Admissions of Children TO LEARNING SUPPORT AND JOCKEY CLUB SARAH ROE SCHOOL

Applications for Learning Support and Jockey Club Sarah Roe School follow a different application process. These applications are managed through ESF Centre, with an Admissions and Review Process (ARP) to assess students and make placement recommendations in line with the ESF Levels of Adjustment Framework.

Admission and Review Process (ARP)

Once all documentation is received the Admissions Officer (Student Support) will work with schools/kindergartens and parents to schedule an ARP visit in order for ESF learning diversity specialists to consider the child’s level of support. Each ARP visit includes consideration of all documentation, observation of the child in class and discussion with the child’s teachers and parents.

A moderation panel is convened to discuss each child and make recommendations regarding the LOA, in line with the ESF Matrix. The moderation panel is made up of Student Support Services advisers, educational psychologists, a school principal and learning diversity specialists from ESF schools.

If the ARP moderation panel recommendation is current within 18 months, the ESF Admissions Officer (Student Support) will contact you by telephone followed by written confirmation of the school provision being offered. The school will be informed at the same time and will contact you to set up an initial visit.

If the ARP moderation panel recommendation falls outside the 18-month period, you will be requested to provide up-to-date reports, following which a second observation may be undertaken and the information fed back to the moderation panel in order to confirm the continuing appropriateness of the placement recommendation. If confirmed, the ESF Admissions Officer (Student Support) will contact you by telephone followed by written confirmation of the school provision being offered. The school will be informed at the same time and will contact you to set up an initial visit.

*School zones

For LS, ESF operates a simple zoning system, which is different from the system that operates for ESF primary and secondary schools. Discovery College and Renaissance College do not have LS provisions. Applicants living in Kowloon and the New Territories are zoned for schools on the Kowloon side. Applicants living on Hong Kong Island and the Outlying Islands are zoned for schools on Hong Kong Island. Applications are pooled for each of the two zones.

Please note that, wherever possible, ESF will try to place children in their neighbourhood school and/or siblings in the same school; however, it is often not possible to do so.

Waiting lists

ESF can only provide for a prescribed number of places in our LS and in JCSRS. Given the limited provision for non-Chinese speaking children who require significant and daily support for learning in Hong Kong, there is always a very long list of applicants wanting places in one of these provisions. We, therefore, operate a strict waiting list procedure, with limitations on the number of applicants for each year group.

Progression of application

Once your child reaches the top of the application list the Admissions Officer (Student Support) will get in touch to discuss the requirements for the progression of the application.

Application Requirements:

When we invite you to proceed with the application, in order for it to be properly considered by the moderation panel, ESF requires the following essential documentation and evidence:

  1. A current Educational Psychology report (current within 12 months);
  2. A current speech and language therapy report, if your child is undergoing speech therapy;
  3. A current occupational therapy report, if your child is undergoing occupational therapy;
  4. A current physiotherapy report, if your child is undergoing physiotherapy;
  5. Current school reports;
  6. A current IEP, if your child has one

Once requested, a time window of two months is allowed for submission of the supporting documentation. In the event the deadline for submission is not met, the application may be withdrawn.

Prioritising applications

Students applying for enrolment to Learning Support or Jockey Club Sarah Roe School are placed on a waiting list. Priority will be based on the following ranked criteria; students who require an English medium education and who (in order):

  1. Are the children of full-time teachers at ESF or ESF Educational Services Ltd;
  2. Are siblings of students enrolled at an ESF school;
  3. The 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; or siblings of former students who have attended for a minimum of three years and graduated from an ESF school in Year 13;
  4. Are other applicants who can require an English-medium education.

Note:-* Priority for an interview is subject to having attended kindergarten for a minimum of two terms prior to the applicable January Year 1 interview period. Students who recently arrived from overseas are exempt from the two terms requirement.

Application requirements

When we invite you to submit a full application, in order for it to be properly considered by the moderation panel, ESF requires the following essential assessment documentation and evidence:

  1. A current Educational Psychology report (current within 12 months);
  2. A current speech and language therapy report, if your child is undergoing speech therapy;
  3. A current occupational therapy report, if your child is undergoing occupational therapy;
  4. A current physiotherapy report, if your child is undergoing physiotherapy;
  5. Current school reports;
  6. A current IEP, if your child has one

Procedures following application

Upon acceptance of an application, the ESF Admissions Officer (Student Support) will arrange for the moderation panel to carry out an observation of your child in his/her current setting, using the ESF Levels of Adjustment Framework. The moderation panel will then consider the outcomes of the visit and review of assessment reports, to make recommendations as to whether your application will be placed on the entry waiting list for an LS place or Jockey Club Sarah Roe School, according to the level of priority.

If paperwork associated with your application is current within 18 months, the ESF Admissions Officer (Student Support) will contact you by telephone followed by written confirmation of the school provision being offered and the start date. The school will be informed at the same time and will contact you to set up an initial visit.

If paperwork associated with your application falls outside the 18-month period, you will be requested to provide up-to-date reports, following which a second observation may be undertaken and the information fed back to the moderation panel in order to confirm the continuing appropriateness of the placement recommendation. If confirmed, the ESF Admissions Officer (Student Support) will contact you by telephone followed by written confirmation of the school provision being offered and the start date. The school will be informed at the same time and will contact you to set up an initial visit.

Application procedures for children born in 2018

Parents are required to complete a Learning Support / Jockey Club Sarah Roe School form online through the ESF Online Application System. For further details and the application form, click here.

Enquiries

Please address any learning support admission enquiries to Cindy Gazeau, Admissions Officer (Student Support) at cindy.gazeau@esfcentre.edu.hk

Updated on: 31 August 2022