Discovery College - Comments anyone?

[Pekkie]

Hi,

It's about time a the year to register our daughter for P1 next year and would like to hear if there's any comments - good or bad on Discovery College? Staying in DB would make DC our first choice in terms of schooling but we have been hearing some not so good comments on DC lately. I would understand DC being new may need time to establish itself and therefore would like to hear from you if you have any comments on them - be it their system, teachers, students, etc.

Thanks in advance for sharing.

 

[jane01]

I don't know about the academic side, but a few things I've noticed living in DB, thankfully not near the school:

* there appears to be no outdoor play area, no climbing equipment, nothing. I question the point of having a 'show off' swimming pool, if you can't provide something children are likely to use numerous times every day. There is no sports oval.
* the transport to and from the school - whether within DB or otherwise - is dreadful. Huge long lines for the number 9 and Tung Chung buses.

 

[nikki]

My daughter has attended DC since it was at the Lai King Campus. She LOVES the school.

I have found the teachers to be of a very high quality and response to input from parents.

Yes, the playground is still a work in progress (the PTA are raising funds for climbing frames, etc) but you know kids have imagination and they play games with each other...skipping ropes, french skipping and ball games.

Lunchtime is filled with co-curricular opportunities runs by teachers and volunteers: art class, bollywood dancing and chess are a few.

The school has a school bus that serves the school from most locations in and around Tung Chung, New Territories West and DB (just look at the school website) so no need to queue for the public buses.

Just one issue: unless you have a sibling at the school or are currently sending your kid to the ESF Kindy in Tsing Yi it is highly unlikely that you will get a place at DC as it is vastly over-subscribed.

 

[Pekkie]

Hi jane01 and nikki,

Thanks for sharing and I really appreciate it.

Nikki,

I was hoping to hear from parents whose child is at DC and its good to hear positive feedback. My child is currently at ESF Tsing Yi and hopefully her chances are higher ( I do know of kids who did not get a place in DC even though they are in TY). By the way, how do you find the IB curriculum?

 

[Jo Bowd]

My child is currently at ESF Tsing Yi and hopefully her chances are higher ( I do know of kids who did not get a place in DC even though they are in TY).

Pekkie,

The family you know who did not get in, was it that they were not offered an interview? Or that they did not fulfill the requirements that DC wanted for admission? If it was the latter were the family native English speakers? Or was English the child's second language?

I got the impression from the regular ESF primary schools that if English were your child's mother-tongue, they were more than likely to get a place. Just wondering if existing parents feel the same applies for DC.

Thanks, Jo.

 

[Pekkie]

Hi Jo, I think the family was offered an interview and they were native English speakers, however, was not offered a place.

 

[jane01]

There certainly are many, many students catching the public (no. 9) bus. Sometimes I take my daugthers for a swim after school and we drive down to the Club just after 3pm. There are absolutely huge lines for the no. 9 bus.

The playground may be a work-in-progress, but is there even any shade? I know children wear hats, but they are inadequate alone to protect against skin cancer.

This may be of interest:
http://www.discoverybayforum.com/cgi-bin/yabb231/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1251209245

Having said that, most of the parents of students of DC I know are very positive about the school. But I'm glad my 6 y.o. isn't in a class of 30 !

 

[nikki]

Hi Pekkie,

I love the IB Curriculum. It suits my daughter perfectly.

Also, on the shade: my daughters burns in the sun - she has never come home from school with sun-burn - EVER! She also plays in the normal play area.

There is plenty of shade at the school.

I'm very happy with the school

 

[honeybee]

Hi, Pekkie

I'm surprised that even an English native speaker will fail the interview, did they ask the school for a reason? I thought the school would accept kids who can cope in an English medium, as stated in their website. What kind of kid does the school accept?