[OIS]

Moving to HK w 4-yr old kid and therefore need to feel comfortable about school situation, incl pre-school and kindergarten. Primarily looking at Clearwater Bay and would love to hear from anyone with firsthand experience w ESF school in Clearwater Bay? Any other options? What about preschool/daycare?

[gilleshk]

Don't know the school but the principal there is a really nice and professional fellow so I can't imagine the school wouldn't be well run...

In any case, I haven't heard of a bad ESF school, they are all run fairly well and should be as good as any around that area...

There may be grumbling in the system about money not always well spent but it doesn't really have a huge impact apart from the fact that the turnover of teachers has been much higher in the last few years. That's not necessarily a bad thing because it's bringing some needed fresh blood into the system.

[OIS]

Thanks. Any sense of how difficult one should expect it to be to get in to one of these ESF schools (assuming kid fulfils formal requirements, speaks English, etc.)?

[Lips]

It can be quite difficult to get your kids into the CWB ESF school. Some families have had to send their kids elsewhere (like Japanese Intl & HLYIS) because of no places (also English speaking). Other choices in the area are Abacus and the new Garden House, good luck.

[OIS]

Thanks, that's helpful.

[Kappasapphire]

I went to CWB, and I thoroughly enjoyed out there. The principle was the deputy when i was going there, he def had a good relationship with my parents. I'm now a teacher and am considering applying there next year.

[rani]

OIS, I would still apply to CWB. People are leaving all the time and you move up the waitlist fairly quickly. My son's classmate just transferred to CWB (from another ESF school) and he got a place within a few months.