esf chances and local school options

A

aquarian1

New member
I need some advice about school options for my son. He is only 2 months old, so obviously I have time, but I want to get my head round things.

My ideal is that he goes to an ESF school - I am an ESF alumni, so I know I have some priority in the waiting list - but it's the lowest priority. Currently, do alumnis' children generally get a place or do the other priorities tend to fill up all the spaces?

If we can't get into ESF, I think he would need to go to a local school. I'm not happy about him going to a 'standard' local school where the emphasis is on competition between students and memorising and regurgitating information - rather I want him to develop curiosity, independent thought and problem solving skills. I'm sure not all local schools are the same, so can anyone given me any advice on which local schools (if any) would suit us better, and where he would be less likely to be the only non-Chinese student in the class?

Thanks in advance.
 
I haven't heard of any alumni not being able to get a place for their child. You should be ok, even with a low priority. More and more expats are looking at local options. Whereabouts do you live?
 
Hi. I am an ESF graduate as well and asked this exact same question last September. I called up KJS and asked the exact same question. At that time, the admissions office assured me that even if half the places are taken up by siblings and teacher's children, alumni will get next priority so my son should be accepted. At that time my son attended ESF kindi so they said he would have two priorities. In the end I did not apply for P1 so I did not test the theory but I have seen kids get into P1 this year, whose parents are not ESF alumni and who does not have any other priority so your child should be fine. Good luck.
 
One thing you may wish to take note is that ESF has changed its legacy criteria so parents need to have been in an ESF school for a minimum of 3 years in order to qualify for the priority. You also have to come up with documentary proof upfront (submit hard copies at the time of application).

(Previously you were only required to be a former ESF student (no min. years of attendance) and no documentary proof required (unless they ask you for it after processing your application.)
 
thanks - what kind of documentary evidence do they need? I'm not sure what paperwork my parents kept.

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for local schools, you have to devote more time on Chinese as well.

There are more local schools that provide less homework than average school.
 
Aquarian - I'm not sure. This is a new policy that they just put up on their website for the coming year's admission.

I think it depends on the ESF primary. i know one mom from last year's admission who was asked proof from Bradbury (where her son was applying) to provide proof of her alum status - and the admission officer there suggested either school reports or even a yearbook photo.

But this year onwards, alum priority requires min. 3 years of attendance, so whatever proof offered (reports/photos) must be for three years.

I think to be safe, you should check with ESF before applying if possible.
 
thanks - as far as I understand it I can't apply for ESF early (is that right?) so I'd have time to sort it out. Though it might be a matter of just pointing to myself in their yearbooks!

I'm also very interested in local school options in case ESF gets too expensive by the time my son is school age. It's important that the school has a wide range of nationalities so he is not the odd-one-out in the class. Can anyone recommend any local public/DSS primary schools with a good number of non-Chinese pupils? I'm thinking of KCIS and DSC as options but I'd like some other alternatives.

Thanks
 
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