Private School Vs Seal Program – Your Thoughts and Recommendations

ozinp on 29/05/2026 - 11:21

My daughter currently attends a private school, but she has recently been offered a place in the SEAL (Select Entry Accelerated Learning) program at Matthew Flinders Girls College in Geelong. We're trying to decide if this is a smart move for her and would love to hear from anyone who has experience with the SEAL program.

Specifically, we're interested in:

• How beneficial is the SEAL program academically and socially?
• Does it provide a significant advantage or enrichment compared to private schooling?
• What are the challenges or downsides of the program?
• How is the overall school environment and support at Matthew Flinders Girls College?
• Would it be worth moving her out of private school for this opportunity?

Any insights, personal experiences, or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Education & Work

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  • c64 on 29/05/2026 - 12:51

    i would go the for seal program. being able to juggle a ball on your nose will really get you ahead in life

    • 35
    • R4 on 30/05/2026 - 15:32

      funny AF!

      • 1
    • jv on 29/05/2026 - 13:12

      i would go the for seal program.

      ✅

      • 0
  • MS Paint on 29/05/2026 - 11:23

    I often wonder how this kid is going.

    • 15
    • freefall101 on 29/05/2026 - 14:45

      Still not doctor yet. Still disappointment.

      • 6
    • Muppet Detector on 29/05/2026 - 16:25

      That was brutal reading.

      • 2
    • JohnSy on 29/05/2026 - 22:50

      Me too….

      • 1
  • Skramit on 29/05/2026 - 12:17

    How beneficial is the SEAL program

    SEAL Team 6 are saving lives with counter terrorism missions all the time. i'd say highly beneficial to world peace.

    • 11
    Skramit on 29/05/2026 - 12:17 (Collapsed - Offtopic. Show)
    • Dollar General on 29/05/2026 - 17:03

      lol

      Not sure why the downvotes but I appreciated the humour

      • 0
      • Skramit on 29/05/2026 - 21:35

        Thank you! At least 1 does ;)

        • 0
  • prisonmike on 29/05/2026 - 22:07

    For a second I though this is a US Navy SEAL Program that you want to enroll your daughter into.

    • 9
  • Nugs on 29/05/2026 - 12:25

    save your money.
    we have 3 uni student kidults, one of which was at a private school and underwent IB and the other two went through the IGNITE program here in SA at a public high school.
    my take is that the child makes all the difference (ignoring the overall safety of the area etc)
    .

    • 6
    • rogerwilko on 30/05/2026 - 08:22

      What's IB?

      • 1
      • jacross on 30/05/2026 - 09:59

        International Baccalaureate.

        • 0
    • Jackson on 31/05/2026 - 10:39

      Sorry for you kid, irritable bowel is awful

      • 0
    • jv on 29/05/2026 - 13:11

      my take is that the child makes all the difference

      As can the right school…

      • -1
  • AustriaBargain on 29/05/2026 - 15:20

    I would choose a selective public school over a private school any day of the week. Private schools do not have your back, they prefer to be accountable to no one but their own private board and whoever owns the board, when the chips are down you cannot trust them.

    • 6
    • bargaino on 29/05/2026 - 19:31

      See above, not a selective school.
      The whole "public vs private" is bullshit anyway. Compare individual schools, nobody is having to choose a system first.

      • 6
      • jv on 30/05/2026 - 00:23

        100%… You can only decide by visiting each school and seeing what suits you and your child best…

        Horses for courses…

        • 1
    • tenpercent on 29/05/2026 - 20:15

      when the chips are down you cannot trust them

      What sort of chips go down?

      • 1
      • soan papdi on 30/05/2026 - 14:28

        This is the sort of complaint we always hear about public schools but I have heard stories from friends (their own experiences) about how bullying is not handled properly in some very expensive private schools in Melbourne. It's not just banter between kids, there's cyber bullying (obviously lots of evidence), intimidation in the hallways and so on. The victim is just told to deal with it. Private schools only look out for themselves, always. Parents just get lucky if that aligns with what they want for the child.

        • 4
    • Eeples on 30/05/2026 - 21:15

      Victoria only has 4 selective schools.

      • 0
    • jv on 29/05/2026 - 16:18

      LOL

      • -3
      • Nillionaire on 29/05/2026 - 19:40

        I'm genuinely curious why you find that take funny..

        • 0
        • Jackson on 31/05/2026 - 10:46

          Maybe he is a private school fan

          • 0
  • Muppet Detector on 29/05/2026 - 13:22

    Talk to your daughter and if she wants to, take her on a tour of the new school.

    • 5
  • Wiadro on 29/05/2026 - 14:01

    just take them to the roughest public school in the area, they will learn more than they ever would.

    • 5
    • MS Paint on 29/05/2026 - 14:27

      @Jimothy Wongingtons - if memory serves me correctly I think you went to the school of hard knockers?

      • 4
      • Muppet Detector on 29/05/2026 - 16:32

        Yeah, if you google that don't scroll down very far if there are children in the room…

        • 0
    • ttt888 on 29/05/2026 - 14:05

      Yup they will learn how to change diapers and feeding….

      • 3
  • bargaino on 29/05/2026 - 14:04

    Myschool data shows the school is very average. Not like going to a selective school.
    But a good class in an average school is fine?

    https://myschool.edu.au/school/45422/naplan/results

    • 3
    • Eeples on 30/05/2026 - 21:14

      Victoria only has 4 selective schools.

      • 0
  • mskeggs on 29/05/2026 - 11:29

    What was the reason you chose a private school in the first place?

    • 2
    • ozinp on 29/05/2026 - 11:35

      I chose a private school initially because I wanted to provide my daughter with a strong academic foundation, smaller class sizes, and access to a wide range of extracurricular opportunities. However, I’m not sure if the private school continues to offer the same level of support and enrichment as students progress to secondary school.

      For example, my daughter is strong in Math and English, and out of her own interest, she has progressed in Math and is now two years ahead. But I’m not sure if the school is providing any additional challenges or opportunities for her to learn more. I don’t want her to feel stagnant or think she’s not advancing, especially when she’s doing well and eager to keep improving.

      • 2
      • CrispyChrispy on 29/05/2026 - 11:41

        I’m not sure if the school is providing any additional challenges or opportunities for her to learn more.

        What does your daughter think?

        • 19
      • R4 on 30/05/2026 - 15:29

        maths

        • 4
      • ssfps on 30/05/2026 - 00:01

        she has progressed in Math and is now two years ahead.

        Just means now she's wasting her time in math lessons.

        But I’m not sure if the school is providing any additional challenges or opportunities for her to learn more

        Schools always talk about providing "extension" lesson material, but it's almost always lip service. Good teachers try, but they just don't have the time, even at private schools. School-based tuition is optimised for the median student, the further below or above median you go, the more you're wasting your time. A teacher can't stop teaching the larger median cohort and spend any meaningful amount of time on the 1 kid who's 2 years advanced.

        • 2
        • StalkingIbis on 31/05/2026 - 09:51

          True.

          Although i had a kid in my year 8 class who was in year 8. He just moved up only for math and then was back at year level for all otehr subjects…..Dunno what he did when he got to senior.

          • 0
      • expertreader on 31/05/2026 - 15:32

        @ozinp every kid will have their own reasons to work hard and keep going. Some are self motivated and some do it because their friends are doing it. Some times its best to have both options available so the self motivation and peer pressure can feed off each other(peer pressure here is referred in a positive way). If you think they will get both in SEAL program then go with that but if she was always in the private school then dont underestimate the infulence this could have had on your kid.

        • 0
      • rogerwilko on 30/05/2026 - 08:12

        Two years ahead of what? Finishing school two years earlier then other kids her age?

        • -3
        • jacross on 30/05/2026 - 09:58

          I believe they are saying she is, for example, learning grade 7 syllabus in grade 5.

          • 3
        • cfuse on 30/05/2026 - 13:42

          If I'd been offered this option I would have studied and worked so hard to get it.

          • 0
      • Barbados Slim on 29/05/2026 - 23:37

        Is your shoulder okay. Because that was a serious reach

        • 13
        • ReaperX22 on 30/05/2026 - 09:13

          I actually had to re read it to ensure I understood how they arrived at that last sentence.

          In fact it wasn't necessary at all to include. They could've just.. Stopped after 'conducive for learning'. Wild jump

          • 3
  • Alpine58 on 30/05/2026 - 02:32

    If I had the opportunity to go back-in-ime and give my high-school self some advice it would be: "Enjoy this time, be social, have fun, being average is fine - learn the stuff and push yourself but keep it all balanced. These are the best years so enjoy them"

    Your kid is obviously driven, so do what they want, where they can be around the people they want to be around.

    • 2
    • jacross on 30/05/2026 - 10:01

      If your high school years were your best years you need to make some changes. I want for you that your best years are this year's!

      • 0
      • BobLim on 30/05/2026 - 13:30

        Always though that seemed like a depressing thing to say - what sort of impression are people trying to give when they say "these are the best years you'll get so make the most of them cos it's all downhill from here"? Very odd approach, especially when people look for different things in life, and plenty of those things are simply impossible during early life (e.g. playing with grandchildren)

        • 0
        • Jackson on 31/05/2026 - 10:51

          The toilets at Macca's only get harder to clean every year, and never transitioned to the rep footy side

          • 1
        • Alpine58 on 01/06/2026 - 18:21

          Maybe I should have said, "some of the best years."

          No need to worry about money, plenty of ways to find and make friends, you have the freedom and independence to do your own thing, with the safety and security of living in a family home.

          • 0
  • mrvaluepack on 30/05/2026 - 05:41

    If you want your kid to enjoy herself at school and have the better facilities, stay private. If you care about education and want her to have a good ATAR/VCE score, compare the past ATAR/VCE results of the private school and public school and choose from there.

    • 2
  • kaleidoscope on 30/05/2026 - 08:49

    Does it provide a significant advantage or enrichment compared to private schooling

    This statement says it all

    • 1
  • ttt888 on 29/05/2026 - 13:36

    Ok I just check their VCE for 2025 , DON'T unless they only have like 10 students ,their VCE scores are SO SO ORDINARY, OMG!
    I suspect they are looking for smart kids to boost up their school performance but based on 2025 looks really bad.

    • 0
    • ozinp on 29/05/2026 - 13:41

      Where did you come across that information? I haven’t been able to find much about their VCE results.

      • 0
      • ttt888 on 29/05/2026 - 13:45

        https://www.quppa.net/studyscores/browse/2025/Grouped%20by%2…

        Unless all their smart students refused their results to be published.. I doubt it.
        During VCE form you have to fill , they have a check box where you can tick if you don't want your scores to be made known. Majority of people don't bother.. Unless some parents so scared and don't want their friends or relatives know about their kids VCE results.

        • 4
        • aliceisstupid on 30/05/2026 - 06:58

          Wtf do you think a good score is?!! 40+ in a subject is great

          • 0
          • ttt888 on 30/05/2026 - 08:41

            @aliceisstupid: Only 8 kids and their subjects are a ordinary subjects.

            Not a single kid got 40+ for methods.

            • 0
          • exit on 31/05/2026 - 16:01

            @aliceisstupid: This is a average to below average amount of 40+ scores in a school

            • 0
  • GordonD on 29/05/2026 - 16:18

    Mmmm, asking a bargain site about private schools?

    • 0
    • Nillionaire on 29/05/2026 - 19:42

      For some of us, the point of saving money through bargains is being able to spend on the likes of private schools or whatever someone deems worth it for their child's upbringing

      • 5
    • bargaino on 29/05/2026 - 19:34

      Private school fees have gone through the roof, though many students get a discount of some sort.
      You can see school funding data at the myschool website, and the average fee income per student is way, way less than the published rate.

      OTOH, the cost of getting into the catchment for a good public school has gone through the roof too. So yes, peopel are looking for bargains.

      • 1
  • GourmetFoodie on 29/05/2026 - 16:23

    No way.

    • 0
  • Dollar General on 29/05/2026 - 17:04

    Seal program is better than clown school

    • 0
  • Showmethebargains on 30/05/2026 - 09:33

    Ahhh the memories. Matthew Flinders (colloquially known at the time as ‘Melly Fleas), my old school. Too long ago to be of any help to the OP but I loved it there.

    • 0
  • Viktrrr on 30/05/2026 - 18:01

    Really depends on which private and which SEAL.
    They are not made equal.
    If your daughter wants to become a lawyer - definitely private. When it comes to the job applications they will want a private school kid.
    Otherwise research how good that SEAL (and private) are.

    • 0
    • Jackson on 31/05/2026 - 10:53

      I imagine the private school kids get along much better with the boys club and are less likely to make a sexual harassment claim

      • 0
  • Etster on 31/05/2026 - 17:42

    Some SEAL programs only go to Year 10 then the students are mixed in with everyone else which can be quite a shock to them.
    Victoria has had a huge issue with teacher retention since COVID as many of them burnt out during and after, so it would be good to ask around and find out how many classes a day at the state school are taught by supply teachers
    and also what sort of behaviour is normal in classes. You’d have to ask someone whose children go there now for this info.
    On the other hand some studies have shown girls do better in single sex schools.
    Good luck finding the right school for her!

    • 0
  • kidz821 on 31/05/2026 - 19:10

    Did you ask your girl on her opinions

    • 0
    • CalmLemons on 31/05/2026 - 21:47

      Not directly addressed to you but honestly really depends on the child. Some have an opinion, some are just whatever.

      I'm what 40, I honestly couldn't give a shit most days. I had friend in high school who from the get go knew what they wanted to be, doctor, sailor, lawyer, vet and the ones they knew kept to it and got there eventually. You can't really force a career choice or opinion on someone.

      It's like everyone expects a 15 year old to have some amazing well nurtured educated opinion. Literally most people don't know anything before 20.

      At the end of the day, going to a more above average school will benefit the child, and the rest is up to then on how much they want to work further for it.

      If they don't want it, they don't want it.

      • 0
      • Checkmate3023 on 31/05/2026 - 22:17

        It's like everyone expects a 15 year old to have some amazing well nurtured educated opinion. Literally most people don't know anything before 20.

        this is spot on

        • 0
  • tenpercent on 29/05/2026 - 19:42

    Seals ✅ Yvan Eht Nioj

    • -1
  • Flipfeet on 01/06/2026 - 08:25

    As many have said, depends on your child, depends on school.

    We started both our children at the SEAL program at local secondary school. VERY teacher dependent on quality of teaching.

    Child 1: Was a bit disengaged with school post COVID times, moved to private school for year 11 and 12 - 180 degree turnaround in attitude and performance. His reasons for moving at the time - I want to be taught by teachers who love to teach.
    Child 2: We felt quality of teaching was not great in SEAL for this one - different stream to sibling - (one teacher took over 4 weeks to respond to an email asking for advice for tutor post a poor maths exam result - and it was the only email I sent all term). Moved to private school this year for year 10. The daily complaints about 'I hate school' have stopped, strongly engaged with learning culture and sport.

    We did choose different schools for different kids. It is a significant financial hit for us to do this.

    Other things to consider are friendship groups (+/- influence), how easily your child makes friends (both my children are academic and sporty and are fortunately good at making friends - not everyone is).

    There is no single correct answer - good luck.

    • -1
  • Checkmate3023 on 29/05/2026 - 13:41

    Honestly depends on the kids and the area you live the the local private school is full of housing commision reject and kids of junkies - it is probably not going to be condusive to learning

    • -2
    • JIMB0 on 29/05/2026 - 15:42

      Well that rules out most of Melbourne.

      • 5
    • mrvaluepack on 30/05/2026 - 05:35

      I dont think housing commision rejects and junkies can afford private schools.

      • 1
  • stickingly on 02/06/2026 - 16:54

    My kids both did SEAL at a reasonably good public school. What SEAL basically did is skip year 7, so they go straight into the year 8 curriculum for core subjects whilst officially in year 7. So at the end of year 9 SEAL ends and they thrown back in with rest of the cohort.

    Many of them left at this stage to go to select entry and some got scholarships to private.

    They can then start doing some VCE subjects, or have a cruise year. Or in my kids case can do a few units though Melbourne Uni as part of VCE, which gives a great head start on uni as you start with a few credits in the bag. It is also free if you do it through school.

    If your sole focus is ATAR results this is not the best path (my son and ours wasn't), which is why private schools don't do it. My son liked the flexibility.

    The main advantage was that they were in a class with other like minded motivated people, although it was a bit of a shock to be thrown back into the general pool in year 10.
    Also, the seal class seemed to get the best teachers.

    • 0
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