ESF Announces New Admission Policy - August 2014

ESF Announces New Admission Policy
Effective from August 2013 for entry into ESF schools* in August 2014


This applies only to students new to the ESF system and will not affect any siblings of current students, students who are going from ESF’s primary Year 6 to secondary Year 7 and current ESF kindergarten students. Subject to maintaining the policy on priority groups, applicants who are currently on the wait list will not be affected and their standing in the queue will be preserved until their wait list status expires.

The new admissions policy will put an end to the category system. Starting from August 2013, the admissions assessment process will be strengthened. The emphasis will be on the actual testing of the children’s English language proficiency, and on verifying the parents’ commitment to an ESF style English medium education through a parental statement and interview.


We believe that the revamped admissions policy will be more appropriate to modern Hong Kong. ESF is very successful in providing a modern liberal education through the medium of English. We are confident that the revised policy will be seen to be transparent and fair to families with an English language background.

The priority for an interview or assessment under the new admissions policy (effective from August 2013) will be based on the following ranked criteria; students who are able to benefit from an English medium education and who (in order) are:

1. Children of full-time staff at ESF or ESF Educational Services Limited;
2. Siblings of students already attending an ESF primary or secondary school or Jockey Club Sarah Roe School;
3. Holders of ESF Nomination Rights;
4. 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;
5. Other applicants who can benefit from an English-medium education.

Children who attend an ESF International Kindergarten have in the past received priority for interview at ESF schools. Those children currently attending an ESF International Kindergarten in the 2012-13 academic year, as well as those who apply for and gain a kindergarten place in 2013-14, will continue to receive priority when they apply for a Year 1 place. When the new ESF admissions policy takes effect for applications for the 2014-15 school year, the interview priority will no longer apply.

The cancellation of the category system begins this August, but kids who goes to K1 for the 2012-13 & 2013-14 school years still have P1 interview priority. Does that mean kids within this 2 years window will not be penalized for knowing Cantonese while they still have the ESF P1 interview priority?

According to the letter, the new policy will not affect any current kindergarten students.

My child is a K1 student in ESF. Does it mean I will not need to go through the parental statement and interview?

My marriage might ended in divorce after a year to live separately and I don't want to pretend having a happy marriage or being asked about how to raise my child in the P1 interview.

Current ESF Kindy kids are guaranteed an interview. I would think you would still have to submit a statement/interview as everyone else applying. I doubt martial status will play a role in their decision.

You still need to apply within the deadline, otherwise it's highly unlikely you'll get a spot, and you'll have to interview as well, just like the kid. Even teachers at ESF get interviewed just like everybody else. I doubt they would care what your marital status is. This is about your child, possible problem areas, weaknesses, the best possible support for your child, language capabilities. Our school already conducted short interviews with parents this year, just to get a better understanding of the child. Not to judge the parent.

Thanks ESFmom & MomTo3! So in other words, the kids in 2013 K1 still get 2015 P1 interview priorities, but will go through the new interviewing process? (which is a good thing for the children and the system, and sally, i am sure they do NOT penalize separations or divorces. As MomTo3 mentioned, it's more on their learning environments) In that case, would the school consider if the child is Cat 1 / 2, or is that already out the window?

ESF kindergarten kids are not guaranteed an interview for primary. We just finished the primary 1 admission procedures this week for our daughter who is in esf kindy. Know a few kids who did not get an interview call from ESF.

As far as I understand, by the time you apply for P1 for your son, there won't be any cat 1, cat 2 etc but he will be in the last batch of children from ESF kindy who have priority for interview.