Housing and International school advice

Posted by micky007 (512 days ago)

Hello in May we will be coming to GZ for finding a house, school for our daughter etc. I have been reading a lot but find it a little difficult to know where to live.
One thing I know my husband company is based in Shunde, Foshan. But we want to live in GZ. My daughter is going to an Inter School which one we don't know. But we will be looking for something between my husbands work and daughter school.
My question which area/neighbourhood should we look for
This are the things we want:
- NOT ISOLATED
- close to school/ work
- HOUSE (clean, well maintained)
- 4/5 bedrooms
- garden
- pool (our own or on a complex)
- gym
- more expat in the area
- good shopping around
- good public transport (metro access)
- restaurants in the area
- safe
- Not necessary on a complex
- And maybe some where close by so I an also go to school to learn mandarin.( not a pre)

Can somebody give my advice on choosing an International school in GZ thanks in advance

Cheers Micky

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Posted by Helen Meek (512 days ago)

Hi, The British school which opened last August is great, my 3 children go there i worked there for 1 yr so know that it runs well and the staff are very professional.
There are 2 complexes near the British school, Castle Hill(where i live) has very nice houses and appartments with shop, beauty parlour, laundrette, olivers (an import food store)hair salon and lots of expat kids here so my kids are very happy to live here, also another very nice complex called Golden lake is close to the British school and right next door to Uthaloy another school here lots of expats here also and very nice houses.
Then theres the American school which is on Ersha Island where there are around 10 complexes on this island and this is closer to the city center unlike castle hill and golden lake a 20-30 taxi ride into the city center, as you stated you want a house there is only one complex on this island with houses it is called Oakwood.
Golden lake and Castle hill do not have access to a metro but both complexes have there own bus service which leaves here every hour at Castle Hill to drop off at different points in the city.
Neither complexes have good shopping around you need to go into the city for this but its give and take as you really can't have a nice complex with houses, with lots of expat families and live in the city center, ive been here nearly 3 yrs and cant think of any complexes with houses and in the city?.

Posted by micky007 (512 days ago)

Thanks Helen,
we will be looking in to the complexes. We will have a look on how far they are from my husband work and the school my daughters will be going to.
cheers Micky

Posted by Lynn13 (512 days ago)

Hi, my husband works in Ronggui Town in Shunde and my children go to AISG (American International School of GZ)on Ersha island. We are staying in Ronggui and my children commute to school everyday .
Depending on which part of Shunde your husband is working, it can be at least a 1 1/2 h to 2 1/2 h drive to anywhere near British school.
Coming this August, AISG will have 2 campuses, one for Elementary in Ersha and another one for Middle/High in Science City. If you are thinking of AISG and your daughter is going to Elementary school, I suggest you stay on Ersha Island. It will probably take about 40 min to 1.5 h to get to Shunde. I will probably be able to give a more accurate estimate of the time needed to travel if I know which town your husband will be working.

Posted by micky007 (512 days ago)

Thanks Lynn13
Beijiao Industrial Park
Shunde, Foshan I hope this helps.
Cheers Micky

Posted by Lynn13 (512 days ago)

Beijiao is the nearest Shunde town to GZ so it is about 40 min to AISG on Ersha Island and more than 1h to British School.
There are 2 housing complex in Beijiao, Shunde Country Garden (Bi Gui Yuan) and Royal Orchid Golf Club. But not many expats stay there.

Posted by micky007 (512 days ago)

I think that Ersha Island will be a good choice maybe. Do you know how far it is for my husband to drive to.
thank you Micky

Posted by Lynn13 (512 days ago)

Driving from Ersha to Beijiao takes about 40 mins.

How old are your daughters ?

Posted by micky007 (512 days ago)

We have 1 daughter she is 10 years old.
Ok 40 mins is ok he drives at the moment 45 mins to his work without traffic jams. Not alot of traffic jams I have to say.
thanks Lyn13 this helps alot

Posted by Info Seeker (511 days ago)

There are many foreigners and children at Oakwood Gold Arch on ErSha. Gold Arch has a pool, a gym, some lessons for adults/kids (swimming, dance, taekwondo), a restaurant, a import food store, and a hair salon. The management speaks english and is fairly helpful. Ersha is fairly centrally located and is about 10 minutes to TianHe for shopping. Gold Arch provides a shuttle bus to Teem Mall/Grandview and to Carrefour. You can also catch a number of city buses on Ersha. If you can't read Chinese, just ask around to figure out which bus you want. There is no access to the metro. There are a couple restaurants on Ersha and a bakery (La Seine) and another small grocery store (Homecity). It is easy to catch a taxi and taxis are fairly cheap.

Posted by micky007 (511 days ago)

thanks for the repley Ersha islands sounds good. I have been reading and they do have houses. I will contact them for when we come to GZ.
Many thanks for all your help
cheer Micky

Posted by Info Seeker (511 days ago)

GWIC is the international women's club here in GZ. You can check out some of their info at www.gwic.org. If you are coming on a look-see trip and the timing works, try to come to one of the GWIC coffee mornings or afternoon teas. Or, you could call the newcomers reps who can give you loads of good information on GWIC and GZ.

Posted by micky007 (511 days ago)

Thanks Info Seeker I have been reading about the GWIC, and if possible will join the club. We want to meet new people. Especially me, my husband will be at work and my daughter at school. So it will be very lonely bemine self. I can't wait to come and get everything organized.
cheers Micky

Posted by Ruth at Clifford (510 days ago)

You could also consider Clifford Estates and Clifford School. Much closer to Shunde, Canadian curriculum and small class sizes for the English programme. Most of the students there go half day English-half day Mandarin. More than 60 foreign teachers there.
There is a GREAT group of expat women at Clifford...I lived there for 4 years...and they are often planning things to do. And GWIC is a sanity saver. You'll meet heaps of great women who can teach you all you'll want to know about GZ.

Do have a look there.

Posted by micky007 (510 days ago)

Thanks Ruth do they have houses also at the clifford estates. Is the Clifford school also an International school. I also like that they teach manderin.
If possible can you tell me the difference between Clifford and the Oakwood (ersha island).
So I have an idea. Thanks for pointing me in that direction. You don't live there anymore you moved
Thanks you
cheers Micky

Posted by Taps (510 days ago)

Welcome to GWIC.

Posted by Meiguoren (510 days ago)

Clifford is also a lot cheaper than living in the city, if that is a consideration. I don't know, but haven't I also heard that there is a second school called Utahloy that is at Shunde and is very good? Or is that at Dongguan? Be sure to negotiate for your husband's company to pay your housing and school, if you haven't already, and don't agree to a set allowance until you know how much it will really cost you altogether, including transportation.

Posted by Ruth at Clifford (509 days ago)

Yes, they certainly do have houses. Some have gardens, some even have swimming pools. One of the GWIC women at Clifford, Kelly, has a pool. There are also lots of swimming pools at Clifford. It's a gated community so is pretty self contained. I really enjoyed living there and my husband worked at the school for 4 years.

Oakwood is nearly downtown and much more expensive. The manager, Edward Lim, is a really nice man and tries very hard to make everyone happy. It has limited space though. Many people who live there are quite happy, but some are rather dismissive of those who live in the 'suburbs'.

Clifford is a gated community which is practically self-contained. There is one of the best private hospitals in south China there...with an excellent dental clinic too. My daughter's braces...with a one year programme...only cost about 8,000 rmb. There's a kids zoo, horse riding, many many restaurants, a fruit and veg market with live prawns and fish to buy, etc as well as a supermarket and grocery stores.
Clifford School is run by Clifford Pang who is the owner of the estate. There are two streams...the bilingual programme (half day English, half day Mandarin plus evening classes in Mandarin) and the International (all day English) Programme with Canadian(Manitoba) curriculum. Students also can take Mandarin from nice Chinese teachers.

Meiguoren, Utahloy's other school is near Dongguan, east GZ.

Where are you from, Micky007?

Yes, my family and I have returned to Canada,but I MISS GUANGZHOU LOTS!!! So I continue to post here and share.

There are 'sales offices' outside the main gates of Clifford Estates for you to find accommodation. Do remember to BARGAIN for your new home. Don't take the first price, or if you do, then ask for extra benefits.

Good luck in your move!

cheers from Ruth

Posted by micky007 (509 days ago)

Thank you Ruth very much, I appreciate all the help.
Ruth how far is clifford from GZ and Shunde.

We come from the Netherlands.
I would like my daughter to learn mandarin. But as we speak dutch I have to choose a school that when we go back home she gets her level good. that so wont be behind.

What kind of benefits can you get when hiring a house. I don't have an idea what we could ask.

Posted by Ruth at Clifford (508 days ago)

Oh, my father was from Amsterdam! There are some Dutch ladies in GZ who get together to talk Dutch. My dad never taught me, unfortunately.

Shunde is spread out, so I'm afraid it depends on what part.The closest bit is less than 15 minutes away.
Clifford is south of GZ in Panyu...the Metro comes close. By bus it takes 30-50 minutes depending on what part. And by car and the fast highway 20 minutes.

Clifford's curriculum is from Manitoba Canada.

Some benefits...some utilities included, furniture (get the owner to buy you new stuff if the stuff left is ugly), gardening and maid provided, etc. Look at lots of places before deciding.

Posted by woodman (140 days ago)

We are moving to GZ in a few months and are primarily looking at Utahloy school. What are other larger areas that are a bit better air quality? The company budget is about 2500 USD monthly for rent. I don't need to go to the city center as I will be working at the airport. We have 2 small dogs and two children 10 and 12. Any advice?