Hi I am coming out from South Africa in July and my family will join me in September. I am trying to find out the right school for my 12 and 10 year old. Can someone give me feedback about North lakes State College? My children will be in Year 4 and Year 7 for the last term. Any advice would be much appreciated. I will be working at the Royal Brisbane Womens Hospital so what is the transport system like from North Lakes or surrounding areas?

Hi

Transport is woeful. Although I have never caught it myself here, in my mind you would not live here unless you had access to a car.

There is a very limited choice of schools here in North Lakes. There are two states schools and the one down the back (Bounty Blvd) is the better choice in my opinion as it has far less students and is primary only. The state school at the front of the suburb (North Lakes State School) is one of the biggest schools in Queensland according to the article in the Courier Mail on the weekend with around 2000 students.

Posted By MAK on 26-05-2009 09:14:21

(North Lakes State School) is one of the biggest schools in Queensland according to the article in the Courier Mail on the weekend with around 2000 students.

Make that over 3000 students and IS the biggest school in QLD but people have to remember that it is a P to 12 school with many different out of bound zones for students so it does not seem that big at all.

Hi Jacky,
Welcome. Other than the State Schools there is also The Lakes College. A small private school.
P-8 at the moment, growing each year.
SQUIRT

Wow! Don't the kids get lost in such a huge school then? With so many pupils how do the teachers know them!! I cannot believe how big the school is and they ahve only been opened a few years! How does assembly work in the morning?? Eisch, I am quite alarmed - 3000 children, seriously??

Wow! Don't the kids get lost in such a huge school then? With so many pupils how do the teachers know them!! I cannot believe how big the school is and they ahve only been opened a few years! How does assembly work in the morning?? Eisch, I am quite alarmed - 3000 children, seriously??

Posted By Jacky on 26-05-2009 16:33:07
Wow! Don't the kids get lost in such a huge school then? With so many pupils how do the teachers know them!! I cannot believe how big the school is and they ahve only been opened a few years! How does assembly work in the morning?? Eisch, I am quite alarmed - 3000 children, seriously??

As I said in an earlier post, the students have there own areas or out of bounds for other year levels.

Here is how the school is stuctured.
P to 3. Each of these year levels have there own eating areas and there own playgrounds. They share assembly times, sports carnivals, easter parade etc.
4 to 7. Share sports carnivals but assembly is broken up to 4's & 5's and 6's & 7's.
8 to 10. not excatly sure how high school works because I don't have any children in high school yet but I do know that some of the year 10's travel to the urban learning centre opposite Westfield behind the library.
11 to 12. All their schooling is done at the Urban Learning Centre. The students have access to the library and the basket ball courts at pathways leisure like it is part of their school.

Each breakup of the above has their own principal and deputy principals and Head of Departments etc and then they report to the college director who runs the whole school.

You need to remember that this is the local high school so every child who lives in North Lakes/Mango Hill will do there high school at North lakes State College if they choose to school through the state school system.

Alrighty then, that sounds alot better, thanks Baulko for all the advice!!
Are there private high schools close by as well? I saw the NL private college but it is only until Grade 7.

Hi Jacky,
You must have missed my first post above. The Lakes College is a Private school just down the road from NLSC. The school is presently P to year 8, and will eventually be P -12 by 2013.
Fabulous school. There are about 300 children from memory, at the moment.
SQUIRT

Hi again,
By the way good luck with the school decision, it must be very hard to decide when you are coming from another country.

Hi Jacky,
We are also from South Africa and live in North Lakes. My kids are also 12 and 10 and they go The Lakes College - a great private school! Feel free to go and talk to the Principal (Jeanette Fuller) when you arrive here - she would be happy to show you around and introduce you to the other South Africans in the school. I work in the CBD, so not sure about the transport to RBWH, but our school has a great after and before school care centre, so don't stress too much about work/kids at this stage. We also have vacation care in school holidays 7am - 6.30pm. North Lakes is a great area to live in and there are many good people around to help out....
M

Hi M, great to hear from you. Could you tell me how much you pay annually for this private school?? Also how long have you been in Oz and is the schooling really so different from ours. Our kids go to a great state school in JHB but I must say things are steadily going downhill with the high schools! My husband is going to be a stay at home dad until we are mroe settled, a sabbatical so to speak. The poor man needs it as he has been working his butt off for the last 10 years and needs a break. We are hoping to survive on my income alone as it seems okay but when we visited oin October we did notice that it is a b it more expensive than SA. In saying that though our prices here have escalated to such a point I think it is probably comparative to Oz!!
Anyway please do not hesitate to skinner some more as i would appreciate some response from someone who will be living in the same area as me. We are forever hearing about Sydney and Perth comparisons as that is where everyone we know comes from, but nothing for Brisbane! So Whoo Hoo for finally finding a South african in Brisbane:

Sorry just wanted to ad my email address if you would prefer that way clanvw@gmail.com

There are a few other private schools around, a couple of the semi local ones and their location are as follows:
OUR LADY OF THE WAY (Petrie, Catholic - prep to grade7)
ST BENEDICTS (Mango Hill, Catholic - prep to grade 4 - levelling out to grade 12 eventually)
NORTH PINE CHRISTIAN COLLEGE (Dakabin, Christian - prep to grade 12, with childcare facilities as well)

I have heard really great things about both Our Lady of the Way and North Pine Christian College.

We are planning to send our DD to Grace Lutheran College at Rothwell. We've had quite a few people say that it's a very good school. Anyone reading this have any opinions?

As a school captain of Grace College I can highly recommend it

Great school ... I want my girls to go there but my wife wants them to go to where she works ...

Hey Jacky,

My kids were in a private school in SA and their cousins were in a public school and my kids are now in Bounty Boulevard State School.

The schooling system in QLD is very different to SA's and in many respects is a little further behind when it comes to Maths, Science and English.

However they are normally better equipped and Bounty Boulevard is a really well layed out school.

I looked at the private schools and didn't walk away with the feeling that the money would be well spent sending my kids to private schools.

I am finding cost of living here to be way higher than SA especially when you are looking at eating out, take aways and clothing. Food is also a lot more but you can shop around for good bargains.

And don't worry you will find many many South African's in Brisbane and North Lakes specifically... not sure that's always a good thing though

Hi lazygamer Thanks for the input, will take it all into consideration. Make me feel a little better as I won't be able to afford private schooling for a while yet. Sure does seem like ther are quite a few Sa people around! I was hoping to be one of a few so that my kids could pick up the accent quick but it looks like Australia is like home away from home!