Expert Info

Posted by Rose68
on 9 Jan 2019

Hi,

My husband has just secured a six month contract in KL expiring in August, 2018.  The contract has a high possibility of being extended, which is when our 8 year old son and I will then plan on joining him (from Australia).  A couple of questions please:-

1.  We are looking at an international school.  When does the school year start, and when should we start applying to schools?

2.  How will they assess which year level our son will go into?  Will he need to complete some sort of testing before being accepted etc which will indicate his year level?

3.  There seem to be many types of accommodation in KL (eg villas, condos, terrace/link/townhouse, semi detached/bungalow etc).  What are the best choices to start looking at which will allow a small dog (we would prefer a small yard/private outdoor area?  Does having a dog make it more difficult to find rental accommodation?

4.  Finally, are there many furnished rental properties, or is there more choice looking at unfurnished and then hiring/rental furniture (if this is an option)?

Thanking you in advance.

Rose

 

Daniela de Castro on 14 Jan 2019 - 06:43

Hi Rose

Hopefully some of our expat experts will be able to get back to you with their own experiences, but for now, have a look at our guides to Schools in Kuala Lumpur and Accommodation in Kuala Lumpur for a breakdown of what you can expect. 

Hope this helps!

Daniela

Rose68 on 31 Jan 2019 - 04:36

Thank you Daniela, this is a great start!

KiwinKL on 14 Feb 2019 - 13:53

Hi Rose! 

I work as a school consultant here so hopefully I can help! Most schools here follow the Aug-June academic year, though a few do follow the Jan-Dec academic year. There is a great Australian school here (AISM) and also a new Australian school (Peninsula International) that you might want to look into.

I'd start applying as soon as you're sure of your arrival date & which term you want them to join. Schools do charge application fees (regardless of whether your application is successful) so you do want to be pretty sure of your schools before you apply, rather than applying for several all at once. 

Year level placement is determined by your children's ages & place availability. Most schools here aren't academically selective, but they do do entrance testing to ensure your children can access the curriculum and to double check they don't need extra learning support.

Here's a list of schools divided by prices: 

Cheers

 

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