• Start with the child. Identify needs before collecting school names.

• Verify school details. Confirm programmes, fees and places with the school itself.

• Compare the everyday experience. Ask what lessons, support and travel would look like for the child.

Start with a clear picture of the child

Help the family write a one-page profile together. Use parent communication strategies that keep the discussion clear, specific and two-way, so the family's voice shapes the page as much as yours does.

Keep it short: strengths, two or three recent work examples, language needs, any support the child already receives, and the child's own worries about moving. Share work samples only through routes your school approves.

Bring classroom evidence. Recent writing or a maths task gives families something concrete to discuss. Describe what you observe, such as "reads confidently but tires during long written tasks". Avoid assigning the child a fixed learning style.

Listen to the family's priorities. Ask about likely future moves, daily travel from home, siblings and the spending limit the family is comfortable with. Record their answers rather than your assumptions.

Identify essential support. Separate preferences from what the child cannot do without. Support can involve a separate admissions route. ESF, for example, uses a separate application process for Learning Support and Jockey Club Sarah Roe School, so a mainstream offer does not automatically settle support placement.

Build a shortlist from information you can verify

Use the profile to identify schools worth investigating. Check each school's curriculum and provision for the child's intended entry year before adding it to the shortlist.

Check the pathway. Clarify which age range a programme covers. The IB Diploma Programme consists of a core and six subject groups. Cambridge International AS and A Levels allow flexible subject combinations, so ask which subjects a school offers. Hong Kong International School (HKIS) describes high-school provision that includes honours courses, Advanced Placement courses and independent study. These details concern older students; for a younger child, ask about teaching in their year group.

Compare the full cost. Keep annual tuition, its payment schedule and additional charges on separate lines. ESF’s published fee table lists annual tuition of HK$145,000 for primary Years 1 to 6 in 2026/27, payable over ten months by autopay. Its application page lists a separate HK$2,800 application fee. Tuition alone is not a complete first-year budget. Ask each school which levies, deposits, transport, meals and activity charges apply.

Replace the worksheet prompts below with each school's answers. Record the source and date, and mark anything still unconfirmed.

Treat lists as starting points. HKExcel's guide to thebest international schools in Hong Kong offers ten school descriptions to help families build an initial shortlist. Its comparison, prepared by an IB tutoring team, can supply names to investigate. The ranking and descriptions are that guide's own assessments, so verify current programmes, fees and availability with each school.

Official sources also need follow-up. The EDB directs enquiries about its school profiles to the schools themselves. Treat its voluntary Private School List as a reference and assess each school's suitability directly.

Use visits to test the shortlist

A shortlist of two or three schools keeps visits manageable. Use the child's profile to decide what to ask at each one.

Ask about an ordinary school day. Request a typical lesson outline or anonymised work from the child's year group; open classroom access may not be available. Ask how progress is explained to parents, who helps a new child settle, what language support looks like and how bullying concerns are handled. For a school found through that list, use its description to prepare questions about current provision.

Confirm practical support. Ask who provides support, how a child accesses it and whether it costs extra. HKIS, for instance, says its high-school students can seek office-hours support from a Learning Specialist. Ask prospective schools to explain their own arrangements. Test the journey at school hours and ask the child what felt comfortable or worrying during the visit.

Record the next step. Before any payment, get the commitments in writing: the exact year group, start date, assessment requirements, documents, support availability and payment terms. Calendars are school-specific. ESF's central application window for August 2027 Year 1 and Year 7 entry ran from September 1 to 30, 2026. Families applying after that window should ask which application process applies. The group also states that an offer after a successful interview and assessment remains subject to availability.

Suggest a short follow-up conversation after the visits, with the profile and worksheet on the table. Mark unanswered questions, agree who will contact each school, and track those actions in ashared planning dashboard so each follow-up has an owner and a date before the family decides.

Conclusion

Teachers do not need to choose a school for a family. Their strongest contribution is a clear picture of the child's needs, grounded in recent work and the child's own concerns. With a dated comparison worksheet, direct questions and written checks on support, fees and availability, families can make a decision that fits daily life and revisit it when circumstances change.

FAQs

Should teachers recommend one school?

Teachers can explain how a school's provision matches a child's needs and identify trade-offs. Families make the final choice, taking account of their budget, travel arrangements and future plans.

Is an IB programme always the right option?

No. Check what the school provides for the child's age and needs. For an older student, confirm available subject choices. For a younger child, ask about everyday teaching, language support and assessment in their year group.

What should families ask about learning support?

Ask what provision exists, how a child applies, who provides it and whether it costs extra. Request written confirmation of the support available to the child; a general description of services does not establish eligibility.

When should families contact admissions?

Contact admissions as soon as a move or transfer is being seriously considered. Ask which process applies to the intended entry year and whether applications are still being accepted.