Posted by
Correna
15 yrs ago
Hi there. We are moving to Hong Kong and need some advice for schools. My son will be 7 years old. I want a British education and we're looking to move to either Clearwater Bay/ Discovery Bay (again any advice on which area is best). Can anyone recommend a fantastic school to fit my criteria? Any help on this matter would be much appreciated!!! Thank you.
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Wow, thanks Cara for advice. That has helped so much. I'm over next week to look at area's and schools so fingers crossed. Can't believe how scarce places are. And I thought Dubai was bad!!!
Apart from Clearwater Bay and Discovery Bay would you recommend any other places near the sea to live?
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Great advice form cara. Contact lots of schools and have a chat. Apply for several, even if they are not British education. Even ESF, while nominally British education, has adopted IB in primaries.
Also worth looking at:
- Kellett. British school but quite hard to get into, and expensive.
- HK Academy.
- International Montessori School.
- Australian International.
I would add that there are several threads on this subject. Do a search in this forum for "school" and "schools" and you'll find lots of info. Search box is at the top of the topic list.
"Apart from Clearwater Bay and Discovery Bay would you recommend any other places near the sea to live?"
Few places in HK are far from the sea. ;) Jokes aside, the South Side (Stanley, Repulse Bay, Shouson Hill) is really nice but as cara says depends on budget and commute to work. Very different from New Territories locations mentioned above.
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Thanks for all your advice. You've both been a massive help. We have our own company in Dubai so unfortunately we can't rely on the debenture. We are free to go anywhere in Hong Kong but originally looked at Clearwater and Discovery Bay as we love the outdoor life, beaches, yachting and golf. Just needs to be near a good school however here in Dubai I drive 180 kms a day to school and back!!!:)
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"We have our own company in Dubai so unfortunately we can't rely on the debenture."
Well, nothing stops your company from buying a debenture, but it is a bit late for that now so no point.
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I've been looking at the Kellet School but how far is it from Discovery Bay and Clearwater Bay?
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CF
15 yrs ago
Just to re-iterate that none of the schools Cara mentions above (Clearwater Bay, Discovery College and Renaissance) follow the British National Curriculum. They are all IB PYP schools.
Clearwater bay/Sai Kung area will be good for you if you love outdoor activities. Beaches, sailing etc all easy and great hiking in the country parks.
I seriously doubt you would ever do 180km a day doing a school run in HK, but I guess it is possible!
Good luck with your move.
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Thanks guys for all your help. Really appreciate it. I've been looking at Kellet. Since clearwater bay isn't possible and I don't really want to put my son on a bus from Discovery Bay, what areas do you reckon are nice to live in to reach Kellet? Thanks once again.
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best bet is to contact Kellett and inquire about there bus service (website mentions service to most residential areas of HK Island)...Pok Fu Lam would be the obvious choice, as its nearest to the school...
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Kellett has comprehensive bus service from South Side and Pok Fu Lam at least.
From Disco Bay your kid would probably take the ferry to Central Pier, then bus from there. That's how Bradbury does it (Bradbury is the ESF school that covers Lantau and Lamma).
Still, I would not count on getting in so don't go deciding where to live based on getting into Kellett.
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Ah. Good info. As far as I know, the kids from southern and western Lantau take the ferry from Mui Wo.
This shows how if you decide to live outside Hong Kong Island and Kowloon your options decrease when it comes to schools and bus service. Those areas have big advantages in terms of greenery, space and price, but they have disadvantages too.
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You've been a massive help guys. Thanks you. Done more research based on your notes and it seems only Kellet is the only one that offers a British curriculum. Bit concerned how easy it is to switch from an IB education back to British curriculum as we night be relocating back to the UK in 5 years. I'm not even sure what the difference is!!!
Also in terms of rentals, the Kellet area seems to be alot higher in price compared to Clearwater and Discovery Bay. How much is the typical monthly rental for a 4 bed?
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I think you are overestimating the problem. Lots of kids go back and forth between curricula. ESF has tons of British, American, Dutch, Australian and other kids who move from and back to their respective countries without problems. In fact since HK international schools tend to be very good academically kids that return home are often ahead of their peers in "normal" schools in their countries regardless of different teaching methods.
Contact ESF and ask them about IB vs. British curriculum, and how kids adapt to moves.
"Also in terms of rentals, the Kellet area seems to be alot higher in price compared to Clearwater and Discovery Bay."
Certainly Pok Fu Lam and the surrounding areas would be. My guess is that in Pok Fu Lam you might find a four bed for 70k and up, depending on size, state and facilities.
BTW if I were you I would look at smaller places than four bedroom. Space costs a lot in HK and rents tend to yo-yo over the years, often moving by 40-50%. We also looked at four beds when moving but ended up with a three bed. The kids have to double up but it's all good.
Also, don't forget to check out the helper's room when looking.
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Two more things.
- As far as I know, the International Section of French International School runs a British curriculum. At least they did two years ago when we had a look. German Swiss International's International Section might as well but not sure.
- Even if Kellett nominally has a British curriculum, the style of teaching might be very different from that in the UK, so ESF would work just as well.
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From my observations (a kid at ESF school) cara is correct. Then again that is just an observation.
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maz27
15 yrs ago
I've been to kellett and unless you have a debenture you haven't got a hope in hell of getting in. I went there recently making enquiries.
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As maz27 says. Our daughter has been on the waiting list for over two years and still wasn't offered a place for reception this fall. Her waiting list spot is not bad but nothing is certain t this point.
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Waiting for just Kellett may not be your best option. I assume he's born in 2003, so according to ESF he should be in Year 3. Unless he just turned 7 in January (2004 born), then he should be in Year 2. Places in ESF are quite difficult. You'll have more chance over the summer holiday. I still consider ESF very British (my oldest goes there), the majority of teachers are British (some Aussies, Canadian, South African maybe, but majority is from the UK). My daughter has a very clear British accent (while she used to have an American one - we're non-native English speakers, however she's a US passport holder), so it has very clearly changed. However, ESF now follows the IB, and the PYP in the Primary section. It's a well-know international diploma, and a lot of schools in HK or IB-accredited. Like others said, level here is very high, so most likely your child will be ahead. I am absolutely not worrying about my child following the IB-programme. Better said, I would probably be looking for an IB-school (if possible) again if we move. It's getting more and more then norm, especially here in Asia.
Having said all this, DB will be quite difficult. Your ESF catchment school would be Bradbury (on the Island) so quite a long journey. DBIS and DC are very very hard to get into (a friend of us has been on the waiting list for more than 2 years). For us, it was a reason not to move there because choices seemed so limited, especially if you don't want to have a young child travel so far. If you move to Clearwater Bay, you would be looking at Clearwater Bay ESF (in terms of ESF). Also, this school has extremely long waiting list. I have 1 friend with 3 kids who had to wait between 1 1/4 - almost 2 years (in the meantime they went to Delia School of Canada) before they all had a spot. I would think that most other options for Clearwater Bay / Sai Kung are usually on the Kowloon side (Australian, etc.). Most options are still on the island. We live on the south side. You'll have many options (Kellett, HKIS, Canadian, Singapore, GSIS, Kennedy / Bradbury / Peak / Glenealy / QBS - for ESF, HK Academy, Korean International, Delia School of Canada, etc.) however again, not always easy, but I would think you should have a lot of movement over the summer and places should become available.
For ESF it's worth looking into the Corporate Surety Scheme for August 2011 placement (the company, which could be your own I guess, applies for a spot between Jan - June 2011). http://www.esf.edu.hk/application-form.
Honestly, I think it will be very very hard to secure a place before the summer without debentures. You may find something, it may not be your first choice, but lots of people move once another place becomes available.
P.S. Plenty of hiking, greenery on the South Side too!
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Meaning, 2003 born is NOW in Year 3, will be Year 4 in August 2011. Year 2 is now 2004-born (my oldest) and she's going to Year 3 in August.
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jblee
15 yrs ago
Have a look at Hong Lok Yuen International School in Tai Po. HLY is a nice place to live, the school is super, and its not too far from the beaches at Sai Kung or water sports at Tai Mei Tuk.
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Thanks for all your feedback guys. Really helped all the comments.
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Correna, we arrived from the UK in December and our eldest daughter who is 7 and in year 3 started at an ESF school last week (my youngest is at Woodlands Harbourside waiting for ESF place). I contacted the ESF schools direct to get an understanding of their waiting lists and we chose to move within the catchment of the school where we stood the best chance of getting in. Send me a PM if you want a chat.
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gunk
15 yrs ago
I support 'jblee' above - Hong Lok Yuen International School for primary school. Hong Lok Yuen is also a great place to live. For a secondary school you then have ICHK (International College of Hong Kong) which is great new school (my kids are there). You could also choose to live in Tai Mei Tuk or along the Ting Kok Road.
Folks generally find the school and use serviced accommodation until they find a suitable home. For Hong Lok Yuen you have the Hyatt Hotel serviced apartments at University which are very popular.
If you need advice send me a PM.
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