discovery bay

Posted by siobhan (1708 days ago)

We are thinking of moving to DB this Jan with 2 children - a 2 year old & 9 week old. Are there any English language schools there (for under 10s)? And what facilities are there for kids - parks, playgroups, music? And any mother/toddler groups either?

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Posted by snt (1341 days ago)

Hi, I live in Discovery Bay, been here for 5 years (in HK for 8
yrs) so know my way quite well around HK! There are
English language schools here, although they do tend to
have long-ish waiting lists! The Discovery Bay International
School Kindergarten is an extension of the D.B. Int'l School,
headmistress is Ms Anne-Marie Naughton who is very
dedicated and committed to the school. May be worth
visiting when you come. DB is definitely a community-driven
environment with quieter surroundings due to lack of heavy
traffic - no public cars allowed, just buses, hire-cars and golf
buggies which people use to get around. So very children-
orientated!

There are numerous playgroups run in residential blocks by
parents with varying degrees of training. You would be well
advised to check out qualifications & experience of anyone
running a group, before making a commitment.

Otherwise on Hong Kong side, there are again numerous
pre-schools; the ESF is well known offering solid, reliable
education. Also, The Woodland Group of Pre-schools which
has been running continuously since 1978 and offers
bilingual classes (English / Chinese) for children aged 12
months to 7 years. As yet, they don't have a school on DB
although considered it some time ago but couldn't find a
suitable, child-orientated premise. You'll find all kinds of
schools in all sorts of locations and it just depends on what
you feel comfortable with!

Feel free to contact me once you're here if you need more
info on jupeter@hknet.com.

Posted by :-)) (1341 days ago)

I've lived in DB without children for 8 years but am expecting a baby soon so have been on the lookout for children's facilities. There are more numerous school options in DB than mentioned by the previous poster. For preschool there are three formal options: Sunshine House and Discovery Mind, both of which have a good reputation, and the DBIS also has a kindergarten.

As for primary and above, there is increasing choice in this area, as the ESF are building a new school (primary and secondary) which is supposed to be opening in 2005, and Sunshine House has recently opened a primary school in Tung Chung which is only 15 mins away by bus. These developments are sure to cut waiting lists at DBIS, and result in fewer kids having to get the ferry to school.

As for playgrounds, these are scattered everywhere, so there is one very close to everybody. Don't know about music but there is a dance school. I think the mother/toddler groups are mostly informal - there are so many mothers and toddlers here, you will not find it difficult to meet others!