City Kids Preschool and Little Stars

A colourful community that welcomes families from around the world, City Kids international preschool celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. We visited its enchanting campus surrounded by lush greenery in Mid-Levels to learn more about its unique charm. 

Founded in 1984 by a group of enthusiastic, dedicated, and loving parents, City Kids may have evolved over the years, but community and parent involvement is still at its heart.

Housed in a Grade II-listed historical building, its iconic red-brick premises on Borrett Road date back to 1901, when the British Garrison used it as the British Military Hospital. It’s an incredible space with green leafy outlooks in nearly every direction. With a stellar reputation, the school offers a comprehensive preschool education for children aged ten months to 5.5 years in a nurturing and creative environment.

Little Stars: Celebrating magical moments of discovery and development

Children can enrol in the school’s playgroup programme, Little Stars, from 10 months old. It is an accompanied programme conducted in English, where parents or carers can connect and support children as they explore indoor and outdoor activities such as arts and crafts, sensory play, books, puzzles, building activities, trampolines, slides, sand pits, and water activities. Sessions feature fun and energetic ‘circle time’, a social setting for children to enjoy songs, movement, stories, musical instruments, and puppets as part of the Little Stars programme.

City Kids Preschool: A place to fall in love with learning

Once children reach 2.8 years old, they can join the preschool programme. City Kids offers both morning and afternoon sessions with three classes: Bumblebees (2.8-3.5 years), Ladybugs (3.4-4.5 years), and Butterflies (4-5.5 years). The three classrooms are celebrations of creativity, exploration and enquiry, with opportunities to ignite a love of learning in every direction. 

The school’s certified teachers are passionate about the early years, and it shows. With a rare ratio of 16 children to two adults (one teacher and one assistant, both English-speaking), the school prioritises hiring those who put children’s learning and play first. Children have the chance to learn Mandarin twice a week with a native Mandarin teacher who delivers fun and engaging lessons, instilling a love of language from a young age. 

A positive vision 

The philosophy at City Kids is simple: all children are competent. The school believes in creating a safe and happy community, positive relationships and enabling environments in which children are actively encouraged to explore and discover. 

Learning is inquiry and play-based and follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum which is underpinned by four fundamental principles: ‘A Unique Child’ emphasises the individuality and competence of each child, ‘Positive Relationships’ highlights the importance of nurturing relationships with parents, carers, and educators, ‘Enabling Environments’ stresses the significance of a conducive environment for learning and growth, and ‘Learning and Developing” acknowledges the varying speeds at which children progress through developmental stages. 

The curriculum embraces ‘best practice’ in early childhood education, so it often includes other curriculums and frameworks, as appropriate, such as the Reggio Emilia approach from Italy and Te Whariki from New Zealand. 

This approach encourages children to be creative and resourceful in problem-solving, take risks, ask questions, and explore ideas while embracing mistakes and failures as chances for learning. This results in confidence building, independence, and social-emotional adaptability through interactions with supportive adults who prioritise their growth and development.

Indoor-outdoor spaces 

Thanks to the architecture of the historical building, City Kids classrooms are bright and spacious, boasting high ceilings, brick exteriors, indoor-outdoor flows, and lush green surroundings. 

A standout feature of the campus is its beautiful covered back balcony, where children enjoy daily access to various activities regardless of the weather, fostering a love for the beauty of its environment. Come rain or shine, children can go outside daily for at least 30 minutes to explore sand, water, construction and other play equipment. The school also has access to a large shared playground downstairs, where they often finish the week with active play. 

A thriving community of families and friends

City Kids is a school that values diversity of cultures. Its students come from more than 15 different countries, including Australia, New Zealand, England, the USA, Canada, Sweden, Nepal, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Brazil, the Netherlands, Vietnam, Thailand, Korea, and Switzerland. 

The school, managed by a parent board, encourages active parental involvement in various capacities. For the school’s calendar of fundraising and community activities, there are plenty of passionate volunteers. 

From off-site sports days to Christmas concerts and festive fairs, author visits, class reader sessions, theatre outings, and occasional trips to the beach or park, there are many ways for children and families to connect in and outside of school. Regular workshops for parents and helpers also help to provide a supportive and united community ready to support children with love and care.

Getting there

City Kids has a well-established relationship with Castle Brothers, a reputable school bus service that provides transportation from different areas such as Pok Fu Lam, Mid-Levels, Causeway Bay, and Happy Valley. The dedicated school bus service is used by children as young as 2.8 years old, and warm and welcoming bus mothers are on hand for the whole journey. The number 9 minibus from IFC conveniently stops right outside the school for those looking for public transportation options. 

See for yourself  

City Kids is known for its strong sense of community, colour, spirit and fun. Children love coming to school and it’s easy to see why. This is a rare jewel of a school where play is paramount, teachers are valued, and the pursuit of curiosity is to be celebrated. We highly recommend you book a tour; City Kids needs to be experienced to be truly appreciated.

City Kids Preschool and Little Stars, 2/F East Wing, 12 Borrett Road, Mid-Levels, 2522 4446, ​admin@citykidshk.org