Admissions

Overview

The majority of children complete a two-year programme in an ESF International Kindergarten before moving on to an ESF primary school. We actively encourage children to enrol for two full years of kindergarten so they can enjoy all the benefits of the programme.

The following information will help you to understand and support your child through the admissions processes.

Admission to ESF International Kindergarten, Tung Chung

Children admitted to the kindergarten should be able to engage with an English medium, inquiry-based curriculum, in an open-planned setting. We encourage parental support for children in the educational programmes offered by the kindergarten.

Priority is given to:

• Children of full-time staff or staff at ESF or ESL who have been employed by the Foundation for over a year.
• Siblings of students already attending an ESF International Kindergarten, ESF school or ESF Private Independent School, or siblings of former – ESF International Kindergarten students who attended for at least a year.
• Children of former students who have attended an ESF school or ESF Private Independent School, for a minimum of three years or are former ESF students returning from a period overseas.
• 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 the official Student Withdrawal Notice and submit the notice to the school admission office at least two calendar months in advance. In any event if your child will be leaving school at the end of the school year, withdrawal notice must be received by 14 June. Otherwise your debenture on account will not be redeemed. If a student is not returning to school in the following year and his/her parent has not informed the Kindergarten of the withdrawal on or before 14 June , the parent is liable to the tuition fees for September even if the student does not return to school.

The Student Withdrawal Notice can be downloaded HERE or available at the school office.

Further information and the online application, please click HERE >
Or contact Tung Chung Admissions on admissions@tc.esf.org.hk