Notes / Hong Kong
Best Early Years Schools in Hong Kong
Where to start a child in Hong Kong: ESF kindergartens, the through-school KGs that decide primary feeder routes, and the strongest stand-alone options.
Comparison table
| School | Curriculum | Ages | Fees range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| German Swiss International | IB, British, German | 3 to 18 | 197,000–256,700 | The Peak; dual English and German streams |
| Harrow International | British | 3 to 18 | 175,812–239,070 | Tuen Mun; A-Level finish, boarding optional |
| Kellett School | British | 4 to 18 | 208,800–267,100 | Pok Fu Lam; BSO Outstanding |
| Nord Anglia Hong Kong | IB, British | 3 to 18 | 91,300–222,500 | Lam Tin EY into Kwun Tong senior |
| Hong Kong Academy | IB | 3 to 18 | 119,000–273,900 | Sai Kung; strong learning support |
| International Christian School | American | 3 to 18 | 91,000–201,500 | Sha Tin; explicit Christian ethos |
| Canadian International | IB | 3 to 18 | 138,600–254,300 | Aberdeen waterfront; bilingual EY |
| Yew Chung International | IB, British | 1 to 18 | 223,036–268,640 | Kowloon Tong; co-teacher bilingual model |
| Anfield School | British | 2 to 11 | 101,000–165,000 | Multi-site; stand-alone EYFS |
| Kingston International | IB | 2 to 12 | 63,800–175,000 | Kowloon Tong; bilingual PYP |
| International Montessori School | Montessori | 1 to 14 | 36,000–238,100 | AMI-accredited, multi-site |
| Discovery Mind | British | 1 to 11 | 94,820–130,460 | Discovery Bay; Cambridge primary |
| Malvern College | IB | 1 to 18 | 198,860–226,210 | EY from age 1; through-school to 18 |
| French International | IB, French | 3 to 18 | 151,984–217,599 | Happy Valley; French and IB streams |
| Carmel School | IB | 2 to 18 | 84,500–237,370 | Jewish through-school |
| Singapore International | IB, British | 3 to 18 | 103,000–254,900 | Aberdeen; Singapore-curriculum EY |
Fees in HKD per year; bottom of range is the EY band, top is senior school. Debentures and capital levies extra at the private flagships. Verify with each school.
The brief
- The early years decision in Hong Kong is a primary-school decision. K2 placement at a through-school kindergarten is the route into the linked primary at age 5.
- The ESF kindergartens in Tsing Yi, Hillside, Tung Chung, Wu Kai Sha and Abacus are the cheapest credible international entry point and the gateway into the ESF primary network.
- The serious through-school starts are at German Swiss International, Kellett, Harrow, Nord Anglia, Hong Kong Academy, ICS and Canadian International.
- The strongest stand-alones are Anfield, Kingston International, The International Montessori School and Discovery Mind.
- The EDB Voucher Scheme subsidises local kindergartens. International kindergartens sit outside it; fees at the top of this list run HKD 120,000 to 200,000 a year before debentures or capital levies.
Hong Kong's early-years market is two markets pretending to be one. The local kindergarten system, regulated by the Education Bureau and supported by the Kindergarten Education Scheme voucher, runs over a thousand subsidised kindergartens. The international and English-medium kindergartens sit outside the voucher scheme, charge two to ten times the subsidised rate, and exist primarily because they decide where a child goes to primary.
Feeder routes are real. K2 at German Swiss International or ESF Tsing Yi places a child for primary; the K2 to Year 1 transition is mostly internal.
Interviews at age 2 or 3 are normal. Most top kindergartens run a 30-to-45-minute play-based observation and meet the parents separately. Sibling priority is held by most schools but is not absolute.
Offers move on a fixed calendar. For K1 entry in August, applications close by November or December of the previous year. ESF runs a central application; every other school runs its own.
The top tier, through-school early years
English Schools Foundation kindergartens
Tsing Yi, Hillside (Mid-Levels), Tung Chung, Wu Kai Sha, Abacus (Kennedy Town). K1 and K2, ages 3 to 5. Fees HKD 110,000 to 145,000, the cheapest credible international entry in the city. Inquiry-based programme aligned to the IB PYP that the ESF primaries run; daily Mandarin and English; classes of 22 to 24 with two teachers and an assistant. K2 children apply for Year 1 at the affiliated ESF primary (Beacon Hill, Bradbury, Clearwater Bay, Kennedy, Peak, Quarry Bay, Sha Tin Junior, among others) through an internal process with priority over the open pool. Geography is the constraint: each KG serves its own catchment, and a 90-minute commute for a four-year-old wears thin.
German Swiss International School
The Peak. Ages 3 to 18. IB, British and German streams, CIS member, BLI "Excellent German School Abroad" seal. Fees HKD 197,000 to 256,700. The kindergarten runs two pathways on the same Peak campus: the English International Stream (English plus daily Mandarin, A-Level finish) and the German Stream (German plus daily English, Abitur or IB finish). K2 children continue into Year 1 in the same school. Founded 1969; one of the older European through-schools in the city.
Kellett School
Pok Fu Lam (Prep). Ages 4 to 18. British, A-Level finish, BSO Outstanding 2023, COBIS Patron's. Fees HKD 208,800 to 267,100 plus capital levy. Entry point is Year 1 at age 4 with no separate nursery; the Pok Fu Lam Prep runs a Reception equivalent built on the English National Curriculum Foundation Stage, phonics-led, with longer hours than most age-4 programmes in the city. Prep feeds the Kowloon Bay senior at age 11.
Harrow International School Hong Kong
Tuen Mun. Ages 3 to 18. British, A-Level finish, boarding optional from Year 6. CIS, BSO, COBIS Patron's. Fees HKD 175,812 to 239,070. The Early Years Centre runs K1 (age 3) through Reception (age 4) on the Tuen Mun campus, following EYFS with a Mandarin specialist embedded into the day. K2 to Reception to Year 1 stays in-house. Tuen Mun is the far north-west of the New Territories; the school operates a wide school-bus network.
Nord Anglia International School Hong Kong
Kwun Tong (Senior), Lam Tin (Primary and EY). Ages 3 to 18. British primary, IB or A-Levels at sixth form. Cognia, ISI, CIS. Fees HKD 91,300 to 222,500. EYFS Nursery through Reception runs on the Lam Tin campus; daily Mandarin from Nursery, Juilliard performing-arts workshops in the early years. Operated by Nord Anglia Education, which licenses the school into a global group of around 80 schools.
Hong Kong Academy
Sai Kung. Ages 3 to 18. IB PYP, MYP, DP. CIS, WASC. Fees HKD 119,000 to 273,900. The Early Learning Centre for ages 3 to 5 sits on the purpose-built Sai Kung campus and runs IB PYP from the start. Long-running reputation for learning support as a core part of provision rather than an add-on. Around 500 pupils across the whole school; the early-years cohort is small.
International Christian School
Sha Tin. Ages 3 to 18. American, AP. WASC, ACSI. Fees HKD 91,000 to 201,500. The Pre-Primary programme runs Pre-Kindergarten (age 3) through Kindergarten (age 5), play-based with American early-literacy and number work folded in. Mandarin is a daily subject from Pre-K. The ethos is explicitly Christian, with weekly chapel from the early years.
Canadian International School of Hong Kong
Aberdeen. Ages 3 to 18. IB PYP, MYP, DP. CIS re-accredited 2024, WASC, Apple Distinguished. Fees HKD 138,600 to 254,300. Pre-Reception (age 3) and Reception (age 4) run on the Aberdeen waterfront campus, bilingual English and Mandarin with a Mandarin specialist teacher in each homeroom. Dedicated early-years floors and a separate playground; fees at age 3 sit below the top of the market for a full through-school.
Yew Chung International School Hong Kong
Multi-site EY campuses at Kowloon Tong, Braemar Hill, Sai Wan and Tin Hau. Ages 1 to 18. IB, British, bilingual, ACAMIS member. Senior fees HKD 223,036 to 268,640; EY published per campus. The city's longest-running bilingual through-school: every kindergarten classroom has two co-teachers, one English-speaking and one Chinese-speaking, with children spending roughly half the day in each language from age 2. English fluency at age 5 may sit a little behind a single-language stream; by Year 4 the gap closes.
Others worth naming
Malvern College Hong Kong, ages 1 to 18, Pre-Nursery on the Coral Sea campus, IB pathway. French International School runs French and IB streams from age 3 in Happy Valley. Singapore International takes children from age 3 into a Singapore-curriculum EY feeding the IB Diploma. Carmel School, the city's Jewish through-school, ages 2 to 18.
Best stand-alone international kindergartens
Kindergartens without a linked primary. Children leave at age 5 or 6 and apply elsewhere.
Anfield School
Multi-site (Kowloon Tong, Whampoa, Aldrich Bay, Pokfulam). Ages 2 to 11. British, EYFS to KS2. CIS member. Fees HKD 101,000 to 165,000. The largest stand-alone British-style early-years group in the city; strong Mandarin from K1, daily phonics, small classes. Places children into ESF, ICS, Harrow, Kellett and GSIS across cohorts.
Kingston International School
Kowloon Tong. Ages 2 to 12. IB PYP, bilingual. EDB-registered. Fees HKD 63,800 to 175,000. Toddler (age 2), Nursery, K1, K2 and primary to age 12 on a compact campus. IB PYP from the start, English-Mandarin bilingual, and a long record of placing K2 graduates into top through-schools.
The International Montessori School
Multi-site (Stanley, Mid-Levels, Aldrich Bay, Tin Hau). Ages 1 to 14. AMI-accredited Montessori. Fees HKD 36,000 to 238,100. The city's largest Association Montessori Internationale-accredited group. Toddler community from age 1, three-year mixed-age cycle from age 3, primary from age 6. Trained directresses, prepared environments, three-hour uninterrupted work cycles.
Discovery Mind
Discovery Bay. Ages 1 to 11. British, Cambridge primary. EDB-registered. Fees HKD 94,820 to 130,460. Playgroup, Pre-Nursery, Nursery, K1 and K2 on the Discovery Bay campus, Cambridge primary to age 11. The Lantau local option; feeds Discovery Bay International and the wider senior market.
Best Montessori, Reggio and play-based
The branded play-based market in Hong Kong is large; the schools with a real pedagogical foundation or a long operating history are fewer. Mulberry House and Sunshine House are the two long-running bilingual play-based groups, both multi-site, with track records of placing children into ESF, ICS and the top through-schools at K3. Woodland Pre-Schools is the city's most embedded mid-market group, operating since 1978, drawing from EYFS and Reggio Emilia. Tutor Time runs an American age-grouped programme across several campuses. Tiny Tots in Repulse Bay, founded 1962, is the oldest small-scale bilingual playgroup in the city. The International Montessori School above is the largest AMI option; smaller credible Montessori groups include The Children's House and Casa dei Bambini.
Best PYP-anchored
The IB Primary Years Programme runs from age 3 to 12 as a continuous curriculum; a PYP kindergarten feeding a PYP primary is the most natural progression for an IB-bound family. The through-school PYP routes are Canadian International, Hong Kong Academy, Discovery College and Victoria Shanghai Academy. The ESF primaries are PYP throughout, with ESF KGs inquiry-based and aligned without the formal label. Standalone PYP routes are Kingston International and HKCA Po Leung Kuk.
At a glance
| Kindergarten | Curriculum | Ages | Fees (HKD) | Primary feeder |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESF Tsing Yi / Hillside / Tung Chung / Wu Kai Sha / Abacus | Inquiry, PYP-aligned | 3 to 5 | 110,000–145,000 | ESF primary network |
| German Swiss International | IB, British, German | 3 to 18 | 197,000–256,700 | Internal, same campus |
| Harrow Hong Kong | British, EYFS | 3 to 18 | 175,812–239,070 | Internal, same campus |
| Nord Anglia Hong Kong | British, EYFS | 3 to 18 | 91,300–222,500 | Internal, Lam Tin to Kwun Tong |
| Hong Kong Academy | IB PYP | 3 to 18 | 119,000–273,900 | Internal, same campus |
| ICS | American | 3 to 18 | 91,000–201,500 | Internal, same campus |
| Canadian International | IB PYP, bilingual | 3 to 18 | 138,600–254,300 | Internal, same campus |
| Yew Chung International | IB, British, bilingual | 1 to 18 | 223,036–268,640 senior | Internal, YCIS group |
| Kellett | British, EYFS | 4 to 18 | 208,800–267,100 | Internal, Pok Fu Lam to Kowloon Bay |
| Anfield | British, EYFS | 2 to 11 | 101,000–165,000 | None, external Year 1 |
| Kingston International | IB PYP, bilingual | 2 to 12 | 63,800–175,000 | Internal to age 12 |
| International Montessori School | Montessori | 1 to 14 | 36,000–238,100 | Internal to age 14 |
| Discovery Mind | British | 1 to 11 | 94,820–130,460 | None, external Year 1 |
| Malvern College | IB, British | 1 to 18 | 198,860–226,210 | Internal, same campus |
| French International | IB, French | 3 to 18 | 151,984–217,599 | Internal, same campus |
| Singapore International | IB, British | 3 to 18 | 103,000–254,900 | Internal, same campus |
Fees in HKD per year. Debentures and capital levies extra at the private flagships. Verify with each school.
The age labels and frameworks
Playgroup / Pre-Nursery is age 1 to 2: two or three mornings a week, parent-and-child or short-day, not compulsory. Nursery / K1 is age 3 to 4, the first formal year at most international kindergartens. K2 is age 4 to 5 and is the placement year for primary: through-school internal applications and the ESF central application close in November for August entry. K3 is age 5 to 6 at standalone kindergartens bridging to Year 1; through-schools move children into Year 1, Grade 1 or Reception at age 5. Reception is the British convention for the year before Year 1; Kellett, Harrow, Nord Anglia and the British-stream schools use this label.
EYFS is the Early Years Foundation Stage, the English statutory framework for ages 0 to 5: seven areas covering communication, physical development, personal-social-emotional, literacy, mathematics, understanding the world, and expressive arts. IB PYP is the Primary Years Programme, ages 3 to 12, inquiry-led, transdisciplinary, no formal external assessment.
How to choose between them
Where do you live, and where will you live in five years? The bus network reaches most catchments, but a daily 60-to-90-minute commute for a four-year-old is a different decision from a 15-minute walk. Tuen Mun, Tung Chung and Sai Kung suit families settled there; Mid-Levels, Pok Fu Lam and Happy Valley have the densest options for island-based families.
Through-school or stand-alone? A through-school resolves the Year 1 question at age 3. A stand-alone keeps options open at age 5 or 6. Through-schools cost more in the early years; stand-alones cost more in re-application a year later.
Mandarin or English? The bilingual stream at YCIS, the dual-language model at Kingston, the Mandarin specialist at Harrow and Nord Anglia, and the English-only stream at most ESF KGs are all credible. A child arriving with no Mandarin will be functional in three months in a bilingual classroom and conversational in two years. A child in an English-only environment will pick up the daily Mandarin lessons without becoming bilingual.
Related reading
- Best international schools in Hong Kong, the city pillar.
- Best British schools in Hong Kong, the ESF, Harrow, Kellett, Shrewsbury and Wycombe Abbey route through to A-Levels.
- Best IB schools in Hong Kong, the IB PYP through to Diploma routes.
- English National Curriculum and Key Stages, what EYFS, KS1 and KS2 cover.
- How to choose an international school, the broader decision frame.
FAQs
When do K1 applications open in Hong Kong? Most international kindergartens open K1 applications in September or October for entry the following August. ESF's central application closes in November. Apply 12 to 18 months ahead for top schools.
Do international kindergartens in Hong Kong accept the EDB Voucher? Mostly no. The Kindergarten Education Scheme voucher applies to participating local kindergartens. ESF, Harrow, Kellett, GSIS, Nord Anglia, ICS, HKA and the other international kindergartens do not participate; fees are paid in full.
What is a debenture, and do early-years children pay one? A debenture is a refundable lump sum paid on entry that secures a place at certain private schools. Harrow, Kellett and a handful of others require one. Some are refundable when the child leaves; some are not. At the early-years stage, the debenture or capital levy is usually due at first entry.
Will my child be interviewed at age 2 or 3? Yes, at most top kindergartens. The interview is a play-based observation of 30 to 45 minutes with a teacher watching the child in a small group. Parents are interviewed separately. Children with autumn or winter birthdays may be invited back.
Is the ESF kindergarten cheaper for what you get? Yes. ESF kindergartens charge HKD 110,000 to 145,000 at age 3 against HKD 175,000 to 220,000 at the private through-schools. Teaching quality is high, the routes into ESF primaries are real, and class sizes are similar. ESF schools finish with the IB Diploma, not A-Levels.
My child speaks no English. Will they cope? Almost always yes. Children aged 2 to 4 acquire language through immersion faster than adults expect. Most international kindergartens in Hong Kong expect a mix of language backgrounds and have EAL support in the day. Conversational fluency typically develops within a term; full classroom fluency within a year.
Fees and operating details correct as of June 2026. The early-years market in Hong Kong moves quickly: new entrants open most years, fees rise most years, and entry-age policies shift between K1 and Reception across schools. Verify current figures and admissions cycles directly with each school before applying.