kacw

Hi, I have been living in St Lucia for the last few years and schooling my child,
but when he was ready to move up to reception at age 5 I found they wanted to keep him back a year, Well it turned into a long drawn out process and I felt there reasons for keeping him back to be unfounded and eventually after many meetings they eventually agreed to move him up, which I felt was based on the fact that his receiving teacher did not agree with the schools arguments either but because of the negativity I found, I enrolled him another school. Well it just so happened that we had to go back to the UK and got stuck, so I enrolled him in school and in the 4 months that he has been at school I have discovered he is in fact ahead of the average child in his school by leaps and bounds, and enjoys learning, so I shudder to think that my child would of been kept back!. Well my point is that I did intend to go back to St Lucia for the next school year but have now discovered that the early learning reading and writing at my sons school is based really on a 3 year programme of phonics, and I am reluctant to take him out of school now and place him into a school in St Lucia where the standard is not nearly as high, and disrupt his flow of learning. I have been desperately trying to gather information on schools but seem to be getting nowhere fast. I know the Wee Wisdom Montessori has a good reputation, but sadly this was the school that disheartened me, (I can go more into my reasons if you need me to on a private message) and obviously not everyone's experience of the school will be negative. I have investigated Tapion as this has a good reputation, and they now have a new head, but I am unsure if there phonics is up to UK standards, and have personally gone to the school and am happy with the general school in itself. I have tried to get info from Education dept but they have none to give, and there is nowhere to go to get write ups on the different schools as a start. Right now I have decided to stay for the next 2 1/2 years to give my son the basics but will have the same battle when I return...has anyone put there kids through the schooling system in St Lucia successfully

pgtips

KACW there are plenty of good primary schools on the island and from what I have observed is that some of the children are exceedingly bright and such a high emphasis is placed on education on the island. The fact that they told you they wanted to keep your child back a year may not have been a bad thing because my nieces who live in St Lucia are more educationally advanced than my son who is the same age as them and residing in the UK.
In the Uk he is seen as quite bright for his age but in st Lucia only average.
I would say the phonics and primary education exceeds UK standards and you are a prime example of having a child who may be seen as above average by UK standards but maybe below average by the standards the St Lucians aspire to. DO NOT TAKE IT PERSONAL The school has no incentive to keep your child back a year but that is how it is in St Lucia, they would not want the child to move up a year and not be able to keep up.

Have you tried Dame Pearle Louisy school or Bonne Terre prep, both have good reputations as with many others.

Ultimately do what you think is best for your child.