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Looking for schooling for my two daughters

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  1. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by MovingIn07:
    If you are looking for a high quality "international" English speaking school then the right school is whichever one you can get into to. It's hard.

    If you are prepared to be a little more adventurous and try some local schools with English streams you will have much more choice - Carang (a user on here) for example has her children in one such in Sai Kung that she has recommended in the past.

    If you want full-on adventure and a bi-lingual child, you can try a local school. That's pretty easy to get into.
    Re local school. Easier to get into??

    It really really depends which school....

    The best local schools are as hard (if not harder) to enter than many international schools.

    OP it really depends on ur situation (ie intention...money...lengh of stay in hk...)… If u can provide a bit more info maybe ew can help a bit more.
    Sent from my GT-I9210 using GeoClicks mobile app
    Molie and topschoolshk like this.

  2. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by kimgrg:
    I am also looking to relocate my family in HK from UK. Looking for suitable school for my 7 yrs old daughter. Any advice?

    Thanks a lot!
    Depends largely on what you child's school is like in the UK, what your budget is and how much of a risk-taker you are.

    My experience was that we were at a small school in the UK, with an outstanding OFSTED report, great teachers and I really felt she was making good progress. We came here when she had finished Year 1 in the UK, and she entered Year 2 at an ESF primary that we got into using the now defunct Corporate Surety Scheme (now replaced with a HKD 500,000 debenture).

    ESF is International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme. Sounded good on paper, but the delivery in ESF schools is hit and miss. I find the IB programme isn't quite what I had hoped it to be, but there are pros and cons for the UK system as well. On balance though my preference would be for a UK curriculum.

    ESF is as difficult to get into as any English medium school in Hong Kong, for a seven year old, you might strike it lucky as just under half of the ESF students are from expat families, and these tend to have a quite high moving rate.

    I believe there are some fully private schools such as Delia or AIS that you may find it easier to get into, but then you have to consider the reasons for this relative ease in such an over-heated education market.

    Kellet has just moved to Kowloon side into newly built premises, and I think expanded their numbers. Hong Kong Academy are building a huge school in Sai Kung, and a Harrow franchise school recently opened. All hugely expensive options, but depends how deep your pockets are I guess.

    There are some here advocate a local school, but as someone else has mentioned they can be just as hard to get into. Also, you can read any number of comments about the products of the local education system on this forum, it may not be something you would want coming from the UK system where thinking is encouraged

    It all comes down to you and your family, what personality and abilities your daughter has. All I would say is do your research on the education system before you commit to coming. Like all things in life, it isn't going to perfect, and you have to balance the quality of education you can access here with the other benefits your family will gain.

    My personal experience is that in hindsight the relocation has resulted in a lifestyle for our daughter that is lesser on many fronts than the life she had in the UK. It is offset to some extent by the opportunities she has thanks to the money we are able to earn here. Although I am not sure the balance is in the money's favour yet. We have made the decision that when she has completed her primary education here she will return to the UK and go to boarding school, not just for education reasons, although this forms a large part of that decision.
    TheBrit, shri, rani and 4 others like this.

  3. #13

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    Sounded good on paper, but the delivery in ESF schools is hit and miss.
    We moved our son out of Kennedy because we came to the conclusion that the IB (PYP to be specific) implementation was sub standard at best and too many parents are simply just afraid to rock the boat.

  4. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by kimwy66:
    Depends largely on what you child's school is like in the UK, what your budget is and how much of a risk-taker you are.

    My experience was that we were at a small school in the UK, with an outstanding OFSTED report, great teachers and I really felt she was making good progress. We came here when she had finished Year 1 in the UK, and she entered Year 2 at an ESF primary that we got into using the now defunct Corporate Surety Scheme (now replaced with a HKD 500,000 debenture).

    ESF is International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme. Sounded good on paper, but the delivery in ESF schools is hit and miss. I find the IB programme isn't quite what I had hoped it to be, but there are pros and cons for the UK system as well. On balance though my preference would be for a UK curriculum.

    ESF is as difficult to get into as any English medium school in Hong Kong, for a seven year old, you might strike it lucky as just under half of the ESF students are from expat families, and these tend to have a quite high moving rate.

    I believe there are some fully private schools such as Delia or AIS that you may find it easier to get into, but then you have to consider the reasons for this relative ease in such an over-heated education market.

    Kellet has just moved to Kowloon side into newly built premises, and I think expanded their numbers. Hong Kong Academy are building a huge school in Sai Kung, and a Harrow franchise school recently opened. All hugely expensive options, but depends how deep your pockets are I guess.

    There are some here advocate a local school, but as someone else has mentioned they can be just as hard to get into. Also, you can read any number of comments about the products of the local education system on this forum, it may not be something you would want coming from the UK system where thinking is encouraged

    It all comes down to you and your family, what personality and abilities your daughter has. All I would say is do your research on the education system before you commit to coming. Like all things in life, it isn't going to perfect, and you have to balance the quality of education you can access here with the other benefits your family will gain.

    My personal experience is that in hindsight the relocation has resulted in a lifestyle for our daughter that is lesser on many fronts than the life she had in the UK. It is offset to some extent by the opportunities she has thanks to the money we are able to earn here. Although I am not sure the balance is in the money's favour yet. We have made the decision that when she has completed her primary education here she will return to the UK and go to boarding school, not just for education reasons, although this forms a large part of that decision.
    Have to agree. The ESF implementation of PYP varies from school to school. We're not fans either.

    Just a couple of things. Kellett opens their Kowloon campus this September and HK Academy moves to Sai Kung this summer too.

    Would recommend applying to as many schools as possible. There's a list on Geoschools. In addition to ESF, would add these too.

    http://hongkong.geoschools.com/artic...not-know-about

    Also, there is a new school opening next September 2014 which will be following the UK curriculum. However, it is based in Lam Tim.

    http://hongkong.geoschools.com/forum...html#post20170

    Lastly IMS is hoping to open their new campus in Stanley this coming school year (2013-2014). Would apply there too.
    http://www.montessori.edu.hk/IMS/

  5. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by kimwy66:
    There are some here advocate a local school, but as someone else has mentioned they can be just as hard to get into.
    This applies to elite schools which are DSS (semi-private). For regular schools, you are guaranteed a place same as any other modern country that provides free education.
    Also, you can read any number of comments about the products of the local education system on this forum, it may not be something you would want coming from the UK system where thinking is encouraged
    Anecdotal comments aside, Hong Kong educational system is well regarded with dozens of independantly written articles like this:
    http://oecdeducationtoday.blogspot.h...-pisa-one.html
    and by global studies done by OEDC/PISA and the like.

    HK education system is by no means perfect but its also intellectually dishonest trying make it look worse than UK which has its own major issues...
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education...ry-school.html

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-20498356

    There are a lot of choices here, public, semi-private as well as fully private suitable for many budgets.

    What is going to be difficult is special needs education (and support) which is very much lacking in Hong Kong.
    carang likes this.

  6. #16

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    What's the best way to find out which local schools are the better ones? There are so many to choose from I'm not sure where I should start.


  7. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by HowardCoombs:
    HK education system is by no means perfect but its also intellectually dishonest trying make it look worse than UK which has its own major issues...
    .
    As I said T am speaking from personal experience, and I feel the education we get here is not on a par with the free education we had in the UK. We were fortunate, living in the Yorkshire Dales, attending a small school with small class sizes and a fantastic community. On reflection I would not move my daughter if we had to make the decision again.

    I must stress it is a very personal decision for any family to move, and especially so with a young child. Some children fly through regardless of the school or the curriculum, others do much better in certain situations or locations. You have to research, evaluate your child's ability to cope as only a parent can, and make your decision.

    It is not about what is or isn't good or bad in either country. As I said, there are pros and cons to both. What works for this family or your family might not work for another.

  8. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by usehername:
    What's the best way to find out which local schools are the better ones? There are so many to choose from I'm not sure where I should start.
    Best local elite school would be
    DBS (Diocesan Boys School), DGS, St Pauls, St Stephen, Bellios etc etc
    shri likes this.

  9. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mat:
    Best local elite school would be
    DBS (Diocesan Boys School), DGS, St Pauls, St Stephen, Bellios etc etc
    General guideline: if it has "St." before its name, chances are its one of the top ones
    Add to that list : Marymount, Maryknoll as 2 top end girls schools.

  10. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by kimwy66:
    As I said T am speaking from personal experience, and I feel the education we get here is not on a par with the free education we had in the UK. We were fortunate, living in the Yorkshire Dales, attending a small school with small class sizes and a fantastic community.
    Its a bit of a stretch trying to compare rural community schooling with a big-city one, but thats fine; your experience certainly does count as a data point. Having said theat, one should not pass judgement based on singular data points when valid and comprehensive studies are available that compare overall approaches as well as results of the education systems.
    It is not about what is or isn't good or bad in either country.
    If you truly believe that, why would you imply the idea that Hong Kong schools discourage thinking?

    The variety of schools available in Hong Kong is *huge*. We've got everything from free government schools to extremely expensive top facility schools (in a variety of languages) many of them with fantastic local and international results&reputations.

    This is very similar to many top/big cities around the world and I'm certain that the OP will find something suitable for the younger child. I'm not so sure about the special needs child.

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