[KiwiB]

Hi everyone,

are decile 10 schools really that much better than decile 6 or 7 or 8 or 9 schools ? In what ways ?

How much more expensive are decile schools when compared to school of decile 6 or 7 or 8 or 9 schools ? (donations, school fees, other expenses ?)

Cheers :(

[denisesykes]

As far as I am aware the decile bit relates to the area where the school is based and is not a rating for the actual school.You are better off looking at the ERO site (someone will have the website) which is like our OFSTED and then tracking down the last ERO report.My rellys children go to Papanui High which I think has a decile rating of 5 but is a very good school and because it is not zoned attracts children from a wide area .My cousins live in Belfast and Queenspark.
Having said that I think that recommendation is the best way of finding out which schools are best .For instance Rangiora High had a poor ERO report last time but I have seen glowing reports on this forum .
Good luck!

[Carol]

All depends what you want for your kids.
ERO......yeah well......they can tell you so much lets leave it at that.


Best thing to do is go and spend som time in the school - and go back again on a different day if you like them.

You are the only person who will know what is "right" for your own child.

[jan]

We knew the area we were re-locating to, so when we arrived and went into a motel for 1 month, we asked around. I asked people who I had met where their kids went to and why? I had a good look around the schools before hand. But generally went off friends I had met as they had done most of what I was going to do. I have made a good choice fortunately.

Maybe pot luck in my case, but I couldnt get the feel of a school off the computer back in UK, so preffered this method. :nice1

[chips]

our kids go to a school ina decile 2 area. We are very pleased with the school and the kids love it. Back in the uk the boys went to a very good primary school , which infact toped the SATS one year ,and frequently gets 85%-95% each year. Believe me the school here is much better.
They are getting great results out of kids who are not from well off areas.
Therefore Christchurch, Auckalnd and Wellington ,are lightly to have higher decile schools because by nature there is more lightly to be more wealth in those areas.
I agree with Carol, get as feel for a school ,and ignore the decile ratings.
Good luck with your choice.

[shagen]

Oops! See below

[shagen]

All depends what you want for your kids.
ERO......yeah well......they can tell you so much lets leave it at that.


Best thing to do is go and spend som time in the school - and go back again on a different day if you like them.

You are the only person who will know what is "right" for your own child.

We did just that before we decided on which school to enrol our son. We made visits to the schools which we had shortlisted both from the TKI (www.tki.org.nz/e/schools/) and ERO (www.ero.govt.nz) websites. We also took advice and recommendations from friends and fellow "forumites" :nice1 . Besides deciding which school we wanted our son to attend, this also gave him a choice on choosing the school which he feels comfortable with. (For us, our son now does not have the opportunity to say that we had chose a wrong school for him or he hates the school (which he does not) since he chose it :laugh ). He is happy to go back to school and had joined the entire school in the school's production.

The schools here are pretty accommodating and a visit to the school by the "pupil" is always welcomed ... even in pre-school. But bear mind a prior appointment has to be made ... and someone (usually the principal) will be available on your arrival at the school, to answer your queries and take you on a "tour" of the school.