The latest updates from across Hong Kong’s international school landscape, including campus openings, new programmes and milestone anniversaries. This rolling Schools News column is updated regularly to help families stay informed as they plan ahead.
Kellett School opens new Sixth Form Centre in Kowloon Bay
Kellett School has opened a new dedicated Sixth Form Centre in Kowloon Bay, creating a university-style environment for up to 240 students in Years 12 and 13. Connected by footbridge to the school’s existing Kowloon Bay campus, the new centre features more than a dozen classrooms alongside independent and collaborative study areas, a lecture theatre, exam rooms, dedicated Higher Education and Careers counselling spaces and social areas. Specialist facilities include a Harkness room designed for discussion-based humanities lessons and a PE classroom equipped with fitness-monitoring technology. Opening during Kellett’s 50th anniversary year, the centre is designed to give Sixth Form students greater independence and prepare them for the transition to university and life beyond school.
Kellett School Sixth Form Centre, 1/F, The Bay Hub, 17 Kai Cheung Road, Kowloon Bay
Hong Kong Academy launches The Maker’s Atelier
Hong Kong Academy has introduced The Maker’s Atelier, a new Reggio-inspired afternoon programme for Pre-K learners aged three to five. Launched for the 2026/27 academic year in response to growing parent interest in longer-day options, the optional programme extends HKA’s IB Primary Years Programme through hands-on learning designed to encourage curiosity, creativity and practical exploration.
Children take part in six rotating areas of inquiry: pottery and earth glazes, gardening, culinary arts and food science, outdoor education, textiles and heritage weaving, and woodwork and tinkering. Led by specialist educators and using HKA’s Sai Kung campus and outdoor spaces, activities introduce young learners to everything from material transformation and measurement to ecology, balance and basic physics.
The programme is available exclusively to children enrolled in HKA’s Pre-K classes, with families able to choose morning-only Pre-K or extend the school day with The Maker’s Atelier. Places are limited to maintain individual attention.
You can learn more here.
IMS celebrates 25 years anniversary Open Day
Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year with a series of special events, The International Montessori School (IMS) will host its Flagship Open Day at the Stanley campus on October 10, inviting families to experience its bilingual Montessori approach first-hand.
This Open Day is designed for parents with children aged one to 14, this landmark event offers an exclusive opportunity for prospective parents at how IMS has nurtured independent, curious, and lifelong learners over the past quarter-century.
Families can explore IMS’s complete bilingual English-Mandarin pathway—from the early years through Middle School—walk through the prepared Montessori environments, and engage with authentic learning materials. AMI-trained educators will share insights on how mixed-age classrooms and self-directed learning foster deep concentration and a passion for discovery. On this special day, visitors can also meet alumni and current parents to hear first-hand why they love Montessori.
For younger visitors, the morning will include age-appropriate activities, while hands-on Maker Space and Art workshops will give children the opportunity to create, experiment, and put the school’s “learning by doing” philosophy into practice.
The Open Day comes as IMS celebrates a quarter-century of bilingual Montessori education in Hong Kong. Founded in 2002, the school now operates four campuses and offers a continuous programme for children aged one to 14, with an emphasis on independence, curiosity and hands-on learning.
25th Anniversary Flagship Open Day | IMS Stanley
When: October 10, 2026, 9.30am–12.30pm
Where: IMS Stanley Campus, Phase III Ma Hang Estate, Stanley
Register: ims.edu.hk/en/events
American School Hong Kong students achieve 100% IB pass rate
Students at American School Hong Kong are celebrating another strong set of examination results, achieving a 100% pass rate with an average score of 34.4 and a top score of 40. Seventy per cent of graduates earned the prestigious IB Bilingual Diploma, reflecting the school’s commitment to multilingual learning and global citizenship. This year’s cohort has also received more than 60 offers from leading universities worldwide, including UCL, NYU and the University of Hong Kong. As an inclusive school, American School Hong Kong is committed to celebrating diversity and ensuring every student has the opportunity to flourish both academically and personally.
To find out more about American School Hong Kong, visit ashk.edu.hk.
IMS launches new unaccompanied Foundation Class for two-year-olds
The International Montessori School (IMS) has launched a new unaccompanied Foundation Class for children aged 24 to 36 months at its Mid-Levels and South Horizons campuses.
The programme allows parents and caregivers to drop children off rather than remaining on campus, helping toddlers make the transition from accompanied classes towards independent school life.
Guided by the Montessori principle Help Me to Help Myself, children develop independence through everyday tasks such as putting on their shoes, pouring water and choosing their own activities. The programme also supports children as they become comfortable separating from their caregivers, helping prepare them for the move into kindergarten.
Classes are led by AMI-trained teachers in a calm, language-rich environment, with a 3:16 Montessori educator-to-student ratio.
Visit ims.edu.hk/en for more information.
A strong start for Harrow Little Lions
One year after opening its doors, Harrow Little Lions Kindergarten is already proving the value of starting a Harrow education early. The school’s Reception cohort has achieved a high success rate in securing priority Year 1 places at Harrow International School Hong Kong, reflecting growing demand among families for a values-led, internationally minded education from the earliest years. Following the UK Early Years Foundation Stage and delivered through English immersion with structured Mandarin, the curriculum balances academic foundations with play, creativity and character development.
Applications for the 2027/28 academic year are now open. For more information visit harrowhongkong.hk/hll/
ICHK Hong Lok Yuen wins AIA Healthiest Schools Competition
International College Hong Kong Hong Lok Yuen has been named Hong Kong’s primary school winner of the AIA Healthiest Schools Competition 2025/26, recognising its whole-school approach to student wellbeing. The award celebrates the school’s integration of social and emotional learning, outdoor education and strong home-school partnerships, with initiatives including its “Zones of Regulation” programme to help children understand and manage their emotions. The school will receive a US$50,000 grant to further develop its wellbeing initiatives and will represent Hong Kong at the regional finals in Thailand later this year.
Families interested in learning more about the school are invited to attend the ICHK Kindergarten, Year 1 & Year 2 Open Day on Saturday, 19 September 2026. Welcoming children born between 2020 and 2024, the event offers the opportunity to explore the campus, meet teachers and discover the school’s nurturing learning environment. Register at: ichkhly.edu.hk/openday
International College Hong Kong Hong Lok Yuen, No.3, 20th Street, Hong Lok Yuen, Tai Po, 3955 3000
CDNIS celebrates another year of outstanding IB results
Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS) is celebrating another exceptional year in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, with three students achieving the maximum score of 45 points and an average diploma score of 39. Nearly half of the graduating class scored 40 points or above, while students received more than 1,000 university offers from over 150 institutions worldwide, including Brown, Cambridge, Columbia, Cornell, Imperial College London and the University of Hong Kong. Head of School Dr Tim Kaiser said the results reflected “not only academic success, but the character and fortitude” students had developed throughout their IB journey, as the Class of 2026 secured more than HK$28 million in scholarships.
To find out more about Canadian International School of Hong Kong, visit cdnis.edu.hk.
ESF confirms three new kindergartens for August 2026
The English Schools Foundation has announced the opening of three new kindergartens in August 2026, offering families greater clarity and continuity from the very start of their child’s education. The new ESF West Kowloon Kindergarten in Tai Kok Tsui will feature a dual-language (English and Chinese) programme and a dedicated feeder pathway to primary. Similarly, ESF Quarry Bay School Kindergarten in Kornhill will feed directly into ESF Quarry Bay School and onward to ESF South Island School, while the ESF Renaissance College Kindergarten in Sai Sha provides a seamless pathway into their all-through programme. All three kindergartens will offer priority access to their linked schools, giving parents certainty from K1 through to Year 13. The Renaissance College site will also offer a dual-language programme and become the new home of ESF’s existing Tung Chung kindergarten.
With these additions, ESF’s Hong Kong school network will grow to 24 schools in total. Parents can find further details at join-us.esf.edu.hk.
Kellett School at 50
Founded by parents in 1976 in search of a British-style education in Hong Kong, Kellett, the British International School in Hong Kong, marks its fiftieth year as one of the city’s most established international schools. Now educating more than 1,500 students from almost 50 nationalities, the school has grown steadily while remaining parent-governed and not-for-profit. Guided by long-held values of respect, kindness, and integrity, Kellett aims to instil a love of learning and confidence in life to all students. Anniversary celebrations will unfold across Hong Kong, London, New York and Sydney, reflecting the school’s global community, alongside the exciting works laid out in Kellett Vision 2035, a ten-year strategic plan shaping its next chapter, including the opening of a new Sixth Form Centre in August. Five decades on, Kellett’s original ethos remains firmly intact, with an eye clearly on the future.
Kellett School, Pok Fu Lam Preparatory, 2 Wah Lok Path, Wah Fu, Pok Fu Lam; Kowloon Bay Prep and Senior, 7 Lam Hing Street, Kowloon Bay
