New to KL. International school in Kuala Lumpur

Gems is getting some good reviews. Ask member KiwinKL for her thoughts.

There are a couple of articles on imoney that may be of interest.

This one is about the lower fee end of the spectrum and the other one is a review of top end schools.

https://www.imoney.my/articles/most-aff … n-malaysia

Fees are from 2017 so need comparing to current website levels for individual schools

https://www.imoney.my/articles/10-most- … ang-valley

Brighton international school is a good choice. They offer Cambridge international curriculum and also have a Cambridge license in Malaysia. It is just 10 - 15 mins drive from KL. They are located at taman setiawangsa.

Beware of all the "international" schools that are just not international and spammers promoting their own schools. Any school claiming to be accredited by Cambridge avoid with large barge pole! Being authorized to do CIE IGCSE is a simple process and no check of quality of teaching is done.

Your budget is low. Accredited schools in that price are hard to find. Sri KDU  international school has proper ISQM accreditation (Gold the highest) held by elite schools but it is in your budget. It does IBDP. It gets 60+% IGCSE A*-A results. Have a look.

Also Taylor's International Schools is in your price range.

How about Sri KL international school?

Sri KL is a local private school not an international school.

Thanks for relpy. But as the staff told me that Sri KL already change to international school since year 2016. They are no more local syllabus. Is this true?

I am referring to it having a Malaysian Head and staff. International in name only.

Gravitas wrote:

Gems is getting some good reviews. Ask member KiwinKL for her thoughts.

Hi Gravitas, I also plan to send my son to GEMS international school in Tropicana Metropark of Subang Jaya if my MM2H application is approved.

Do you know that if Tropicana Metropark is a good place to live in?   
I found there are service residences such as Paloma, Pandora, etc. However, if I want to live in landed houses(semi-detached, villa, bungalow), is it easy to find nearby the school ?

You introduced member KiwinKL, how can I contact him/her for further info of the school ?

Thanks a lot

There is a search facility

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewforum.php?id=194

Find the box "search the Kuala Lumpur forum"

Hi there

Feel free to send me a message with any specific schooling questions.

Cheers

KiwinKL wrote:

Hi there

Feel free to send me a message with any specific schooling questions.

Cheers

Hi KiwinKL,  originally my family plan to relocate to KL and my son will start to study class 10 in GEMS international school in Subang Jaya on Sep/2019.  However, due to the delay approval of MM2H,  my son may miss the Sep entrance period and will attend class start from 2nd semester.

If I intend to let my son complete class 10, 11 and A-level (class 12 and 13) in GEMS, then is it a matter that he missed the 1st semester of class 10 ?   Or there is any other means to compensate for the missed classes ?

Moreover,  is it common and allowable for a student to complete the last year of A-Level course by self-study at home and then apply for the public examination of A-Level ? (Because my family may need to move back to Taiwan at the last year)

Thanks

Hi there,
Re. Missing the first term of Year 10: it's not ideal, but if it's not unheard of for schools to accept a child one or two terms into Year 10, providing they have a strong academic workload and the school is sure they will be able to catch up with the missed work.
Your other option is to choose a school that begins in January, like Taylors International, so he doesn't miss anything.

Finishing Year 13 as a private candidate is pretty unusual and would prove a significant academic challenge. Again, it's not unheard of, but you'd need a team of great tutors to support, a very very motivated and independent student plus a school in Taiwan that would agree to let your son enter as a private candidate. I would seek extensive consultation with your sons school in Y12 if you do indeed need to move halfway through his programme.

It's worth noting that at some places here, you can complete your A Levels in 18 months rather than 2 years. I know Taylors College offer this and think Sunway College do too.

Hope some of that is helpful!

Dear KiwinKL, 

Thanks very much for your help info. 
If I choose Taylor school of entrance at Jan/2020. Then is it correct that my son will finish the A-Level(class 13) at Jan/2024 ?   If so, then when will he participate the A-level public examination?  (Actually he will half-year later than those students who enter class 10 at Aug/2019, is it right ?)

Thanks

IGCSE and A Level exams are both offered in June and November. A Level Students who start the academic year in August sit their exams in June.
Students who start in January sit their exams in November. So it's exactly the same amount of time for the course:)
Hope that helps!

Hi KiwinKL, thank you very much.

Do note Nov sittings are meant for resits for June and isn't  a proper way to use Igcses. School s that use the Nov sitting are not proper international  schools in the real sense  of the word.

A levels are usually 20 months anyway, Sep start to a traditional school year. A levels are quite inferior to IBDP especially  International  A levels which are a far inferior  version  to real British A levels educationally.

You should look at IBDP.

This is just incorrect.
School that start in January all over the world use the November exams as this timing fits with the end of their 2-year course.
You are right that in some August-start schools, November exams are used for re-sits. In good international schools however, this is very rare and often children will need to enter as a private candidate if they wish to re-sit an exam in the November series.

It is also incorrect that International A Levels are a poor qualification. They are accepted by the world's best universities, for the world's best courses.

The IBDP is a superb programme you are right, but they are incredibly different qualifications. I've taught both and they suit very different children.

Hi, Do you have any feedback for GEMS, KL. Thanks.

Try asking on this Facebook group for international school advice.

Thank you. I am looking for some input as well.

Cheers