Finding the Best International School in Hong Kong
International Schools in Hong Kong
Whether you're a Hong Kong resident looking for a new school for your child, or an international parent relocating to Hong Kong with your family, the process of finding the right international school for your child can seem daunting. These pages and links are designed to help you start this process and if you have further questions you are welcome to contact ITS Education Asia here.
The first point to emphasise is that Hong Kong has a very strong all-round educational tradition. The city's students regularly score highly in global education assessments, such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). All schools, regardless of curriculum, are supervised by the Government's Education Bureau which ensures good standards of school management. Many international schools are also accredited by overseas organisations such as the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO). In total there are around 80 schools in Hong Kong offering an international curriculum of some type. Most of these are formally designated as International Schools while a few are classified as Private Independent Schools (PISs) and required to allocate 70% of places to Hong Kong Permanent Residents. 22 international schools are managed by one long-established organisation, the English Schools Foundation, which was established in 1967. A number of government-supported Direct Subsidy Scheme schools also offer international-style curricula.
International schools in Hong Kong typically include a tremendous diversity of nationalities: as many as 30 countries can be represented in a single school. Teaching staff are recruited both from Hong Kong and internationally. The ethos of these schools reflects this variety: students are encouraged to care for their local community but also to become global citizens. Importantly, however, the curricula on offer vary significantly from school to school. A significant proportion of international schools follow the International Baccalaureate programme, some from early years to Year 13/Grade 12 while others offer UK IGCSEs and then switch to the IB Diploma for the final two years. Other schools follow the curricula of specific countries such as the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Singapore, Korea or Japan. This will obviously be a key factor for parents choosing a school for their child, especially if moving to Hong Kong from overseas. More information about individual schools is given below.
CHOOSING AND APPLYING TO AN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL IN HONG KING
International schools here often have waiting lists, so when looking for schools, it's best to shortlist 3-5 that may be suitable for your child. ITS Education Asia has a school placement service which may be useful at this point. As you browse the school websites, or prepare for the all-important school visit, here are a few points to consider:
- Location: how will your child travel to school? If you are relocating to Hong Kong and there's a reasonable chance of your child being accepted into your preferred school, this may determine where you decide to live
- School structures vary: 'through train 5-18; primary; secondary.
- Syllabus: what will suit your child best? For senior students, there's an important choice to be made between the IB Diploma, UK A levels, the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education and a range of international qualifications.
- School leadership and teachers - Who's the Head? How long have they been there? Are they supported by a solid senior management team? What can you learn about the staff and their backgrounds?
- School ethos: is there a particular bias towards e.g. a religious faith or a specific culture?
- Academic matters: what subjects are on offer? What are typical outcomes for students?
- Pastoral care: who's in charge and is there a clear anti-bullying policy? What procedures are there for welcoming new students?
- Structure of the school day and class sizes.
- School facilities: which of these would be important to your child?
- Extra-curricular activities: outdoor activities, sport, music, drama, art…the list is endless
- School holidays - do these follow the local, northern hemisphere or Australian/NZ pattern? Will this matter to your family
- Fees - the bottom line. These can vary hugely, with the upper range currently around HKD240,000 per year. Many schools impose one-off charges such as debentures which may, or may not, be fully refundable and/or annual capital levies which can be as much as HKD60,000. Some may charge debentures for the primary section and then again for secondary. Look too at extras such as the school bus, meal costs and uniform requirements. A top-of- the-range laptop Is required in some schools even in the primary years.
- If the international school fees are prohibitive, consider looking at the English-medium Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) government schools: around 20 also offer an international-style curriculum but at a much lower price.
- As soon as you have a list of target schools, you need to check what the application procedure is and, crucially, whether there's a waiting list for your child's year.
- If you are relocating to Hong Kong, consider asking your employer whether their Hong Kong office has any links with the international schools you are interested in.
- Be aware that application to many international and DSS schools is highly competitive so good preparation for tests and interviews is essential.
- ITS Education Asia staff have long experience of preparing students for these admission procedures and we will be pleased to help you and your child or children to navigate this process.
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