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I'm moving to Hong Kong & would like help on family areas and schools.

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Sai Kung
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    41

    I'm moving to Hong Kong & would like help on family areas and schools.

    Hi
    I will be moving to Hong Kong as my husband has been relocated with his job. I have a 7 year old girl and would be grateful of any advise on family areas about 20-30 minutes from Central.
    I'd like easy access to shops, resturants etc and outdoor activities and would love to be near a beach. My hubby is out there now for the first time and we'd be grateful of any tips. What are the ESF schools like? Is there a long waiitng list? p.s If someone answers it will make my day as never used these sites before. Ta very much.


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    126

    Finding a house will be sooooo easy compared to finding a school place for your child. Well, putting it this way, if you're looking solely at international schools, especially at Hong Kong Island. ESF has huge waiting lists. I know children who are number 41 and over 100 at Bradbury ESF for various year levels. I have friends in Clearwater Bay who had to wait at least 1 1/2 years for the first place in CWB ESF (out of 3 spots they needed). It is quite bad and I don't envy anybody arriving with a (primary/elementary) school aged child looking for an international school spot.

    The most popular schools are: HKIS (American), FIS (French), GSIS (German Swiss), CIS (Chinese International), ESF schools (QBS, Bradbury, Kennedy, Glenealy and Peak are on the island), Kellett (British School), Hong Kong Academy (now in Kennedy Town, moving to Sai Kung in 2013), CNDIS (Canadian), Singapore International, ISF, etc. Then there is KCIS, and possibly others I forgot to mention. A lot of schools follow the IB-curriculum these days.

    Less popular schools on the island (but still busy) are: Harbour School, Delia School of Canada, Korean International. Options in Kowloon / New Territories are: Japanese International, Norwegian International, HLY International School, American International School (quite local though), Australian International School (also very popular, and a very different school calender).

    Discovery Bay as recommended by pp has DBIS and DC but both schools are hugely oversubscribed as well (apparently DC has a $400k debenture right now that you can buy you a spot, is this right?!). Bradbury is the ESF catchment school for DB (as DC is private independent) on the Island but Bradbury is probably also the most popular one with huge waiting lists. A lot of schools sell debentures that can give you priority but even with priority it isn't always easy (so definitely worth to check with your husband's employer if they have any, especially if it's a larger company).

    So, my message is ... schools first. Housing will be less of an issue. It completely depends on your budget. Southside has many options close to the beach between 30-40 minutes from Central but rents will be higher. Sai Kung / Clearwater Bay in the NT is close to beaches, but you have to travel to the island. Island East offers various child friendly options, but slightly further from the beach and more city living feel. Midlevels / Peak is also popular but same, city living, not that close to beaches, although beaches are never really far in Hong Kong.

    There are local English medium schools (I would think Cantonese at this point, 7 years old, would be quite hard to catch up on; some people recommend local schools especially when children are still very young), but there are local English medium schools that may be easier to get into (some are also very very hard) but I don't have enough information on those, so hopefully somebody else can comment.

    It sounds quite daunting, but you have to start calling schools ASAP as this will be your main issue. You can always live in a serviced apartment first and go from there, many people do this.


  3. #3

    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Gold Coast Marina
    Posts
    17,934

    Mommyto3 is spot on.

    I'll add an outlier (quite literally) - a new school is coming to the GOld Coast next year (Harrow) -NO idea if it's oversubscribed yet, but being new there may be a chance it's not. GC is a great place to live, with reasonably price accomodation, next to a small but good shopping centre with restaurants and next to a couple of beaches and a marina. Downside (yes, there IS always a downside) your hubby's commute will be longer than 30 mins. (best case, if he works right next to the bus stop in Central and catches the early 7:35am bus, 30-ish door to door, but anything else and it's more)


  4. #4

    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Midlevels / USA (MD) / London
    Posts
    2,219

    You should include in your package a debenture--the company needs to use a debenture place they hold at a school to get your kid to the top of the list. He should be talking to them about it now.

    If the previous posts haven't emphasized it enough, I should point out that every Summer there are families who leave Hong Kong for places like Singapore, not because the job is taking them there but because they can find a place in an international school for their children. Seriously, uproot the whole family and fly off somewhere else simply because there are no school places available.

    The application process for school year 12-13 is fully underway at the moment. You should be applying (i.e. this week) for schools for next Fall. Even with applying now you still are going to run the gauntlet of different schools.

    As for schooling between your arrival date and next Fall, any port in a storm. Find something, anything and be ready to jump should you move off a waiting list.

    If you are willing to enter the local (Cantonese) stream you will have more options. Depends a bit on your family language and your long-term plans for relocation. If this is a temporary assignment for a year or two and you plan on re-entering an English-language school system upon your return you might want to speak to some education professionals about whether or not this is advisable.


  5. #5

    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    126

    Harrow is VERY expensive, debentures are sold out already apparently. Add that school to the extremely hard to get into list without a doubt.

    MovingIn07 and hello_there like this.

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    126

    About Harrow:

    Fees: Fees - Harrow International School Hong Kong

    Harrow Debentures:
    Capital Certificates and Debentures - Harrow International School Hong Kong

    Pricing:

    Corporate Capital Certificates: HKD3,000,000
    Individual Capital Certificates: HKD3,000,000 (Note)
    Individual Debentures: HKD600,000 (Note)
    Only limited number will be issued on first-come-first-serve basis.

    (Note) Please be informed that the first batch of individual debentures and individual capital certificates has been fully subscribed. For parents who are interested in ICCs and IDs, please send in an application form and we will put you into a waiting list. We will notify the parents on the waiting list when we issue the second batch, the timing and pricing of which will be determined at a later stage.


  7. #7

    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    Gold Coast Marina
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    Thanks MommyTo3 - useful info for those interested in Harrow. I had a general question about debentures - are they "gifts" to the school or are they like bonds and you get them back at the end?


  8. #8

    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    126

    Not sure. I try to stay away from them (my 3 kids are in ESF), ! I think it's basically a bond that has a resale value. I've heard the ones from CIS have a market value of $3 million ... nice ... But other schools non-refundable ones that basically cost $300/400k and no money back ... Quite a business!


  9. #9

    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Gold Coast Marina
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    Quote Originally Posted by MommyTo3:
    Not sure. I try to stay away from them (my 3 kids are in ESF), ! I think it's basically a bond that has a resale value. I've heard the ones from CIS have a market value of $3 million ... nice ... But other schools non-refundable ones that basically cost $300/400k and no money back ... Quite a business!
    Yikes. Quite a business indeed. Surely a market for a reasonably priced new school here ... or two... or three ... or four.....

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Sai Kung
    Posts
    8,561

    difficult for private schools to be "reasonably" priced.. have you noticed the cost of property lately? not to mention staffing it with qualified, experienced teachers (think minimum $35k/month/teacher).... costs quickly add up.


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