The ISF Academy aims to have students graduate as ambassadors for the world, young people with a life-long love of learning. They will be enquirers, thinkers, communicators, knowledgeable risk-takers and problem solvers. Our program in Humanities seeks to develop students who are principled, responsible, caring, open-minded, well-balanced and reflective. It is the intent of the school that our Secondary students will graduate with the International Baccalaureate Diploma, a highly regarded credential for admission and successful performance at leading universities not only in Hong Kong and China but worldwide.

Quick Facts

• The ISF Academy will offer classes from Foundation Year to Grade 9 in 2008/09 and Foundation Year to Grade 10 in 2009/10.
• The application period for our 2009/10 academic year will start in September/October of 2008. The school will first process the applications for our Foundation Year students before processing applications for other grades. Acceptance into the other grades, i.e. Grade 1 and above, will be subject to availability.
• In the secondary division, students are accepted to Grade 6 to 8 following assessment of their language skills in Putonghua and English, skills in mathematics and team working skills. The school does not as a rule accept applications for the secondary division beyond Grade 8. However, exceptions may be made under special circumstances based on bilingual language ability, academic merit and availability of places in the relevant grade level.
• Core subjects (i.e. Chinese, English and Mathematics) are taught in study groups.
• The target teacher-to-student ratio at The ISF Academy is 1:10.

Admission Criteria

To be eligible for admission to The ISF Academy, the following criteria must be met:  

Parents/ Guardians:

• agree with The ISF Academy ’s educational philosophies
• are willing to collaborate with The ISF Academy and be a part of our learning community to support their child's development

Students:

• possess Hong Kong residency or a foreign passport, with a legal guardian who is employed and resides in Hong Kong with a work permit
• demonstrate satisfactory social skills (e.g. willingness to communicate, curiosity to learn, teamwork, no obvious learning disability or behavioral issues, etc.) for their academic level
• for Grades 2 and above, achieve satisfactory results in the written academic assessments

Language Requirements:

Foundation Year and Grade 1 – we accept students with proficiency in either Putonghua or English. Students who are not proficient in Putonghua or English are expected to have strong academic foundations in other areas and enjoy new situations and challenges.

Parents of new language learners are recommended to arrange tutoring from the time of admission through the summer prior to enrolment. Ongoing support throughout the first year is necessary to ensure a child's successful transition to dual-language instruction.

Grade 2 to Grade 5 – Applicants are assessed for Chinese and English language proficiency. A higher level of proficiency is required to ensure transfer students can adapt to The ISF Academy language curriculum.  

Thanks to our Immersion Program, most students are conversing with ease in Putonghua and English within a few months.  If required, The ISF Academy will implement a "Scaffolding Program" for students requiring added language reinforcement (additional fees may apply).

Grades 6 to 9 – Students take progressively higher levels of language and literature classes in Chinese and English. A third language will be introduced starting in the upper grades.

Age Requirements:

The age of the applicant is an important factor in determining grade placement. The age requirements listed below should be considered when applying to The ISF Academy.

* The ISF Academy Program is the school’s educational program based on International Baccalaureate (IB) philosophy coupled with Putonghua language immersion. MYP is the IB Middle Years Program and DP is the IB Diploma Program.

For admission to Foundation Year and Grade 1, rare exceptions are made for children whose birthdays fall within one month after our stated age cut-off, and then only after careful consideration of his/her readiness academically, socially and emotionally. Statistically, a child who is among the youngest in his/her class is likely to encounter more difficulties socially when he/she reaches pre-adolescent years. 

Siblings are considered for admission at the same time as children of families who are applying to The ISF Academy for the first time. Although sibling relationships are a significant factor in admission decisions, The ISF Academy is not able to guarantee admission to siblings and, in the future, children of alumni.

Please refer to Frequently Asked Questions on The ISF Academy Foundation Year (Foundation Year Q & A) for information on our Foundation Year Program.