King George V School Hong Kong, Hong Kong

King George V School Hong Kong

King George V School is an established ESF secondary school in Ho Man Tin offering IB and British qualifications, with a reputation for strong academic results and excellent facilities. As one of ESF's flagship institutions, it attracts competitive admission and…

Profile The Guide / Updated May 2026

Part of the English Schools Foundation network, King George V School operates as a secondary school serving Years 7-13 from its Ho Man Tin campus in Kowloon. The school offers both IGCSE and International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme pathways, providing students flexibility in their qualification choices. As an ESF school, KGV benefits from the foundation's established reputation and resources, though admission remains competitive with ESF's standard application processes and waiting lists typical of popular Hong Kong international schools.

Teacher and parent discussions consistently highlight KGV's strong facilities and academic standards, with some describing it as having 'one of the best and largest school facilities in Hong Kong' alongside quality teaching and competitive IB results. The school's Ho Man Tin location provides good transport links while offering more space than Hong Kong Island campuses. However, like many established Hong Kong international schools, specific recent academic performance data and detailed university placement statistics remain less publicly available compared to some newer institutions that actively market their results.

Strengths

Strong academic reputation with competitive IB results
Excellent facilities described as among the best in Hong Kong
Part of established ESF network with solid foundation support
Good location in Ho Man Tin with transport accessibility
Offers both IGCSE and IB pathways for qualification flexibility

Considerations

Competitive admission process typical of popular ESF schools
Limited recent public data on specific academic outcomes
ESF schools can have long waiting lists for popular year groups
May lack the detailed transparency some families expect from international schools

Fee	Age	Type	Amount
Year 7 – Year 10	11	Annual	HK$181,100
Year 11	15	Annual	HK$159,400
Year 12 – Year 13	16	Annual	HK$167,600
Application Fee		One-time	HK$2,800
NCL Year 13		One-time	HK$3,800
NCL Year 12		One-time	HK$7,500
NCL Year 11		One-time	HK$11,200
NCL Year 10		One-time	HK$14,900
NCL Year 9		One-time	HK$18,600
NCL Year 8		One-time	HK$22,300
NCL Year 7		One-time	HK$26,000

Fee

Age

Type

Amount

Year 7 – Year 10

Annual

HK$181,100

Year 11

Annual

HK$159,400

Year 12 – Year 13

Annual

HK$167,600

Application Fee

One-time

HK$2,800

NCL Year 13

One-time

HK$3,800

NCL Year 12

One-time

HK$7,500

NCL Year 11

One-time

HK$11,200

NCL Year 10

One-time

HK$14,900

NCL Year 9

One-time

HK$18,600

NCL Year 8

One-time

HK$22,300

NCL Year 7

One-time

HK$26,000

KGV sits in the upper tier of the ESF group in commenters' eyes, with multiple Hong Kong threads ranking it and Sha Tin College as the strongest ESF secondaries.
Long-time alumni describe the student body as more middle and upper-middle class than spoiled, and the teaching as formative; one ex-pupil said they would not be where they are without the school.
A 2020 racism and discrimination scandal saw a former student gather over 1,100 signatures alleging that teachers and pupils mocked Asian names and ran disproportionate uniform checks; ESF publicly committed to investigate.
More newer threads describe the school as in flux under a new head, with views on teaching quality polarising and broader concerns about the ESF model losing ground in the current Hong Kong climate.
Earlier issues include excessive lead found in water samples in 2015 and a 2012 row over a non-Mandarin-speaking head of Chinese.

Mark Poulsum