Schools in Hong Kong: British and international

Finding a school place is often the hardest part of moving to Hong Kong, harder than finding the flat. Start early, budget for more than tuition, and keep a plan B.

The short version

Most British families choose the English Schools Foundation (ESF) or a private British or international school; local state schools teach mainly in Chinese.
ESF fees for 2026/27 are HK$145,000 (about £13,700) a year in primary and HK$188,300 (about £17,800) in Years 7–11, plus a one-off capital levy of up to HK$38,000 (about £3,600) [1].
Private British schools cost more: Kellett's 2026/27 fees run from HK$218,200 to HK$279,100 (about £20,650 to £26,400), plus a HK$40,000 (about £3,790) annual capital levy [2].
Waiting lists are real, especially for primary. Apply as soon as you know you're coming, even before you have a visa.
UK university: after years in Hong Kong your child may not qualify for home fees and student finance, so check early [5].

Pound conversions use the Bank of England spot rate of 5 November 2026 (£1 = HKD 10.5659).

How schooling works in Hong Kong

Hong Kong children start Primary 1 at about six and follow six years of primary and six of secondary. There are four broad types of school:

Type	Teaching language	Fees	Who goes
Government and aided (public sector) schools	Mostly Chinese (Cantonese), some English-medium secondaries	Free	Most local children
Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) schools	Varies; some teach in English	Charged	Local and some expat families
ESF schools	English	Charged, lower than most private schools	Many British and other English-speaking families
Private international schools	English (or the school's own language)	Charged, plus levies or debentures	Expat and local families

Public sector places are allocated through the Education Bureau's Primary One Admission system, which has its own timetable and eligibility rules set out in its information note: for September 2027, the deadline for central allocation is 22 January 2027 [3]. The Education Bureau runs briefings and information notes for parents of non-Chinese-speaking children [3]. In practice, unless your children already speak Cantonese or are young enough to pick it up, a local school is a big leap, and most British families go for English-medium schools.

The Education Bureau's international schools portal lists every international school with its curriculum and fees, which is a good place to start a shortlist [4].

ESF: the English Schools Foundation

ESF is the biggest English-medium school group in Hong Kong. It started out serving British families and now teaches children of many nationalities. Its schools follow the International Baccalaureate in primary and early secondary, then offer GCSE, IGCSE or BTEC, and the IB Diploma or BTEC in the sixth form [6].

ESF school type, 2026/27	Years 1–6	Years 7–11	Years 12–13
Standard ESF schools	HK$145,000 (about £13,700)	HK$188,300 (about £17,800)	HK$174,200 (about £16,500)
Renaissance College	HK$154,200 (about £14,600)	HK$201,500 (about £19,100)	HK$203,700 (about £19,300)
Discovery College	HK$169,900 (about £16,100)	HK$223,900 (about £21,200)	HK$225,600 (about £21,350)

Fees are paid in ten monthly instalments, and the average increase for 2026/27 was 4.1% [1][7]. New joiners pay a one-off non-refundable capital levy on a sliding scale, from HK$38,000 (about £3,600) for Year 1 down to HK$3,800 (about £360) for Year 13 [1]. The main entry points are Year 1 and Year 7, with a central application each September; for August 2027 entry it ran from 1 to 30 September 2026 [8]. Our guide to ESF and international schools: debentures and waiting lists goes into the detail.

British-curriculum private schools

These schools teach the English National Curriculum through to GCSE or IGCSE and A level, or blend it with the IB. We checked each school's own website in November 2026.

School	What it offers	Area	2026/27 tuition
Kellett School	English National Curriculum, Reception to A level	Pok Fu Lam (prep) and Kowloon Bay [2]	HK$218,200 prep; HK$271,300 Years 7–11; HK$279,100 sixth form (about £20,650 / £25,700 / £26,400) [2]
Malvern College Hong Kong	Sister of Malvern College in England, ages 5–18, full IB with English-style houses	Pak Shek Kok, New Territories	HK$208,200 primary; HK$236,840 secondary (about £19,700 / £22,400) [9]
Harrow International School Hong Kong	Boarding and day, ages 3–18, GCSE and A level	Tuen Mun	Its online fee table was out of date when we checked; ask admissions
Shrewsbury International School Hong Kong	Ages 3–13, closely aligned with the English National Curriculum	Tseung Kwan O	Fees and a yearly capital levy listed on its site
Discovery Bay International School	English National Curriculum from Early Years to sixth form	Discovery Bay, Lantau	Fees on request
Nord Anglia International School	English National Curriculum in primary, IGCSE, then IB, A level or BTEC	Kwun Tong, Kowloon	Fees on request

On top of tuition, most private schools charge an annual capital levy unless you hold a debenture or nomination right. Kellett's is HK$40,000 (about £3,790) a year and Malvern's HK$42,000 (about £3,975) [2][9]. Application fees are typically HK$1,800–2,800 (about £170–£265) [1][2][9]. Uniform, buses, lunches, trips and activities are usually extra.

For younger children, preschools such as City Kids in Mid-Levels and Zebedee in Tai Po follow the British Early Years Foundation Stage.

Admissions: a step-by-step plan

Shortlist by area. Hong Kong is small, but school runs across the harbour are long. Pick your school and your flat together; our guide to renting in Hong Kong helps.
Apply early, and to several schools. Application fees aren't refundable, but one rejection with no backup can leave you stuck.
Gather the paperwork: passports, birth certificates, the last two years' school reports and, for many schools, proof of a Hong Kong address.
Prepare for assessments. Many schools interview or test children, even at Year 1, and some do it online for overseas families.
Ask your employer. Some companies hold corporate debentures or nomination rights, or pay levies as part of an education allowance. Ask before you sign the contract, not after.
Budget for the whole bill. Tuition plus levies plus extras for two children at a private British school can pass HK$600,000 (about £56,800) a year.

Thinking about UK university

Hong Kong is a good base for UK university applications: the British schools teach A level or the IB, and UCAS applications work the same from abroad. The catch is fee status. To get home fees and student finance in England you normally need to have been living in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for three years before your course starts [5]. There are exceptions for families who are only temporarily abroad, for example because a parent was posted overseas by an employer, so check with each university's admissions team early.

For comparison, the maximum Tuition Fee Loan in England is £9,535 for 2025/26 and £9,790 for 2026/27 [10]. International fees are far higher. Our guide to moving back to the UK: NHS, benefits, school places and home fees explains the rules in more depth, and UK student loans while living abroad covers repayments.

Other parents are the best source of honest school gossip: ask in our community group for Brits in Hong Kong.

Schools in Hong Kong: British schools, ESF, local options and what it all costs