Deciding where to live

[Monkey2645]

Hi all

 

I'd be really grateful for some feedback to help choose an area to settle in. I know we should really find out for ourselves but we have young kids and would like some kind of idea to help with choosing schools etc as we don't want to settle them somewhere and then have to uproot them if it's completely wrong for us - so views from people on the ground would be fantastic.

 

In an ideal world we'd love to be close to a beach, although I'm sure that would be out of our budget in a lot of areas. Don't want to be too close to Perth - neither of us need to work in city. Flexible between new build and established. We'd like to be close to a decent secondary, although it's a few years before that will be an issue.

 

What are the thoughts on Mandurah and surrounding areas - I think it looks fantastic but the property seems suspiciously cheap compared to other areas - is there a reason for that other than the distance from Perth? Any thoughts on specific areas around there? Any knowledge of good/bad primary schools?

 

also, Rockingham, Secret Harbour, Joondalup - thoughts, pros and cons, good primary and secondary schools.

 

Thanks all

[Scot01]

Go on here - http://www.myschool.edu.au/

Put in a suburb and up comes all the schools in that area - private and Govt. Go to a school, look on the left at 'results in numbers' which is the results of the NAPLAN tests, (like SATS_, if it is red - below average, green above. This is just a staring point as the more to school than NAPLAN results.

Areas are very subjective, lots of Brits live in Secret Harbour so they will tell you to go there, lots live North in Butler,Jindalee so they'll tell you to go there but there are many areas to consider.

[verystormy]

Mandurah is actually a city in its own right.

 

It it is cheaper mainly because it is further from Perth. You will find a number of us live in the Mandurah area, including myself. Dawesville is one of the southern most suburbs of Mandurah. We have lived here 7 years and love it.

 

The pluses for us are:

we can afford to live next to the beach

we are only an hour from Perth when we want to pop there.

We are close to Margaret River

we have a lot of little nice places around us such as Dwellingup or Harvey

We like the city - the Mandurah foreshore is stunning.

[portlaunay]

Fremantle is the centre of the known universe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and there aren't many poms

[Zebradeb]

Hi all

 

I'd be really grateful for some feedback to help choose an area to settle in. I know we should really find out for ourselves but we have young kids and would like some kind of idea to help with choosing schools etc as we don't want to settle them somewhere and then have to uproot them if it's completely wrong for us - so views from people on the ground would be fantastic.

 

In an ideal world we'd love to be close to a beach, although I'm sure that would be out of our budget in a lot of areas. Don't want to be too close to Perth - neither of us need to work in city. Flexible between new build and established. We'd like to be close to a decent secondary, although it's a few years before that will be an issue.

 

What are the thoughts on Mandurah and surrounding areas - I think it looks fantastic but the property seems suspiciously cheap compared to other areas - is there a reason for that other than the distance from Perth? Any thoughts on specific areas around there? Any knowledge of good/bad primary schools?

 

also, Rockingham, Secret Harbour, Joondalup - thoughts, pros and cons, good primary and secondary schools.

 

 

 

 

Thanks all

so to start with where you choose to live is a very personal thing. Everyone on here will pretty much tell you they are happy where they live and that probably doesnt help you much.

So things to consider are jobs and schools.

 

if you know roughly where you are going to be working, then you can pick a base which is within an acceptable travel range.

Or you may just go by schools in the first instance.

 

Either way, the very best thing would be to go and look at the area and get a feel. What suits someone else may not suit you but once you have narrowed it down, there will be people on here fore sure who will help you out with the finer details.

 

So schools wise. Depends on primary or secondary and ages. In the main, state (public here) are great at primaries. Its the secondary schools where the debate largely begins.

Check out the education thread for lots of advice on this aspect. Check websites of schools, VISIT and listen to the Principal... are they on the same page as you in terms of the education you want for your child? In my opinion Principals are KEY to the success of the school. Leadership is very important it provides direction for the school, the staff and the students.

 

Good luck with your choices.... its huge... but will be worth it in the end.

If you are thinking NOR, Alkimos is being built currently and along with it is a high school St James Anglican, that might be worth checking out if it suits the appropriate age group. It happens to be Private, but its quite a bus ride down to the closest Public School from there, which is another thing you will need to add into the mixing pot!

Good luck

[Monkey2645]

Thanks for the info everyone. I agree zebradeb it is such a personal thing and we won't know for sure until we get there. We're sorting out my husband's visa now and are aiming to arrive before the new school year but just want some idea of where to start - just Perth and the environs is a huge area and even just looking at a map at all the suburbs makes my brain hurt!

I agree about a principal being vital - hence why secondary options is a bit muh at the mo as a change in principal can send a great school hurtling and vice versa. But would be hoping that choosing somewhere near a good state school that has the sense to keep their principal might see us right! I find that schools that perform well but not exceptionally tend to also have good pastoral care, which is the most important aspect for me - I would want to avoid any schools (both primary and secondary) that are known for being very pushy academically.

Work for husband is an issue - we'd need to be a reasonable distance unless he's fifo - but won't know till he had a job which is unlikely to be before we arrive!! Work for me not so much - will be at uni for a couple of years but full time it's only 15 hours max per week so don't mind a couple of hour commute.

i feel like a circus act with everything balanced on everything else!!