Jan 2011 Admission

L

LoughtonLion

New member
Hi all, I wonder if anyone can give me some advice on schooling for our 5 year old son? We’re coming to HK from the UK in January next year and need to secure a place for A in an English speaking school, preferably within the ESF system. I’ve applied and he’s been added to the waiting list to one school, but the list for a place in year 1 is over 100 children.

We’re fairly flexible on where we live in HK, my wife will be working in Harcourt Road, but we’re happy to live anywhere with a decent expat community and good school.

Does anyone have any experience with the ESF school system? Are there really over 100 5 year old children within the catchment area of the school waiting for a place? Do they go elsewhere or are they all at home waiting? Are the waiting lists so long because so many want an English education for their children? Is there any priority to English or English speaking children?

Our son is already in full time education in England and we’re keen for this to continue as soon as we arrive. Are there any alternatives? We’re paying for the schooling ourselves, so the International schools are probably out of our budget.

Grateful for any advice you can give us.

Steve
 
Firstly, you'll need a permanent address in HK before your application to ESF can be activated. Your address will dictate the ESF school - catchment areas are outlined on the ESF website. As a native English speaker your child will be in Category 1. that is the list that is applicable to you - so the '100' may include Category 2. However, Category 1 does not mean an instant place. It's all 'bottoms on seats' and if there is no seat for any child, the wait could be quite a bit linger than you may anticipate. ESF takes children after K2 - many people have their children enter K3 in anticipation of a place turning up during the academic year. some expats homeschool during this waiting time.
 
The Lower School classes are always filled, and places for Year 1, 2 and 3 (but also the US years) are quite difficult to get especially during the school year. Plenty of Cat 1 on the list, and it really depends per school as well. English is a necessary requirement but being British or American doesn't give them priority over non-native speakers. Siblings have higher priority and so have ESF Kindy kids. My daughter currently has children from another catchment area in her class due to lack of spaces in the regular school (with corporate surety scheme).
 
expats are spread out everywhere. dont limit yourself to 1 specific district. open up and explore the local Hong Kong community...that will make your life and your family's easier and happier.
 
Hi,

You can try the Overseas Application, I did it b4, of course u have to do it b4 ur relocation.

The policy of ESF gives priority to kids that CANNOT be fitted into the HK local school system, if ur kid can't speak Cantonese or/and the parents can't speak Cantonese, ur kid will definitely has a priority. Of course, I don't know which one will have a higher priority, the staff's kids n siblings or non-cantonese speaking exp.

And, u can try this way which i heard from a head teacher of an int'l kindy-- go directly to the ESF sch when u shortly arrived in HK, tell the staff that ur kid has no school place and urgently need one, see how it's going. I heard that an Indian boy got admitted by the KLN Junior by this way :)

Gd luck!
 
The priority of ESF is native English speakers therefore Category 1. They will always get in before a non-native speaker - even one without a school. I know some native English speakers still on the waiting list now for over 8 months - middle primary grades. Transfers within the system and siblings will always trump category 1. Turning up pleading no school place does not work if there is absolutely no seat for a child's bottom!
 
ESF gives priority to English speakers, they don't have to be NATIVE speakers. Cantonese speakers are automatically in Category 2. My children are treated the same as Americans and all other native speakers, even though technically they are non-native speakers, because their parents are non-native speakers and we don't speak English at home (well, most of the time we don't), however they do hold American passports. They grew up abroad, and their first language is English.

Keep calling the schools in your possible catchment areas, use the surety scheme if possible. I've already heard people moving over Christmas so spaces will come up, but it may not be enough. Classes are very full at the moment (30 kids).

Also Woodlands Harbourside (Aberdeen) offers P1 and P2 classes so this could be temporary option while being on a waiting list.

Good luck again.
 
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