Raising a 7yo in the UK ⦁ 英國讀書住屋邊度好

Great Pond in Epsom, UK

Samantha Yeung moved to the UK in March 2020 with her husband and their daughter who just turned 7. Samantha worked in the UK 12 years ago, which helped her to adapt to her new life in Surrey where some of her old friends are. She currently works for a technology firm while her husband continues to work for the same company after an internal transfer. Her daughter now studies in a state school in Surrey. 


What is school life like in the UK? ⦁ 學校生活

It’s hard to make a fair judgement because after we made our move in March this year, our daughter has been learning from home because of Covid-19. She is one of the only two Chinese students in her class – there are a few black students and a few south Asians, all others are white. All the kids seem to get along very well. She did mention she’s worried about bullying at school but to be frank this is a worry everywhere but there are no signs of any discrimination at school.  

How about homework, is it as stressful as in HK? ⦁ 功課有冇香港咁辛苦

She has to create a poster/leaflet almost every week, and the theme of the poster varies all the time. They discussed environmental issues, the Amazon rainforest and museums before. To create a poster requires a lot of research and critical thinking. It is hard work, but it’s been really helpful and fun for her. Her school also focuses on training their writing and reading skills.

State school or private school? ⦁ 公校定係私校好

I have to say, state schools are actually really good. In the UK, there is a lot of focus on creativity and critical thinking for kids. You can hire private tutors for your kids if necessary, it is not unheard of here. The quality of education in the UK is high, so don’t assume that studying in the UK is easy. I’ve seen the sample questions for 11+ exams (required in order to enter a grammar school), and they are not easy!

As a parent, is it hard to fit in with other parents in the UK? ⦁ 作為母親,融入媽媽group難唔難

The mothers groups in my area are great, as people are responsive and ever so helpful. The UK is very different from Hong Kong. I often remind myself not to insist on thinking like a Hong Konger and not to criticise the way the Brits do things. Instead, I try to see the benefits of their way. If we keep wanting to do things the way we do in Hong Kong, we will get frustrated here. 

What is the most asked question from your Hong Kong friends? ⦁ 香港朋友最常問⋯⋯

“Is this a good school for my kid?” There is no correct answer to this. First of all, how do you define “good”? You need to know what you are looking for. If you insist of putting your child in the best school around, have you thought about whether your kid would like it and fit in? Having said that, I do advise my friends to pick a “good” or “outstanding” school. Those that fall into the category of “improvement” may not be good for Hong Kongers simply because of our culture – it may be hard to fit in.

What is your advice on how to pick a place to live in the UK? ⦁ 點揀去邊度住

The most important question you should ask yourself is what lifestyle you are looking for. 

I often ask my friends to pick: do you want to live in Kensington, Kingston, or Epsom? Kensington is a in central London with many top schools, and great places for shopping and eating. But it is also extremely expensive. Kingston upon Thames is similar to Shatin in Hong Kong; there are many shops (including an Apple Shop), you can buy Taiwanese bubble tea and you can still get to central London in less than an hour on a train. Epsom is a suburban area with an amazing countryside, trains (though less frequent) to central London but not a “cha chaan teng” (Cantonese style fast food restaurants) in sight. Which one fits your family? 

After that it’s all about your job. Have you got a job offer already and do you need to live close to central London for it? Are you happy to commute for an hour to work or would you rather drive to work? 

Finally, it’s also about the quality of schools around the area for those with children. 

Image: Roger Miller under Creative Commons license


Share this post • 分享文章

Leave A Comment