Starters in Tai Hang

critic

We will temp. move back to HK and need to find a school for my son from Sept 06 to Dec 06.  I am considering Starters Tai Hang because it is close to where we live.

In Starters website, it mentioned that "Ten installments are required for each year - September to June."

Does it mean I have to pre-paid for 10 months by check?  We don't want to tell the school that we only study there for 3 months, any tips?

Or, any recommendation near the area?

Blythe_miki

One month notice is require to withdraw your kid from the school, you don't need to pre-pay the 10 installment, but you need to pay one month deposit to the school which is equal to one month school fee.

If you leave in December, just give them a written notice in November then it will be fine.

My son is attending Starters at Wanchai campus.

critic

How's the campus in Wanchai?  I can consider Wanchai because my husband works there and can send him to school.

Do they have full day class for age 4?

Thanks!

Blythe_miki

they do have full day class for year 1, Wanchai campus is the main campus, which is bigger than the Tai Hang one.

I feel Wanchai is better.

kimum

critic,

Starters do not have full day class for age 4.  But you can choose to attend both the am & pm classes and pack lunch.  

Do not expect too much school facilities from Starters as this is a small school.  The advantage and selling point are high English standard as they usually have a good mix of different nationalities and the teachers are native speakers.

Amosmother

critic 寫道:
How's the campus in Wanchai?  I can consider Wanchai because my husband works there and can send him to school.

Do they have full day class for age 4?

Thanks!

If you want full day class, Woodland in Wan Chai does offer extended day class to my recollection.

HelloKitty2003

hi,

I am planning to send my son to starter too. May I know does my son need to interview and is there limited spaces? cos i am still overseas and will be back in Aug. I am worrying if there's got a place for my son. Thank you.

Blythe_miki

no interview is needed.

HelloKitty2003

hi Blythe_miki ,

I am also planning to send my son there.  I know your son is attending starter at wanchai. May I know are all the teachers native english speaker. Is your son's class teacher native english speaker? Does your son like to go to school? I also want to visit the school. but I am now overseas and can only visit the school in Aug. So thank you for sharing the info with me. How do you send you son to school?

critic

Amosmother,

Does Woodland Wanchai offer English/Mandarin Class? They are Montessori, am I right?

We will only stay there for 3 months, then will back to Shanghai, it is good if they have Mandarin teacher.

Thanks!

Blythe_miki

hi HelloKitty2003,

all the teachers are native english speaker, they are westerners and some asian, but not indian. Their english is very clear and they are frendly and caring.  My son loves school very much, so he doesn't like school holiday ~  

For the school environment, don't put too much hope on it, they are old as the school located there nearly 31 years, overall, toilet and toys are clean, no dust or bad smell.  Starters really do have high standard of English, they also use phonics.  All kids there speak fluent English.

I am a full-time mummy, i bring my son to school every moring by travelling 45 minutes bus (need to change a different bus), i live in Tung Chung, just near the airport  

Which country do you live in now?? are you planning to move back to HK ??

Starters have summer school in Aug.

Blythe_miki

critic,

Wanchai Woodland is not a Montessori campus, they use traditional teaching method.

If you want a Montessori Woodland, you can think about Mid-Level, Repluse Bay or Tai Tam campus.

All Woodland Pre-School provide full day classes with Mandarin lessons from 8:30am to 2:30pm.  However Woodland always full, you need to apply earlier as you may need to go on the waiting list and 2 months notice before withdrawal from school, thier Application Fees is $500, for Starters, $400.

HelloKitty2003

Hi Blythe_miki

Thank you for your info. It's really helpful. I am also a full time mother. In HK, I will stay in Chai Wan. My husband will outstation and I will stay in HK for a short while. Most likely i will choose starter. But still have to visit the school first...so maybe your son and my son might be the same class

HelloKitty2003

hi Blythe_miki ,

How about the teacher and child ratio? how many child in a class with how many teacher? any ideas? many thanks

Blythe_miki

HelloKitty2003,

a.m class have more student, the ratio is 25:3.
for p.m. class is 11:2

Amosmother

critic,

The class is Woodland Wanchai is not actually an English/Mandarin class.  The instruction medium is English but with mandarin session in the middle (not lasts long, maybe just some 20 minutes).  The mandarin teacher in my son's playgroup before was a Singaporean and most of the children in Woodland are not good at speaking mandarin (coz many of them are non Chinese).  So if your son has learnt mandarin in Shanghai (?), he may find the teaching very simple.

I haven't paid any visits to other Woodland (I just wanted one conveniently located Woodland), so I cannot comment whether the setting in Wanchai one is Montessori "enough".  But toys there are Montessori and from Europe, e.g the German Haba, etc.  with lots of varieties.

For my son who is also studying in Starters, he takes school bus everyday.  The bus company servers areas in all parts of HK island to my knowledge.

Blythe_miki,

I'm pleased to know from you that Starters teaches phonic (what a lousy mom I am...).  Do you know which phonics kit they are using?

critic 寫道:
Amosmother,

Does Woodland Wanchai offer English/Mandarin Class? They are Montessori, am I right?

We will only stay there for 3 months, then will back to Shanghai, it is good if they have Mandarin teacher.

Thanks!

critic

Blythe_miki & Amosmother,

Thanks for your info.  I saw some very good comment for an international Montessori kindergarten in Wanchai,  I thought it was Woodland.  Montessori is just a brand in some schools often with little relation to Montessori teaching.

My son has studied 2 years in Shanghai, he speaks fluent Mandarin, I am afraid he will forget his Mandarin, it will be perfect to have a school offering English/Man, but is not a must.  I surely don't want him to learn Mandarin from Singaporean.

lincolnmummy

Hi parents,

If I take MTR, how do I get to Starters in Tai Hang? Thanks!

Blythe_miki

lincolnmummy ,

The nearest MTR should be Tin Hau. Get off the exit which is near the library, walk all the way up the stairs next to the bus station, it will take you around 15 to 20 minutes to get there.

Sweetiebarney

Critic,

I know that Tutortime has both daily Mandarin and English sessions (each 90 mins).