Harrow - Need some advice

bombombb

For some reasons, all my friends are talking about Harrow these days and there are both positive and negative. I want to
know more from the parent a here ;

1  For those kids who will start P1 at Harrow, what schools are they coming from?

2. Any idea what quality of students they are looking for ? English skills ? Academic results ? Sports ?

3. Did anyone decline  an offer, why?  

4 it is not an apple to apple comparison but if you have offers from ESF, SIS, KCIS, Harrow ? What would you pick (if financials is not a concern though we are only a middle class working couple)

Many thanks.

魅影

回復 24112006 的帖子

Thank you!

24112006

以我所知, 佢每級每班的人數都不過20人, 但最少會有2個老師系課室.  大部老師都由英國來的.

24112006

回復 魅影 的帖子

我系系阿囡3歲時就同佢伸請入harrow, 因為佢地y1系由5歲開始, 所以我交左表成大約2年後先有得in., 佢同我地講, 首要要求系小朋友一定要有流利的英文說及聽的水平....如果你fail左個interview, 佢地話會比半年時間你自己去準備好個小朋友先, 之後會再比多一次機會做second interview. 學校雖然新, 但好講究小朋友自己既獨立自主能力...由y2開始的學生已經可以組成不同的小組, 提出各方意見比學校, 再進行選舉.  語文方面亦要求小朋友上法文, 西班牙文或普通話, 全部系課時入面的, 唔駛另外比錢學.  我覺得佢雖然系第一年開, 不過我作為家長的, 我覺得佢基本上做得好好. 因為佢地真系系小朋友既行為上都有好高既要求.

魅影

24112006 發表於 12-9-28 11:34
回復 papaof2 的帖子

有架, 佢地有一科叫chinese culture study. 而法文科系因為為開學前有張通告叫你選科 ...

my son now K2, I'm planing put him in Harrow!
Could you tell me about the interview?
When you send the application form and how long you recieved the call to interview?
If I apply Y1 in 2013, is it too late for application, I go through their website, doesn't list the expired date for application. I went their parent tour days before, the school is really pretty and huge! I'd asked about the application, they said they didn't set the expired date, but they suggest I apply as soon as possibe!
But I think my son's english standard may not meet their requiment, now he has native english class twice a week, I hope that he'll improve english before interview!

24112006

回復 papaof2 的帖子

有架, 佢地有一科叫chinese culture study. 而法文科系因為為開學前有張通告叫你選科的, 你可以選西班牙文, 普通話, 英文或法文, 自己選修其中一科就可以. 而我簡左法文.

Shootastar

回復 evatsoihk 的帖子

As far as I know, HK Harrows is franchised from Harrows (UK). Each year, 5% of the HK Harrows' school fee collected will be paid to Harrows (UK) as support fee so that Harrows (UK) may send staff to HK Harrows and train the staff here and set up a learning system and environment in line with Harrows (UK).

Harrows is a brand name in education. Like other commercial corporations, they would maintain the image and qualify of their brand names even if they give franchises to others for operation.

I have no doubt that Harrows (UK) would do whatever support to HK Harrows so that the education provided by HK Harrows would be in line with that of Harrows (UK).

evatsoihk

回復 Shootastar 的帖子

香港Harrow不是franchise的吗？？！并非英国Harrow直属的呐.......不是吗？？！

hkparent

Thanks for your clarification. I have mixed up Tsuen Wan and Tuen Mun. But the fees of Harrow are about doubled. They must be quite rich :)

WYmom

回復 hkparent 的帖子

Living in Tuen Mun will go to BHS in primary and Island school in secondary according to school zone allocation.  You can check the school zone if you have doubt.  Very simple.
ESF is a British and IB school.

do123alex

Harrow has students coming from...GSIS, ESF, CDNIS, South Island School, Singapore IS, Yew Chung, Anfield, Victoria  St Paul Co-edu, Maryknoll.  Reasons to choose Harrow? every family has their own reasons.  For those white students, some are the UK family.   Continuity  of UK curriculum is the reason for the move

The students in higher form speak fluent English, no different from other IS.

hkparent

If I study at Beacon Hill, can I go to Island School? Not KGV?  If they live in Tuen Mun, they should study at Shatin Junior, right? I'm puzzled.

Atticus

ESF is not an UK school. It is an international school primarily catered for non-Cantonese speaking students. Kellett and Harrow are very British but ESF isn't.

WYmom

回復 hkparent 的帖子

Some BHS students switch to Harrow because of their school zone, those students live near Gold Coast to Tuen Mun study in BHS for primary but have to study in Island school for secondary, obviously too far for them.  So if they switch to Harrow, they can save a lot of travelling time going to school.  Both ESF and Harrow are UK schools, so they have no problem to switch.

hkparent

回復 mirage 的帖子

Mirage, why do CIS and ESF students want to change to Harrow? It's so difficult to gain a spot at those schools!

HKTHK

This is part of the reason I asked before if the faculty in HK is different from those in Bangkok and Beijing.  Looking at university placement alone, the results are so-so (though it still maybe early for Beijing?).  How does one then reconcile this with some parent's opinion that they have the best faculty in HK?  Is it because HK's faculty is better?  Or does better faculty not necessarily translate into better placement (not that placement is the only gauging factor but one that is easier to judge)?  It would be especially interesting to compare the faculty and placement between Harrow and ESF.

hui916

The Harrow Hong Kong campus is a franchised operation, driven by profit instead of quality of education. No doubt it is one of the elite schooles in UK. Unfortunately, it has elected to franchisee its operations in Beijing, Bankok and Hong Kong to busienss people. Many people I know of within the international school circle has a great doubt about the quality and integrity of this school. The tuition and other debenture fee it charges it is a rip-off. Its Beijing and Bankok campus has very poor reputation and image. Better stay away from this school until it establishes a sound track record in HK.

HKTHK

ISF is certainly mostly Chinese.  My personal observation is about 30-40% HK Chinese, 20-25% mainland Chinese with the rest from mixed or expat families or families whose primary language is English, e.g. families returning from the US or Australia.  If you are in an auditorium filled with parents, 70-80% of them will look Chinese to you though most of them would have spent significant amount of time abroad.  

ANChan59

回復 hkparent 的帖子

I have similar impression.

hkparent

From the various threads in BK, it seems that IS on HK Island have more foreigners (except ISF and CIS where the proportion of Chinese is very high). I don't mean it is good or not. It's just the impression.