Australian needing advice on schools
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Anonymous
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What grades will they be entering when you arrive? A k-8 may not make sense for your oldest if they would only attend for one year before heading to high school.
We are at Burke and like it a lot but it’s for grades 6-12 so may mean splitting your kids up. From a practical standpoint, I’d try to find a school they could attend together for most of your time here. WIS would make a lot of sense. |
Anonymous
| Why do people recommend WIS for Australian kids? Not familiar with school system over there, but WIS is full immersion Spanish or French. Did OP mention whether her kids speak either language? There are a lot of foreigners at WIS, but they are mostly from LA and Europe. |
Anonymous
| For many international students, US schools with an IB program make it easier to transfer to a school back home or to apply to a university in one’s own country. |
Anonymous
Her kids are 9 and 12 and they will only stay a few years. So the IB program is irrelevant for them. There is no problem with Australian kids that age transferring back to Australia having done either public or private education here. Almost all of the embassy kids are in public do they do it all the time. |
Anonymous
WIS is fine for Australian kids. It is not full immersion from 6th grade. There are Australian kids there. |
Anonymous
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Thanks so much for the responses! A couple of options we had not heard of before and some excellent advice. We will get cracking with applications ASAP!
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Anonymous
While the IB diploma program is indeed just for 11th and 12th grades, the IB Primary and Middle Years programs cover elementary, middle, and the beginning of high school. WIS follows the PYP program for preschool through fifth grades. I don’t know why they don’t have the MYP for 6 - 10th grades, but presumably they must be reasonably aligned if students are coming from the PYP and are prepared for the diploma program in 11th grade. |
Anonymous
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DC public mom here.
We have some Australian embassy families at our local public, John Eaton Elementary. Great school with down to earth families from all over the world.You should give it serious consideration. |
Anonymous
The 12 year old will likely be entering 6th grade next year and John Eaton ends at fifth. What DCPS middle school do most families attend? |
Anonymous
Hardy Middle School. It will be a shock for an Australian kid. Think daily fights and disciplinary issues. If you can afford it, go private for the middle schooler. Eaton is perfectly fine for a 7 year old and that’s the school they’d be zoned for. Beauvoir is a nicer school, but considerably more expensive than free. Send your 12 year old to STA if he can get in. Maret is also close, but smaller and potentially more claustrophobic. Bc classes are so small if there’s any bad social dynamic they’re kind of stuck with a small group of kids. |
Anonymous
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OP, if your 12 year old will be entering 7th grade when you arrive, I would suggest considering Sheridan. It's small and is easy for kids to assimilate, especially in middle school. There are some embassy types there as well IMF/WB families. If your oldest will be in 8th grade or higher, I would suggest looking at Maret, GDS, WIS, Cathedral Schools or Sidwell. The British School does not have the best reputation, unfortunately.
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Anonymous
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Aussie here. BISW is an easy choice - curriculum is a combination of British and IB, so will transition easily back to Aus or other commonwealth countries, while having a both a DC experience and exposure to so many different cultures. We have friends there who really like it, have toured it and are keen on it - it's a straightforward choice.
The private school selection process in DC is full on, fair warning! |
Anonymous
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Anonymous
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WIS is the easiest admit if you are coming to DC due to any kind of posting at the Embassy or IMF, WB, etc.. If this is true, you have a hook there. The Primary School Principal is Australian and the HOS spent some years there, I believe. They also have other Aussies.
The honest truth : the British school is a for- profit school and is just not on par with any of the DC area privates. It is a 4th, 5th choice school for people who don't get in elsewhere or don't know the skinny. All that being said, if you are a no- nonsense Australian who just wants a good school, but think paying 40K-45 K a year per kid for Middle School is outrageous then get a house in Arlington or further out in Fairfax and go Public. Lots of smart, upper middle class families choose those schools and DC will always have an international mix of people in any school. If you will only be in DC for a few years, and are just needing a good school for your 9 and 12 year old ( assuming 5th grade and 8th grade ) . You may want to just find a house in Ward 3 of Upper NW and go public at Deal. If you want STA , NCS, Sidwell, GDS or Maret those are extremely competitive admits and you need a hook in which case I suspect you would not be posting on this forum. But start with your employer for that hook Good Luck |
Anonymous
This is utter bullshit op ignore this post It’s political propaganda NCS is full of maga morons St Allan’s slightly better . Public’s do better college apps than both NCS and St Alb.. GDS is fine nothing fantastic but graduates do well in workforce and college apps. Sidwell obviously well known outside of DC the others are not good education Yes DC public’s can be tricky. |