Norwegian/Anchors/Zebedee Kindergartens

Posted by cagent (58 days ago)

Hi everyone,

We will be moving to HK from New Zealand in August this year and I need a little help....

Could I please have opinions/information about Norwegian International, Anchors and Zebedee in Tai Po. I realise Zebedee won't officially open until Sept 2008 but does anyone have anyone idea what their bus route will be? We originally enrolled our son at Abacus (ESF) in Clearwater Bay but we have decided to live in Sheung Shui or perhaps Tai Po so of course Abacus is too far away.

Also, any information about Sha Tin Junior School and Classical Gardens apartments in Tai Po?

Our budget is up to $15 000 per month and we are wanting 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a Helper's room. As we have three little boys we need a gated community living arrangement as I have a fear of our children getting squashed by cars (our boys are 1, 2 and 4). We would love to have an apartment in a complex with a pool, gym, playareas, etc.


Thanks in advance.

N

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by axptguy38 (58 days ago)

"Our budget is up to $15 000 per month and we are wanting 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a Helper's room"

What kind of dollars?

"As we have three little boys we need a gated community living arrangement as I have a fear of our children getting squashed by cars (our boys are 1, 2 and 4)."

Well, gated is a good idea but I wouldn't count on the taxi and delivery drivers going slow inside anyway. At the good places the guards are vigilant. At some others not so much. Still, it's much better than the street.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by Mighty (58 days ago)

Good question on what currency you are talking about? Will come back to you on this once you reply. Classical Gardens is a bit run down. There are several gated community living arrangements, just like Classical Gardens, having shuttle buses running from Tai Po Market Station to door. I only know their chinese names and I remember one is newer and better than Classical Gardens. May be rent is slightly higher. If you drop by any local real estate agents, you wl find out all of them. You must come and see anyway. Flats/houses in Hong Kong go very quickly. One of our members, Namaste, has children in Norweigian school. May be you can PM her and ask. I dont know about the new one you mentioned but I prefer the environment in Norweigian School than Anchors. Again depends on what you are looking for in a school. My daughter is going to ESF Shatin this August so cant tell you now. But may be in a year's time (^-^). Shouldnt be too bad, I hope.
If your rent budget is limited, you will have better choice in Sheung Shui as it is slightly cheaper than Tai Po. It has gated community apartments too. Having lived in both areas in the past, I personally prefer Tai Po to Sheung Shui. Sheung Shui is close to border so it is quite hectic even for a local like me. You will be a bit overwhelmed if you are coming from Australia. Another choice is to live in a village house. Assuming that you are talking about hk$, then you can at least have 2 floors (1400 sq. ft) for a village house. An australian NET hated living in a village but now she is loving it.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by Katetam (58 days ago)

$15 000 HKD isn't going to get you very far in HK. Especially if you are looking at 3 bedroom apartments/house.

I highly recommend you live in Clearwater Bay, (why would you like to live in Sheung Shui ? Tai po is possible choice, but Clearwater Bay in a village house would be much better with children of that age, and from NZ, you would appreciate having a house to live in as opposed to apartment.)

We live in Clearwater Bay, I have piano students from Abacus, and following that is the Clearwater Bay School (a great school). It's very convenient here by all means of transportation, we have MTR nearby in Hanghau, great shopping center, and a great supermarket with all the Australian/NZ, USA/ international brands just recently opened last year.... so I would definitely recommend you consider Clearwater Bay!

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by cagent (57 days ago)

Our budget is HK$15 000 and from what I have seen (we have just been in HK for two weeks but are now back in NZ until August) we can rent some lovely places in Sheung Shui for that price so I was curious to know if we could find something similar in Tai Po.

Katetam, our reason for not living in Clearwater Bay or Sai Kung is that my Mum is a NET in Tai Po and it is our decision to live within walking distance of each other so that our children can see their Granny everyday. My husband and I will be working in Mong Kok and my Mum works in Tai Po so we have to find somewhere on the KCR line (or whatever it is called now) to reduce the travelling times between our workplaces. We like Sheung Shui and Tai Po as we have friends there.

Apartment living is great for us and our three boys, as long as the complex facilities are good and there is room to run outside without the risk of cars. At Woodland Crest there are no roads around the apartments so there is no risk whatsoever of children getting hit.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by MayC (57 days ago)

cagent, Woodland Crest is a nice area to live in. They have bus shuttles to the train station. They have a kiddies' public pool nearby (a mere 3-5 minutes walk) that is so clean and nice. They also have a park next to the pool. The wet market, Wellcome supermarket and library are about 10 minutes walk away. Then five minutes walk from Wellcome, there is a beautiful park called the North District park. It has 3 playgrounds for kids and a very nice (and huge) pond. Very clean too. Sheung Shui is a lovely area. You are also guaranteed a seat in the morning when you travel all the way to Mongkok. When you have to travel to Mongkok from Tai Po, you won't get a seat.

Tai Po is quite a nice area too. It is more accessible than Sheung Shui if you want to travel to the island. For example, you can get buses from HK island to Taipo. You can also get them to Sheung Shui, but they tend to detour around Fanling.

If you have your heart set on Woodland Crest, then go for it. I quite like it too :-) The facilities are good and it's a quiet area.

I haven't heard of Zebeedee but I know Norwegian and Anchors. I think it really depends on WHERE you want to put your son for primary. If you're looking at international schools, then Norwegian is a better option. Norwegian has smaller classes and aren't as strict. My little girl goes to Anchors, she's in their local stream. We want her to follow the local system. Her dad's a hongkonger and we really want her to learn Chinese. My daughter loves Anchors. The classes are brightly coloured and the teachers are really caring. Her class teacher calls me at nights and sometimes spends half an hour talking to me about my daughter's progress. My daughter used to go to HK Preschool in Fotan - the closest "prestigious" school to us. However, despite its reputation, my daughter hated it. Anchors has an international stream and I think they're slowly transferring their international section there. It's really hard to compare. Norwegian is totally international and Anchors is in between.

PM me if you have questions.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by sunniefaith (56 days ago)

Norwegian is a Christian school. I'm not sure of your religious stance but I've heard from friends from international schools that Norwegian international has quite an emphasis on Christianity. If I have a child, I'll definitely send my child to a Christian school. But this is my personal point of view.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by 566 (55 days ago)

check out Hong Lok Yuen - small international school that has great friendly staff and very happy kids! Teachers are from UK, Oz and NZ. Lots of outdoor space and it progresses all through the primary years following the IB Primary years Program.

lots of village houses around and about in your budget too

good luck!

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by 566 (55 days ago)

sorry - forgot to say that Hong Lok Yuen is just 5 mins from Tai Po - there are buses if you need them but many parents drop their kids off - it has a good playground culture for mums!
the primary school operates on the IB primary Years Program which has a focus on child centred learning.

send me a pm if you have more questions!

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by namaste (54 days ago)

My daughter has gone to NIS for the past four years - K3 through Grade 3 and she absolutely thrives there. The class sizes are small, the teachers professional and it's very personal compared to the most schools in HK, which are quite institutionalized due to large numbers of students. The school only goes through Grade 6 or P-7, but they are in the process of negotiating direct entrance with other secondary schools in the NT. It really does depend on what you want for your children. For example, the facilities at other schools have a lot more to offer than NIS, such as: swimming pools, large computer labs, etc.... For me, I would rather have my daughter's primary education take place in an environment where she is embraced for who she is - she's very creative. For me, it's worth sacrificing great facilities for the cosy and close-knit environment. BTW, we live in a whole village house 2-floors and rooftop, in a small village in Shatin near City One MTR, for 11.000 per month.

(I am based in Hong Kong)