Hi,
Sorry for a very long rant but as you will see am thoroughly confused and need to make a decision within this week.
My 5 year old has started at Kennedy this year and we've been very happy with the school thus far. Even though they don't send much homework etc and I don't know what subjects they cover every day, I can witness my child's progress in these two months from my observations at home. The class teacher this year has excellent record and the school seems very organised and well run.
We had earlier applied to Kellett as well and just received a placement offer for 2013 in the much raved about new Kowloon Bay campus and looks promising indeed.
The main points to consider would be:
The curriculum: IB at Kennedy vs GCSE/IGCSE at Kellett - IB is more demanding and a popular trend these days, but (I)GCSE seems to get kids to top universities as well, more easily too apparently, and students have option to do additional subjects/projects etc to improve their portfolio.. So what is better? I could not find much info on PYP vs British Primary so any insights would be great.
Class size: 30 vs 23 - Makes a difference. Significant enough at age 6 & beyond?
Teachers: Kennedy has very experienced staff many of who've been teaching here for long. Kellett would be a new campus and am not sure how/where they plan to hire/transfer from but I assume the teachers should be as well qualified and experienced as at Kennedy. Is it a safe assumption?
Parents: Kennedy has a nice friendly lot of parents and even though I've heard that Kellett parents can be snooty and elitist, I did not really feel it with the very few that I have met who go to Pokfulam campus. It may matter when arranging play dates etc with the kids. Any experience/comments?
Facilities: Kellett is said to have world class facilities and equipment in the new campus but Kennedy does use Stanley Ho Sports Club right across the street for te same activities. So does it make a difference?
Fees: The fees are obviously higher at Kellett plus the depreciating debenture but we are prepared for that. But is it worth so much?
Location: We plan to move to Kowloon if the kids go to Kellett as my husband works in Kowloon as well and I am not working. It will a huge change for us as well as the kids to move schools as well as houses. Kids I believe adapt quickly but my 5 year old and albeit not shy, can become extremely introverted in unwelcoming situations... *Sigh* Seems like an unnecessary change but then again, we will save time on the commute and $$ in housing and most importantly better (?) schooling.
Finally, which school would you choose? All advise appreciated. Many thanks in advance.