Canberra Primary Schools?

We’ve had 2 kids at Conder for the past 3 years and are very happy with the school. Look hard enough at any school and the bad experinces as well as the good ones will come out. Parental involvement with their child’s education is important and the key to good school experinces.

Certainly take any advice offered here, but always do your own research before making this important decision (I wish that we had done this before making our initial school choice; you tend to learn as you go as far as parenting is concerned!). Pop into the schools you are considering unannounced one day and ask to see the class year that your child is likely to attend. Ask if you might observe for half an hour or so (maybe on a couple of different occasions). Does the class seem settled? Do the children seem engaged and excited about learning? How are disciplinary issues managed? Attend a morning assembly – how the children behaved? Are they listening respectfully, interested in what is happening, or running all over the place during announcements? Talk to parents during pick up time when they are waiting for their kids. What do they think of the school? Attend a P&C meeting. Do the parents seem actively involved and keen to make the school a better place? Does the Principal engage with parents during the meeting? Read the newsletters (most are on line) …. how are school activities reflected in the newsletter?? Don’t forget that catchment areas may not be a limitation if the school numbers are down; Fadden Primary (which is excellent) takes quite a few kids from out of area. I have heard wonderful things about Bonython Primary (not too far from you), so maybe give them a call. We tried Catholic school for a few years before switching to our local state primary … and the kids are thriving. Private doesn’t always mean ‘better’. Good luck with making this difficult decision.

i can’t really speak for admission ‘requirements’ in ACT in terms of catholic or other religion-based schools but personally speaking i attended an anglican school for the majority of my education in another jurisdiction so that’s where i’m coming from.

yes you may have religion shoved down your throat (or your child’s throat as the case may be) but it’s not going to turn your child into a religious nut if that’s what you’re worried about – i am an atheist, pretty much was before i went to said school – and that is a combination of my own free-thinking encouraged by my parents (non-religious – not atheist) together with an individualistic revolt at having said religion shoved down my throat (ie a reaction to mindless religion persuasion/conversion). i thrived at said school in every way – i credit that school with having excellent education principles and framework beyond religion. dare i say that’s what you should be doing too… i am not a parent, just someone who went to a religious school and came out at the end with an excellent academic record and grounding – despite or maybe because of the religious principles…. but am an atheist nonetheless.

what i mean to say judge a school on the whole of its merits. don’t accept or dismiss it on religious grounds. unless they are COMPLETE nutters. judge the school on the whole of its merits. not just one aspect.

do your own homework, its not that hard. get out an meet and greet. you’ll soon get a feel for the school. as for out of area, if you dig a little deeper and actually ask the principal most will let you enrol unless they are chockers.

As for NAPLAN, there is one school in the valley that is head and shoulders above the rest in results. ask the principals for their results, they’ll be only too pleased to share if they are good.

The best way to choose a school is to go to the MySchool website and find the school with the best NAPLAN results.

After consulting MySchool you will not need to consider any other aspects of the school, its curriculum, or philosophy of education. Non-contextualised NAPLAN data is by far the best way to come to a decision.

My lack of an imaginary friend got us turned away from one catholic school.
My little “heathens” are not even christened, in any religion, yet were welcome at their current school. Apparently only 60% of the students are christened Catholics.
There’s also a chance my daughter will become school captain…..that should raise an eyebrow or two!

Firstly, I’m sure there were many reasons that you got turned away from that school, honestly.
Secondly, I know at the school I went to there was a distinct pecking order. I have many friends who are Sikh, Tamil, Buddhist, Muslim, etc who went to our Catholic school. Didn’t matter at all to the school.
Thirdly, an athiest school captain won’t raise any eyebrows, that’s for sure. It’s school, not Parliament.

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

I am also a “staunch athiest”, but we are very pleased with the Catholic School our kids attend.

o_O

How did you get your kids into a Catholic school without signing on the dotted line that you’re committed to and exhibit Catholic values, one of which has something to do with believing in an invisible ghost wizard?

Ha ha.
My lack of an imaginary friend got us turned away from one catholic school.
My little “heathens” are not even christened, in any religion, yet were welcome at their current school. Apparently only 60% of the students are christened Catholics.
There’s also a chance my daughter will become school captain…..that should raise an eyebrow or two!

This may not be much help if you are meeting the “out of catchment” obstacle but Bonython PS has been great for my girls, I had doubts when they first enrolled but all doubts have long since vanished so if you want a recommendation I’d suggest Bonython.

I want to start off my rant by saying this: I’m not telling you what to do, just offering advice from someone who left the schooling system in the ACT only a matter of years ago.
I think there are two issues to consider here. One being the future of your child’s education, and the other being the moral argument that you as parents face in placing your child into an education system where private religious schools are at a distinct advantage both in funding and academic results.
Firstly, I understand that the idea of local schools with local kids taught by local people is appealing. I, for one, am extremely aware of the need to improve our public schooling system both in the ACT and across the country. This aside, the point stands – until the public schooling system improves (whenever that may be), it is, in my opinion, better for children to be educated privately in an environment which is specifically suited to their needs. The lack of funding and resources being allocated to our public schools in Canberra deteriorates the environment in which the children learn, and, as such, affects their results both in early childhood and into the future.
As a former Catholic student at this “dustbowl” you mention, I can only give the school ringing endorsements. My first year at SCA was 1994 when the school opened, and from then I have seen the school grow – brothers and sisters of students I left school there with are actually teaching there now.
It was mentioned previously that the socioeconomic group that is enrolled at both Charles Conder and Gordon Primary Schools is in the lower quartile of the ACT, and this is in my opinion another reason to consider moving to SCA or even St Francis in Calwell. Where Conder, etc, feed into Lanyon High and then Tugg College, SCA and SFA feed into schools such as Mackillop, Marist, St Clares College, Eddies, Grammar, etc etc. The continuing academic results within the private education system far outweigh those from their public counterparts; in fact, I’ve come to the conclusion that if my child were to finish college in the public system, it would only be at Narrabundah College, due to them doin the Baccalaureate.
The second issue here is that of yours and your partners conflicting beliefs, due to the other half being staunchly atheist. Surely, as parents, you wish to let your child decide their own values and beliefs as they grow? Would you also say that your child’s education is more important than making them choose between a religious or non-religious belief system? I know that at our school, we studied religion, not Catholicism. Take Year 12 religion for example – we were taught ethics, from the teachings and musings of historical figures, not deities.
As a former Catholic schoolboy, I can tell you that I know more kids who left my school as staunch atheists than staunch Catholics.

Something to consider.

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

I am also a “staunch athiest”, but we are very pleased with the Catholic School our kids attend.

o_O

How did you get your kids into a Catholic school without signing on the dotted line that you’re committed to and exhibit Catholic values, one of which has something to do with believing in an invisible ghost wizard?

Read my post…..