View Poll Results: What should I do?

Voters
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  • Move to Kellett

    2 100.00%
  • Stay at Kennedy

    0 0%

Kennedy ESF Vs Kellett (Kowloon Bay)

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    3

    Kennedy ESF Vs Kellett (Kowloon Bay)

    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.


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Posts
    9

    Let me try and answer some of your questions from the perspective of an ex-Kennedy parent and someone who has had to deal with the IB (PYP) v/s National Curriculum.

    The class teacher this year has excellent record and the school seems very organised and well run.
    Good that you have had this positive experience there. Our Y1 teacher was very good and exactly what was needed. Y2 was a bit of a miss for us as the teacher had a bit of a closed classroom ( parents were not encouraged to go in etc ). Again, not a major concern as there is not that much education that goes on in the first 2 years anyways.

    Y3 - very good, Y4 very good, Y5 - was very problematic - which is really where you discover what a school and more importantly its community and support systems are like.

    During our time in Kennedy, the school was in transition from being a British Curriculum school to a IB / PYP school. It probably still is as I have heard this is the first year that the Y6's will have an exhibition.

    (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?
    No such thing as better. It is what works for your child. We've heard of a lot of stories where kids have breezed through IB and have also heard some stories where kids have not managed and have been too stressed. There are a few kids who are going through the rituals at ESF and also attending extra classes to prepare for and sit their A-Levels through private tutorial places.

    IB is good for the student who is motivated and if you subscribe to the all-rounder philosophy. We are not that sold on it. Also, many IB schools do not offer a very wide range of courses - for example if your child is interested in Computers or some of the more specialized courses, they may not be offered at all the schools.

    30 vs 23 - Makes a difference. Significant enough at age 6 & beyond?
    I think it is very significant. Teachers are overloaded with 30 kids and I feel some cannot cope. In Y5, we observed that very little of the home work was being corrected. When questioned, the Principal's reaction was "too many red marks will dishearten a kid". This was not the case in Y4 when our teacher corrected and pushed the kids to understand mistakes and fix them.

    Again, philosophical differences.

    I would add that class size does not make a difference if you have an indifferent teacher.

    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?
    There are a fair number of new teachers at Kennedy, I'd not rate their retention rates as being exceptional ... if you look at some of the schools like Harrow ( who also setup a new campus this year, you'll notice that they have a fair number of ex-ESF teachers and management). Kellett in my opinion has a wider pool of candidates to choose from as they do not need to recruit IB trained teachers ( I also do not know how many of the staff at Kennedy are IB qualified / trained etc... one conversation last year with a ESF representative seemed to indicate that they're still learning as they go and hope to learn from the experiences of other PYP schools within their system ).

    Bottom line, teachers can transition from IB to British Curriculum the reverse may not be all that easy for some.

    I've heard that Kellett parents can be snooty and elitist
    There is a fair few urban legends going around. Again, what matters is your ability to make some friends and how well centered your child is. You'll find snotty parents in all schools and you'll find the friendly lot in the same schools too.

    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?
    Facilities are what they are .. things that facilitate. Teachers are more important. If your kid is sporty, there are a lot of opportunities outside of school for them to develop.

    I don't think the rest of the issues matter a lot - libraries, computers etc, as they're just tools and aids. Perhaps it makes a difference when it comes to some of the more specialized courses, but that does not come into play until the last few years of school.

    Fees: The fees are obviously higher at Kellett plus the depreciating debenture but we are prepared for that. But is it worth so much?
    Bottom line .. start taking to parents in the more advanced years at Kennedy and Kellett if you can.

    Ask the schools if they'll show you their curriculum ( Kennedy was not able to give us a comprehensive curriculum for Y5 ... ) and do your research.

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    3

    Thanks ESFDAD, that was very helpful advice. After discussing more with some parents today who've experienced both ESF and Kellett I believe we are leaning more towards Kellett again which was our first choice as well! Hope I will make the right decision.


  4. #4

    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Posts
    9

    Another problem with the ESF is complete lack of consistency between schools. The experience and education that you get in one school is completely different from what you'd get at another school.

    Kennedy does not have regular workshops / seminars for their parents - other schools do.

    Quite often we've heard from parents who have transfered from one school to another that their kid was behind in some subjects because of the lack of a consistent curriculum.

    Best of luck with Kellett! They have a senior open day on the 10th, you should take a peek and find out more about the culture and education there.


  5. #5

    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    3

    I have scheduled a visit to Kellet soon and have a list of questions to ask them! Thanks for the very detailed and helpful feedback.


  6. #6

    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    HK Island
    Posts
    307

    I am very happy with ESF but also happy we're not at Kennedy. I don't hear great things. Poor communication, no curriculum letters / no understanding what's going on, still struggling with PYP (most other schools had exhibitions by now, more than one already), management not very willing to change. I would definitely go with Kellett if this was my choice.


  7. #7

    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Posts
    30

    We went to the senior open day at Kellett and i have to say we were very impressed. We got to wander into classrooms, teachers were friendly and answered questions on curriculum, our concerns about transitioning from a PYP school. The science teachers had set up experiments for the kids to try, which we enjoyed. The Principal even sent out an email this week with links to the presentation and details on the subjects that will be offered for GCSE and A-Levels. I love the transparency. I have no idea what my child is doing next week at ESF.

    Overall a fun morning, and my child was pleased when we received our offer letter this week. Kellett here we come!!


  8. #8

    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    South District
    Posts
    39

    One thing to consider if you're here long term is the secondary school your child will eventually attend...Have no comments, just a random thought that may or not have any weight in your decision,,,


  9. #9

    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    HK Island
    Posts
    307
    Quote Originally Posted by IBorNot2IB
    We went to the senior open day at Kellett and i have to say we were very impressed. We got to wander into classrooms, teachers were friendly and answered questions on curriculum, our concerns about transitioning from a PYP school. The science teachers had set up experiments for the kids to try, which we enjoyed. The Principal even sent out an email this week with links to the presentation and details on the subjects that will be offered for GCSE and A-Levels. I love the transparency. I have no idea what my child is doing next week at ESF.

    Overall a fun morning, and my child was pleased when we received our offer letter this week. Kellett here we come!!
    That's really a shame, but consistent with what I hear about Kennedy. I know exactly what my kids doing at their ESF school through curriculum letters, parents coffees, special meetings, regular emails, through intranet, pictures of events, a blog updated daily by the LMT with everything going on in the school, one of my children's teachers is posting daily through Tumblr, it really doesn't have to be that way and it shows that not all ESF schools are the same.

    Fully understand your move, and for us a reason to stay where we are.

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Posts
    30
    Quote Originally Posted by lesliefu
    One thing to consider if you're here long term is the secondary school your child will eventually attend...Have no comments, just a random thought that may or not have any weight in your decision,,,
    Similar to ESF, Kellett is a through school and has a secondary school. It's currently in Shaukeiwan and will move to Kowloon Bay next September in the new building.