(ESF) Kennedy School

IB Primary Years Programme

ESF has a framework, ESF Levels of Adjustment (LOA), for identifying and documenting the adjustments and accommodations for students who require support for learning.
We use LOA 1 to 6 to describe the amount and type of support a student requires in order to access the curriculum.  All ESF schools have at least LOA 2 support.

ESF has a Financial Assistance Scheme for families who experience financial hardship due to a sudden and unexpected change in circumstances.  Financial assistance is not normally granted in the first year of admission.

Information and application forms for the scheme are available from the ESF Centre.

Overseas passport holders will receive priority over local passport holders.  ESF also offers priority to the children of parents holding various visas.  Please refer to the Admission Priority and the official website of ESF (www.esf.edu.hk) for more details.

Interview and Assessment

Priority for an interview or assessment will be based on the following ranked criteria:

1. Corporate Nomination Rights Nominees
2. Foundation Partners Nominees
3. The children of full-time teaching staff at ESF or ESF Educational Services Ltd*
4. The children of full-time support staff at ESF or ESF Educational Services Ltd*
5. The siblings of students enrolled at an ESF school
6. Individual Nomination Rights or Class A Kindergarten Debenture Nominees
7. Current students requesting an internal transfer
8. 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
9. Children nominees from universities with collaboration agreements with ESF
10. Students who are qualified as an elite athlete#
11. The children of parents holding the HKSAR Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS), Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS), Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP), Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (CIES), Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS) visa or Diplomats
12. Students currently enrolled in an ESF pre-kindergarten programme (for K1 admissions only)
13. Other applicants who can benefit from an English-medium education

* Staff are given priority according to employment terms for ESF or the Private Independent Schools.
# National-level athletes and athletes sponsored by the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI) as an elite athlete.

In line with the Hong Kong Education Bureau (EDB) requirements:

‧ ESF’s 9 primary and 5 secondary schools and Jockey Club Sarah Roe School shall admit students to school in accordance with the prevailing admission policy, including the overarching requirements to admit non-local students (those having overseas passports, excluding HKSAR and BNO) to no less than 70% of the overall student population of all schools operated by ESF. Overseas passport holders will receive priority over local passport holders.

‧ ESF Discovery College and ESF Renaissance College shall admit students to school in accordance with the prevailing admission policy, including the overarching requirement to admit students holding Hong Kong Permanent Resident status to no less than 70% of the overall student population of the college.

At Kennedy School, we are a vibrant, diverse, and caring community dedicated to a simple, yet powerful mission: Belonging, Learning, Thriving.

A Strong Sense of Belonging

We believe that the best learning starts when a child feels safe, known, and valued. As an IB PYP school, we foster a welcoming environment where students, staff, and families feel connected, and where we celebrate everyone’s uniqueness.  We are committed to helping kids feel happy and safe by showing kindness and understanding, making sure every student has the support they need.   At Kennedy School, your child is a key member of our community, and so are you!

Inspiring a Passion for Learning

Our goal is to inspire a lifelong love of learning, curiosity, and creativity in each student.  Our teaching focuses on your child’s needs: ensures everyone is included, which leads to learning that is meaningful, deep, and focuses on skills and concepts that stick!

We know that every child learns in their own way.  Our teachers build a classroom that works for everyone by planning lessons that are flexible and accessible.  This is called Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and it means we offer different ways for your child to:

-     See and understand the information they are learning (Representation) 

-     Do the work and show what they've learned (Action and Expression) 

-     Feel excited and motivated to learn (Engagement)

We work hard to identify and remove environmental factors that are barriers for some students.  Removing these barriers enables students to achieve success by learning at their own pace and in a way that suits them best.

We encourage students to justify and explain their ideas and opinions, connect what they learn across different subjects, and apply their skills in real-world situations. We help students develop resilience, perseverance and confidence by guiding them to explore and find answers, and teaching them to face challenges and learn from mistakes.

The Opportunity to Thrive

We guide our young people to thrive by giving them a say and a choice in their learning.  We inspire students to become responsible leaders, teaching them to make informed choices and take actions that bring about positive change in their classrooms, homes, schools, communities, and the world.  By using effective teaching methods, including the meaningful integration of technology, we are raising learners ready for tomorrow, equipped with the skills they need to navigate a rapidly changing world.