please help!! advice on good schools and suburbs please!

Hi, We are moving to Perth Feb/March 2013 and I am really struggling to figure out what are the best schools and areas along the West coast. I have two children who will be 3 & 5 and am looking for an area that is great for families with good schools and reasonably priced houses and close to the beach we looked at Fremantile but out of our price range, were looking at Mandurah area and secret harbour as this is more our house price range but have been put off by what I have heard about schools etc in the area (and comments that they are slumbs) we won't be able to afford private school (possibly might by high school).

Any advice on good or bad schools and towns / suburbs would be a huge help.

Thanks

We are in the same position as you and hope to be over by the end of the year. Just submitted our SS application on Friday. We have been told that Duncraig and Cairne (think that is how you spell it) is family friendsly, good schooling, near to the beach and decent house prices. We ideally wanted HIllarys, but this is too expensive, so are looking at Duncraig.

Thanks very much, hadn't heard much about Duncraig and Carnie so have just been having a look, seems like a lovely area and have not found any negative comments, locals seem to love it. We wouldn't get the size of house we were hoping for in the area though so may have to comprimise somewhere.

Mandurah and Secret Harbour are really nice areas (I can't comment on the schools as I don't live that way). Where did you hear they are slums - or was that the schools? My hubby said there's a new school being built in Baldives.

Hi Ali,

Thanks for the comments on secret Harbour / Mandurah, It was on the forums there seems to be mixed comments, I think it was this one where slums were mentioned, something along the lines of Mandurah and Rockingham are the slum suburbs, but that was only by one person so you can't go on that really.

I have read that Mandura primary is the worst performing school in WA and a school girl from Mandurah who goes to private school said that she wouldn't feel safe going to public school in Mandurah so I was getting a little concerned. We were looking at Comet bay primary which seems ok but the secondry had had some very bad comments such as teachers swearing at the children!

This was the area we were going to rent at first while we have a look around, we are hoping it is nice and we like it as it is much more in our price range. I don't want to be changing schools too much to avoid as little disruption as possible for my daughter (a year before my son starts kindy so no problems there), but good schools are a priority.

Great to hear Mandura is nice though I will carry on finding out more about the schools in the area. Thanks