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School hunt first or housing hunt first?

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  1. #1

    School hunt first or housing hunt first?

    Hi, my family is moving to Hong Kong late Nov or early Dec, I know it is a headache to find a preschool and primary school (I have three kids that are in that range). My husband's company is close to CWB, and I just want to know your experiences/recommendation regarding how to handle housing and schooling issues smoothly. Any recommendation on convenient areas that are very kids friendly and may still have openings in 1st grade and 3rd grade in primary school? Thanks in advance for your advice!


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Aug 2014
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    662

    Hi,

    near northpoint Hill there are some schools clustered together. Reasonably close to CWB so thats good. But you will have to try and get your children placed first.
    On geoschools and geobaby's you can read the struggles from people who came before you. Unless you have a lot of money (to buy depentures) i dont think its a smooth ride no matter how you plan it, unless you are incredibly lucky. (Have read some kids got accepted at two good international schools)
    My family will go to HK within the next few weeks. My advise would be what we will do. We will look for a nursery first, the house comes second.
    Good luck


  3. #3

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    I dont know if you want/need professional help with the school placements but on this website you can find some useful info whether u want the consultation or not:
    <snip>


  4. #4

    Join Date
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    With three kids, I'd get the schooling sorted out first. The biggest disadvantage is that you are coming in Nov when school has already started and good schools are unlikely to have openings. There is always the Aussie schools whose year does not start until Dec/Jan.

    A number of people that I know send the husband over first, sort out the shooling and then the family comes over in August the following year. But it all depends on whethe or not the job comes with education benefits for the children. Not to lecture but many expats consideing a move almost always sort out the schooling prior to accepting the move.

    Housing can be solved easily in comparison, dependig on how much you want to spend.

    Last edited by threelittlepigs; 24-09-2014 at 09:07 AM.
    shri likes this.

  5. #5

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    Depending on your nationality you may also have priority in some schools (but it is all academic ... in reality, even with country specific priorities pre-school and primary placements are not all that easy to get).

    Most international schools have some sort of debenture / priority placement schemes - but even those are fairly competitive.

    Many of the larger investment banks and corporations have debentures / arrangements with some schools for employees who are being moved around. So, a good chat with HR to discuss education should be on your list of priorities.


  6. #6

    Thank you all for your info. I just realized how stressful it is to find a school for my kids. I emailed ESF to ask if they have openings, they just sent me back with a general reply e-mail telling me how to submit an application form. I just called a dozen of schools, the well-known ones are full, and a lot of them would not even disclose to me how long their wait lists are, they just told me to send application forms, I guess they knew if they told me how long the wait lists were, I would not send them application fees and forms! My husband's company would pay for school tuition and fees, but I don't think they will pay for those expensive debentures. It is a lot harder than I thought, need to keep calling ^.^


  7. #7

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    Check with your company if they will pay for school placement consultants. There are two of them around - Ann Murphy and Ruth Benny. Both of them specialise in maintaining good relationships with the admissions departments and helping figure out what your best chances are. Many HR departments and relo companies use them as a value add to their clients / employees.

    Yes, the schools all want you to submit applications AND pay the fees ... many of them turn around quickly and let you know that the wait list is multi-year.

    Take a look at the newer schools / newly expanded schools - Nord Anglia, Kellett School, Hong Kong Academy, International Montessori. "Second tier" schools (and I mean that they're not the most obvious choices) include Australian International, American International, Delia School of Canada, Hong Long Yuen etc etc ..

    Take a look at the GeoSchools list on Hong Kong Schools Guide & Reviews

    Claire ex-ax likes this.

  8. #8

    Join Date
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    for you kid(s) in preschool, there shouldn't be a problem as there's woodlands, tutor time, small world christian and other preschools around HK island.
    have you tried Island Christian Academy ?
    If your kid (s) in Primary age is still P1 or P2 grade (as in 5-7yrs), you may consider putting them in Wooldlands or other preschools which do also teach primary 1 and primary 2 until the end of the academic year in June 2015, while immediately applying for all the ESF primary schools and the International primary schools and getting as many interviews as possible. Send in the applications now for starting August 2015, as interviews take place as early as Nov/Dec (yes 7-8 months before starting) right the way through to Feb - March. Don't waste time.

    Settle yourself in a convenient location, like mid-levels, for a short term lease of 1 year + 1 optional year and depending on how their schooling works, move around or not...

    good luck.

    Its not as bad as ppl make it out but you need to send out those applications out now. Admissions fees are a pain and expensive. Get your husband's company to employ an education consultant and tell them what you want and get them to bill your husband's company all the fees... Do it now.

    shri and threelittlepigs like this.

  9. #9

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    On Kellett, forget it if you do not have a debenture. I just bought 3 for my team in anticipation of need. They have a 10 year lifespan by the way. Kellett only makes debentures available periodically and when they are gone, they are gone. Kellett is one of the most popular intl schools in HK. On IMS - I have not kept abreast of them but it seems like they have had problems securing a permanent location, as they have moved multiple times in the past 5 years.

    shri likes this.

  10. #10

    Join Date
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    There are two things to consider:

    Immediate school needs
    Long-term school needs

    At this point in the 2014-15 school year, you are kind of in a situation of "any port in a storm". The big schools have huge wait lists and you'll probably not want to wait around for the call that might never come. You should look at the schools that are available (second the motion to contact the professional advisors) and then pick one that works for you.

    Longer term, if you really have your heart set on Kellet or German Swiss or Hong Kong International School then you should apply for the 2015-16 school year IMMEDIATELY. The application process is open for admission next Fall and getting in the normal process for next year might get you a seat come the new school year.