KCIS & ISF, which one should I choose?

panala

My daughter is now attending KCIS Reception and she was accepted by ISF for Foundation Year in 2011/12.
She is happy and doing well in KCIS now.  I also  heard that the the school had a quite good IB result last year. Thus, we have to reconsider again whether to let her attend ISF or not.  It may not be so easy to return to KCIS later as it is becoming more and more popular.

Any advice?

Thanks in advance.

hclc

我覺得ISF比較好,因有良好雙語環境,現在學位競爭亦大,既然收了,不如留在ISF吧。
外界對ISF亦好評如潮,學術成績亦不比KCIS差,校舍環境寬敞,亦很先進,師資優良。
我正為女兒鋪路入此校,經過多重比較,始終認為ISF最好。
*只屬個人意見,如有衝突,本人深表歉意。

Yau_Cheung

小兒同學的哥哥由 ISF 轉讀 KCIS，他媽媽覺得兒子讀 ISF 後中文未見良好，英文就更弱。不過亦可能是個別例子 。

panala

These are also the reasons that I applied ISF for my daughter.  Maybe just because at the same time, I'm happy with the KCIS, that's why I cannot make up my mind when I got the offer from ISF...

It's always easier to make the decision for myself rather than for my daughter...sigh

I think I will go to their open day again this weekend and then make up my mind.

Thanks for your advice
Hope you daughter can get into ISF too!

原帖由 hclc 於 11-3-12 12:14 發表
我覺得ISF比較好,因有良好雙語環境,現在學位競爭亦大,既然收了,不如留在ISF吧。
外界對ISF亦好評如潮,學術成績亦不比KCIS差,校舍環境寬敞,亦很先進,師資優良。
我正為女兒鋪路入此校,經過多重比較,始終認為ISF最好。 ...

panala

Thank you for your post.

May I ask which grade was that boy studying in ISF?

After switching to KCIS, has his mother noticed any improvement?

原帖由 Yau_Cheung 於 11-3-14 10:51 發表
小兒同學的哥哥由 ISF 轉讀 KCIS，他媽媽覺得兒子讀 ISF 後中文未見良好，英文就更弱。不過亦可能是個別例子 。

Yau_Cheung

小兒同學哥哥今年 P6，於 P4 開學時轉讀 KCIS，他媽媽應該很滿意KCIS，還打算留在 KCIS 讀中學。

原帖由 panala 於 11-3-14 11:45 發表
Thank you for your post.

May I ask which grade was that boy studying in ISF?

After switching to KCIS, has his mother noticed any improvement?

caa

Would you mind also sharing how long that boy stay in ISF? Did he study at ISF since P1?

原帖由 Yau_Cheung 於 11-3-15 14:37 發表
小兒同學哥哥今年 P6，於 P4 開學時轉讀 KCIS，他媽媽應該很滿意KCIS，還打算留在 KCIS 讀中學。

kfy

I found that there had been little first hand information about ISF on BK website. And most views found here are not very favorable.

Sorry that I do not have much first hand information too but what I heard is actually much better that what I found here. I am also considering this school for my kid and doing the school research myself.

Somebody refer me to this website, written by an expatriate mother who sent two kids to ISF.  She is very generous to share a lot of her views about ISF, and I found the views very neutral and objective.

http://www.gweipo.com/2010/12/whole-schooling-thing.html

there are several lengthy and detailed posts describing ISF.

panala

Thanks for the reply.

Do you know about the workload (homework and assessments) in KCIS?  E.g. Homework everyday?  How long does it take to finish their homework? How frequent do they have assessments? etc

Heard people said the students need to study very hard in ISF.

Sorry for so many questions

原帖由 Yau_Cheung 於 11-3-15 14:37 發表
小兒同學哥哥今年 P6，於 P4 開學時轉讀 KCIS，他媽媽應該很滿意KCIS，還打算留在 KCIS 讀中學。

[ 本帖最後由 panala 於 11-3-17 12:54 編輯 ]

panala

Yes, I also read gweipo's blog before.  It's quite a good reference.

原帖由 kfy 於 11-3-16 16:54 發表
I found that there had been little first hand information about ISF on BK website. And most views found here are not very favorable.

Sorry that I do not have much first hand information too but what ...

panala

So, u are working in areas related to current IS education in HK?  Great.  Please share more views if you can.  Thanks.

Some people said the situation in ISF actually improved after the change of principal.  Is that ture?  Or the situation is still not that good even there are improvements?

原帖由 Jackeylwfd 於 11-3-16 17:43 發表
Except for some basic facts, first hand views or comments from existing parents of a school posted in open forums are in general more bias.

On the other hand, views or comments from someone who doesn ...

[ 本帖最後由 panala 於 11-3-17 17:14 編輯 ]

annie40

Hi Jackey,

如非你在此並提出句句属实的话儿, 我是不会插嘴的.  你列出是事实. Panala 内心似已有决定, 由她吧!

annie

P.S. 此校佷合适未满十二岁的鬼仔读, 真的佷快能说流畅普通话.

原帖由 Jackeylwfd 於 11-3-16 12:29 發表
“外界對ISF亦好評如潮” - 不敢苟同

“學術成績亦不比KCIS差” - 暫不能比較因ISF 還未有公開試成績，但根據有子女入讀數年之朋友說，ISF 兩頭不到岸: 論中文，比傳統學校差；論英文，比國際學校差。中英文口語還可以，書寫則 ...

panala

I’m interested in ISF for a number of years already.  From its information or other promotional materials, it’s really an ideal school for me.  Therefore, I want to put my kids in ISF.  

Since then, I still paid attention to its news or other’s comments (no matter positive or negative ones).  Therefore, I realized that it is not as perfect as I think.  Though I still don’t think the school will be too bad, together with the lack of track record give me sense of uncertainty. (If most of the comments that I get are positive, the lack of track record won’t bother me much)

On the other hand, at first both my husband and I felt KCIS is just so-so, so still thinking of giving ISF a try this year.  However, as time passed by, we found KCIS though may not be very famous to others, our daughter enjoys going to school and learning.  This is what we want to see and whether the school is famous or having a 5-star campus is not our main consideration

At this moment, maybe KCIS seems to be a better choice.  However, when I discuss with my friends, most of them gave the first response “Of course ISF la!”  That really makes me feel that I’m doing something wrong.  I don’t know anyone who is studying in ISF or KCIS primary/secondary.  Therefore, I want to get more update information or comments from others before we make the decision next week.

This post is a bit long, sorry, but just want to express my feelings because sometimes just don’t know whom can I talk to.

可愛小肥媽

There will be an open day at ISF this Sat.  You can go to have a visit before you make your decision.
For me, I would recommend KCIS which academic results are good in record.  
I'd also heard some negative comments of ISF so you should really consider carefully.

原帖由 panala 於 11-3-18 01:23 發表
I’m interested in ISF for a number of years already.  From its information or other promotional materials, it’s really an ideal school for me.  Therefore, I want to put my kids in ISF.  

Since then ...

bigears

Panala, I shared the same feelings with you.  My daughter is now studying at K1 and like you and your husband, my husband and myself also just think KCIS was so-so and have applied for K2 in other international schools.  Now we also thinking may be we should let her stay in KCIS as she is very happy at school and said she would like to go to KCIS no matter day or night.  

Also my daughter is very troublesome (not willing to join the group, always stay at the reading corner to read books, not answering any questions of the teacher, doesn't want to follow rountine) at class and the school referred us to see a developmental psy who has then given a lot of recommendations to the school.  We thought the school would not take those recommendations but it turns out that the school is very supportive and our daughter has made great improvements lately.  I also started to love the schools and thinking may be we should let her stay.

From learning perspective, just one week after she has been at KCIS, she started to sing a lot of Mandarin songs and now can speak simple sentence in Mandarin (Her mother tounge is English) and could recognise some Chinese characters.

bigears

Oh, one more thing, last year they said two of their students got admitted to Oxford Uni.  I think their academic result is getting better.

My only complain about the school is their campus, quite old....

annie40

Hi Panala,

Why not consider CIS?   It's a renowned school.   

annie

原帖由 panala 於 11-3-18 01:23 發表
I’m interested in ISF for a number of years already.  From its information or other promotional materials, it’s really an ideal school for me.  Therefore, I want to put my kids in ISF.  

Since then ...

JarJarBin

I also has some to share about KCIS.  My son has studies in KCIS from K1 up to now (P2).  I also think that KCIS is not a famous school and worry about it's academic result in secondary school since it didn't post the details of its result.  It tells a total % of A*-C of IGCE only.  Actually, C grade is only a pass grade in IGCE.  It is really nothing.  It would be better if it can tell how many students got A, B & C separatly.  Not just a total number.  And also, the student number is too small to tell the average performance.

On the other hand, I heard some parents chating on the X'mas show in KCIS.  Their children are transferred from ISF and Marynoll.  I don't know if ISF good or not.  I just want to tell what I heard.