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Sudden re-location to HK - ANY chance for a 6 y.o. (Year 2) to get a place for Sep. '13?

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Posts
    8

    Sudden re-location to HK - ANY chance for a 6 y.o. (Year 2) to get a place for Sep. '13?

    First of all, I would like to thank everyone for this wonderful forum and lots of valuable information available. It is great that such a place exists.

    My job requires me to re-locate from London to HK in couple of months. The package is quite generous (salary, accommodation, school fees, etc.), apart from the fact that the company is unable neither to provide a debenture nor to secure a school place, so I am on that on my own.

    I am therefore desperately trying to find a decent international primary school anywhere in HK (ideally I'd love it to be somewhere in Sai Kung, but I gather I am not in a position to choose), which accepts late applications, and would have a place for a 6 y.o. (Year 2 of British Curriculum) for the year 2013/2014. We will be choosing accommodation in proximity to the school wherever such a place would be available.

    I would be most grateful if the fellow Forumites could share their opinions on how to better approach this task. Maybe someone happens to know a (new) school which has places ("ha-ha-ha", I know, I know), maybe someone can recommend some placement consultants (can they be useful?) etc, I would appreciate any advice.

    Thank you very much in advance.


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Posts
    129

    Welcome to HK!

    At this stage finding a school place is not going to be easy. Do you think your company will agree to hiring an Educational Consultant to help? If so, would recommend ITS. ITS Tutorial School Hong Kong - IB | A Level | IGCSE | SAT | HKDSE | IELTS tutor tuition

    If you have to apply on your own, here's a list of alternative schools you should look into

    13 Alternatives to ESF Schools That You May Not Know About

    Would recommend emailing the schools ASAP


  3. #3

    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Posts
    8
    Quote Originally Posted by Editor
    Welcome to HK!

    ...
    Thank you very much for the reply. Prior to posting on this forum, I had already read the article and passed the consultants' details on to our HK office. I am just trying to get some first-hand info here. Preliminary, we were told that there might be some places available in Southern Lantau, but we are still working on it.

    May I also ask, is it fair to say that the schools on HK Island are generally busier than the ones, say, in Sai Kung, or in Sothern Lantau? Or the fact that there are more schools on the Island makes up for that, and the chances to find a place are roughly equal for those areas?

    Thanks a lot again.

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Posts
    4

    Have you tried Island Christian Academy in Sheung Wan? It's a good school and they do give priority to families relocating to HK. Good luck!


  5. #5

    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Posts
    37

    Ask your consultants to call all the schools around and check if they have any spots available, i.e. make them do some work. Check with International schools first or ESF first (depending on your budget), and then check the rest. Let us know when you have a choice and some of us should be able to give you some feedback from personal experience or what they have heard. Visit the school even if no tours are available. Check the exterior, any part of the interior you can and check out its surroundings. Choose from what there is available as it is July. Then do your homework and see where you would like to put your kid next year and apply to a few other schools before their deadlines for 2014-15 academic year. Good Luck


  6. #6

    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Posts
    8

    Thanks everyone for the advice.

    We have got replies from the most schools, and, not firmly, but rather likely, the following schools have places in our age group:
    - Lantau International School;
    - Discovery Minds (Tung Chung campus);
    - Anfield Primary
    - Norwegian International.

    Could anyone please share their views?

    Geographically, we are inclining towards Discovery Bay - I gather, after living in an English village it would be less stressful for my wife and kids (greener? quieter?), and for myself, commuting to Central looks not too bad. As for Tai Po (NIS), do I estimate correctly that it takes c. 1h 30mins to get from there (say, from Hong Lok Yuen) to HK Island?

    Academically, we are planning to return to the UK in 4-5 years, and try to get into a Grammar School. Prom that point, what schools in HK would be more academically demanding?

    Thank you all again.


  7. #7

    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Posts
    1

    Disco Bay would certainly be "easy" for your wife and kids because it is very easy to meet people in the plaza etc, loads of other mums and kids around. But not everyone likes the little bubble that is living in DB.....you would need to check it out. The commute from DB is actually about an hour to central, door to door, the ferry is 30 mins but you need to get to the ferry and then from the ferry into the office....nice way to travel though, air con, wifi, beer on the way home...
    LIS has a school bus from DB which takes about 45 mins or so. Tung Chung would be 30 mins on a bus from DB. Not sure if Discovery Mind has it's own school bus yet or if you would have to take the regular bus.
    LIS has a good reputation, Discovery Mind primary is much newer although the kindergarden has a good reputation. Hope this helps!
    oh, and Tai Po to central might be a bit less, perhaps an hour fifteen? Would depend on whether you were near MTR, or if a bus route was more convenient.


  8. #8

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    Jul 2013
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    8
    Quote Originally Posted by Anorak
    ...
    Thanks a lot for the reply!

  9. #9

    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    HK
    Posts
    5

    I believe Kellett School's new campus in Kowloon Bay (reasonably close to Sai Kung which is what you're looking for) has a few places available in some year groups.


  10. #10

    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Posts
    8
    Quote Originally Posted by elephantine
    I believe Kellett School's new campus in Kowloon Bay (reasonably close to Sai Kung which is what you're looking for) has a few places available in some year groups.
    Yeah, I'd love to get my kids into Kellett. Unfortunately, they replied "We are currently full in Year 2 and with a waiting time of over 2 years", end of quote. Also, they require non-refundable debenture of HK$100K, which is a bit above my head.

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