Melbourne, Australia Report of what it's like to live there - 06/09/15
Personal Experiences from Melbourne, Australia
School Name:
American School Foundation
Background Information:
1. Are you the parent of a child(ren) attending this school? A teacher at the school? Or both?
I am a parent.
2. What grade or grades do/did your children attend at the school? During what year(s) did they attend the school?
6th grade and 9th grade
3. During what years were you affiliated with this school?
2014
4. What was your reason for living in the city where the school is located (e.g., government, military, corporate, NGO, retired)?
Government
5. Are other schools available to expatriates in this city? Why did you choose this particular school?
This school made a lot of promises that sounded perfect.
Admissions & Welcome:
1. Are the admissions and placement procedures clearly stated to prospective families, either on the school website or through other means of communication?
D
2. How would you rate the school's support and welcome/integration of new students and their families, and why?
F
Administration & School Procedures:
1. Describe the general climate of the grade level that you teach or your child attends:
6th grade - The middle school was friendly with strong leadership and a pleasant environment.
9th grade - The high school was very much a mixed bag. There was some great leadership but definitely not the case for all. The general climate of the "Upper School" was a bit disorganized.
2. For the following attributes, down to the next blank box, grade your experience at the school on a scale of A (excellent) to F (unacceptable/terrible) and provide comments:<br><br>Overall fair and equitable treatment of all students and families:
C
3. How is the overall communication between teachers and parents, and the administration and parents? How is communication facilitated?
F
4. Aside from school fees, are there required expenses such as uniforms, laptops/tablets, musical instruments, or field trips that parents are expected to cover? What are the approximate costs?
The only required uniforms are for Gym. They were priced reasonably.
5. Services for gifted students who need academic challenge and students with learning difficulties:
B
6. Maintenance of appropriately high standards for all students:
C
7. Homework assigned (quality, quantity):
D
8. Administration-parent communication:
B
9. Teacher-student communication:
F
10. Does your child receive any special-needs assistance or instruction at this school? If yes, what types? Who provides services and where:
My 6th grader received special services for Math and English Language Arts. The Special Services teachers were wonderful and kind. The services were provided at school during class time.
11. Do you believe the special-needs assistance is appropriate and fills your needs? Explain:
Yes. My child has mild ADHD with Anxiety. The level of support we received was appropriate and beneficial.
12. Does the school offer a wide variety of elective or non-core classes such as art, music, and drama?
Yes.
13. Does the school provide appropriate assistance to new students?
The middle school was fine. The upper school was terrible. We started on the first day of the last quarter of school. My 9th grader's counselor was out of town. Despite the fact that they had known for months that we were coming, they did not have a schedule for her. Despite the fact that they had her transcripts and were aware of the classes she needed to complete, they did not make space for her in those classes. Instead, they placed her classes that she never should have been in, and did not put her in the classes that she needed in order to complete her class credits.
Academics & Resources:
1. What personal or academic counseling resources are available at this school? Is there a dedicated college counselor at the school? Is he/she familiar with universities worldwide?
F
2. Does the school have a library? How large is it? How updated are the books? Can students borrow books to read at home?
B
3. Is the amount and type of homework generally appropriate for the age and grade of the students?
No.
4. Are the teachers at the school required to speak English as a first language--or at least fluently?
Yes, but not all teachers comply in the classroom. My daughter had 2 teachers who would not teach in English.
5. What services are available for gifted/advanced students at the school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
No.
Social & Emotional Well-Being:
1. Do expatriate students socialize with local students at the school? Are both groups successfully integrated into the school culture?
There is a heavy alcohol culture. So, if your child wants to party with alcohol, they will be accepted. If they do not want to drink, it will be more difficult for them to socialize with other students.
2. Are there are any problems with exclusionary behavior, cliques, or bullying at this school? Please describe any problems your children may have experienced in this area.
Yes.
Overall Impressions:
1. What is the greatest strength of this school?
The location is good. The school is easy for parents to access.
2. Would you choose this school again? Why?
Absolutely not. Our experience may not have been typical, but it was not unusual either. I felt that the Admissions office was not truthful in what they could do for my high schooler with regards to curriculum and class credit. Despite multiple attempts to get basic requirements for success in school, like access to the online system used for assignments, online textbooks, teacher notes etc, it took 4 weeks for my children to gain access. During this time, despite multiple conversations with her teachers and counselor, my daughter was not given text books. 2 teachers conducted classes in Spanish, despite the clear and direct requirements that all classes should be conducted in English.
