Admissions

Priority will be based on the following ranked criteria:

• Children of full-time teaching staff at ESF or ESF Educational Services Ltd.;
• Children of full-time support staff at ESF or ESF Educational Services Ltd.;
• Siblings of students already attending an ESF school;
• Children who are Nominees under the ESF Kindergarten Class A Debenture Scheme;
• Children of former students who have attended an ESF school for a minimum of three years or are former ESF students returning from a period overseas;
• Children who complete the pre-nursery class at ESF Tung Chung International Kindergarten;
• Other applicants who can benefit from an English-medium education.

Application Procedures

K1 aged children commence kindergarten in August each year. Each kindergarten will receive applications for K1 in accordance with the table below:

*No child will be able to attend kindergarten prior to their allocated academic year.

Effective from August 2017, Applications to K1 are invited from 1 September of the year prior to admission. Applications should be submitted using the online application system HERE before 1 September will receive no advantage or priority. All applications will be processed after the end of September. Places will be offered first to applications received during September. Applications for K1 received after the end of September will be allocated a place on the waiting list in accordance with their priority and date of application.  An application fee of HKD 500 applies to all applications. The supporting documents should be sent directly to our Kindergarten by registered mail. You will thereafter be invited to attend a Play Session. The purpose of the Play Session is to see your child in our Kindergarten and assess whether we can meet their needs within our setting. Your child will be invited to take part in informal ‘play’ activities with a small group of children of the same age. It will be conducted by our experienced teaching staff and the whole process should take no longer than 30 minutes.

Please note the expectations at the Play Session are that:

• Your child responds/converses in English to you as the parents and with other adults present;
• Your child is responsive and able to initiate play; and
• Your child exhibits experience in playing with age appropriate resources.

Applications for K2 or for K1 outside the September admissions period, may be made at any time.

Student Withdrawal

If your child is going to withdraw from the kindergarten, please complete and submit the Student Withdrawal Form via the ESF App at least one calendar month before the last attendance date.

If you are withdrawing your child at the end of this academic year, please complete and submit the Student Withdrawal Form via the ESF App on or before 1 June. Otherwise, we will assume that your child is returning after summer and parents are liable to the tuition fees for September even if the student does not return to school.

*Your debenture on account will not be redeemed without the one-month advance notice of withdrawal.

Remarks:

1. If a family has more than one child attending ESF schools, please submit individual withdrawal notice for each child.
2. Tuition fees are charged for a complete month. There’s no pro-rata adjustment for attendance for part of a month.
3. Any change of last attendance date / cancellation of withdrawal is subject to the availability of school places at respective schools.
4. If there is any credit balance / refundable debenture on account, refund will be made via the designated auto-pay account.
5. Please expect the financial settlement, including any eligible refund, will be completed within two calendar months after student’s last date of attendance.
6. *Redemption conditions and requirements of Class A and Class B debentures are set out on the ESF website here.
7. Parents are required to pay the redeemable debenture and advance fees as a new enrolment if their child re-enters the kindergarten after the date of withdrawal.

Should you have any enquiries regarding student withdrawal, please contact the school administrator for assistance.