Any comment on OFS school?

[mek]

Hi Mums and Dads,

We just arrived in Singapore and are considering starting our 3.5 year old son at OFS this August. Any feedback from parents who know of the school or having children attending would be greatly appreciated. Anyone's child starting OFS this August in K2 who might want to chat or even meet for a coffee, so that the children have a familiar face and off course us mums too.

[Mary D]

cant be any worse than this school.

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=62926

[mek]

this is not OFS is it?

[Mary D]

No its another International School in Singapore, one that has a lot of problems.

[Topshelf]

Hi Mek:

I am brand new on the forum and just came across your post regarding moms with a child in K2 this August at OFS. My daughter just started in K2 there earlier in the week. I would love to meet other moms with kids in K2 there (or any grade, for that matter). We arrived here 6 weeks ago and I have been busy with her and with setting up the household here, so I am just now looking around for friends and fellow expats to hang out with. Let me know if you are still available.

[Topshelf]

Hi Mek:

Received your p.m., but I don't have p.m privileges just yet, so if you p.m. me your regular e-mail, we can set something up. My daughter takes the bus from the East Coast, but I can meet you Fri. morning whereever you want at whatever times works for you.

[clarison]

We started our 9-yr-old at OFS 2 wks ago, and so far so good. A pre-K child's experience will be very different, obviously, but some things are worth noting. We like OFS's central location, and the friendliness and openness of its staff and teachers. All of the int'l schools are huge: SAS over 4000, OFS 3000+, etc., which was a shock. The school facilities are OK, esp. play areas, but stairs and passages are worrisomely crowded at class changes, at least in the elementary school area. OFS is apparently the backup or holding school of choice for families with kids waitlisted at other schools, but it also holds the loyalty of a number of parents I've met, esp. Scandinavians. No national group predominates; there are more Indians than anything else, but they are 15% of the total, which I'm told includes kids from 70 countries. For what it's worth, OFS's fees are much less than those of SAS or UWC.

[Topshelf]

I was a little surprised at how shabby the school seemed to me to be overall--maybe my expectations were too high. My daughter (the one in K2) is having a little trouble with the discipline--they seem to be very heavy on it, but so is the IB school in Houston, so that may just be the way IB schools operate in general, and I guess that's not such a bad thing. It's just a bit of a transition for her because she was in Montessori school for pre-school, which is considerably more touchy-feely. My only other complaint is that the bus system in the afternoon seems very chaotic and my daughter says she has to wait a long time in the bus line to get home. School gets out at 3:30 and my daughter has been getting home at 4:30, which seems like a long time for a 5 year old. I was originally told she would be back by 4:10, and the time has gotten pushed back now to 4:30. Maybe it's just because it's the first week. I am hoping for some improvement. I have met a few parents so far; I hope to meet more at the welcome coffee next week, but most of the parents I have met who are returning to the school are happy with it.

[Nibbs]

So how does OFS compare with the International School of Singapore which is also IB, right next door and has fewer students. OFS have told me I should apply ASAP if I hope to get my kids in for the 09/10 intake.

All the schools I've spoken to are saying I won't know if my application is successful until March/April 09 which leaves me wondering how many I should apply to (and pay application fees) to be sure of getting a place at one of the IB schools. I have three kids, those application fees are going to add up.

[clarison]

Again, for what it's worth: we applied to OFS in July for the August 11 start of this school year, and were swept right in.

There was something in the ST last week about the gov't's willingness to support or perhaps just allow an increase in the number of International Schools. Given the size of the existing schools, one would say there's a need. A daunting project, though: good connections required to line up the appropriate real estate, and deep pockets to fund the startup. It's no accident that most of the schools are frankly for-profit enterprises.

[Nibbs]

Thanks,

That's reassuring, as OFS doesn't have an application fee I guess I should apply regardless of whether it's my first choice. I just have to hope, that if needed, they have spaces in each of the grade levels I need.