Muswellmum

I am moving to New York from Singapore with 3 children ages 8,11 and 13 - and don't know where to start with looking at schools. They are currently at international school in Singapore. Any help appreciated!

penguinsix

Start with our WIKI

Education: What do I need to enroll the kids in school? : British Expat Wiki

Note: if you are looking at government schools than location, location, location. It all comes down to where you live (even what side of the street). If private then you can look through a number of guides to private schools that exist online.

Muswellmum

Thank you - I have had a read. We will prob go down the private route I wondered if anyone could recommend any good ones?

Nutmegger

What area do you anticipate living in? Do you mean New York City or somewhere in New York State?

Muswellmum

I don't know - I was going to be directed by where the schools are so long as it's a reasonable commute for my husband who will be in the financial district.
I have to admit to never having been to the U.S. and its abit far from Singapore for a look see. So need all the help I can get 😣

sir_eccles

Right, he's working in downtown Manhattan then. Likelihood is his commute is going to be an hour at least from nice places to live. It's also going to be expensive to find somewhere for 3 kids. To be honest I would ask his work to set up a corporate housing solution because finding places to live in NYC can be cut throat and fast moving, much easier to be there and see for yourself.

Nutmegger

Then your options, besides Manhattan itself, are going to include Brooklyn, lower Westchester County, lower Fairfield County in Connecticut, and New Jersey. I always suggest contacting colleagues at the new office to find where those with a similar budget and similar family situations live.

Jerseygirl

Take a look at Englishmum's posts and threads...she has posted extensively about schools in the Millburn/Summit area of NJ. Her husband worked in Manhattan...therefore she discusses commute into NYC. It's approx 30/45 cummute to open Station from there.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/members/englishmum-1486/

I lived in Mendham...Nr Morristown, NJ...60 min commute by rail to NYC. My daughter attended private school...Peck School in Morriston and The Pingry School in Martinsville. Private schools are very expensive. If you want your children to go to state schools...that will depend on where you live. The more expensive the area...the better the schools.

rpjs

If it's lower Manhattan, I'd say avoid Metro-North land (Westchester/Fairfield counties). My office moved to the WTC last year, and even working 50% from home taking the train to GCT and then the hell that is the 4/5 train is killing me.

Muswellmum

Hi all thank you so much for your advice - I will have a look at the areas suggested on the map and do abit of research. I looked at private school prices and they really are astronomical a third higher than in the UK and nearly double Singapore. I wonder are they really worth the money?!

Pulaski

Yes, but only if you have that sort of money. Like some other things in NYC, the very best costs serious money. ..... There is a reason why I quit my job in Manhattan and headed south.

Jerseygirl

My daughter went private school in Cheshire before we moved to NJ. I soon realized that people who sent their children to private school in NJ were very different from the Cheshire families. In the UK many mums worked to send their kids to private school. Donations for a fundraiser prize in the UK was usually a £20 bottle of wine or a box of Thornton choccies. In the US the majority were old money families...household names/political etc. Fundraisers were Carribean holidays etc. I kid you not.

The parents of children who attended our local schools usually paid tens of thousand of dollars a year in property taxes. Property taxes more or less fund local schools. Therefore most of the families who lived there sent their kids to local schools.

Are local schools better than private...I have mixed feelings.

Jerseygirl

It's not just the school fees it's the add on....donations...custom made school uniform etc. The latter I could not believe. A company came to the school to measure the kids for custom made uniforms. There was no getting away with buying a similar skirt/blouse from Bloomies.

Muswellmum

Oh no it sounds like abit of a nightmare! Maybe we should try to stay in Singapore?
What about the public schools? Is there a good one that anyone would recommend? Someone here has mentioned Bronxville high school but as I will have a junior middle and high school it could get complicated!

Muswellmum

Also does anyone have a view on the United nations school?