2012 讀 year 8

venice121

現正計劃小兒明年到英國讀YEAR 8，有以下幾個疑問，請各位賜教。

1) 唔知邊區會比較純樸和學習環境好些?

2) 小兒喜歡打網球和游泳，有無好的boarding school可以介紹呢?

3) 有sixth form 的boarding school 是否會好些?

多謝賜教!

primary2007

請問你會找agent定自己直接報名?

keikwan1995

一般寄宿學校都會有網球場和泳池，而且學校也會有運動隊和clubs讓學生參加。

我認為有sixth form我學校比較好，因為你兒子已適應舊校的生活，若要轉校，不但要重新適應新校的一切rules和學習模式，也要應付sixth form的課業，會很辛苦。另外，舊校的老師已了解你兒子的weakness，便可以針對那些weakness來幫助你兒子，但新校的老師卻需要一段時間來了解你兒子。我個人就是這麼覺得:)

CPU1995

(1 & 2) My opinion is that the higher ranking of the boarding school is, the better academic environment and discipline of the students are. You may browse the following link to select your targeted school:

http://rankings.ft.com/secondary-schools/secondary-schools-2011

My foolish opinion is that you may try to avoid boarding schools with agencies in HK since these schools might have a very high percentage of Asian students in the boarding house. I know one famous UK boarding Boys school has 50 Asian students in its 50 place boarding house though this school has nearly 1,100 students.   


(3) For sixth form school, some boarding schools have strength in science subjects while some boarding schools have strength in arts subjects. The choice of sixth form boarding schools depends on your kid’s academic performance in Grade 11.

[ 本帖最後由 CPU1995 於 11-7-23 15:05 編輯 ]

ksenia

I agree with CPU1995. A famous co-ed college in UK has prestigious academics, however, it's basically an international school, like those in Hong Kong. There are a lot of Chinese, mainlanders in particular.

CPU1995

Another consideration for choosing school is the location of school.

Personally, I will not choose boarding schools in Wales or more northern part of UK unless my kid is not studying junior forms such as Grade 11.  It is because your kid may learn and speak Welsh accent in future.

The argument is that some UK person may have prejudice against Welsh accent which is not the traditional English accent.

venice121

Thank you so much for those members.

Now I chose Da Di as my agent and they suggest me the St Peter York, Ipswich and New Hall School to me. I know all of these schools are high ranking but I want to get the information from the parent who sent their child to the said schools.

peter_pan

None of these 3 are particularly high ranking.
St Peter's York is OK at around 150 & Ipswich School is around 200, but New Hall is well outside the top 300.
Don't just take the agent's word for it - better check things out yourself.

原帖由 venice121 於 11-9-22 21:22 發表
Thank you so much for those members.

Now I chose Da Di as my agent and they suggest me the St Peter York, Ipswich and New Hall School to me. I know all of these schools are high ranking but I want to ...

venice121

Thanks.

Which ranking is reliable? Is ranking important to the parent to choose a school?

How about the Kingswood, Oundle, Shrewbury & Tonbridge. Any parent chose these schools for your child?

[ 本帖最後由 venice121 於 11-9-23 00:30 編輯 ]

CPU1995

According to my friend’s experience, all those kids studying high ranking boarding schools have excellent GCE results and most of them either go to London U, Cambridge or come back to HK to study HKU.

In addition, the high ranking boarding schools have quite demanding academic requirements, stricter discipline and the kids spare no time to do the prep works when they are embarking for GCE. For my Tonbridge friend, the kid is studying HKU now. For Shrewsbury friend, the kid has already graduated from Cambridge. They all have excellent comments on these two schools.

Last year, though I declined the offer by Oundle for my son, I think that it is also a very good boarding school and my son’s classmate who studies Oundle has very good comments on this school. Every year there are over 20 Oundle students going to Oxbridge. The Asian students ratio for Grade 10 is about 6 to 200.


While for those I know who studies in medium ranking boarding schools, their kids usually go to some good but not the high ranking Universities such as U of Hull, Cardiff etc.

原帖由 venice121 於 11-9-22 23:54 發表
Thanks.

Which ranking is reliable? Is ranking important to the parent to choose a school?

How about the Kingswood, Oundle, Shrewbury & Tonbridge. Any parent chose these schools for your child?

peter_pan

Out of these 4, Tonbridge & Oundle are streets ahead of the other 2.
Shrewsbury has a big reputation, mainly because of its famous old boy Charles Darwin, and its beautiful campus. Unfortunately, ranking-wise it has fallen to around 200 for quite a few years.
I don't mean to say that ranking means everything, but if we are comparing the top 50 schools & those outside the top 200, there is a big difference in terms of academic achievement.
Every school has good & bad students - even middle ranking schools can have a few students getting into Oxbridge. Rankings, based on academic results, can give a better overall picture to the academic standard of fellow students.

原帖由 venice121 於 11-9-22 23:54 發表
Thanks.

Which ranking is reliable? Is ranking important to the parent to choose a school?

How about the Kingswood, Oundle, Shrewbury & Tonbridge. Any parent chose these schools for your child?

Tigger_jumpjump

Regarding the ranking, most of my friends refer to the Times ranking as it's more reliable. Those 4 schools you mentioned above, Oundle and Tonbridge is much better by comparing the other 2. Oundle ranks around 55 while Tonbridge ranks around 25. But have you send through your child school reports to those schools? I've got quite a lot of friends who have already sent their kids to the UK Boarding schools in the past years. They told me that they have sent the reports to the schools for general assessment first and then their kid will need to sit for the entrance exam. One of my friend is looking for a boarding school for their son for next year, and their son has already invited for interview and test with those schools.

venice121

I have sent the school report to the agent already. I was advised to try the high ranking school in the first round but I found that the schools are high ranking, the school fees also high. I prefer under 8,000 pounds per term & the ranking of the schools are not out of 100. Grateful any parent would give me the suggestion.  Thanks a lot.

CPU1995

You may consider Warwick with 66th ranking and school fee gbp10,245 school fee + gbp11,748 boarding fee per annum.

But please note that there are only 50 boarding places in Warwick and Warwick has strong connection with local agency in HK.

Generally speaking, those high ranking schools' workload is higher than the famous secondary schools in HK which require your kid play hard but work very high.

Not every kid is situable for studying in the top notch boarding schools if they are used to procastinate in HK. My friends' kids said that they have no spare time to go to toilet when they are struggling to complete over 10 assignments during prep time everyday.

原帖由 venice121 於 11-9-23 22:06 發表
I have sent the school report to the agent already. I was advised to try the high ranking school in the first round but I found that the schools are high ranking, the school fees also high. I prefer u ...

venice121

Thank you for your information.


It is too expensive to me.  I prefer around 8,000 pounds or under per term.  My son has band 2B level.  If I choose the school which is high ranking, I'm afraid he can't to cope with the heavy homework.

4eyesDad

You mentioned Oundle, Shrewsbury and Tonbridge and I assume they are within your affordability level. They are all good. You can't go wrong with either one of them.

Your son's performance in HK is not an accurate or reliable guide to his future performance in the UK. If he can get in any good school (instead of "school shops"), he should learn from his peers. You must try to apply. Don't be put off by any agent who advised you not to try.

Sell your stock, borrow, mortgage your home or rob (if you dare), but don't send your son to a "cheap"/commercial  school.

It's false economy. You will regret it.

peter_pan

Actually, Tonbridge & Shrewsbury are not suitable for your son as neither of them has Year 8 - both schools start at Year 9.
You wouldn't want to go to Tonbridge anyway as it is the most expensive school in the UK, even more expensive than Eton!!

tongyimtong

Ranking within 100 with school fee GBP8000/term. I think there are only state schools can fulfill your need. For the three schools mentioned by CPU1995, they are all good schools. Yet, they are also very expensive schools which were so-called the "noble schools" in UK as well as Eton.

CPU1995

Warwick is just gbp7,241 per term with the 66th ranking. Why not consider it?

peter_pan

I concur with CPU1995 - Warwick is definitely worth considering.