aspects of life in Australia, such as healthcare, real estate, tax, superannuation etc. While we at Aussiemove.com have performed a large amount of research on each subject area, we do not claim to be experts in those fields and we recommend that migrants discuss their requirements with companies specialising in those fields before making purchases, investments or other decisions concerning their move. The content of this website is general in nature - no specific advice is intended. We provide links to other companies as a service to our readers. We have taken reasonable care to ensure that each linked website does not contain offensive or inappropriate material. However, we are not responsible for the accuracy of any of the material in any linked website, or the advice that may be contained therein. ----- | 
