Single Mom Hoping to Move to Adelaide on 190/189 Visa

[proud]

Hi Everyone,

 

I am a Mom of a wonderful 12 year old boy, we are currently living in Ireland. My Son is an Australian citizen and he has an Australian passport. I was married to his Dad for 10 years before his Dad died suddenly. I really want to do the best for us and I feel a move to Oz would be a good move at this point in time.

I have started the process of applying for a Visa, Migration agent and English language test doe, just waiting for skill assessment. I am a little worried as I don't know if I will be able to support us as a single Mom in Adelaide ie 1 Wage! I have always worked and earned a good salary. I have savings over $25K. We have a comfortable life here and my son has everything he needs. Does anyone have an idea on what the minimum salary I would need to earn in Adelaide would be to cover us? (We have simple tastes) and how is the current job market for either Insurance professionals or Quality and compliance managers?

 

Would really appreciate any feedback, this forum is amazing

 

Thanks in Advance!!

Sarah.

[deryans]

EU passports are more valuable than Oz ones I'm afraid, Single mom with teenage child in adelaide is very risky in terms of employment, social health and the future of your boy, if you are comfortable in Ireland and relatively Ok, I'd stay put, Adelaide has a very poor track record of state and local leadership, they're basically inept and/or corrupt, http://indaily.com.au/opinion/2015/07/24/abraham-creating-hope-but-not-jobs/

 

http://indaily.com.au/opinion/2015/07/17/abraham-sa-floats-gently-through-crisis/

 

Can't you try NSW or VIC ?

 

There is a reason that SA is offering reduced criteria entry visa's on the SC190. Ask yourself why.

[Blossom]

Wow. It's not that bad here! Are you going for a perminent visa or a temporary one? If pr you will get some financial help from centerlink straight away. Family tax benefit a and possibly b. Rent assistance too. You might be elligable for parenting payments until you find a job also, but I'm not sure if that is one of the ones you have to have been resident for two years to get.

If you can get a cheap rental then I would think you could manage on even minimum wage if you don't have expensive tastes. It's certainly doable.

[proud]

Hi Blossom,

 

I am applying for PR. Thanks for the info. I will look into the above but I hope I don't have to when it comes to it!

 

It does seem that Adelaide is going through a difficult time but so is Ireland and I am hoping things will improve as they are here.

[proud]

Hi Deryans,

 

Thanks for your post. I am aware that things are tough for a lot of people in Adelaide at the moment, its a sad situation. I had a choice between Adelaide and NT and chose Adelaide as I have family there. I also have a lot of close family in NSW. I plan to give Adelaide a fair go and if it doesnt work out for us we might be able to move to NSW.

Its a big move but my head is telling me if I don't try I will regret it !

[deryans]

Ah if you have family it's certainly should be easier, I honestly could not nor would not recommend adelaide to you if you had no family there as that would be difficult for a single mum, I know ireland well, was educated there and still have family there, never worked there, there are strong parallels with the run-down towns in Ireland that are failing to thrive and Adelaide, some places are booming in Ireland, others not, same story in Australia, one trick towns (mining and or some such) are being hit quite hard, the issue with adelaide is lack of diversification over the last 15-20 years, they have just simply not moved on to where they should have, thus significant net emigration of (people who have skills, drive and ambition) concentrate the people left behind who do not have the same skills or seek to gain employ through mates , it's a shame to see families come here with their hard earned money only to find it a closed and quite backward place in some respects almost quite similar to the small mindedness of many small towns in Ireland.

 

There is a lot of talk on what's a suitable job, if you are a carpenter or a plumber or a tradesman, you'll generally be OK, but you'd generally be Ok anywhere with those skills, sadly there is just not enough corporates who based themselves in adelaide (many site the lack of talent who have moved out, vicious circle), but if you are in insurance, I'd have a damn good look first before committing, i'd see if you can do all the PR docs stuff before you come and if you have family in both SA and NSW, why not try both, just remember , you cannot eat the sun and your boy comes first, you must think of what he will do careerwise, I took my three out of adelaide and w're back in London for that simple reason, no future in adelaide for my family

[proud]

The Irish education system is very good but I think Australia may offer a more balanced and modern education system. I live in a very rural area and although it was a fantastic and healing option at the time when my spouse passed in 2006, I now feel we are now limited in many ways. I was able to work from home with my office across the road from my sons school. I could watch him play during lunch while I worked. I was truly blessed, I managed to get a mortgage and buy a lovely home for us but in 2013 I was made redundant after a 14 year career with a global insurance company.

So I find myself in my 40's with the desire to move to Australia where my son is a citizen and where I have many happy memories. Adelaide is my only realistic option visa wise but I do see us living in Sydney in a few years (My son will thrive there I hope). The best case scenario is getting some experience in the industry in Adelaide and then a transfer to Sydney.

I have looked at the job prospects in Adelaide and they don't look good but I have been in the same situation here.. nothing posted on job sites etc. It is possible to get something wherever you are with determination, getting contacted and the ability to sell yourself. I also will not be moving unless I have PR, to do otherwise would be reckless.

 

 

 

Wish me luck!

[NicF]

Don't write Adelaide off because of the postings of one rather disillusioned individual. It's fair to say that Adelaide is not for everyone and the job market is tough but there are still jobs here and lots of people are happy living here. Housing in Adelaide is far cheaper than housing in Sydney meaning you don't need to earn as much to live comfortably. I'm not a single parent but we have supported our family of four on single incomes when we first moved over. If you choose your rental carefully so you are not paying too much it would be easy to live on a single income, especially with any family tax benefits you could claim.

[proud]

Thanks NicF, That is really encouraging!! I think if it worked in Adelaide I would be happier there as I am not a huge fan of big cities. From what I have researched of Adelaide I think it would be super. I did take a trip there a few years ago and I really liked the small town feel. I agree that rentals are about 1/3 of the price of Sydney. What price PW would you see reasonable rent for me in Adelaide.? I am thinking an apartment to start with. Say $250-$300?

My only real worry is the job market as I have been reading through posts here and the majority do say that the job market is extremely difficult. I wont let that stop me but it is a worry.

Thanks again for your input, I really appreciate it.

[NicF]

Rent in Adelaide can vary quite a lot depending on where you are. Generally the closer to the city the more expensive and the cheaper areas are usually cheap for a reason - either due to distance to CBD or due to being a more disadvantaged area. I haven't rented in over 18 months so I'm a bit out of touch with the rental market but if you have a look on realestate.com.au you will be able to see what you can get for that kind of price range.

 

The thing with job markets is they can be very different for very different job areas. Even at the same point in time two people looking for the same kind of job can have very different experiences. It's impossible to say how you will find it until you actually try. There is plenty of advice on here about how to go about getting a job but the main thing is to remember your application is very important and is your chance to sell yourself.

[deryans]

Don't write Adelaide off because of the postings of one rather disillusioned individual. It's fair to say that Adelaide is not for everyone and the job market is tough but there are still jobs here and lots of people are happy living here. Housing in Adelaide is far cheaper than housing in Sydney meaning you don't need to earn as much to live comfortably. I'm not a single parent but we have supported our family of four on single incomes when we first moved over. If you choose your rental carefully so you are not paying too much it would be easy to live on a single income, especially with any family tax benefits you could claim.

 

Nicf,

 

a lot of advice there, including tax, income and rental and most of it conjecture.

 

are you sure all you say will stack up ? We found Adelaide just as expensive as sydney and with far far less work, and that is from our experience in both cities, you have not lived in Sydney, so I have to ask, why the sell sell sell on a place that is clearly just not cutting the grade and people are leaving the state.

 

It takes courage and integrity to say you made a mistake, I made a huge mistake by moving to adelaide, I am communicating to others what happened to us, disillusioned maybe, maybe not but what you are saying is clearly untrue, there are significant issues with Adelaide and these are just not limited to poor employment choices, there are fundamental underlying issues that willl take a generation (s) to be addressed.

[Blossom]

I spent 6 months living in Sydney. Prices are similar for most things, except rent. And as rent Is by far my highest outgoing in Adelaide, in Sydney where it would be far more than double for the same place, yes, it's more expensive.

On tv the other day they were saying the median house price in Sydney is now over $1m, over $100k more than London and $550k odd more than Adelaide.

 

I don't believe Adelaide is great for kids, and does have the same opportunities as the UK, but I believe that for the whole of Australia. I often consider moving back to the UK (although I wouldn't) but I really don't think Adelaide is that pricey to live, if you are careful. And jobs also are not that hard to find if you are happy to do anything.

[NicF]

Nicf,

 

a lot of advice there, including tax, income and rental and most of it conjecture.

 

are you sure all you say will stack up ? We found Adelaide just as expensive as sydney and with far far less work, and that is from our experience in both cities, you have not lived in Sydney, so I have to ask, why the sell sell sell on a place that is clearly just not cutting the grade and people are leaving the state.

 

It takes courage and integrity to say you made a mistake, I made a huge mistake by moving to adelaide, I am communicating to others what happened to us, disillusioned maybe, maybe not but what you are saying is clearly untrue, there are significant issues with Adelaide and these are just not limited to poor employment choices, there are fundamental underlying issues that willl take a generation (s) to be addressed.

 

 

Yes I'm sure the comments about tax, income and rental will stack up. We supported a family of four on an income of $85k a year and then on $54k a year, claiming family tax benefits at the time and paying rent of $420 a week and interest on a small mortgage on a block of land. It was a struggle on $54k but comfortable on $85k, although the difference was largely due to the way the tax benefits worked out with both of us working for a bit in the financial year. The OP is a single parent family and should be able to find something suitable to rent for much less than we were paying as long as she doesn't choose to live in one of the most expensive suburbs in Adelaide. Being a single parent she will also be entitled to both family tax benefit A and B as long as she is earning under the means tested amount.

 

And no, I've never lived in Sydney but that doesn't mean I can't search realestate for rentals to see what the rental prices are like. Nothing I have said is untrue. Some of it may be my opinion but just because yours is different doesn't make mine wrong.

[Rabeah]

Rent in Syndey has gone through the roof, skyrocketing in comparison to Adelaide since many years.

 

Like Blossom said prices are mostly the same for most items - Aldi groceries, water, electricity, registration for a car even cheaper! - but renting/mortgage repayments makes the biggest portion of any payments in Sydney residents have to make and it's so ridiculous expensive and will eat up savings like a house on fire!

 

I have heaps of relatives in Sydney who own outright properties after tens of years and hubby and me never considered to move there after we've compared rental charges in both cities.

And it's not only the price difference moreover the competition on the rental market is absolutely stressful, dozens of applicants turning up for the same rental and often tenants only get a rat trap in the inner city circle and for really good accommodation you've to move far away to the outskirts of Sydney and even in Western Sydney/Blacktown you find that overpriced houses/units!

 

The positive side of Sydney is that you would get far more vacancies jobwise and more efficient public transport.

 

Personally, I don't like the humidity in summer in Sydney/NSW (27 degrees there feel like 34 degrees in Adelaide) I prefer Adelaide's/SA dry climate but that's a personal choice as well.

[proud]

Blossom - Why do you say that Adelaide or Australia isn't great for kids? Im hoping that was a typo lol!!

[Blossom]

Blossom - Why do you say that Adelaide or Australia isn't great for kids? Im hoping that was a typo lol!!

Firstly, for small kids, there are SO many more places to take them and do things in the UK. And the quality of those places is much higher. It's not Adelaide's fault, they just don't have the same amount of people justify the amount of money it would take to make better quality places.

Sure there are beaches here. Which is fine if you like beaches. And there are walks, but there are in the UK too.

Clubs etc seem to be mega expensive here too (but I haven't looked to see how much they would cost in the UK now).

Older kids I don't feel have the same career options as they would in the UK.

 

And by far the most worrying for me is how many late teens die in car accidents. Infact, not even just teens. I know one person in the UK who has lost someone in a car accident, and that's after living most my life there. Here I have personally witnessed so many people touched by fatal car accidents. I have been there when people have actually found out about three separate deaths, and there have been a fair few more that I know people affected by.

 

I often wonder if bringing my little girl up here is the best I could give her. :-/

[NicF]

Firstly, for small kids, there are SO many more places to take them and do things in the UK. And the quality of those places is much higher. It's not Adelaide's fault, they just don't have the same amount of people justify the amount of money it would take to make better quality places.

Sure there are beaches here. Which is fine if you like beaches. And there are walks, but there are in the UK too.

Clubs etc seem to be mega expensive here too (but I haven't looked to see how much they would cost in the UK now).

Older kids I don't feel have the same career options as they would in the UK.

 

And by far the most worrying for me is how many late teens die in car accidents. Infact, not even just teens. I know one person in the UK who has lost someone in a car accident, and that's after living most my life there. Here I have personally witnessed so many people touched by fatal car accidents. I have been there when people have actually found out about three separate deaths, and there have been a fair few more that I know people affected by.

 

I often wonder if bringing my little girl up here is the best I could give her. :-/

 

It's funny isn't it but I disagree almost completely. To me there never seemed to be anything to do with the kids in the UK. No local parks we could walk to, only a small patch of grass with a playground and even that was taken out a few years before we moved as the local residents didn't like all the local teens hanging out there in the evenings. Where we were there was very little in the way of sporting clubs that the kids were interested in locally. The only activities the kids did were after school things and there weren't that many of them either. We were mostly stuck with play cafes that would get really busy and were not pleasant to be in on weekends. Here there are playgrounds practically on ever street corner (okay, that's an exaggeration but there are a lot more than the UK), we have three local outdoor pools to choose from in the warmer months, the school oval is open outside of school hours for use by the kids and we have a conservation park just a short walk from our door. My kids have been able to get involved with Athletics, football and cricket teams and there are plenty of after school activities they could choose to do. We hardly ever go to the beach except for holidays so I don't count the beach as something to do either. I've found childcare for school aged children here to be much easier to source as it is provided at the school. I also like the fact that the kids stay in primary school up to the end of year 7.

 

I find the whole career options for kids thing a bit of a red herring as well. If we expect our kids to stay in the same town they grew up in then Adelaide has as many, if not far more, career options than my old home town had. But I don't expect my kids to stay here. I expect them to go off to where ever the best place for them to pursue the career they want would be. Both myself and my OH moved away from our home towns for work once we had finished Uni to start and advance our careers and I expect the same from my kids. The restriction of opportunities is one of attitude and not location.

 

I do agree that the statistic for car accidents deaths are higher in Australia than in the UK but one persons personal experience, as tragic as it may be, is not necessarily a reflection on the true reality of the risk. I know of far more people that have been injured or died in car accidents in the UK than I do here but I don't consider that to show that it is more dangerous in the UK.

 

Our experiences of a place will depend a lot on where we came from, what our personal previous experiences are and what we want from life. There is no perfect place and often one place is not perfect for all stages of our lives. What suits one will not suit another and in terms of bringing up children everywhere has issues and our job as parents is to try and help our children navigate through the pitfalls in life as best we can.

[Shenton82]

As well as all you've said I really would complete the visa process yourself. It's relatively simple and will save you around £4000 as agents just rip you off. If you can fill a form easily enough you can do this yourself. You don't need an agent!!

 

People can can slag off SA but I'm going there in October. If you want something badly enough you can do it :-)

[Lily Rainbow]

Its not really slagging off Shenton,more like telling you how it is.Best get used to that too,aussies are usually straight up with what they think!

[proud]

As well as all you've said I really would complete the visa process yourself. It's relatively simple and will save you around £4000 as agents just rip you off. If you can fill a form easily enough you can do this yourself. You don't need an agent!!

 

People can can slag off SA but I'm going there in October. If you want something badly enough you can do it :-)

 

In regards to the visa it really does depend on the individual circumstances and your career, work history etc. I thought for years that I wouldn't be eligible but my lawyer has shown me a way. I would never have made the decision without his advice.

[proud]

I havent got it yet mind!!

[proud]

I would have thought the same. We spend so much time indoors because its cold and damp. I imagine more sport and outdoor life. We both get little pleasure from the cold. Its almost August here and its still on average 14 degrees every day. Its actually depressing as we spend all winter looking forward to summer and it doesn't actually arrive or if it does its for a month tops. I know we can't eat the sun as another posted said and it often gets too hot but it certainly makes the simple pleasures in life a whole lot better.

[pinback]

Hi Proud,

 

The job market in Adelaide is pretty bad right now, generally. Though I don't know about your specific area. I'm from an IT background and I've been looking for 10 months. A mate has got me some casual work, a day here, a day there, but that's it. It's hard to get low skilled work just to get by on, because everyone is after that kind of work.

 

 

Which is a shame, because Adelaide is great city to live in. It's a good size, not too big, not too small. Beautiful hills on one side, great beaches on the other. I have experience of all the Australian state capitals from being here on a working holiday visa many years ago, and I reckon Adelaide is the nicest place to live and raise a family. There might not be as many 'attractions' to visit with kids as back in the UK (where I'm from), but the outdoor activities you can do are limitless. Swimming, cycling, kayaking, bush walking, fishing, whatever. Doing outdoor stuff was what I liked most as a kid. You visited 'attractions' just to get yourself out of the rain. So what if there's no Blackpool Pleasure Beach, you can actually swim in the sea here.

 

It's possible to live fairly cheaply. I'm paying $290 a week for a three bedroom house in a reasonable suburb, 20 min walk from the tram that runs between the bay and the city centre. Groceries tend to be more expensive than the UK, in theory, but it's possible to find special offers all the time, so in reality, not really more expensive in my experience. Petrol is about half the price, if you shop around. Utilities, kind of similar to the UK. Houses here are really badly insulated. My house is anyway. It's freezing right now. I expect my electric bill will be large this quarter.

 

In conclusion, Adelaide is, theoretically, an awesome place to live, in my opinion, but the job market is terrible. It's driving me nuts. I got sponsored by SA, so I'm supposed to live here for two years. If I can't get a job before too long, I'll have to see about looking in Melbourne or something. Which I don't want to do, as I don't really want to live in Melbourne. I want to live in Sydney less than Melbourne. And I want to go back to the UK even less than that.

 

With the job market like it is, and being a single mother, I think you'd be taking a really big risk coming to Adelaide right now. You could blow through $25k pretty quick just setting yourself up. If you get a PR visa, one like mine anyway, you've got a year to get here to validate it, and another four years in which you can come and go as you please, after which you can't get back in, if you leave. If you're really set on Australia, and it has to be Adelaide, I'd advise, getting your visa, then start applying for jobs from Ireland. Before the first year runs out, fly over on a three week 'fact finding' trip/holiday, validate your visa, then fly back. You've then got 4 more years in which you could keep applying for jobs in SA, save money, get some more skills and job experience, and hopefully the job market will pick up in that time.

 

No harm in getting the visa anyway. I used an agent. Money well spent in my opinion. Took the sting out of it, and helped me avoid some pit falls I would have fallen into otherwise.

 

I hope it all works out!

[proud]

Hi Proud,

 

The job market in Adelaide is pretty bad right now, generally. Though I don't know about your specific area. I'm from an IT background and I've been looking for 10 months. A mate has got me some casual work, a day here, a day there, but that's it. It's hard to get low skilled work just to get by on, because everyone is after that kind of work.

 

 

Which is a shame, because Adelaide is great city to live in. It's a good size, not too big, not too small. Beautiful hills on one side, great beaches on the other. I have experience of all the Australian state capitals from being here on a working holiday visa many years ago, and I reckon Adelaide is the nicest place to live and raise a family. There might not be as many 'attractions' to visit with kids as back in the UK (where I'm from), but the outdoor activities you can do are limitless. Swimming, cycling, kayaking, bush walking, fishing, whatever. Doing outdoor stuff was what I liked most as a kid. You visited 'attractions' just to get yourself out of the rain. So what if there's no Blackpool Pleasure Beach, you can actually swim in the sea here.

 

It's possible to live fairly cheaply. I'm paying $290 a week for a three bedroom house in a reasonable suburb, 20 min walk from the tram that runs between the bay and the city centre. Groceries tend to be more expensive than the UK, in theory, but it's possible to find special offers all the time, so in reality, not really more expensive in my experience. Petrol is about half the price, if you shop around. Utilities, kind of similar to the UK. Houses here are really badly insulated. My house is anyway. It's freezing right now. I expect my electric bill will be large this quarter.

 

In conclusion, Adelaide is, theoretically, an awesome place to live, in my opinion, but the job market is terrible. It's driving me nuts. I got sponsored by SA, so I'm supposed to live here for two years. If I can't get a job before too long, I'll have to see about looking in Melbourne or something. Which I don't want to do, as I don't really want to live in Melbourne. I want to live in Sydney less than Melbourne. And I want to go back to the UK even less than that.

 

With the job market like it is, and being a single mother, I think you'd be taking a really big risk coming to Adelaide right now. You could blow through $25k pretty quick just setting yourself up. If you get a PR visa, one like mine anyway, you've got a year to get here to validate it, and another four years in which you can come and go as you please, after which you can't get back in, if you leave. If you're really set on Australia, and it has to be Adelaide, I'd advise, getting your visa, then start applying for jobs from Ireland. Before the first year runs out, fly over on a three week 'fact finding' trip/holiday, validate your visa, then fly back. You've then got 4 more years in which you could keep applying for jobs in SA, save money, get some more skills and job experience, and hopefully the job market will pick up in that time.

 

No harm in getting the visa anyway. I used an agent. Money well spent in my opinion. Took the sting out of it, and helped me avoid some pit falls I would have fallen into otherwise.

 

I hope it all works out!

 

That is very sensible advise, thank you so much for the consideration that you have put into the response. I have seen so many posts about the lack of jobs in Adelaide and that is not something that puts me at ease at all. I hope things improve in 2016! I will re access then as my visa wont be granted (if) until then anyway. I have relatives who work in the financial services industry in Adelaide, so maybe that will help me.

 

To put it into context as to why I am considering uprooting ourselves from what is a comfortable life:

 

My Sister is in Sydney so even if I give it a go in Adelaide I really would hope to move there after a while.

My sons Grandparents live there as well and are amazing and visit us every second year in Ireland but they are getting older now. We also go back and forth and it is the highlight of our year.

Both my parents have passed so we have most of our close family in Oz.

I could also earn a very good wage there and support ourselves, although a step down from the detached house in the countryside I have now to a 2 bed unit in the suburbs (but Northern Suburbs at least:). I did live in Sydney for 3 years from 96-99, an age ago but I am aware of current rental rates.

 

I feel Australia would offer my son many more options in all areas of life and more contact with family. He is already a high achiever (top 2% in English and Maths) so I think he could have a very successful life in Oz. Not that academia is everything, he has an awesome personality as well and is emotionally intelligent beyond his years.

 

So, thats why I want to move to OZ!

[deryans]

That is very sensible advise, thank you so much for the consideration that you have put into the response. I have seen so many posts about the lack of jobs in Adelaide and that is not something that puts me at ease at all. I hope things improve in 2016! I will re access then as my visa wont be granted (if) until then anyway. I have relatives who work in the financial services industry in Adelaide, so maybe that will help me.

 

To put it into context as to why I am considering uprooting ourselves from what is a comfortable life:

 

My Sister is in Sydney so even if I give it a go in Adelaide I really would hope to move there after a while.

My sons Grandparents live there as well and are amazing and visit us every second year in Ireland but they are getting older now. We also go back and forth and it is the highlight of our year.

Both my parents have passed so we have most of our close family in Oz.

I could also earn a very good wage there and support ourselves, although a step down from the detached house in the countryside I have now to a 2 bed unit in the suburbs (but Northern Suburbs at least:). I did live in Sydney for 3 years from 96-99, an age ago but I am aware of current rental rates.

 

I feel Australia would offer my son many more options in all areas of life and more contact with family. He is already a high achiever (top 2% in English and Maths) so I think he could have a very successful life in Oz. Not that academia is everything, he has an awesome personality as well and is emotionally intelligent beyond his years.

 

So, thats why I want to move to OZ!

 

 

Moving to Oz is quite a different thing to moving to adelaide, The eastern seaboard has effectively the two largest cities and thus the largest market in financial services, IT, innovation and corporates, they have invested in infrastructure, training and a capability to grow, not all of it great, but at least they have had the vision some decades back to commence. Adelaide and SA sadly, for whatever smug reason you'll here whispered by the royal adelaidians, did not. They are now paying for that lack of vision terribly and they (the state government and indeed Adelaide Businesses , are quiet clearly spooked, they have run out of options, ) The influx of immigrants (i.e. we need more people) is really akin to trench warfare, the first number of waves will fail, spend their money and leave disenchanted, this cycle will go on for a number of years until SA pulls itself out of the mire it is in, but this will take a half a decade or more, so we are realistically looking at 2020, or indeed 2022, can you survive on a low income earning basic wage until that happens ? I could not, we left before we bled out in financial terms, and we're doing Ok here in the UK with the deposit we saved.

I simply weep for people who don't have the option and chose adelaide as a final destination, they have clearly been sold a lie.

 

My advice for you and your boy is to try sydney, we lived there for 8 years and it was superb, we tried adelaide for 3 and it almost financially broke us, additionally , the variation in competence you will see amongst school teachers is vast, some are great, some should retire, if your boy is bright , he will strruggle with the "presentee-ism" teachers, and thive with the good ones, keep a careful watch, he's at the teen critical years (I know, I've a 7, 11 and 13 year old) and we pulled them from a number of schools until we decided to go private, still did not protect the younger ones from incompetence