International Schools

Les&Tasha


Joined: 17/03/2009
Posts: 31

Message Posted:
15/04/2009 16:46

Hello Everyone,



We currently live in Alanya Turkey and are considering a move to TRNC because of the availability of private schools where teaching is in English for our two daughters.



From our internet research we know about the following schools in North Cyprus:-



Sunny Lane

The American University Girne (GAU International)

The English School in Kyrenia



Any opinions based on personal experience would be welcome. Also if we have missed out a good school let us know.



I wider choice is available in Lefkosa/Nicosia for instance -



Highgate School

The American International School

The American Academy



However these schools appear to be on the south side of the city. How practical would it be to live in the North but send the children to one of these schools? Has anyone done this?

Chicken Run


Joined: 11/10/2008
Posts: 252

Message Posted:
15/04/2009 17:24

How old are your children? Sunny Lane school is the nearest you will get to a UK education and it seems to be improving all the time. GAU has been around a while, but had quite a bad reputation for a while that seems to have improved slightly. The best thing you could do really is come over for a few days and take a good look for yourself... I'm sure you'll find what you want.



My personal opinion... Sunny Lane!



GOOD LUCK...

Cyprusactive


Joined: 20/05/2008
Posts: 128

Message Posted:
15/04/2009 17:49

Hi, we send our two boys, 14 and 16, to Sunny Lane. We have always been very pleased with the school, there are some great teachers there at the moment and the boys have made good friends. The school fees are a fraction of the fees we paid in the UK.

Our main problem is that the school does not offer A-levels (none of the schools in the North does) so our eldest is probably going south next year, to the American Academy, which we have visited a few times and seems a good school. Unfortunately this will involve a very early start and a lot of driving! There are quite a few children crossing the boarder every day.

GAU - agree with Chicken Run, for a while there were rumours of English children being bullied there.

The English School I believe does only primary at the moment.

professoregit


Joined: 30/08/2008
Posts: 381

Message Posted:
15/04/2009 19:06

My 2 girls have been at GAU for 3 years now. The eldest has completed 6

GCSE's grades C and higher with 1 A and 1 A*. She is doing 3 A levels at

present, completed first year AS's in the 3 subjects. This is her final year

at GAU and she has been accepted for Uni commencing Sep this year. So can't

really grumble too much. I agree there is certainly room for improvement at

GAU. But I think you will find similar with Sunny Lane and other North based

schools. Go visit these places and have a good look around, ask loads of questions. Best of luck.

charb


Joined: 17/03/2009
Posts: 188

Message Posted:
16/04/2009 00:26

I've been a maths teacher on some of the private schools here. I don't suggest you the Near East College in Nicosia (north); first of all it is overcrowded. Second, I am not there anymore! Just kidding. I was a deputy head of a department in GAU (not the high school) and the way they run the university at that time (a couple of years ago) made me worry about the highschool's situation.

I'd go for Sunny Lane. The positive comments for that school is more than the negative ones.

And if you need private maths lessons for your daughters, please contact me.

Les&Tasha


Joined: 17/03/2009
Posts: 31

Message Posted:
16/04/2009 20:30

Thank you for all your comments. We will come over to Girne in May on the fast (Fergun) ferry. We will spend a couple of weeks looking around and we will certainly visit these schools.



We are concerned about academic standards and teaching in English is a must have. We could send our daughters to the TED college in Alanya if we wanted a high quality Turkish education but culturally we prefer an international school.



From the comments we have read Sunny Lane seems friendly but have any of their students gained entrance to a UK or American university? Also some comments have been made about financial stability. The Academic standards at the GAU appear better (thank you Professor). We will certainly visit both schools.



The schools in Nicosia are attractive but we realise this will limit our options in other ways. How long does it take to drive from Girne to Nicosia? Two hours a day on the bus is not practical. Maybe it means living close to Lefkosa Any suggestions?

come_on_aylin


Joined: 14/06/2008
Posts: 908

Message Posted:
17/04/2009 12:05

Sunny Lane only goes up to (International) GCSE level and this year is the 3rd year of offering IGCSEs. Anyone who took IGCSEs in the first year that they offered them will only be sitting A levels now. Most of the students tend to go back to the UK to do A levels so it is a bit difficult to track what they do. This year's IGCSE students look set to do very well, some of them having already gained IGCSE/O levels in Maths and Statistics last year, after only 1 year's study.

deger


Joined: 08/05/2010
Posts: 56

Message Posted:
21/08/2010 14:24

I would recommend the Near East college as many of the teachers are qualified, has a curriculum close to that of the UK, they're now doing A levels and many students have attained excellent results for their AS levels this year.

Jovial_John


Joined: 31/01/2009
Posts: 1024

Message Posted:
21/08/2010 14:57

The other bonus with Near East is that they collect and deliver pupils from most locations in the North. Also your girls can go on to uni there and that has a good reputation.

Goonerboy


Joined: 01/04/2009
Posts: 723

Message Posted:
21/08/2010 15:07

My children are at GAU happy and doing very well.



You need to bear in mind that where ever you decide to send your kids, you will also need to spend some time with them to see them achieve.



I would suggest perhaps asking your choice of schools if they will allow your kids in for a day or 2 to allow them to judge where they feel happy.



You may find the best school in the world but if your children are not happy there's no point.



I know GAU allow a child to come in for 2 or 3 days full-time in the class where he or she would be put into.



Im sure the others will oblige too, and where ever your kids feel happiest, thats the school for them

bonnie1707


Joined: 06/06/2010
Posts: 95

Message Posted:
21/08/2010 16:43

Değer,



It is very commendable that you still feel such a bond with your old kolej ... not many of us would dig up a 16-month-old thread (yes, before your post on this thread, the last one was in April 2009) and a 14-month-old thread (in the case of http://www.cyprus44.com/forums/16220.asp) to support our old schools.



However, I'm not certain if your advice on another current thread curently, namely http://www.cyprus44.com/forums/38428.asp , where you tell Cemaliye that "The Near East college/primary are usually constantly hiring new English teachers" is that good an advertisement for the school.

Heartman


Joined: 15/01/2009
Posts: 140

Message Posted:
21/08/2010 18:29

When you come over take a look at The English School of Kyrenia in Bellapais. The school is growing and only employs UK qualified teachers unlike some schools over here. They have a open and frank website with all the information you need including fees. I do understand that there is a waiting list already for some years but would still advise checking them out.

deger


Joined: 08/05/2010
Posts: 56

Message Posted:
22/08/2010 15:34

You misunderstand bonnie it was never my intention to advertise anything, I merely wanted to explain from a students point of view what the Near East was like for me. I'm sorry if my message came across as an advertisement.

iceman


Joined: 15/08/2008
Posts: 724

Message Posted:
22/08/2010 17:46

Les&Tasha

re:msg1



If you want the best for your children and they are good enough to pass the entry exams, you might consider The English School,Nicosia.

It is in south part of Nicosia but it's considered to be the most prestigious secondary school in the Middle East.



http://www.englishschool.ac.cy/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_English_School,_Nicosia

iceman


Joined: 15/08/2008
Posts: 724

Message Posted:
22/08/2010 17:48

ooops...just noticed the original post was made back in April..

Oh well.. the info is there for anyone else who is looking for a proper school for their kids..

bonnie1707


Joined: 06/06/2010
Posts: 95

Message Posted:
22/08/2010 23:31

Re ; message 14



Iceman, you wrote that the school is "considered to be the most prestigious secondary school in the Middle East"



I presume you took this apparently definitive statement from Wikipedia. But, in fact if you click on your own link ; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_English_School,_Nicosia you can see that "ONE OF the most prestigious secondary schools" is what is actually written ... and furthermore this has been edited with the words "by whom".



Please also bear in mind that Wikipedia is not the Gospel truth - yes it is edited, but anyone can submit contributions to it.



I am not denying the said school is good, but there are many in the middle east that would claim the distinction of being the most prestigious.