WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017 How to make the right educational choices for your child ᔡ The co-ed debate ᔡ Schools bursting at the seams ᔡ Do rankings matter? ᔡ Global classrooms THE WEST AUSTRALIAN • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017 THE WEST AUSTRALIAN • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017 2 CHOOSING A SCHOOL CHOOSING A SCHOOL 3 CONTENTS New schools ...................... 4 Pre-kindy programs ........ 5 Co-ed debate .................. 10 Needs of child the Global classroom ............ 14 Students’ view ................. 16 THE TEAM Editor foremost criteria Jenni Storey, [email protected]; ᔡ Bethany Hiatt cultural interest? Last but not area where most families are Education Editor EDUCATION EDITOR least, what is going to fit your fairly well off, then be aware Bethany Hiatt, budget? its results may have less to do bethany.hiatt@ t is the decision many While there is far more with the school and more to wanews.com.au; parents agonise over. information available now do with the fact all the Advertising Where you plan to send about schools’ performances parents have read books to Raj Kulkarni, 9482 3567, I your child to school is a topic on tests such as NAPLAN, their offspring from birth. rajesh.kulkarni@ that crops up regularly at choosing a school based But if a school in a wanews.com.au barbecues and in playgroups. solely on results found on a disadvantaged area can show And it could be one of the website is not wise. its students are improving at COVER IMAGE Students enjoy the great most important choices you Just because a group of a greater rate than those in outdoors at Serpentine will ever make on your child’s students from one year group similar schools, that is a far Jarrahdale Grammar behalf. performs well does not more significant School. Given that children spend a necessarily mean all children achievement. substantial proportion of from the same school will However, looking up sets of their childhood at school, achieve at that level. graphs and figures on the choosing the right one is And parents need to internet is no replacement for important. remember that results from physically walking around a But how should you go NAPLAN or Year 12 exams school to see how welcoming about it? are only one measure of a it feels, how enthusiastic its There are so many different school’s success. students are and how they aspects to consider – public or One of the biggest relate to their teachers. private? Mixed gender classes predictors of student No school will ever be or single-sex? Religious or achievement is the perfect, but parents cannot go secular? background they come too far wrong if they focus on A standard school or one from. choosing a school they believe focusing on a particular So if you’re looking at a suits their child, not sporting, academic or high-achieving school in an themselves. START BALANCING LIFE Working parents find St Hilda’s Junior School is the ideal solution for combining a busy career and growing family. That’s because our highly regarded educational Qualified St Hilda’s staff care for your children To find out how St Hilda’s can help program is supported by after school care that outside school hours and make sure they are always starts at 7am and finishes at 6pm. involved in fun learning activities within our secure you better balance work and family life, We open the hours that matter to modern parents grounds. Older students also get homework support contact Kate Parker on 9285 4100 to suit either early starts or later finishes. if you or they want it. or [email protected] A nutritious breakfast is provided for early starters, while those who stay later enjoy an afternoon tea. STHILDAS.WA.EDU.AU THE WEST AUSTRALIAN • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017 THE WEST AUSTRALIAN • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017 2 CHOOSING A SCHOOL CHOOSING A SCHOOL 3 TOP 30 MEDIAN ATAR 2016 1 Perth Modern School 95.55 2 Presbyterian Ladies’ College 92.90 3 Penrhos College 92.65 4 Christ Church Grammar School 92.50 5 Santa Maria College 91.85 6 St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls 91.40 7 Perth College 90.55 8 St Mary's Anglican Girls’ School 90.40 9 Methodist Ladies' College 90.30 10 Shenton College 90.00 11 Hale School 89.80 12 Carmel 89.35 13 John XXIII College 88.60 14 Willetton Senior High School 88.05 15 Rossmoyne Senior High School 87.35 16 Scotch College 87.30 17 Iona Presentation College 86.70 18 Margaret River Senior High School 86.40 19 Corpus Christi 86.35 19 Sacred Heart College 86.35 21 Trinity College 85.70 22 Lake Joondalup Baptist College 85.40 23 Mercedes College 85.35 24 Applecross Senior High School 85.10 24 St Stephen’s School - Carramar 85.10 26 All Saints’ College 85.00 27 Guildford Grammar School 84.85 28 Churchlands Senior High School 84.70 29 St Mary MacKillop College 84.65 30 St Norbert College 84.55 Perth Modern School students (from left) Daniel Ho, Alex Chi, Giulia Villa, Radheya Jegatheva, Elizabeth Knight Calculated from all Year 12 students in the and Alex Roh. Picture: Trevor Collens school who enrolled in four or more ATAR courses. SOURCE: SCSA START BALANCING LIFE Working parents find St Hilda’s Junior School is the ideal solution for combining a busy career and growing family. That’s because our highly regarded educational Qualified St Hilda’s staff care for your children To find out how St Hilda’s can help program is supported by after school care that outside school hours and make sure they are always starts at 7am and finishes at 6pm. involved in fun learning activities within our secure you better balance work and family life, We open the hours that matter to modern parents grounds. Older students also get homework support contact Kate Parker on 9285 4100 to suit either early starts or later finishes. if you or they want it. or [email protected] A nutritious breakfast is provided for early starters, while those who stay later enjoy an afternoon tea. STHILDAS.WA.EDU.AU THE WEST AUSTRALIAN • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017 THE WEST AUSTRALIAN • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017 4 CHOOSING A SCHOOL CHOOSING A SCHOOL 5 Politics on schools puts parents in limbo ᔡ Bethany Hiatt Public schools cannot refuse to take in pupils who s if contemplating live in their local catchment, educational choices was but improvements that have Anot hard enough, boosted the reputations of parents in some areas are many public schools have facing increased uncertainty also meant that some are about the options available. struggling to meet the Western suburbs parents increased demand. wanting to send their Many public schools on the children to a public northern and southern outer secondary school still do not edges of Perth are dealing know if a recently announced with big numbers of pupils, new school will go ahead. as young families move into The State Government new housing subdivisions. eventually revealed late last To cope, some schools year that it would open have added extra another high school, in City transportable classrooms or Beach, after Churchlands Illustration: Don Lindsay staggered their recess Senior High School became breaks. one of the biggest schools in enrolments at Churchlands academically-gifted children school intake boundaries. Inner-city schools are also the State with more than are likely to reach 3000 by in the city in 2020. City Beach is in the safe affected by rapid enrolment 2400 pupils. the time the new school If elected in March, Liberal seat of Churchlands, growth, as urban infill has led Education Minister Peter opens, with Shenton not far Opposition Leader Mark but Labor is focused on the to more people moving Collier announced in behind. McGowan said Perth Modern electorates of Perth and Mt closer to the city. September that the former Parents who were relieved School would be refurbished Lawley, which it needs to win This has resulted in City Beach high school, that a decision had finally to become a regular local to claim power. increased complaints from which closed 11 years ago, been made were swiftly secondary school. He said he Many parents in other parents at some public would reopen in 2020 to returned to limbo this month would dump the Liberal areas are also contending schools that the need for ease crowding at after Labor announced it government’s plan to build a with the issue of school size more classrooms has resulted Churchlands and Shenton would open a new high-rise school at City Beach. when deciding where to in a reduction in play space College. In the meantime, secondary school for Labor would also change educate their children. for their children. Youngsters are enjoying St Brigid’s pre-kindy program. THE WEST AUSTRALIAN • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017 THE WEST AUSTRALIAN • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017 4 CHOOSING A SCHOOL CHOOSING A SCHOOL 5 Politics on schools puts parents in limbo Early learning pays Public schools cannot refuse to take in pupils who ᔡ Maureen Eppen governments investigate “We highly encourage live in their local catchment, national implementation of their sense of agency and but improvements that have hree-year-olds are a three-year-old program, to uniqueness through their boosted the reputations of thriving in the pre-kindy bring Australia into line with interactions with each other,” many public schools have Tprogram at St Brigid’s the two years of preschool she said. also meant that some are College, Lesmurdie, where provided in most developed The aim was to keep struggling to meet the they are introduced to countries.