Akasully2 Posted April 18, 2015 Report Share Posted April 18, 2015 Hi, could anyone who has experience of these two schools give me some reviews on them? It would be good to hear from people who have their children there. How are they perceived in the community? Do the children seem well cared for, supported and happy? Do they cater for all abilities well? How do they perform in terms of results? Are the parents pleased? Any other constructive comments welcome. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arwen Posted April 18, 2015 Report Share Posted April 18, 2015 (edited) Obviously one is public and one is private. I live in the next suburb and have many friends who have children at both schools and results wise I don't think there is much in it. Prendiville being private has a stricter uniform policy and it's rules are stricter too. I know the Chaplain at ORSHS and he is the most amazing man so I know the pastoral care at Ocean Reef is second to none and I am sure Prendiville will have a good one too. My only piece of advice is general. What sort of child do you have and where are their friends going to go. I know this shouldn't be a consideration but from bitter experience I think it is something you should consider. I sent my eldest to St Mark's. A school I love and am very happy with. She hated it. Absolutely everything about it. She was a square peg in a round hole and we wasted 2 years of education. Half way through year 10 I moved her to Belridge. A school most people would tell you to steer clear of. I cannot fault the place and my child is much happier and will graduate at the end of this year and has a career path planned and will go to University next year. My youngest has been at St Mark's for almost 4 years and adores the place. Edited April 18, 2015 by Arwen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arwen Posted April 18, 2015 Report Share Posted April 18, 2015 I just wanted to add and couldn't appear to edit that I would be happy for my children to attend either of those schools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odies Posted April 18, 2015 Report Share Posted April 18, 2015 I know your children are older Sully, but both my grandchildren attend the private catholic school and love it. The eldest is coming on just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scot01 Posted April 18, 2015 Report Share Posted April 18, 2015 Neither made the top 50 schools this year. 100% achieved the WACE at Prendeville and only 91% at ORHS which is quite low (most hihg schools have higher than 98%). 75% did stage 3 Year 12 subjects at Pren and 45% at ORHS so Pren. much more academic. 7% got a score higher than 65% at Ocean Reef, 21% at Prendeville. Sacred Heart is the top school up that neck of the woods - over 60% got higher than 65 at Sacred Heart. I use to work across the road from Prendiville at St Simon Peter, great pastoral care and they had a unit for special needs kids - who went on to Prendiville. Also worked at Sacred Heart - really lovely high school (with fantastic art and music programme) but think you need name down at birth and be related to the Pope to get in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arwen Posted April 19, 2015 Report Share Posted April 19, 2015 I will bring it back to what sort of child you have and what academic aspirations you think that have. If your child is destined for University then a school with a high WACE percentage will probably be more important as that is the number of kids that graduate at year 12 with an ATAR ranking. If you have a child that is destined for more practical things and may leave school earlier than year 12 for an apprenticeship or to attend TAFE then the % will probably not play as big a part. My daughter is year 12 now and plenty of her peers left earlier to get apprenticeships and are doing very well for themselves. The WACE results IMO should not be your sole reason for choosing a school for your child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akasully2 Posted April 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2015 (edited) Thank you all for your contributions. Lots to take in, lots to think about. We have been here for nearly a year now and the boys have settled happily into their schools. However, we are about to move. The eldest is happy in his high school but it would be a bit of a drive in the morning, although I am happy to do it. He is in the academic extension program, definitely heading for uni. The youngest would need to start at a high school nearer our new house, so sadly would be leaving his friends anyway. He's currently in year 5. Questioned whether it would be better to keep him settled at his primary or move him sooner so he can make friends in a feeder school. He's much more practical, but saying that, things change. Whilst high academic achievement may not be the be all for him, I do want a school that will value his abilities and nuture him in a supportive and encouraging environment. Does prediville cater for both ends of the spectrum? @Scot01 where do you get your stats from? I have looked at various sites that rank schools on the 65% thing and I find them confusing. How do they compare on TAFE levels? Is TAFE's level 1 higher or lower than level 3? What is each level equivalent too? Is is it also hard to get into Prendiville? Name down early?? Edited April 19, 2015 by Akasully2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scot01 Posted April 19, 2015 Report Share Posted April 19, 2015 http://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/internet/Publications/Reports/Statistical_Reports/School_Comparison_Statistics It is confusing! There are three levels of subjects for Year 11 and 12 in high school. For University entry you need to have studied Level 2 and 3 subjects - generally do Level 2 in Year 11 and then level 3 in Year 12 though it is possible to Level 2 in Year 12 and for it to count towards the ATAR rank - what gets you into Uni. On the link above you can see how many students did Level 2 and 3 subjects and of those, how many got an A or B in their results. You'll find the not so academic schools have a higher proportion of students doing level 1, and that the results of the students who do level 2/3 are poor. Prendiville is Catholic. The best chance of getting in is to go to a feeder primary and that still does not guarantee a place. It usually goes - siblings of kids already there, children of old students, kids in feeder primaries, Catholic kids in non catholic schools and then any others. There is an urban myth that Catholic schools have to take a certain % of non Catholics which is nonsense. There are no strict catchment areas and most Catholic schools have long waiting lists - John XXII in Mt Claremont and Sacred Heart have waiting lists of years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akasully2 Posted April 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 Thanks @Scot01. Good to finally understand that 75% means an A and 65% means a B. So if someone does a TAFE course/practical subject, does that mean that leave at the end of year 10 and go to college or do it at school? But if they only do level 1 subjects for two years at school, what can they do after that? Better to leave and get trained? When do they get the WACE certificate, end of year 10 or 12? How many subjects do they have to take in year 11/12? What does it mean in the tables when it says 'pairs of subjects'? Feel daft aft asking all this but it is so different to what I am used to in the UK. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arwen Posted April 20, 2015 Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 You can leave at the end of year 10 but you have to be in a recognised course/apprenticeship/workplace. You get your WACE at the end of year 12. You can still take level 1 subjects and still get your WACE at the end of year 12. You can leave then and get a job and year 12 graduation is something that is well thought of even if you don't have an ATAR ranking to go with your WACE. I don't understand what the pairs of subjects means. Many of my daughters friends are taking 4/5 ATAR level subjects. You can do a mix of ATAR subjects and VET level (more practical such as food and hospitality, car mechanics). You can graduate with this but you won't get an ATAR ranking which is what University will require. In year 11 some kids even go and do a day or two a week at TAFE to study alongside their school work. It's a bit of a minefield to be honest but the school will explain all of this to you in year 10 as choices will need to be made then. Many of my daughters friends started looking for apprenticeships in year 10 and some in year 11. They are competitive so it's a case of keeping your ear to the ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akasully2 Posted April 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 Thanks @Arwen, much appreciated. Minefield, got that right! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scot01 Posted April 20, 2015 Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 I wouldn't worry about it too much as the current Year 11's are doing the National curriculum and it will all change - again! To get your WACE you need to have studied 5 subjects over two years - 5 pairs. The top scores on 4 of the Level 2 or 3 subjects are counted towards the ATAR, some kids might do 6 subjects. Most kids stay on at school rather than leave at the end of Year 10 to go off to TAFE, it is different from 6th form college in the UK, I think for the range of subjects, socially, easier to get a WACE and it may be cheaper too though not sure about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.