Primary School Advice needed!!!

[hillyers]

Hi,

We are hopefully coming over to live beginning 2012 when (and if!) my visa is granted. Have 2 kids (5 and 1) and aussie husband and we're planning on moving in with in-laws for about a year before buying own home.

My dilemma is this.... in-laws have lovely home but its in Smithfield Plains and am very reluctant to put 5 yr old son in a local primary school as worried about area. On internet we've been looking for affordable housing and quite like salisbury heights, so son will need to commute for a time.

Is this realistic?

Are there any other nice areas where we could afford to buy? (Modbury bit expensive, Elizabeth too cheap and daggy!! just learnt that word!) would be looking for 3 bed house with garden

Would need to be near-ish to in-laws but far enough away that they couldn't 'pop by'.......hmmm

And don't want to uproot son from school after initially moving over so needs to be near-ish to smithfield plains

Not bothered about being near sea or swimming pool etc.

 

Any advice really welcome......

 

Visa has been submitted, medical booked Weds 17th August, been told 5-6mnths to process.....woohooo!

[snifter]

Can't offer much but wanted to wish you luck.

 

I know we are looking into our move and school for our son and have similar concerns. The primary school I'd like to send him to is a zoned school and we will be living outside the zone to begin with. And we don't want to send him to one school for a year or so in Glenelg to then have to pull him out once we are living in the area for the other school zone. The bigger picture is we want to also be in the right area for the senior school zone (if for some reason we don't go private then) and the primary zone will fall within that. Unless we can stay in Glenelg long term and then I won't mind him not going to the zoned school elsewhere so much.

[True Blue Aussie]

Yikes! I hope you get on well with your in-laws!

 

I'd be trying to find a place to rent. Living with in-laws for a year (!). Wow, that would be difficult I would think, on both sides.

 

Good luck!

[RockDr]

Have to say I agree with True Blue Aussie, a whole year with the in-laws? A month or two maybe, to have time to find your feet and look for somewhere to stay. Is there a reason you can't buy now rather than in a year's time?

 

edit to add: more to the point, where are you/OH going to be working? it's a bl**dy long commute from Smithfield plains to the CBD...

[hillyers]

Yes, I know a year with in-laws, but people I am trying to be positive!!!! And there is always red wine!!!

Can't buy now due to lack of cash and jobs, only been renting in the UK as we can't afford to get on property ladder... looking to save for deposit.

Just heard intake runs from May in SA, is that right and how strict are they on these zones....

 

Will need to make friends asap to help with stress of in-laws...feel free to invite us to bbq, we are quite nice, apologise now for Husband :0)....

[hillyers]

Not looked at jobs yet, I'm an apprentice hairdresser and OH does utilities, what's the CBD? How far is Salisbury from Smithfield...far enough???

[Rachiegarlo]

At the moment schools have 4 intakes at the start of each term and your child can start the term after they are 5. If 5 already your child can enrol as soon as you get here. In 2014 the system is changing to one entry in January. To start in January, your child must be 5 by April 30th. Most primary schools aren't strict about their zones unless they are getting full. Quite a lot of children attend a primary that is not their local due to parents, workplace etc. Salisbury is about 15 mins from Smithfield Plains. The city centre is the CBD, it's about 40 mins from Smithfield Plains.

[tinkertailerdog]

When you say OH does utilities, what area is that? The electricity distributer SA is ETSA, water is SA Water, gas (several), voice (several, though main is Telstra). If your OH need any pointers / contacts for ETSA let me know and i can do some digging around (i'm a Consulting engineer and work quite closely with ETSA, not so much the other utility providers).

 

James

[Diane]

She doesn't post very often any more but there is a lovely lady called Jo who lives in Salisbury Heights, and she used to put up some very useful threads with lots of links about education options round there. You could try a search for some of her past posts: I think this is her user name: http://www.pomsinadelaide.com/forum/member.php?u=1042 IMHO Salisbury Heights and Salisbury Park are the nicest Salisbury suburbs.

 

Alternatively, you could look at any of the North Eastern suburbs, which would be about 20-30 minutes drive from Smithfield (known locally by the way as "smifffeeld - said in your best east london accent"!) or somewhere like Mawson Lakes. Northeastern suburbs you could look at are Golden Grove, Greenwith, Wynn Vale, Modbury, Fairview Park, Tea Tree Gully, St Agnes... OH used to cycle from here to Elizabeth which took about 40 mins, and Smithfield is not much further.

 

Alternatively you could look at Craigmore type of area - this member lives out that way I think and is always very helpful: http://www.pomsinadelaide.com/forum/member.php?u=1549 I am not sure about travelling distances from there but I'm sure she'll be able to help, or you could look at the RAA Route Planner for distances/time http://www.raa.com.au/maps/

 

HTH

[hillyers]

Thanks, he does gas at the mo, have emailed Envestra but no reply as yet. He can do cable laying and has qualifications for that over here (streetworks etc). Can also do water mains...any help or contacts would be appreciated! Kylie

[hillyers]

Hi, replied to post but went further down, still getting used to site )

[Guest natstar]

To be honest, Smithfield Plains is one of the poorest areas in Adelaide. The schools there have a category rating of 1 which means the schools are incredibly complex. Another forum member suggested Modbury/ Modbury North. Its much safer. Its about 20 minutes from Smithfield but its worth it. Median house prices in Modbury are about 330K

[hillyers]

I know its rough, visited approx. 6 yrs ago. Not looking forward to area that much, but means to an end and the bigger picture and all that. In-laws have lovely house there and are saying area is going under a re-generation programme...is this just a ploy?? liked Modbury, just concerned about being able to afford in the area, can I get son into a Modbury school whilst living (temporarily ) in Smithfield?

[Guest natstar]

I know its rough, visited approx. 6 yrs ago. Not looking forward to area that much, but means to an end and the bigger picture and all that. In-laws have lovely house there and are saying area is going under a re-generation programme...is this just a ploy?? liked Modbury, just concerned about being able to afford in the area, can I get son into a Modbury school whilst living (temporarily ) in Smithfield?

 

You will be able to get your son into most Primary schools in Modbury. Here are a list of schools in the northern district. Cut and paste into your browser:

 

http://www.decs.sa.gov.au/locs/pages/default/

 

From there click into 'search by location or name'

Type in Modbury for the suburb. If you would like to browse by map, click on that section then select Northern Adelaide.

 

There is not really a 'zone' for primary schools unless they are 'full'. PM me if you would like further info on particular schools, as I know our school has vacancies.