MrBAH

Whilst we have found any number of excellent schools in Dubai, our preference being Wellington or Kings, there seems to be huge waiting lists for each school and some of the schools do not even have a wait list as they are so full.

Is there any way around this problem? At the risk of asking a stupid question, what do we do if we cannot get our kids into a school??

Also, any ideas on the best website to use to find property? We've been using dubizzle and property finder?

Fairydust

Which school years are you looking for and for a start date when?

MrBAH

My kids are 5 (Reception but going into UK Yr1 in Seot) and 2-yes (Pre-school). Ideally I'd like them both at the same school too, in Septenver of this year.

I'm not sure what the categorisation is in the UAE as all the schools we look at refer to Foundation Stage (FS) 1 and 2, then Reception then Year 1..... In the uk it's just Pre-school, reception, then year 1.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Millhouse

Not much you can do unless you have personal connections at the school. Just enroll them somewhere and move them later...When your youngest is of school going age (or should I say fee paying age) you will have a better chance as it's a volume game. Often it is easier to get three kids in a school than one.

My advice would be to not get sucked in by all the KDHA shit and their emotive language such as 'outstanding': I've yet to see an outstanding school here.

Enjoy Kings - make sure the Misses drives a ML350 or she will be outcasted as a lepper.

MrBAH

Do any companies have connections to the schools? I'm working for a major international financial advisory firm, so would a company of that size/scale be able to engineer a placement?

Millhouse

Big 4? Good luck with that

Ask if your company has a debenture with the school - if the school runs on that basis - it can help with the queue. That said, I do not believe that any of the capital-lite advisory shops will hold debentures - and even then it depends on how many debentures they hold.

MrBAH

Good luck with the Big 4 way of working (I'm already there), or good luck getting anything out of them?

Any ideas what their salary packages are like, just out of interest?? Thanks!

Millhouse

Good luck with working for a big4 in the Middle East. You do realize that they operate totally differently here?

As a general rule of thumb, their packages are not great - probably your UK salary tax-free and all-in.

MrBAH

Thanks for help / advice. I'm out next week to have the discussion so we will see!

MrBAH

Hi Millhouse, just to clarify: are you saying that Big 4 firms typically only pay UK salary (gross) tax free, no housing or schooling allowance, etc?

When I discussed with HR, they said I should expect UK salary (gross) plus an allowance for housing and schools. Is this not your experience, as if its only UK salary (gross) and nothing else, I may as well cancel my flight.....

Millhouse

That is what my friends were offered. But that was EY, who are universally terrible here. The good news is that they all moved within a few months for massive pay rises.

MrBAH

Phew thanks. Im not an accountant anyway, I'll be doing something more specialised and relativey senior without sounding like a pompous a***hole!

And its with the other firm with the green dot....

Kix

Only way you can realistically do it - and I've been shouted down for this - is to go to the actual school and get an appointment with the principle.

Then when you meet them write out a cheque for the first year (around £8-10k) - it's weird how money opens doors here.

MrBAH

Great stuff.... Local nuances, I'm sure I'll get used to it!

Thanks....

Kix

And don't go anywhere near anything by GEMS - biggest money making rip off total ****ing bastard **** ***** in the UAE.