One of the most stressful aspects of moving the family to Sydney is finding a new school for the children to attend. Whether you’re relocating from regional New South Wales (NSW), interstate or from overseas, there’s a lot to consider when it comes to choosing where to send the kids. Sydney’s education system is often considered one of the best in the world with many international students travelling to the city to study tertiary education.
The school calendar
In NSW, the school calendar starts in January and ends in December. The year is divided into four terms, generally ten weeks long. Holidays are held in April, July and September for two weeks but Christmas holidays are longer. Each week, children attend school from Monday to Friday, generally from 9am to 3pm.
Choosing a primary or secondary school
There are 1,488 schools in Sydney. Most of these 1,488 schools are government funded which means they’re free to attend. Of those that aren’t government funded, many are Catholic or independent which charge fees for children to attend. These fees range from $2,000 to more than $20,000 a year. Most are co-educational but there are some dedicated to single sex education. To find the closest school to you, visit the Australian School Directory website.
In Sydney, your child will attend a school dependent on their geographical location. To find a government school in your local area, visit the NSW School Locator. To find a private school in your area, visit the Private Schools Directory. For more information on a school and to compare your choices, visit the My School website.
Tertiary education
Sydney is home to a number of world-leading universities which students are encourage to apply for during their final year of secondary school. The universities in Sydney include:
- University of Sydney
- University of Technology, Sydney
- University of New South Wales
- Macquarie University
- Australian Catholic University
- Western Sydney University
- University of Notre Dame
An alternative to university is TAFE (Technical and Further Education) where students can study a range of accredited courses. There are a number of TAFE NSW locations, including:
- Northern Sydney Institute
- Sydney Institute
- South Western Sydney Institute
- Western Institute
For more information on finding a Sydney-based school for your children to attend, contact your dedicated Grace moving consultant. At Grace, we conduct school searches to help take the pressure out of relocating to Sydney.