寶山幼兒園

joyjoyma

I don't think so.

MARSHMELLOW

No it is not. It is aimed at children who want to study in local schools.

youma

I have some friends' kids studying there. About half of the graduates of this kindergarten go to international schools.

The kindergarten accepts some foreign children in each level and is quite focusing on English and Putonghua training.

Alam

This is not a kinder preparing your child to international school.  Actually any parents showing this tendancy or having sibling studies in international schools will be rejected.  It is because your child will leave school at K2 which affects its purse.  The school prefers somebody to stay throughout 4 years then it doesn't need to cut classes, which is a problem every year.

The teachers are quite good and well qualified.  The rate of getting into band 1 school is high.  But that is because of the influential and devoting parents.  The principle made herself very clear that she would help nobody under the table, though everybody says she has a good relation with St. Paul Co-edu.

The school fee is unreasonably high but the environment is sub-standard and food quality is bad.  Breakfast snack is salty biscuit,  lunch is undesirable (don't believe their menu), and 12 children have to share 1 fruit.  Open classroom for 5 classes - very noisy and lousy.  Old furniture and toys.  My boy had studied there for 2 years.

MARSHMELLOW

Did your son enjoy his time there? and did your son leave after 2 years to go to an international school?

PM2003

Alam,

Was your boy happy while he was there?  I visited the school and noted most of the negative aspects that you pointed out (e.g. noisy, open classroom, etc.) but I noted that the children there were very happy and the Chinese standard there (given that it's a kindegarten) is very high.  

Is it a school that you would recommend?

Alam

Yes, my boy was happy during the two years, but I think he would be happy no matter which kinder I put him.  He was too young to compare opportunity cost!

Despite the school fee, I still recommend this school but that you have to bear a lot of unfair situations and that "no discussion" snobbish principal unless you are an influential parents.

PM2003

Dear Alam,

Yes, I agree with you that most kids would be happy almost anywhere given they have friends to play with and the school provides a decent environment. I've only heard of one instance where a kid was so unhappy with a kindegarten that he entered his mom had to pull him out.

I wonder if you could elaborate a bit on the "unfair situations" if you don't mind.

Nic-Nic

The school fees is $9800/month. It will probably be raised next year because they have not increased for 2 years due to the economy.

Most kids come from really wealthy family. Last month the ex-financial minister Mr Leung bring his daughter there for interview.

Nic-Nic

$9800 is for whole day (K1-K3) including lunch and snack. Only nursury is half-day, if I'm not wrong, the fee is $4900.

03baby

k1-3 is 9800 full day.
2yr Nursery class is half day at 4900 only.

Heard that Mr. leung's daughter will start school in Aug.

Alam

Dear PM2003,

A new English teacher put my son to a "naughty chair" for 10 min. in the first school month.  My son felt very upset and told me days after.  I questioned the school what had happened and the Assistant Principal was very kind to look into the matter and called for a meeting to explain.  However, no sooner had the meeting started for 10 min than the principal dashed in and asked the Asst. Principal to go out and "educated" me for 10 min.  She said my son exaggerated and that their teachers were all qualified and knew how to handle.  Later I found out that the new teacher actually didn't like teaching children.  She just came to HK with her husband.  Half year later she resigned and went to teach in an evening college.

However, when an influential parent complaint to the school that the tables and chairs were all worn out and broken, the school immediately changed them the next month.

Besides, children from elite family will be grouped in one class.   So we no need to worry how to make friend with Stanley Ho, ex-financial secretary Mr. Leung, or be invited to an extravagenza birthday party.

rigmarole

You will not find a lot of discussions about Braemar Hill here, because of the small number of students/parents and also because Braemar Hill parents form a rather closely knit community and they usually keep to themselves.  

Admission rate into famous/good private schools and DS schools is very high.   

Kids are well groomed and presentable, but that is partly due to the efforts of the school and partly due to efforts of the family.

Most parents come from relatively affluent background.  Alam is right in saying that (some) parents are "influential"  and a lot of parents are very dedicated.   

PM2003

Dear Alam,

Thanks for your sharing.  I have heard some not very positive comments about the English teachers that're currently teaching there (although I can't verify them).  But I have to say I was quite impressed with the Mandarin teacher there.

Sounds like your child has already graduated from that school.  Were you happy with the primary school that your child got into?

Dear Rigmarole,
I heard that children and their families travel together during the holidays, may be that's where the close community comes from.  That actually might not be a bad thing that the parents get to know their kids' classmates and their parents.

Nic-Nic

Yeah some parents travel together during holidays because they found out they have the same backgrounds (such as directors of Po Leung or Tung Wah, lawyer committee, etc) if you are not from the same background, forget about it.

Most kids in this kindergarten go to St. Paul Co-edu and DGS, but there's nothing to do with the school nor the principal. It's solely because of the parents' own background. If you are just a regular parent, you will end up going to wherever the system assign you to or international school.

rigmarole

When I say closely knit community I did not mean going travelling together.  A lot of parents who go to Braemar Hill tend to know each other beforehand (you cannot find the school in a lot of kindergarten guidebooks, or "parent club chatrooms" here, and most parents get to know about it by word-of-mouth or by referral).     It is, however, too much of an exaggeration to say that they are all directors of this and that, or granchildren of so and so.  

If they want to exchange information (what has been taught at school, how to prepare for primary admission, how the school has done in this year's primary school admission), they do not need to come here to chat or ask.  They will just talk to one another.  That is what I mean by closely knit.  

Most parents spend a lot of efforts (either personally or by proxy) to cultivate their kids at home.  

Charlenechow

so there must be a reason why all wealthy people or influential people like to send their kids to this school... do you know why?