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Horizon English School vs DESS

0

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 08 March 2017 - 15:03

Hi,

My child has been offered a seat at DESS for FS2 and is currently in Horizon English School (Safa Park) in FS1.
I would like any opinions/suggestions on which school i should opt for considering the below:
1) I stay very close to DESS
2) I have heard the mix of students at DESS is more Western whereas Horizon offers an international mix (we are an Indian family)
3) My child may have issues concentrating and may need additional support. This has not been confirmed via any assessment. While i know the additional training support at Horizon is one of the best, does anyone have views on DESS's additional support
4) Fees at DESS is lower (however that's least imp on my list)

Thanks in advance.

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1257

Posts

EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 13 March 2017 - 08:38

DESS hands down! There is a good mix of nationalities so whomever told you its more Western obviously havent been to the school in ages or perhaps didnt get into the school! In my son's class alone there are only 3 British kids and the rest are from countries all over the world so there you have it. Your source is quite wrong. DESS has great learning support teachers (mine get help with reading) and the teachers are all warm and kind as well. The parents are super nice too....Yes, I am a DESS parent and proud of it! :) Possibly better mix of nationalities now but I know of one specific Asian family that moved from our school to DESS in FS2 level and they felt that their class was much more Western majority... the few children in the class who were Asian by ethnicity still had Western nationalities/passports... anyway just feedback... I'm sure you could specifically ask the school to advise you on the exact break up of the class that you child would be going into... all the best with your choice... I'm sure you will make the right one for your child...

92

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 12 March 2017 - 22:35

Very happy indian parent at horizon with 2 kids in the school. The only difference in both schools acc to me are the fees and the fact that Dess is non profit whereas unfortunately horizon is run by an investment grp:( Both schools great in my opinion.

1848

Posts

EW EXPERT

Latest post on 12 March 2017 - 17:16

DESS hands down! There is a good mix of nationalities so whomever told you its more Western obviously havent been to the school in ages or perhaps didnt get into the school! In my son's class alone there are only 3 British kids and the rest are from countries all over the world so there you have it. Your source is quite wrong. DESS has great learning support teachers (mine get help with reading) and the teachers are all warm and kind as well. The parents are super nice too....Yes, I am a DESS parent and proud of it! :)

1257

Posts

EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 12 March 2017 - 12:13

we've been at Horizon for a long time (in our 7th year now) and absolutely love it... I think you really need to see if it's a good fit for your child or not... what works for one family may not necessarily work for the other... if the Learning Support function is important to you why don't you go into see the LE department at DESS and discuss your particular situation with them before making your choice... DESS is today definitely more international than it used to be say five years ago... but the majority will still be skewed to British nationals (as it is still is a non-profit British curriculum school supported by a Board of Trustees)... I presume you've already been on a school tour... this would give you a real feel for the place... both DESS and Horizon are great schools and i'm sure you'll find supporters of both on this forum... but in the end you really do need to decide which is the best fit for your child... it's early days yet... so you could also join DESS and then see how your child gets on and if your child is not happy then you can always come back... today, thanks to the vast number of schools open, places will always be available... getting an FS place in DESS or Horizon used to be unheard of a few years ago but today with so much more competition in the primary school market spaces are popping up left right and centre... so don't stress too much...

6

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 10 March 2017 - 13:41

DESS is a fantastic school!

28

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 09 March 2017 - 21:49

I can highly recommend DESS for all aspects of school life.

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