Hong Kong Academy, Hong Kong

Originally located in Kennedy Town before relocating to a new Sai Kung campus in 2013, HKA has grown from its three-student founding to serve over 550 students across the full IB continuum. The school positions itself as providing personalized, inclusive education with particular strength in special educational needs support. The campus relocation from Hong Kong Island to the New Territories created some challenges for families, with several parents noting the longer commute as a consideration when the school moved locations.

Teacher discussions place HKA in the mid-range pay bracket among Hong Kong international schools, though it maintains a reputation for good working conditions and low staff turnover. The school appears to attract families seeking alternatives to Hong Kong's most prominent institutions like HKIS or ESF schools, though it operates with a relatively low public profile. Parent feedback suggests strong community satisfaction among those who choose HKA, with particular praise for its inclusive approach and individual attention to students.

Strengths

Strong reputation for inclusive education and special educational needs support
Low teacher turnover suggesting stable working environment
Personalized approach with individual attention to students
Diverse international community with 35+ nationalities
Full IB continuum from Early Years through Diploma Programme
Parents who choose the school tend to be highly satisfied
Good working conditions for teachers according to Reddit discussions

Considerations

Sai Kung location may involve longer commutes for families living on Hong Kong Island
Limited public information and discussion compared to more established schools
Smaller profile in Hong Kong's competitive international school market
Campus relocation in 2013 created challenges for some existing families
May not have the same prestige recognition as Tier 1 schools like HKIS or CIS

Academics

IB Results 2025: 100% success rate for Global Citizen Diploma (GCD). IB average score and specific pass rates for 2024/2025 are not explicitly published on the school website or in major 2025 league tables (as of March 2026 update). Over 90% of graduates typically pursue the full IB Diploma or IB courses.

School life

Co-Curricular Programme: Over 100 options available per semester. Sports (HKA Dragonflies): Football (U12, U14, U16, U20), Netball (U12, U14, U16, U20), Swimming, Volleyball (U12, U14, U16, U20), Basketball (U12-U20), Cross Country, Golf, Tennis, Badminton, Rock Climbing, Track & Field. Arts & Music: Singing, dancing (ballet, jazz, hip hop, contemporary), acting, instrumental instruction (piano, violin, flute, ukulele, drums), choir, set design, and theatre tech.

Campus: Purpose-built, 23,700㎡ facility in Sai Kung (opened 2013). Facilities: Visual art studios, professional-grade theatre, outdoor playscapes, sports pitches, science labs, and design labs for STEM projects. Sustainability: Awarded Gold BEAM Plus certificate (October 2020) for eco-friendly construction.

Student body

Total Enrolment: 500+ students. Nationalities: Over 45 nationalities represented (approximately 31% Europe, 31% Asia, 26% North America, 12% other). Student-Teacher Ratio: Low ratio (approximately 6.5:1 based on 501 students to 77 teaching staff).

Fee	Age	Type	Amount
Pre-K1 to Pre-K2	3	Annual	HK$119,000
Kindergarten to Grade 5	4	Annual	HK$229,500
Grade 6 to Grade 8	11	Annual	HK$252,600
Grade 9 to Grade 10	14	Annual	HK$263,300
Grade 11 to Grade 12	16	Annual	HK$273,900
Application Fee (Pre-K1 to Pre-K2)		One-time	HK$1,500
Application Fee (Kindergarten to Grade 12)		One-time	HK$3,000
Entrance Fee (additional children)		One-time	HK$12,500
Entrance Fee (first child)		One-time	HK$25,000
Tuition Deposit		One-time	HK$30,000
Family Debenture		One-time	HK$630,000

Hong Kong Academy sits in Sai Kung as one of Hong Kong's eight fully authorised three-programme IB World Schools, running PYP, MYP and DP across roughly 600 students.
Parent and teacher comments and r/Internationalteachers position HKA as a credible second-tier choice rather than a CIS or HKIS rival. One commenter put it bluntly: "HKA is pretty meh prestige wise. Same with ESF."
Where HKA does stand out in reviewer voice is learner support. Multiple Reddit teachers describe the school as having a strong SEN programme with six to eight tiers of support, and Good Schools Guide and WhichSchoolAdvisor flag a learner-support corridor and 10 to 15 per cent of students on individualised plans.
Parents on expat-forum reviews describe a humane, friendly community with professional handling of issues. Diversity, the IB through-line and university placement come up consistently as positives.
Cost is the recurring trade-off. Tuition runs into the low to mid HKD 200,000s per year and the school requires a HKD 590,000 family debenture, which reviewers note pushes it into the upper Hong Kong fee bracket.
WhichSchoolAdvisor's parent-feedback pool is small from a small base, so families should weight the qualitative threads above the rating.

Kasson Bratton