At The Independent Schools Foundation Academy (The ISF Academy) we aim for our students to graduate with a lifelong love of learning and to be ambassadors to the world. They will be socially responsible as well as 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 at leading universities not only in Hong Kong but worldwide.

Quick Facts

• The ISF Academy offers classes from Foundation Year to Grade 10 for the 2009/10 academic year. An additional grade will be added each year until 2011/12 when we add our Grade 12 Program.
• The application period for our 2010/11 academic year will start on Tuesday, September 1, 2009.
• Our largest intake is for our Foundation Year Program (for children aged between 4 years 8 months and 6 years on August 31 of the year of entry) followed by our Grade 1 Program where we add a sizable number of students. We also accept transfer students seeking to enter into Grade 2 and above and this is 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.
• Our target teacher-to-student ratio is 1:10.

I) ADMISSION CRITERIA

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

A) 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; and
• agree to abide by the school's rules and regulations.

B) Students

• possess Hong Kong residency OR a foreign passport with a legal guardian who is employed and resides in Hong Kong with a valid work permit;
• demonstrate satisfactory social skills (e.g. willingness to communicate, curiosity to learn, teamwork); and
• achieve satisfactory results in the admission assessments.
  

II) LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

A) Primary Division

1. Foundation Year
   
   Students are not required to be proficient in Putonghua and English.  Students who are not proficient in Putonghua or English are expected to enjoy new situations and challenges.
   
   
2. Grade 1
   

   We accept students with proficiency in either Putonghua or English with a preference for Putonghua. Students who are not proficient in Putonghua or English are expected to enjoy new situations and challenges. It is recommended that parents of new language learners expose their children to the target language (i.e. the language the child is not proficient in) from the time of admission through the summer prior to enrollment.
   

3. Grade 2 to Grade 5
   
   

   Applicants are assessed for Chinese (Putonghua) and English language proficiency. A high level of proficiency is required to ensure transfer students can adapt to The ISF Academy language curriculum.

B) Secondary Division

1. Grade 6 and above
   
   

   Applicants are assessed for Putonghua and English language proficiency. Students take progressively higher levels of language and literature classes in Putonghua and English. A third language will be introduced in Grade 8 as an elective.

As a result of our bilingual immersion program, most students are comfortable conversing in both Putonghua and English within a few months. If necessary, The ISF Academy will implement a "Scaffolding Program" for students requiring added language reinforcement (additional fees may apply). The ISF Academy will also arrange language foundation courses during the summer for new students. Ongoing support throughout the first year is necessary to ensure a child's successful transition to bilingual instruction.

III) AGE REQUIREMENTS

Students must be the correct age for their grade and the birthday cut-off date is 31 August as shown below:

* The ISF Academy Program is the school’s educational program in a bilingual immersion model that prepares our students for the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. MYP is the IB Middle Years Program and DP is the IB Diploma Program.

Applicants need to fulfill the minimum age for the grade applied. The age range for students in each grade is typically 16 months, for example students applying for Grade 1 would be between 5 years 8 months to 7 years on August 31 of the year of entry. Parents are requested to note that 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.


IV) ADMISSION PRIORITIES

There is no guaranteed admission for any applicant but admission priorities will be given to nominees of our Capital Note Holders and applicants with siblings currently studying at The ISF Academy. Notwithstanding the previous statement, every applicant must pass the admission assessment, complete the whole admission process and fulfill all the admission requirements to be considered for enrollment. Nominees of Capital Note Holders and siblings will be given an opportunity for a re-assessment should they fail the first admission assessment.  In general, applicants who do not pass the assessment are able to reapply after a lapse of nine months from the closing date of the first application period. Please contact our Admission Office for details of admission-related benefits for nominees of Capital Note Holders.