Playtimes HK Magazine The School Book 2019-2020 | Page 10

THE ENGLISH SCHOOLS FOUNDATION
Historically, the increasing demand for a separation of
fluent English speakers from their contemporaries led the
Hong Kong Government to introduce the English Schools
Foundation Ordinance (ESF) in 1967. This ordinance created
autonomous government-aided schools, teaching a UK-
based curriculum for the children of overseas residents who
required an education taught in English.
This original focus on native, or near-native, English
speakers was later adapted to allow entry to any child who
could benefit from an English-based system – a decision
that has resulted in ESF now being the largest international
school organisation in Hong Kong. Today, ESF boasts over
17,000 pupils, with 22 international schools, catering to over
60 nationalities.
The curriculum, leading to either the BTEC or International
Baccalaureate (IB) diploma, has been adapted to Hong Kong
and the Asia Pacific region. ESF currently operates five
secondary schools, nine primary schools, two “all-through”
private independent schools and a school for children with
special educational needs – as well as five kindergartens.
With the exception of the two private independent schools,
ESF schools were, until recently, wholly subsidised by the
Hong Kong government. This initiative was phased out with
2017/2018 being the first year of new fee levels. Whilst still
wholly competitively priced, parents also have to pay a non-
refundable capital levy, similar to that of many of the other
international schools.
ESF’s admission process is non-selective, focusing
primarily upon the child’s English language skills and ability to
benefit from an English-medium education.. As detailed on
their website, ESF applicants are given priority based upon
the following criteria:
1. Purchase of a corporate nomination right;
2. Children of full-time teaching staff at ESF or ESF
Educational Services Ltd;
3. Children of full-time support staff at ESF or ESF
Educational Services Ltd
4. Siblings of students already enrolled in an ESF school;
5. Purchase of an individual nomination right;
6. Current students requesting internal transfer;
7. Children of former students who attended an ESF school
for at least three years, or are former ESF students
returning from overseas or siblings of former students
who have attended for a minimum of three years and
graduated from an ESF school in Year 13;
8. Children attending ESF Kindergarten*
9. Children nominees from universities with collaboration
agreements with ESF; and
10. Other applicants who can benefit from an English-
medium education.
* Children who attend an ESF Kindergarten will receive priority for an
entrance interview at an ESF school for Year 1 applications. A priority for
interview will also be given at Discovery and Renaissance Colleges.
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As detailed, ESF run two types of Nomination Rights
Schemes: Individual and Corporate – for full details of the
issuance and pricing details of the schemes, please visit the
ESF website at www.esf.edu.hk/esf-nomination-rights
Application Procedure
Central online applications for ESF schools take place
during September in the year before the child is due to start
school. Applicants may apply to only one (public) ESF school
in the family’s catchment area, and one or both of the ESF
private independent schools, which both operate their own
application procedure.
The appropriate application form for ESF public schools
must be submitted on the ESF website along with payment of
a non-refundable application fee (HK$2,000). All supporting
documentation, such as copies of recent school reports,
reference letters, etc, must be sent directly to the school in
the zone of application. Full details of all the documentation
required is detailed on the ESF website along with a set of
accompanying application guidelines.
Applications submitted before the deadline are processed in
random order, so there is no advantage to submitting an early
application. However, applicants applying after the deadline
will find it in their best interests to submit as soon as possible
– late applications are placed on a waiting list and prioritised
according to the date on which they are received. Families are
invited by letter for interviews around January of the following
year. Those not selected at this stage will be placed on a
waiting list for a possible second round of interviews.
Parents are informed within approximately three weeks
post interview as to whether their child has been offered a
school place. Initial deposits must be paid upon acceptance.
Those not initially offered a place will be put on a waiting list.
The English Schools Foundation