ESF Pathway 2027/28
English Schools Foundation · Early Years new approach

Every moment matters,
from K1 to Year 13.

From September 2026, every ESF kindergarten is linked to an associated primary school — mirroring the primary-to-secondary links ESF has run since 2019. Apply for K1 in the 2027/28 school year and you know the whole path: kindergarten, primary and secondary.

6Kindergartens (K1–K2)
9Primary schools (Y1–Y6)
5Associated secondaries (Y7–Y13)
3All-through colleges (Y1–Y13)
2024Birth year of the first cohort

What actually changes

The through-train is complete. Kindergartens are no longer a standalone choice: the kindergarten you pick determines the primary schools your child can move into — and through those, the associated secondary.

Absolute certainty

Enrol in an ESF kindergarten and your child has a guaranteed primary and secondary place.

Seamless journey

Transitions between phases are managed jointly: joint play sessions, shared specialists, and K2 experience days in the future primary.

Resources shared across schools

Specialists and support teachers are available to your child whichever school in the pathway they attend.

One community

A true all-through system: K1 to Y13 in a single, connected ESF community.

Applicants for K1 in the 2027/28 school year are told their linked primary school or schools when they apply. Parents then confirm their Y1 place in K2, and may give a preference order among the linked primaries. Allocation for kindergartens with more than one associated primary is by priority, computer random number and — where necessary — EDB requirements. Renaissance College Kindergarten and Quarry Bay School Kindergarten have a direct 1:1 feed, so the guaranteed place is unambiguous.

The pathway, end to end

Every edge below is the official ESF associated-school link. Hover or tap a kindergarten to trace the schools that open up from it.

Guaranteed pathway (1:1 feed, or primary → associated secondary) Central allocation (kindergarten links to several primaries) Placement decided through the Admission & Review Process

Secondary · Y7–Y13 · age 11–18

All Through · Y1–Y13

Primary · Y1–Y6 · age 5–11

Kindergarten · K1–K2 · age 3–5

Quarry Bay KG

Hillside KG

West Kowloon KG

Wu Kai Sha KG

Tsing Yi KG

Renaissance KG

Quarry Bay

Bradbury

Glenealy

Peak

Kennedy

Clearwater Bay

Sha Tin Junior

Beacon Hill

Kowloon Junior

Discovery College

Renaissance College

Jockey Club Sarah Roe

South Island

Island

West Island

King George V

Sha Tin College

One kindergarten at a time

Pick a kindergarten to see exactly which primaries it links to, and which secondary each of those primaries feeds.

The 23 schools

Locations, target places, class sizes, curriculum and admission contacts — as published in the 2027/28 pathway brochure.

Kindergarten

ESF Quarry Bay School Kindergarten

英基鰂魚涌小學幼稚園 · 香港鰂魚涌康愉街14號

Location14 Hong Yue Street, Quarry Bay
OpeningOpen in August 2026
Target places200
CurriculumIB PYP
Linked schoolsQuarry Bay School
Kindergarten

ESF Hillside International Kindergarten

英基曉新國際幼稚園 · 香港司徒拔道43B號

Location43B Stubbs Road, Wan Chai
Founded1999
Target places384
CurriculumIB PYP
Linked schoolsBradbury School · Glenealy School · Peak School
Kindergarten

ESF West Kowloon Kindergarten

英基西九龍幼稚園 · 香港九龍海輝道8號UG

LocationUnit 1 & 2, UG/F, The Long Beach, No. 8 Hoi Fai Road
OpeningOpen in August 2026
Target places300
CurriculumIB PYP - English/Dual Language Stream
Linked schoolsKennedy School · Clearwater Bay School
Kindergarten

ESF Wu Kai Sha International Kindergarten

英基烏溪沙國際幼稚園 · 香港沙田馬鞍山西沙路599號L1

LocationLevel 1, 599 Sai Sha Road, Ma On Shan
Founded2009
Target places350
CurriculumIB PYP
Linked schoolsSha Tin Junior School · Beacon Hill School
Kindergarten

ESF Tsing Yi International Kindergarten

英基青衣國際幼稚園 · 香港青衣青敬路33號地下及閣樓

LocationMaritime Square, 33 Tsing King Road, Tsing Yi
Founded1999
Target places392
CurriculumIB PYP
Linked schoolsBeacon Hill School · Kowloon Junior School · Discovery College
Kindergarten

ESF Renaissance College Kindergarten

英基啓新書院幼稚園 · 香港海映路8號G01

LocationShop No. G01, G/F, GO PARK 2, 8 Hoi Ying Road, New Territories
OpeningOpen in August 2026
Target places300
CurriculumIB PYP - English/Dual Language Stream
Linked schoolsRenaissance College · Jockey Club Sarah Roe School
Primary

ESF Quarry Bay School

英基鰂魚涌小學 · 香港北角寶馬山校園徑6號

Location6 Hau Yuen Path, Braemar Hill
Founded1926
Target places720
Classes / grade4
CurriculumIB PYP
Associated secondarySouth Island School
Primary

ESF Clearwater Bay School

英基清水灣小學 · 香港九龍清水灣道DD229地段235號

LocationDD 229, Lot 235, Clearwater Bay Road, Clearwater Bay
Founded1992
Target places720
Classes / grade4
CurriculumIB PYP
Associated secondaryKing George V School
Primary

ESF Sha Tin Junior School

英基沙田小學 · 香港沙田火炭麗禾里3號A

Location3A Lai Wo Lane, Fo Tan
Founded1988
Target places900
Classes / grade5
CurriculumIB PYP
Associated secondarySha Tin College
Primary

ESF Beacon Hill School

英基畢架山小學 · 香港九龍塘義德道23號

Location23 Ede Road, Kowloon Tong
Founded1967
Target places540
Classes / grade3
CurriculumIB PYP
Associated secondaryIsland School
Primary

ESF Kowloon Junior School

英基九龍小學 · 香港何文田巴富街20號

Location20 Perth Street, Homantin
Founded1902
Target places900
Classes / grade5
CurriculumIB PYP
Associated secondaryKing George V School
All Through

ESF Discovery College

英基智新書院 · 香港大嶼山愉景灣澄湖畔路38號

Location38 Siena Avenue, Discovery Bay
Founded2008
Target places1,470
Classes / grade4
CurriculumY1 - Y6: IB PYP
Y7 - Y11: IB MYP
Y12 - Y13: IBDP/IBCP
All Through

ESF Jockey Club Sarah Roe School

英基賽馬會善樂學校 · 香港何文田天光道2B

Location2B Tin Kwong Rd, Ho Man Tin
Founded1986
Target places70
Classes / grade6
CurriculumBespoke curriculum
All secondary-aged students access accredited ASDAN courses
Secondary

ESF South Island School

英基南島中學 · 香港香港仔南風道50號

Location50 Nam Fung Road, Aberdeen
Founded1977
Target places1,421
Classes / grade6
CurriculumY7-Y9: IBMYP
Y10-Y11: GCSE/IGCSE
Y12-Y16: IBDP/IBCP/BTEC
Secondary

ESF West Island School

英基西島中學 · 香港薄扶林域多利道250號

Location250 Victoria Road, Pokfulam
Founded1991
Target places1,228
Classes / grade6
CurriculumY7-Y9: IBMYP
Y10-Y11: GCSE/IGCSE
Y12-Y13: IBDP/IBCP/BTEC
Secondary

ESF King George V School

英基英皇佐治五世學校 · 香港何文田天光道2號

Location2 Tin Kwong Road, Homantin
Founded1902
Target places1,950
Classes / grade14-16
CurriculumY7-Y9: IBMYP
Y10-Y11: GCSE/IGCSE
Y12-Y13: IBDP/IBCP/BTEC

The 15-year curriculum

Kindergarten to graduation: IB PYP through primary, MYP and IGCSE in the middle years, then IBDP, IBCP or BTEC in the final two years.

IBDP / IBCP / BTEC

IGCSE

Secondary · MYP

Primary · IB PYP

Kindergarten

Guaranteed Y1 place

Guaranteed Y7 place

K1
age 3

K2
age 4

Y1
age 5

Y2

Y3

Y4

Y5

Y6
age 10

Y7
age 11

Y8

Y9
age 13

Y10
age 14

Y11

Y12
age 16

Y13
age 17

Graduate
age 18

Target places by school

Published target places for 2027/28 — useful when weighing how competitive a pathway is.

KINDERGARTEN Quarry Bay School Kindergarten 200 Hillside International Kindergarten 384 West Kowloon Kindergarten 300 Wu Kai Sha International Kindergarten 350 Tsing Yi International Kindergarten 392 Renaissance College Kindergarten 300 PRIMARY Quarry Bay School 720 Bradbury School 720 Glenealy School 360 Peak School 360 Kennedy School 900 Clearwater Bay School 720 Sha Tin Junior School 900 Beacon Hill School 540 Kowloon Junior School 900 ALL THROUGH Discovery College 1,470 Renaissance College 2,127 Jockey Club Sarah Roe School 70 SECONDARY South Island School 1,421 Island School 1,357 West Island School 1,228 King George V School 1,950 Sha Tin College 1,262

Dates that matter

How many classes move where

Projected kindergarten-to-primary class transitions for the first cohort (born 2024, Y1 in August 2029).

KindergartenClasses to primary
ESF Wu Kai Sha International Kindergarten5 classes to Sha Tin Junior School · 2 classes to Beacon Hill School
ESF Hillside International Kindergarten4 classes to Bradbury School · 4 classes to Glenealy School and Peak School
ESF Tsing Yi International Kindergarten5 classes to Kowloon Junior School · 3 classes to Discovery College and Beacon Hill School
ESF West Kowloon Kindergarten4 classes to Clearwater Bay School · 2 classes to Kennedy School
ESF Quarry Bay School Kindergarten4 classes to Quarry Bay School
ESF Renaissance College Kindergarten6 classes to Renaissance College

Questions parents ask

Answered from ESF’s own admissions FAQ for the new Early Years approach.

What is the “Associated School Model” and how does it benefit my child?
The Associated School Model is another way of describing ESF’s ‘through-train’. Essentially, it means that certain ESF schools are linked with each other, with children transitioning between those linked schools. So when your child enters an ESF kindergarten, you will already know which primary and secondary schools they will attend.
How does this improve the transition from Kindergarten to Primary?
Principals from associated schools now collaborate closely on curriculum alignment and social scaffolding. This includes joint play sessions, shared specialist support, and ‘experience days’ where K2 students spend time in their future primary classrooms.
What are the benefits of the ‘One ESF’ community for parents?
Beyond student benefits, parents join a lifelong network. You’ll have access to cross-school workshops, a unified parent portal, and a consistent communication style that simplifies your engagement with your child’s education for the next 15 years.
When should I apply for K1 for my child?
Applications to K1 are invited from 1 to 30 September of the year prior to the start of school in August for the following year. This application period is called ‘September Central Applications’.
Which birth year will the new Associated Primary School affect?
Children born in 2024 will be the first cohort of the new approach to Early Years at ESF. They will start Year 1 in August 2029.
What happens if I miss the September Central Application window?
Applications may be submitted, and will be wait-listed behind on-time applications.
Is there a different transition process for children who require additional learning support or a specialist placement?
Yes. For children who require additional learning support, ESF runs a dedicated, highly collaborative process. Kindergarten teams work closely with families during the K1 year to identify support needs. For children who require enhanced levels of support, an Enhanced Transition Plan is built during the K2 year, with a specialised team designing a personalised roadmap. If a child’s needs are best met by a specialised environment such as Jockey Club Sarah Roe School, a dedicated review panel evaluates the best placement — places at JCSRS are subject to availability.
Can I choose which ESF Primary school my child goes to?
Parents need to consider the kindergarten associated with their choice of primary school. At the start of the K2 year, parents complete a transition form to confirm their place for Y1 the following academic year, and may indicate a preference order among the associated primaries. There is no guarantee of allocation to the 1st-preference school, except for kindergartens with a direct feed into their associated primary school.
Is it possible for me to select an ESF primary school that is not associated with the ESF kindergarten?
It is not possible to select a primary school that is not associated with the child’s kindergarten. The guaranteed Y1 place is at the associated school.
When will I know which ESF Primary school my child will go to?
ESF K2 parents will be informed of allocation results for the primary school at the end of October / early November for the following academic year.
If a sibling is attending a non-associated primary school, can my younger child join the sibling’s school?
The guaranteed Y1 place is at an associated primary school for their kindergarten. There is no guarantee of a place elsewhere, as there is very limited availability of Y1 places after all priority children from the associated kindergarten(s) transition.