Canberra Primary Schools

Dunno if this is too late, but one of my kids has just finished year 6 at Kaleen Primary. It’s a great school with a truly outstanding Principal in Grace Dunlop, and a collection of fine teachers. One of my friends likes it so much he takes his kids there from Ngunnawal, which is a helluva drive.

Can’t recommend it highly enough.

Thank you all so much for your feedback. It all makes for interesting reading. I agree the home environment is most important – but it’s still great to feel like I am going in with a bit of background to the school eg about Lyneham Primary’s focus on the arts…

I’m so impressed with the speed and quality of all your comments, will have to ask further questions about other Canberra issues as our move draws nearer.

dtc said :

One benefit of private schools is that the overall quality of teaching is higher, because the lower end teachers dont get to stay.

Seriously? So what exactly is a lower end teacher? I’m sorry but it is the attitude that private schools are better than public schools that is damaging our public school system. There is no evidence to suggest that students receive a “better” education at private schools. Canberra has an excellent public school system full of excellent educators.

Maribyrnong Primary

We took our kids out of Wanniassa Hills Primary as well. They weren’t terribly naughty or academic geniuses. They were middle of the range and just fell between the cracks.

I hope things have changed.

We took our kids out of Lyneham Primary this year because we felt that if the kids were not into music and drama they didn’t rate. Since moving them there attitude to school has improved a great deal, which shows in there work.

*their

You can check enrolment areas at

http://www.det.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/126101/2011_PEA_MAP_-_PRIMARY_-_NTH-STH.pdf

If you can manage to get into O’Connor Co-op (which basically means pre school entry) then you can choose either Lyneham or Turner as a primary school regardless of where you live (as I understand it), plus your actual local school.

It is all a bit of a lottery. Your kid gets the good teacher, or the bad teacher, in a particular year (or a teacher they like or who doesnt like them) and there is a dramatic difference regardless of the school. One benefit of private schools is that the overall quality of teaching is higher, because the lower end teachers dont get to stay. (of course private primary school seems a huge waste of money to me and there are other issues with private schooling).

We took our kids out of Lyneham Primary this year because we felt that if the kids were not into music and drama they didn’t rate. Since moving them there attitude to school has improved a great deal, which shows in there work.

Deref said :

Lyneham Primary – best school, bar none, in the ACT.

Deref- I agree with you as far as music and the arts. It has been a struggle convincing them to get more sport going in the school.

You all need to have a read of Freakonomics where the Chicago Public School system and the good school/ bad school theory is shot to pieces. What I really mean is that you should all read Freakonomics anyway. You’ll never look at anything the same way again, but the amount of data gathered by the Chicago Public school system is quite enlightening.

It shows just how much a waste of time the Myschool websites is and that the “conventional knowledge” about schools being supremely important in someone’s education potential.. isn’t.