Hi,
After a fairly lengthy process, we have finally been advised that my husband's work permit has been approved. We are intending to move to the island during the Easter holidays. We have accommodation arranged in Holetown.

We have two small sons aged 4 and 6 who need suitable school places. They have been registered and on the waiting list for Providence School since September last year but, despite promises, they still have no spaces for us. We have been advised that St Winifreds, St Gabriels, St Angelas (Ursuline Convent) and Wills Primary School have no spaces and a long waiting list. We have registered with them all. Only Codrington School has told us that they have immediate spaces. It appears to be a great school but since the fees are so high at Codrington, we are considering local public schools as an option. We would welcome any advice, opinions or suggestions.


Many thanks.

KJLee

My daughter went to Codrington in the past, I would not recommend it personally but I am sure others on here would.

Keep checking with St W's, G's and U's, there may well be spaces come up for the final term, I moved my daughter to St W's after Easter last year and there were a few spaces.

The is a great local school near Holetown called St Albans, I know someone who uses it, also another one in Speightstown called Roland Edwards that is also really good.

If all else fails then a term at home will not be the end of the world I am sure whilst you secure a place somewhere... There is a place called Learning for Life that may be of use to you though in the interim http://www.smartstudying.com/
HTH

To add also, sorry, Wills would be quite a distance for you to travel tbh. Keep calling the St's and hassle them as much as you can...

Don't mean to sound rude, but no school is going to "promise" you a place and hold it unless you have paid them up front to keep the space open. I'm not trying to be mean, but you make your first statement sound like Providence promised you a space, when and if your permit became available.

You may find that some of the others have spaces opening up, as families are leaving, moving etc. but whether those are being filled by people on waiting lists, it's hard to say.

For any government school, you need to apply to the Ministry of Education to have your expat child attend, so you may want to try that as soon as possible (schools close for Easter holiday on Wednesday/Thursday this coming week. their offices should be open, but may close at some point during the next 2 weeks, or go on shortened hours of operation.

Shines is more familiar then I am with the schools around the Holetown and upper west coast locations, so you may want to try the schools recommended.

and..

if all else fails.. Learning for life does a "home School" option, but for primary, it's not cheap either, Less than Codrington, from what I understand, but .. it may be worth a look/see to at least get you through till September. and keep trying with the others for the September term as well.

I would have thought that your husbands future employer might have told you how difficult it is to get kids into schools here at short notice; my son's applications went in when he was about 1.5-2, 2 years in advance of when he started school, as far as I remember-- before I had even finalized whether or not I was coming to Barbados. Moving here and transitioning into life in Barbados can be bumpy to say the least. Work permits aren't even a guarantee of a long term stay here anymore.

Think carefully about coming out here and taking the children out of school before the end of the year, I would at least let the 6 yo finish off the year and have a complete report.I don't know how the government schools would view an incomplete year so that is something to check into.

Thanks everyone for your very helpful advice - I will be making further investigations next week, as recommended.

Having been 'assured' (perhaps promised was the wrong word!) that there would be spaces for our children at Providence, we didn't register with all the other schools a year ago, in hindsight we wish we had. The message we are getting from the employers is just come over and we will sort it out when you get here - as if by magic! I am a lot more realistic than that.

I am also considering letting my husband go out alone and follow when there are confirmed school places and let the boys continue at the very good school they are happy at here in the UK, especially since we had to move them once already this year when we relocated from the Isle of Man and our move to Barbados was delayed.

We'll get there in the end.
Thanks again.

KJ...you have the right mindset, this one:" just come over and we will sort it out when you get here - as if by magic!" only works fine for single lads coming over to work on construction sites, not entire families uprooting their lives. GL!

some good public primary schools are all st michael area, but here they are if it is helpful, Charles F Broome in government hill, a notoriously difficult school to get in but an excellent 1, great number of pupils go on to harrisons college and combemere, another is wesley hall, and the new george lamming school, which is formerly known as erdiston, all of these are main feeder schools to the top secondary schools,
hope this helps!