Category: Independent Schools

Coming soon: The Southern Sydney Schools’ Expo

There are close to 300 independent schools in the Sydney metropolitan area with the greatest numbers found in the South and Southwest regions of the city. With so many schools to choose from, finding the right one for your child can be a complex undertaking.

Fortunately for families in the St George and Sutherland shires, these precincts are well-served by a wide range of excellent schools catering to students of every level of talent and ability.

To help families discover more about academic options in the area, the Southern Sydney Schools’ Expo will be held on Sunday, May 22, at the Novotel Sydney Brighton Beach.

The Expo offers parents and children the opportunity to meet face-to-face with representatives from some of Sydney’s top schools.

Expo participants include day and boarding schools, faith-based, single-sex and co-ed schools from preschool through to year 12, in one convenient location. Instead of hours of research and travelling to different schools, parents can get all the information they need in a single outing.

To get the most out of the Expo, it’s important for families to know what they’re looking for in a school.

Australian parenting website Raising Children suggests that parents take these issues into account when researching schools:

  • What do you want a school to do for your child?
  • Does your child have special language, education or other needs?
  • What’s your child’s preferred or best learning style?
  • Is location a factor in your school choice?
  • Does the school need to be within walking distance?
  • Or does your child have special transportation needs?
  • What costs are involved?
  • Is religion an important factor?
  • What are your child’s views and feelings about the school?

At the Expo, parents are encouraged to engage with school representatives and explore their offerings in detail.

Teachers and administrators are happy to answer all your questions to help you make the best decision for your child.

This is a wonderful opportunity not to be missed.

Where: The Novotel Sydney Brighton Beach, Corner Grand Parade and Princess St, Brighton Le Sands
When: Sunday, May 22, 2016
Time: 10 am to 4pm
Cost: Free
Parking: Free parking is available onsite

For more information contact Dorothy Willoughby on 0412 233 742

Read more:

School selection: practical steps – Raising Children Network with the Centre for Adolescent Health, October 26, 2015
http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/choosing_school_checklist.html

To IB or not to IB: Understanding the International Baccalaureate

Last year, Melbourne’s Preshil Independent School announced that it will no longer offer the VCE, Victoria’s equivalent to the HSC. Instead, the school will teach only the syllabus for the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma from 2018 onward.

Preshil is the first school in Victoria to abandon the VCE in favour of the IB but it may not be the last. Take-up of the IB is growing rapidly throughout Australia and around the world. More than 63,000 students at 4000 schools internationally attained an IB diploma in 2015, representing an increase of almost 50 per cent in the last five years.

In Australia, the numbers are growing even more strongly. Since 2000, participation has tripled with almost 1900 students at 63 schools throughout Australia earning their IB diplomas last year.

So what is the IB and why is its popularity surging?

The IB program was established in 1968 in Geneva, Switzerland, with a pedagogical mission to “develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.”

Its academically rigorous curriculum stresses critical reasoning and breadth of knowledge over specialisation and rote learning. All diploma students must study literature and a second language, as well as an experimental science, mathematics, and a humanities subject. A sixth subject of their choosing – either from the creative arts or a second academic subject – is also required.

The unique aspect of the IB is seen in its three “core” elements: the Theory of Knowledge component, in which students study the nature of knowledge and its acquisition; the Extended Essay, a self-directed 4000-word research paper; and the Creativity, Activity, Service project, a learn-through-experience assignment in which students set themselves a significant personal challenge to surmount under the guidance of a supervisor.

In the IB organisation’s view, self-regulated, lifelong learning is the key to success at university and in the world of work, business and enterprise. As such, it aims to produce students “who can learn in any situation, at any time, in any place, from any person, using any media or technology – without the support of teachers.”

The high level of independence promoted by the IB is not for everyone though. When it comes to choosing between the HSC and the IB diploma, Redlands school, the first in NSW to offer the IB diploma in 1988, advises that parents take into account their child’s natural inclinations. The IB is better suited to students of a generalist bent due to the second language, maths and science requirements, Redlands cautions. As well, students will need to develop excellent time management and organisational skills to succeed to the best of their ability, the school says.

Trinity Grammar offers similar advice, saying that “between the HSC or IB there is no wrong answer. The decision should take into account a student’s interests and which course is better suited to them. Both courses offer rich opportunities for learning.”

In NSW, the IB diploma is only offered at select independent schools. For more information on the International Baccalaureate and participating Australian schools see the organisation’s website: http://www.ibo.org/

Read more:

Melbourne private school scraps VCE in favour of International Baccalaureate – Kellie Lazzaro, the World Today, ABC radio, November 2, 2015
http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2015/s4343482.htm?site=melbourne

How to help your son decide between the HSC and IB courses – Trinity Grammar website
http://info.trinity.nsw.edu.au/how-to-help-your-son-decide-between-the-hsc-and-ib-courses?hs_preview=C2DNTd1e-4068134628

International Baccalaureate information page – Redlands school website
http://www.redlands.nsw.edu.au/education/international-baccalaureate/

International Baccalaureate website: http://www.ibo.org/

Association of Australasian IB Schools website: http://www.aaibs.org/

Announcing the inaugural Inner West Independent Schools Expo

Families in the Inner West have a new, local, forum to discover more about the range of excellent independent schools servicing their area.

For the first time, the Independent Schools Expo is hosting a dedicated Inner West event at the Le Montage function centre in Lilyfield on Sunday, May 1.

Choosing the right school can be a difficult decision for parents. With so many educational options on offer, gathering enough information to make an informed choice is a complex and time-consuming task.

At the Inner West Independent Schools Expo, parents can meet face-to-face with staff and students from some of Sydney’s leading private schools – in one convenient location. Days of research can be accomplished in just a few hours.

Expense, location, academic standards and facilities are all important factors when selecting a school; but equally vital to a child’s happiness and success is a school’s culture.

Many parents look to independent schooling to foster traditional values in children, such as self-discipline, integrity and respect for themselves and others. A good education is expected to produce confident, grounded adults well-prepared for life after graduation with the skills to achieve their full potential.

But schools are not a one-size-fits-all proposition. To determine the best fit for your child, it is important to consider a number of questions. What is the school’s focus? In what areas does it excel? Can it accommodate your child’s strengths and needs? Is its social atmosphere suited to your child’s temperament?

As well as the right educational environment, parents will want to find a school that is in harmony with their own family values and beliefs.

Above all, parents want their children to enjoy school. To feel a sense of belonging and social ease among like-minded friends in a safe and caring school community.

At the Expo, families are encouraged to engage with school representatives and explore their offerings in detail to find the best match between school and child.

Participating schools include boarding and day schools, single sex, co-ed, faith-based and secular options from preschool to Year 12.

Every child is unique. Here is your opportunity to find the school to which your child is uniquely suited.

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