Hi Viv, CIS is bilingual in English and Mandarin right from the beginning so I think that by Year 3 all students are pretty fluent in both. If your child in not already fluent in Chinese at a level equivalent to someone who has been learning it on full time basis for 2 years, you probably want to have a few more backups. Singapore IS is another really strong IS but its admission requirements on the language side is gonna be same as CIS.
ESF Corporate Surety Scheme
- Thread starter Viv2011
- Start date
thanks Ocean419 for raising a valid point, i was going to apply to Yew Chung and Kiangsu & chekiang Primary School (International Section), but I guess that would probably be the same as Chinese IS and Singapore IS sine my boy only knows zero Chinese/Cantonese. Sign....I feel like my option is shrinking, especially I am also avoiding the schools that are non British/IB curriculum.
My revised target is now this (Y3 entry in September 2011):
Chinese IS
French IS
German Swiss IS
ESF (Corporate Surety)
Kellett
Hong Lok Yuen
Please all feel free to suggest any other schools that are worth applying(esp schools that we have a good chance getting in). Our profile is (6 yrs old English speaking child seeking Y3 Entry in an international school using British or IB curriculum, starting this Sept 2011)?
My revised target is now this (Y3 entry in September 2011):
Chinese IS
French IS
German Swiss IS
ESF (Corporate Surety)
Kellett
Hong Lok Yuen
Please all feel free to suggest any other schools that are worth applying(esp schools that we have a good chance getting in). Our profile is (6 yrs old English speaking child seeking Y3 Entry in an international school using British or IB curriculum, starting this Sept 2011)?
How quickly does the waiting list clear?
French International told us we are at over 60 something on the waiting list for Y3. Should I take that as no entry possibility this year.
We got one interview next month and still waiting on ESF Corporate Surety.
Not looking good at all.
French International told us we are at over 60 something on the waiting list for Y3. Should I take that as no entry possibility this year.
We got one interview next month and still waiting on ESF Corporate Surety.
Not looking good at all.
Hey Viv2011
Here's my two-pence worth.....
I think once you get the CSS - you will be offered a place at ESF (albeit it may not be in the school of your residential catchment - as I know people this has happened to). Which area do you plan to live in?
We arrived in HK in Dec and hence couldn't apply for CSS mid school year and are waiting for my child to get into current Y2. This is difficult year to get into as well - there are children in holding schools waiting for Y2 entry into all of the ESF island schools.
BUT do not fret as a newcomer to HK, i believe, you are given priority. Also, as people say, there is also a lot of movement over the summer break - families leave HK as well as kids currently in ESF leaving to go to the other International schools.
French & Kellett are pretty much impossible to get into as a newcomer unless you have a debenture.
GSIS - need to do an assessment and even if you have the debenture there is no guarantee of entry. They have spaces but won't fill them unless an 'exceptional' candidate is presented I believe.
I know parents who have put their kids in Harbour School whilst waiting for Y3 spaces - maybe an option worth considering if you really don't want you child to be at home in the early days of you arriving here in August.
I have had a tough time with kids not getting into school here too, it is a very sensitive topic for almost all new parents to HK. But all I can say...is things do work out, just need to be a little patient and stay calm!
Have you looked at HONG KONG Academy? - IB curriculum and currently based in Kennedy Town (but moving to Sai Kung in 2013)
Private message me if you want more info on our experiences on schools since we got here.....happy to share
Here's my two-pence worth.....
I think once you get the CSS - you will be offered a place at ESF (albeit it may not be in the school of your residential catchment - as I know people this has happened to). Which area do you plan to live in?
We arrived in HK in Dec and hence couldn't apply for CSS mid school year and are waiting for my child to get into current Y2. This is difficult year to get into as well - there are children in holding schools waiting for Y2 entry into all of the ESF island schools.
BUT do not fret as a newcomer to HK, i believe, you are given priority. Also, as people say, there is also a lot of movement over the summer break - families leave HK as well as kids currently in ESF leaving to go to the other International schools.
French & Kellett are pretty much impossible to get into as a newcomer unless you have a debenture.
GSIS - need to do an assessment and even if you have the debenture there is no guarantee of entry. They have spaces but won't fill them unless an 'exceptional' candidate is presented I believe.
I know parents who have put their kids in Harbour School whilst waiting for Y3 spaces - maybe an option worth considering if you really don't want you child to be at home in the early days of you arriving here in August.
I have had a tough time with kids not getting into school here too, it is a very sensitive topic for almost all new parents to HK. But all I can say...is things do work out, just need to be a little patient and stay calm!
Have you looked at HONG KONG Academy? - IB curriculum and currently based in Kennedy Town (but moving to Sai Kung in 2013)
Private message me if you want more info on our experiences on schools since we got here.....happy to share
Hi viv,
We came here from England last August with a 6-year-old, although my husband had been here nearly a year by then. Mydaughter and I were delayed by lack of a school place. We joined the ESF Corporate Surety scheme in the end, April I think.
We heard in mid-June that we had a place at Kowloon Junior School. The school is a considerable distance from our home, even more so now it is moving to Hung Hom, so we have fingers crossed for a transfer to the school 10 minutes drive away in August. Although we have been told we are not the only ones on the transfer list for Y3.
Don't worry about not having heard yet from ESF, most people won't have told ESF they are leaving at the end of the school year - they only need to give one month's notice, so expect to hear June time.
Schooling is a real issue for expats, and to be honest I'm not sure I would have made the move had I known then what I know now.
We came here from England last August with a 6-year-old, although my husband had been here nearly a year by then. Mydaughter and I were delayed by lack of a school place. We joined the ESF Corporate Surety scheme in the end, April I think.
We heard in mid-June that we had a place at Kowloon Junior School. The school is a considerable distance from our home, even more so now it is moving to Hung Hom, so we have fingers crossed for a transfer to the school 10 minutes drive away in August. Although we have been told we are not the only ones on the transfer list for Y3.
Don't worry about not having heard yet from ESF, most people won't have told ESF they are leaving at the end of the school year - they only need to give one month's notice, so expect to hear June time.
Schooling is a real issue for expats, and to be honest I'm not sure I would have made the move had I known then what I know now.
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Hi kimwy66, appreciate you sharing your experience. I never knew entrance could be this competitive, I understand why expats would give up moving to HK simply because of the school situation.
Fingers crossed on ESF. I applied to 4 other schools. One said they have never received my packet even though it was tracked and confirmed delivered. French International and Chinese Internationals said our chance for this year is none. One has invited us for an interview next month. So although I have applied to 5 schools, really i only have two in my basket.
I don't want to put all eggs in ESF in case they cannot find us anything. Do you think I really need to send out another wave of applications, to schools with shorter wait list?
BTW, do you and your daughter like Kowloon Junior School (besides the distance from home issue)?
Thanks
Viv
Fingers crossed on ESF. I applied to 4 other schools. One said they have never received my packet even though it was tracked and confirmed delivered. French International and Chinese Internationals said our chance for this year is none. One has invited us for an interview next month. So although I have applied to 5 schools, really i only have two in my basket.
I don't want to put all eggs in ESF in case they cannot find us anything. Do you think I really need to send out another wave of applications, to schools with shorter wait list?
BTW, do you and your daughter like Kowloon Junior School (besides the distance from home issue)?
Thanks
Viv