Admissions Policy and Procedures
**A new admissions policy will replace the current one in August 2013. Please click here for details.**
ESF Primary and Secondary Schools
- Only one online application may be submitted per student.
- Students in Hong Kong can only apply to the school of zone according to their Hong Kong residential address. Students from overseas can only apply to the school of zone for their expected area of residence in Hong Kong. (Click here for school of zone information.) Applicants from Hong Kong and applicants from overseas have equal status.
- Students must be able to cope with an English-medium curriculum. Please see language requirements
- Admission is through interview/assessment.
- Places will be offered to successful applicants subject to availability.
- We prioritise applications according to the groupings listed below and by date of application.
- Applicants in category one will be invited for interview before those in category two, regardless of the date of application.
(See Central Application Information for additional procedures that apply to entry for Year 1 and Year 7)
Interview priority is given to:
- Children of ESF teachers;
- Siblings of children already attending an ESF school;
- Children who are Nominees under the Nomination Rights Scheme. (Effective from 3 October 2012. Please click here for details of the scheme.)
then to:
Category One
Children who speak English as a first or alternative language but do not speak Cantonese and/or read and write Chinese characters.
Category Two
Children who can access the local system but who also meet ESF's entrance requirements.
Within each category priority for interview will be given to students who:
- are attending an ESF Educational Services Ltd Kindergarten (for Year One only)*;
- are former students returning from a period overseas;
- have a parent who is a full-time employee of ESF;
- are the children of former ESF students.
*Requires a minimum attendance period of two terms prior to first round of interviews in January
Age to Year Level PlacementThe ESF system places children in the year group according to their date of birth (January-December). Please refer to the year of birth to year group table below.
YEAR | 2012/13 | 2013/2014 | 2014/2015 | 2015/2016 |
1 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
2 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
3 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
4 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
5 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
6 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 |
7 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 |
8 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
9 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 |
* 10 or 11 | 1998 & 1997 | 1999 & 1998 | 2000 & 1999 | 2001 & 2000 |
* 12 or 13 | 1996 & 1995 | 1997 & 1996 | 1998 & 1997 | 1999 & 1998 |
Central Application for 2013-2014 Academic Year
Application submission for Year One and Year Seven commences one year in advance. The central application period will be 1-30 September 2012 for children born in 2008 and 2002 respectively. Applications received after 30 September 2012 are considered LATE and placed on the waiting list according to category and date received. Applications are submitted through the ESF Online Application System.
Central Application Year 7 Procedures (Born in 2002)
(Please note that children already enrolled in an ESF primary school are guaranteed a place in an ESF secondary school.)
School Fees and Refundable Capital Levy
Please refer to the School Fees page for further information.























