which playgroup should attend if target ESF ?

Saboc

我自己都有睇Nintendo messages,我反而覺得佢睇法唔會轉彎抹角，對英基好壞都有講！

LittleOsMummy

luckyveronique 發表於 16-12-18 19:34
But why you are considering to change to ESF? Just stay at anfield if you feel everything is good,  ...

I think it is entirely within my right to research on esf and consider the good things about the schools. My point is to simplify the whole thought process and to limit it to only interview priority is very shallow and ruthless.
People have said there are some esf parents out here who gang up on anyone who says anything bad about esf.....and create all sort of conspiracy theories so as to shut those people up, well

LittleOsMummy

Saboc 發表於 16-12-18 19:54
我自己都有睇Nintendo messages,我反而覺得佢睇法唔會轉彎抹角，對英基好壞都有講！
...

But the way he says it...

Saboc

我認同只為考小學去選擇幼稚園係唔多好，但近兩年考佢嘅小學時所體驗到有幾competitive ,連esf幼稚園都只得on reserved list ,而有啲outsider 連in都無得in 就明白箇中

So far anfield 出名係好學校，我覺得你可自己𧗽量吓，幾年後嘅競爭情況、英基小學是否值得令你放棄現在的anfield,過咗esf kindergarten 如果真係無anfield 咁好你會接受嗎？

LittleOsMummy

Saboc 發表於 16-12-18 20:10
我認同只為考小學去選擇幼稚園係唔多好，但近兩年考佢嘅小學時所體驗到有幾competitive ,連esf幼稚園都只得 ...

I have been to esf Tsing Yi's parents tour and my gut feeling is to say no to this school based on what I saw in the short 15 mins. We do have a play session next month so we will see if we will get a better feeling this time. It is true that the birth rates in the last couple of years have decreased by as much as 3 times of year 2012 so I would imagine the competition has also dramatically decreased. With that I hope it may give non esf kids a better chance of getting into esf P1.

Saboc

Yes , you are indeed v clear-minded. Guess if your kid is  well developed in whatever school, he / she would get his / her best offer
Unlike us with kid born in competitive year, our choice might be more target oriented

LittleOsMummy

Saboc 發表於 16-12-18 20:45
Yes , you are indeed v clear-minded. Guess if your kid is  well developed in whatever school, he / s ...

Yes I guess we are perhaps more lucky and can think from a different perspective

Saboc

回覆 LittleOsMummy 的帖子

Yes. Why not!! Good luck and be confident in your own kid

LittleOsMummy

Saboc 發表於 16-12-18 22:06
回覆 LittleOsMummy 的帖子

Yes. Why not!! Good luck and be confident in your own kid

Thank you

hong0706

LittleOsMummy 發表於 16-12-18 20:38
I have been to esf Tsing Yi's parents tour and my gut feeling is to say no to this school based on  ...

If you are not trying to pick a fight, then you probably know so little again the rules of the game (of getting into ESF p1). That you find Anfield (and many other international kindergartens) better than ESF kinder (esp TY) is not big news. It is known to practically every parent there (i was an anfield parent). The prority does matter so much (unless you are willing to pay $500k for NR). In fact you will find most siblings still go to ESF kinder despite they already have the best priority category ahead of ESF kinder. That's because in ESF kinder, the ESF primary they apply for will pay school visits beforehand and the kinder will try to best to ensure second chance is given for those who for whatever reason does really bad in the interview. Learning is not limited to the 3 hours in school and other considerations are equally important.

Also, your conclusion of dramatically reduced competition is faulty. If you know the system, for the 3 most popular ESF primary, BHS, KJS and SJS, you will know most students are from ESF TY, WKS and now Tung Chung. they rank after siblings and NR. They together will all rank ahead of anfield students. Contrary to what you beleive, their total number will be more in your year, because this year, a lot of TY students, when promoted to K2, transfer to Tung Chung, as they live near there. So the really new K2 students in tung chung is far less than the capacity of 176. in your year that number will be 176.

This year,  from i know from other non esf parents including anfield, no one get even a reserved interview with KJS and SJS and only very few get reserved interview from BHS (and mind you, this year BHS will interview 1.8 times their intake including reserve against 1.5 times for KJS, so the risk of those at the far end of the reserve list not getting in may be quite high). You say less people apply in your year. Does that matter? This year KJS will interview 230 (all with some kind of priority) against 450 applications, Guess most of the waiting list of 220 are from non-priority cat. It really makes no difference in your year even if this number is only 100. zero divided by 100 is the same as zero divided by 220.

Of course, if you target the less popular ESF primary on HK side like Peak School, the game plan would be much different. But then, you probably should have never considered TY.

Anyway, it is entirely up to you.  I write this long assuming you or at least some others here do not yet quite know how the admission process is about.

hong0706

That said, the Anfield name is better in applying other IS. Hope this comfort you a bit, But then there are fewer and fewer IS still having mass intake at P1.  

964000

LittleOsMummy 發表於 16-12-18 19:58
I think it is entirely within my right to research on esf and consider the good things about the sc ...

I think if you have a foreign passport, have priority in other IS as backup, and ESF is not your only target, and would accept Anfield primary as backup too, staying in Anfield kinder rather than ESF is really a prudent choice. I think many people who have attended both kinders would agree that Anfield is more nurturing and systematic in teaching, and most switched to ESF due to priority reason. I am lucky my girl is adapting well in ESF but I saw some kids who are not doing well in ESF kinder, got complaints by teachers without concrete help, because ESF is very free style and won't follow you and correct you in every single steps, and I worry these kids will hardly get primary offers at the end. So these kids might better stayed in a more nurturing environment.

964000

Having said that, I am not saying ESF kinder is totally without credit, surprisingly my girl is doing well there because she is an independent and strong willed girl and she just enjoyed the freestyle way where nobody is telling her what to do. She became more independent and sociable and more proactive in joining in activities.  They learn "to solve problems by themselves", and I am pleased with the switch so far.

austinmimi

964000 發表於 16-12-19 05:47
Having said that, I am not saying ESF kinder is totally without credit, surprisingly my girl is doin ...

how. about the. discipline,  I. am. a. bit. worried indeed. much. freedom will. lead. to. no displince.   but. I. got. frds who. are. now. studying. the. primary,  she. said. they are. very well. behaviored. as. children are. brought. to. learn. how. to. respect others.   is. that. true?

Saboc

Frankly say, can't think of any international or local kindergarten having particular disciplinary problem. They are aged 3 to 5 only, a little kid only.   Guess would be more practical to have this concern in the primary and secondary school level.

Anyway , as far as I observe, esf kinders are well-mannered.  
I agree with964000, though it is free styled, the teacher would still exercise rule and discipline in class and would form certain level of expectation on the kids....but the crucial point is that the teacher would tell the parents the kids'  problem and you can't expect the teachers are supportive as other schools....

It depends on your own expectation ...  I am really ok with that culture

LittleOsMummy

回覆 hong0706 的帖子

Thanks for your in-depth analysis. Some of your points about Tung Chung and priority rights make sense. I did do my research and I believe I do know the system well enough.
As a parent I need to think twice for my son's development. True, learning does not just happen at school, but you do have to admit the school plays a big part in a child's life so we must choose carefully. Why else are people so hung up on esf primary? can't just send their kids to any other school?

All along what I am trying to point out is that I do not want to choose a kindy for my son purely based on an interview priority right, but instead, consider all aspects possible and make an informed decision. I may still come to the same decision of choosing esf kindy, but that would be due to other good aspects of the kindy not because of the priority right.

Equally, other parents are entitled to choose esf kindy because of that very reason. It is entirely up to them. I don't agree with that approach nor I want to be talked down to by Nintendo and other parents like I am an idiot if I don't do what they said.

A lot of parents nowadays opt to let their children study at an IS because they do not want to play the local system's games, so I am quite surprised to know some of these parents are still playing similar games but just in the IS world.

nintendo

"Choose ESF Kindergarten if your target is ESF primary.
Choose Anfield Kindergarten if your target is Anfield primary.
If you have no idea which one is better, choose the closest one.
Not a hard decision."

This was my 4 short sentences.
Can someone tell me how I could have offended an Anfield parent?

Talking about ESF parents ganging up?
Haha. So funny.

Oh well, clearly Anfield parents are better in this respect.
It only takes one Anfield parent here.
Well done.

nintendo

Saboc 發表於 16-12-18 19:54
我自己都有睇Nintendo messages,我反而覺得佢睇法唔會轉彎抹角，對英基好壞都有講！
...

I am already quite frustrated trying to talk to parents with really small children.
Especially when they seem to believe they know so much about all schools.
I was talking to a relative the other day, 2 kids in an international school (one in kindergarten and one Year 3).
And she was already talking like an expert trying to analyse which IS has the best IBDP program.
Oh wow.

I have never said ESF was good.
ESF would however be suitable for some parents and if they like ESF, then they should put their kids in ESF kindergarten.
Likewise, some parents would like Anfield more, and if they like Anfield, they should put their kids in Anfield kindergarten.
I am not sure how offending this can be?
Especially to Anfield parents?

It is funny that some people is really hostile when discussing about ESF.
Especially during this application seasons.
This is a forum, with everyone using a web name.
No one knows who everyone is in person.
So, may be it is a good place for parents to vent their frustrations.

"Anfield is better than ESF."

Are Anfield parents happy now.

nintendo

And by the way, I want to remind everyone to stick to the top:  "which playgroup should attend if target ESF ?"

I was not off topic. So may be I should not be the one that was asked to stop talking.

Cara2006

LittleOsMummy 發表於 16-12-19 10:31
回覆 hong0706 的帖子

Thanks for your in-depth analysis. Some of your points about Tung Chung and pr ...

I think that was exactly what Nintendo was trying to say. If you are not hung up of ESF, then you should just choose Anfield. Not sure why you were upset even with that. So no need to be too defensive.

There are people that do not like ESF. So for them, they can for sure forget about applying to ESF kindergarten. However, for parents who like ESF (primary and secondary), they might have to know putting their kids in ESF kindergarten would be a better move. With the ESF priority right system, whether you like it or not, non-ESF kindergarten children is in a really bad position. In the past years few years, it appears that they might not interview everyone. I am not sure how they pick interviewees, but if they are not interviewing everyone, then priority is very important.

As to whether ESF kindergarten is good, I guess I would not comment on that as my kids were not with ESF kindergarten. There were good and bad comments I heard, for both ESF and Anfield actually.