We have recently received many questions from parents holding188–888 investor visas and 590 guardian visasabout how tohelp theirchildrenchoose a school. The questions most commonly asked include:

– We have just moved to Australia and our child has transferred from China, but we are not sure how tochoose a private school?

– What should we look out for whenselecting a private schoolin Australia for our child? Will they struggle to adapt? What about the language barrier?

– Our child has already been studying in Australia for a while but wants totransfer— what should we do?

……

Every parent wants the best for their child, so today let’s have a chat about‘choosing a school when your child first arrives in Australia‘!

The Australian school system comprises three types: public schools, private schools, and Catholic/independent schools. Today we will focus on theprivate schooloptions that most families are interested in~

What do private schools prioritise?

In contrast to China’s exam-oriented education system, Australian private schools place much greater emphasis on developing students’practical skillsacross a range of areas — including learning ability, social skills, collaborative skills, creativity, and even outdoor survival skills.

Beyond academic performance, Australian schools also strongly valuestudents’ special talents and personal interests— including music (orchestra, piano, harp, violin) and sport (tennis, fencing, equestrian, baseball, rugby), among others.Chinesefamilies generally enrol their children in various interest classes from a young age to develop their talents,soChinese students typicallyalready have these attributes — there is little to worry about on this front.

Academic results are primarily assessed through a child’s school transcript from China — naturally, the higher the grades the better. Many schools pay particular attention tomaths— if a child has participated in and received awards from maths olympiad competitions in China, that will be a significant advantage.

There is one more important point: schools also place considerable weight on students’ English proficiency. In most cases,children who have just arrived from China will not yet meet private school English standards— so we generally arrange for children toenrol in a language programmealongside their main schooling. A language programme also helps children integrate into Australian study and daily life more quickly. If a child wants to improve their English and adapt to Australian life even faster, joining an interest club outside of school is a great option — in our experience, regular interaction with local children at clubs can dramatically accelerate English development~

For parents who would like to find out more about language programme options for younger students, feel free to message us!

Overall, the Australian education philosophy is much more grounded in everyday life— it prioritises hands-on learning and nurtures children’s all-round development.

Steps for Choosing an Australian Private School

Step 1:

We recommend usingBetter Educationthis website — it is the most widely used school-selection resource among Australian parents, who rely on it to look up school rankings.

You can search by the year level you are interested in (e.g. primary or secondary school) to get an overview of rankings across different schools — a good starting point for building a picture.

Step 2:

Parents whose children will be attending secondary school also need to check each school’s university entrance results rankings.

These rankings are also broken down by state — using Queensland as our example, you will want to look atQCE+IB ATARthis indicator (QCE + IB — OP has been abolished, so it is no longer a relevant benchmark).

What do QCE, IB, and ATAR each mean?

QCE: QCE stands for Queensland Certificate of Education — the senior secondary school certificate for Queensland.

IB: IB stands for International Baccalaureate — an internationally recognised qualification that students can choose to pursue in their final two years of high school. IB results are accepted by universities outside Australia, making it a globally portable credential. The IB curriculum is comparable in difficulty to university-level coursework and demands a higher level of English proficiency, so not all students opt for it. In Queensland, only a limited number of schools offer IB programmes, and entry into an IB class requires sitting an entrance examination.

ATAR: ATAR stands for Australian Tertiary Admission Rank — Australia’s university entrance score.

This metric is therefore an important consideration when choosing a secondary school for your child.

It is worth noting that private school preference is not unique to Chinese families — Australian parents are equally, if not more, inclined towards private schooling.

As a result,competition for places at private schools is considerable. Applications typically need to be submitted around two years in advance, with families waiting in a queue —for example, if your child is currently in Year 5 of primary school, you will need to apply approximately two years ahead for a Year 7 (equivalent to Year 1 of junior secondary school in China) secondary school place.

In addition to the waiting time mentioned above, a child’s academic results from China, whether they pass the interview, and other factors will all affect their admission.For this reason, we generally combine ranking data with our experience to help parents identify several private schools as backup options.This ensures your child can start school as soon as possible.

Many parents worry: what if my child does not get into their ideal school at first? There is no need to panic — they can start at another school in the meantime, and then transfer to their preferred school when a suitable opportunity arises!

Step 3:

We recommend attending Open Days at your shortlisted schools to get a feel for each school’s natural environment, cultural atmosphere, curriculum offerings, and facilities.

Step 4:

Discuss and confirm the final list of schools to apply to with our consultants.

If you have any questions about applying to Australian private schools for young children, please get in touch with us to develop a study plan~

Which private schools are recommended?

Here is a rough overview — below are theTop 10 Primary Schools in Queensland!

And here are theTop 10 Secondary Schools in Queensland!

As the data shows,private schools consistently rank higher than public schools— which is why most parents choose private schooling. The rankings are intended as a reference point;the most important thing is to find the right fit for your child!

Our consultants will consider the rankings alongside all aspects of each school to identify the best match for your child!

All of the schools listed above generally accept international students, though each school’s policies differ — please message us directly for detailed enrolment information~

Are private school fees high?

Compared with public schools, private school tuition fees are higher —generally around AUD 20,000–30,000 per year, depending on the school.You can choose the private school that offers the best value for money based on your own financial situation.

The above covers the key considerations for parents on 188–888 or 590 visas when choosing a school for their children.

If you need academic planning support for younger students studying abroad, please message us to develop a personalised study plan.

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