Cities / Hong Kong / Island School Hong Kong
Island School Hong Kong
One of the original ESF secondaries, founded in 1967 and now on a rebuilt Borrett Road campus in Mid-Levels. Around 1,200 pupils run through IB MYP, IGCSE and BTEC to the IB Diploma, with a 2025 average of 37.1 points.
In brief
Island School is one of the English Schools Foundation's original secondaries, founded in 1967, and returned in 2022 to a rebuilt campus on Borrett Road in Mid-Levels after four years away. Around 1,200 pupils aged eleven to eighteen follow the IB Middle Years Programme, then IGCSE or BTEC, and finish with the IB Diploma or Career-related Programme. It is accredited by CIS. In 2024 the school reported a Diploma average of 36.5 points, with almost 30 per cent of candidates scoring 40 or more.
Parents value the strong IB results and the new pool, sports hall and performing-arts spaces, and describe a more down-to-earth, mixed intake than the city's high-fee international schools. Former students mention some drinking and drug use among pupils, which they describe as a minority rather than the norm.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Year 7 | 12 | HK$188,300 |
| Year 8 | 13 | HK$188,300 |
| Year 9 | 14 | HK$188,300 |
| Year 10 | 15 | HK$188,300 |
| Year 11 | 16 | HK$188,300 |
| Year 12 | 17 | HK$174,200 |
| Year 13 | 18 | HK$174,200 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Application Fee | HK$2,000 | |
| Deposit (Secondary, offset 1st term) | HK$16,000 |
Reviews
- Sits at the centre of how Hong Kong expats talk about ESF, named alongside KGV, Sha Tin College and West Island as the default British-pathway options.
- Parents and ex-students describe a more down-to-earth, mixed-income intake than the high-fee international schools, with strong IB results: one ex-parent put the average IBDP score around 36 with school data showing roughly 98% pass and a third of students above 40 points.
- Ex-students are open about a drug and alcohol scene; one Hong Kong International School graduate said weed at Island School and South Island School "had to have been based somewhat on fact."
- The Borrett Road campus reopened in 2022 after a four-year rebuild; parents talk up the new pool, sports hall and performing-arts spaces.
- One Hongkonger parent said both their sons went through ESF primary into Island School and ended up at Stanford and UCLA, framing it as a credible academic route rather than a prestige play.
Positives
- Position within ESF and Hong Kong's school market. Treated as one of the default English-medium options on Hong Kong Island, often paired with West Island in commuter discussions.
- IB Diploma outcomes. Pass rates and high-scorer percentages are flagged by parents as a draw, with one parent quoting an average around 36.
- Rebuilt Borrett Road campus. Parents cite the new facilities (pool, climbing wall, performing-arts centre) after the 2017 to 2022 redevelopment.
- Mixed intake versus high-fee internationals. Ex-students describe the school as more mixed and less status-driven than HKIS, CIS or German Swiss.
Considerations
- Student culture and substances. Ex-students openly reference weed and underage drinking; framed as a subset rather than the norm.
Leadership
Nina Gunson
Anita Simpson serves as Head of School at the American International School of Hong Kong, focusing on maintaining the school's vision and fostering a culture of learning and innovation from Early Childhood to Grade 12.
Accreditations
- CIS, WASC historical, no current rating published 01
Academic results
- Result IB DP avg 36.5 points 2024
- Result 45 points highest score 2025
- Result 29.5% scored 40+ points 2024
- Result 68% scored 35+ points 2024