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Wycombe Abbey in 2019 - Was Nord Anglia - Tin Wan

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  1. #11

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    The last information we were given from the school (late July) was that Tin Wan wouldn't be ready for this academic year. There was a chance that it would be able to open after Christmas but if not, it would open next September.

    From what I can gather the problems are to do with traffic/parking, objections from local councillors that the school provides no benefit to local residents (as opposed to the derelict shopping centre it replaced), and that it will mean the remaining local shops will lose business.

    I think the school are trying to argue that lots of kids will get buses (although I am sure there will still be a significant proportion of Vellfires double and triple parked on the road directly outside the school gates as their little darlings couldn't possibly walk!). They are also apparently offering free evening classes to local residents and free or discounted use of the sports facilities.

    There was a SCMP article on it a few months back, I'll see if I can dig it out...


  2. #12

  3. #13

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    Nevertheless, because of the political hiccup, Nord Anglia is unlikely to open on schedule in September, and has already refunded frustrated parents.
    This campus was presented as a done deal to potential clients earlier this year. If it was sunk in June, well past application deadlines for the next academic year, that would have utterly shafted so many families. 'Frustrated' would be massive understatement.
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  4. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by jgl:
    So, are these workshops really "free"?
    Apparently yes because they can't actually accept tuition fees as they aren't a real school...even though they already did admissions and took in students.

    Troubled British school Mount Kelly to begin classes in Hong Kong despite lacking approval for Hung Hom campus | South China Morning Post

    A spokeswoman confirmed that the school had not received approval from the bureau to begin classes for the primary levels.
    But she said the classes those pupils would be having next week were more like an “induction or orientation programme” and were not subject to school fees.
    She added that the classes would be small to comply with bureau regulations and the learning more play-based.

  5. #15

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    As someone who wanders through Tin Wan every week, randomly shops there - I do think that this was all piss poor planning. That area just does not have the roads to deal with an international school and the traffic that follows it.

    I love how the op-ed paints LINK as the public enemy...

    It was the Link that took over shopping malls in public housing estates from the government in the first place, and its policy to maximise revenue has resulted in complaints from the tenants that their needs are being neglected.
    Ok... Mr taipan @ Albert Cheng....

    By the way, I've seen the refurb they did at another local housing estate (Wah Kwai) and it was a significant improvment - both in the quality of tenants / shop layouts / cleanliness etc ... local estate residents seem to be shopping / eating / lifestyling without any complaints.

  6. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by jgl:
    This campus was presented as a done deal to potential clients earlier this year. If it was sunk in June, well past application deadlines for the next academic year, that would have utterly shafted so many families. 'Frustrated' would be massive understatement.
    Absolutely it was. I had an email last spring from the admissions team saying Tin Wan was a done deal opening in September. Quite excitedly saying the location was ideal for Mid-Levels/Pokfulam/Southside families to join the NAIS family, blah blah. I know a few families who took places at the school based on the Aberdeen location and as of late spring they still thought it was happening. However we decided we're not applying to any new schools until we see the campus open with our own eyes, if that puts us at the back of the queue behind people willing to pay $2k in admissions fees for a non-existent campus we'll survive.
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  7. #17

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    Oct 2016
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    Yes it was a bit of an issue to say the least, especially as we based our apartment hunting on the anticipated Aberdeen location. We'd only just signed the lease when we got the initial emails indicating that opening might be delayed.

    In the event, they refunded the application fee and are also providing our son with free bus travel for the whole of this year (saving me HK$26,000), so there is a bit of a silver lining.

    Plus the campus at Redhill is lovely, its a much better location for a school IMO (although traffic is still a bit of an issue what with it being right next door to HKIS!).

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  8. #18

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    I can't help but scratch my head over discussions like these when in my neighborhood there are empty government school buildings.

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  9. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by Firemin:
    In the event, they refunded the application fee and are also providing our son with free bus travel for the whole of this year (saving me HK$26,000), so there is a bit of a silver lining.

    Plus the campus at Redhill is lovely, its a much better location for a school IMO (although traffic is still a bit of an issue what with it being right next door to HKIS!).
    Good of them to do that. We'd be looking at Reception in a few years so weren't in a hurry, hence the desire to wait until the campus had opened.

    At Tai Tam is it up to year 2?

  10. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by Elegiaque:
    I can't help but scratch my head over discussions like these when in my neighborhood there are empty government school buildings.
    Same- I've noticed a lot of empty school buildings around HK.