Quote:
Originally Posted by KiwiHopeful
All we needed to do was bring our passports and a copy of our rental agreement to register our son for school. .
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It differs so much doesn't it? The primary school we wanted Poppy to go to accepted her straight away even though we are at least 20 min drive away and we didn't have WP's or anything to show them, they didn't even ask for passport or rental info. Poppy is only 5. School is decile 9.
The school we wanted Charlie (12) to go to was completely different though. They won't even offer us a place until we've moved into the catchment zone and they've seen our work permits. The school is also decile 9.
We looked round other schools as well and we didn't just choose these schools for their rating. Defo the higher rated schools have more facilities for the kids to use. They also seem to offer more in the way of out of school/after school activities. Both of the schools also were heavily into encouraging this risk-taking thing and did lots of things to encourage the kids to take responsibility for themselves and their day. Coming from a country where the nanny state likes to make everyones decisions for them including what they're allowed to wear, eat, read, learn, say and what future careers they decide to slant the curriculum towards, I found this highly motivating. The arts were also highly visible throughout all aspects of school, the children seemed happy and enthusiastic. Arts were included in my kids school in the UK only when they had time to fit it in and neither Charlie nor Poppy were either happy nor enthusiastic.
And KH you are so right, parents who are right up their own arse about education are the same ones that drive their kids to school in their BMW's every morning and pull up on the double yellow lines right in front of the gates jeopardising other kids safety because they think the rules don't apply to them. And the same ones who'll donate money if they get a mention in the school newsletter for it but won't donate their time getting their hands dirty making stuff or coming to footy matches early to get the nets up.