Christies Beach or not?

[Bubbles]

So when we visited Adelaide April 2015 we spent a lot of time in Christies Beach and fell in love with the area, the beach and the cafes. However I have 2 children to consider (13 & 10) and need to consider schooling.

 

I have read plenty of negative posts re Christies Beach HS and not much in the way that is positive. We did also look at areas such as Hallet Cove, Seafield Heights, Aldinga Beach and Aberfoyle Park.

 

I am not decided on the whole hills or beach living, I have never lived anywhere under a 90 minute drive from a beach so it would be nice to give it a try. We also like to walk to local parks and to the local shops rather than taking a car and therefore Hallet Cove lost points due to the steepness of some of the hills.

 

I appreciate that all areas have good and bad parts and that there is crime everywhere.

 

I guess what I am looking for is any recent or positive feedback on Christies Beach High? I have friends who have children at Hallet Cove R-12 and are very positive about it.

 

I know we could still have a look around when we do arrive in October but that was what last years trip was about however it has left me confused. I can however say that at no point did I ever feel like I was in an area that I would never consider and was really pleased with everywhere we saw. Is there any areas that should be avoided at all costs?

 

Thanks

[snifter]

Keep in mind walking to local shops from home may well be a non starter in the warmer months unless you live within a few minutes walking distance. Or go early in the morning or later in the evening.

 

You could live anywhere in Adelaide or even up in the hills somewhere and still be under 90 minutes from the coast.

[flossybeth]

You could live in Christie's Beach and send your children to schools out of the area, or if you were to consider private Cardijn College or Woodcroft are both close enough.

 

Although as Snifter says you'd have to be a long way away to be 90 minutes from the beach anywhere in Adelaide - even places like Gawler in the north or Mount Barker up in the hills would still be less than an hour.

[snifter]

State high schools are zoned though so keep in mind you would not be certain to secure a place at a high school in another zone. You would need to contact schools to see if they will take from outside the zone.

Edited July 6, 2016 by snifter
typo

[NicF]

Ditto the above about not being 90 minutes from the beach anywhere in Adelaide. We seem to have picked a suburb that is really difficult to get to the beach from - no direct roads and have to go through the middle of the city or all the way around the outside - and we can still make it in 45 minutes. 50 tops even with traffic and all the lights being against us.

 

I can't comment on Christies Beach High School as south of Unley was never on our radar (too far from family) but have a good look on the http://www.myschool.edu.au website for some facts and figures about the school and also have a good look on the school's own website. If you can find the context statement this can give you a feel for the direction the school is heading. Also reading newsletters and letters sent home can give you a bit of a feel for the school. As a rule schools are a reflection of the areas they are in but things like high staff turnover and reducing enrollments can point to greater problems with the school and it's leadership.

[snifter]

NicF has posted a good link and suggestions.

 

FWIW I'd visited Adelaide a fair few times before moving here. My husband is from here. And we thought we had a pretty good idea of where we wanted to settle in the long term. 7 months in and we had done a huge about turn and opted to move from the metropolitan area up into the hills on the very edge of open fields, space and farmland.

 

Don't feel you have to settle where you start off or can't change your mind once you are here, If you are moving the other side of the world, you want to ensure you are happy with where you choose to live in the long term so don't put pressure on yourself to get it right straight away. Some people settle where they start off, others don't and move to neighbouring suburbs or further away for whatever reason.

 

Our main reason for settling where we have was we fell in love with the area, it has good facilities and is very quiet and away from things. But we are only 30 mins from the CBD, 10-15 or so from the beach and in an area with what we feel are very good schools. We started off in Gllenelg, minutes from the beach but it soon lost its appeal to us/me for longer term living. As lovely as it is in many ways, it just wasn't for us and so we moved areas, moved schools and have not looked back. I did worry a bit about changing schools but for us, it went really smoothly and the new school is far better than our previous one where we started off.

[victoriasquare]

i agree with snifter, keep your options open. With this in mind it is probably better to rent for a while to get to know Adelaide. It has a big area compared with UK cities, and reconnaissance in many areas is well worth while.