Harrow International School Hong Kong vs Kellett School – Pok Fu Lam Preparatory School
Harrow International School Hong Kong and Kellett School – Pok Fu Lam Preparatory School are both in Hong Kong, about 21 km apart. Both schools offer British and EYFS programmes, and Harrow International School Hong Kong also offers Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge International AS Levels, Cambridge A Levels and Pearson Edexcel IGCSE. Published annual fees are HK$175,812 - 239,070 at Harrow International School Hong Kong and HK$208,800 - 267,100 at Kellett School – Pok Fu Lam Preparatory School, which puts Kellett School – Pok Fu Lam Preparatory School roughly 15% higher. Harrow International School Hong Kong takes pupils from 3 to 18, and Kellett School – Pok Fu Lam Preparatory School from 4 to 11. The two are similar in size, at around 1,650 and 1,550 pupils. Typical class sizes are 22 at Harrow International School Hong Kong and 24 at Kellett School – Pok Fu Lam Preparatory School.
British Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge International AS Levels, Cambridge A Levels, EYFS (Early years foundation stage), Pearson Edexcel IGCSE
Curriculum
British Curriculum, EYFS (Early years foundation stage)
Pupils
Pupils
1,650
Pupils
1,550
Typical class size
Typical class size
22
Typical class size
24
Instruction language
Instruction language
English
Instruction language
English
Opened
Opened
2012
Opened
1980
Bus service
Bus service
Yes
Bus service
Yes
Essentials
Essentials
Location
Location
Harrow Hong Kong is located at 38 Tsing Ying Road in Tuen Mun, near the Gold Coast on Hong Kong’s western side. The campus is accessible from major districts such as Kowloon and Hong Kong Island via school bus services. Its coastal setting provides a quieter environment while remaining connected to the city’s transport network
Location
The Pok Fu Lam Preparatory campus is situated on Hong Kong Island’s south side, in the Pok Fu Lam/Wah Fu area. The campus lies near Mount Kellett and overlooks Kellett Bay. It is in the Southern District and is well served by public transport, including bus and minibus links, alongside a dedicated school coach service.
Stages
Stages
The school educates pupils aged 3 to 18. It is divided into Early Years (Nursery–Reception), Lower School (Years 1–5), Upper School (Years 6–11), and Sixth Form (Years 12–13)
Stages
This campus serves children from Reception to Year 6 (ages 4–11). Reception follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), after which pupils progress through a modified English National Curriculum.
School type
School type
Harrow Hong Kong is a co-educational day and boarding school. Boarding is available from Year 6 onwards as a five-night weekly programme, with students placed in Houses that form the core of pastoral and boarding life.
School type
Kellett is a co-educational day school. Boarding is not offered at either of its campuses in Hong Kong.
Pupil nationality mix
Pupil nationality mix
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Pupil nationality mix
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Additional learning support
Additional learning support
The school’s Individual Needs Department supports pupils with mild to moderate learning difficulties. Provision includes in-class support, individual or small group interventions, and collaboration with teachers to tailor learning strategies.
Additional learning support
The school operates an Additional Support Needs (ASN) framework, which provides tailored help for students requiring extra assistance and offers “Further Challenge” opportunities for those exceeding expectations. Support may include differentiated teaching, targeted interventions, and collaboration with external specialists when appropriate.
Country affiliation
Country affiliation
The school is part of the broader Harrow School network but not affiliated with any country.
Country affiliation
Kellett is a British international school. It follows the English National Curriculum and is inspected as a British School Overseas.
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation
Harrow Hong Kong has no religious affiliations.
Religious affiliation
The school has no religious affiliation.
School day structure
School day structure
The school day varies by level: in the Lower School, lessons typically run from around 8:00 am until mid-afternoon, with morning and lunch breaks; in Upper School and Sixth Form, the day includes six to seven lessons, tutorial time, and co-curricular activities, generally finishing around 4:00 pm.
School day structure
The school day runs from 08:30 to 15:15. Breaks and lunchtimes vary by year group; for example, Years 4–6 have a morning break from 10:30–10:50 and lunch between 12:30–13:30.
Bus service details
Bus service details
The School’s mandatory bus service is provided by Chun Wo Bus Services Limited. Chun Wo Bus Services Limited operates routes to and from Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, Discovery Bay, Gold Coast, Siu Lam, and Tuen Mun. The buses are equipped with appropriate seat belts and each bus has its own adult supervision.
Bus service details
A dedicated school bus service is offered through Kwoon Chung Bus Holdings Ltd., which provides routes to and from Pok Fu Lam. Detailed bus routes and fees are published by the school. Public transport options, including buses and minibuses, are also available nearby for families who do not use the school service.
Fees
Fees
Fee details
Fee details
Application Fee
* A non-refundable, non-transferable application fee of HKD 1,500 is charged to cover admissions processing.
* Fees are billed termly in advance and payable in Hong Kong Dollars on the first day of each term. * Discounts are applied for siblings enrolled simultaneously (5% for the third child, 10% for the fourth, 15% for the fifth and subsequent children).
Boarding Fees (Years 6–13)
* HKD 130,705 annually (HKD 52,283 Autumn; HKD 39,211 Spring; HKD 39,211 Summer). * Boarding is five nights per week (Sunday evening to Friday afternoon).
Additional Costs
* Included: Some essential school supplies, pupil activities, and insurance. * Excluded: Textbooks, trips, compulsory uniform, lunch, snacks, and school bus transport. Examination fees for Years 10–13 and some Year 9 programmes are also excluded. * Capital Levy: Pupils without debentures or capital certificates must pay HKD 60,000 annually.
Refunds
* Application fees and the Capital Levy are non-refundable. Tuition and boarding fees are not generally refundable once paid.
Payment Options
* Payment is made via bank transfer in Hong Kong Dollars.
Fee details
Application Fees For Reception to Year 4, an application fee of HK\$2,000 is required. For Year 5 to Year 13, the application fee is HK\$2,500, which includes the assessment charge. These fees are non-refundable.
Annual Capital Levy / Debentures All new students must either pay an Annual Capital Levy of HK\$40,000 (non-refundable, non-redeemable) or hold a debenture. Debenture options include a Corporate Debenture of HK\$650,000 (increasing to HK\$1,000,000 from September 2025), as well as Foundation and Golden Jubilee debenture options.
Tuition Fees (Per Year) Reception – Year 6: HK\$208,800 Fees are billed by term as follows:
Term 1: 40% (HK\$83,520) Term 2: 30% (HK\$62,640) Term 3: 30% (HK\$62,640)
Billing and Payment Terms Tuition is invoiced three times per year, about one month before each term begins. Payment is due on the first day of term. For families joining partway through the school year, fees are charged on a pro-rata basis.
Additional Fees Costs not included in tuition are school transport, uniforms, lunches, certain extracurricular activities, examination entry fees, and optional overseas trips. For Senior School only, students are required to bring their own device under the BYOD programme.
Diving deeper
Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements
Boarding arrangements
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Boarding arrangements
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Uniform requirement
Uniform requirement
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Uniform requirement
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Food options
Food options
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Food options
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House system
House system
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House system
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Governance and ownership
Governance and ownership
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Governance and ownership
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Academics
Academics
Curriculum details
Curriculum details
Harrow International School Hong Kong follows the English National Curriculum across all stages. In the Early Years (Nursery and Reception), pupils learn through the Early Years Foundation Stage framework, focusing on play-based and early literacy and numeracy development. The Lower School (Years 1–5) continues with the National Curriculum of England, emphasizing core subjects such as English, Mathematics, Science, and Humanities alongside Art, Music, Drama, Physical Education, and Mandarin. In the Upper School (Years 6–9), students build on these foundations with a broader academic programme that includes specialist teaching in subjects like Design Technology, Computing, and Modern Foreign Languages. In Years 10–11, pupils prepare for General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examinations, selecting from a range of subjects that combine compulsory and optional courses. The Sixth Form (Years 12–13) offers A Levels with the option of completing an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), providing students with depth of study and independent research experience.
Curriculum details
At Pok Fu Lam, pupils begin in Reception with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework. From Year 1 to Year 6, the school follows a modified English National Curriculum, adapted for an international setting. The curriculum includes core subjects such as English, mathematics, and science, alongside specialist teaching in Mandarin, music, art, PE, public speaking, and digital skills. Learning is supported by small class sizes capped at 24 and additional teaching assistants in the early years. The curriculum also incorporates an Innovation programme to encourage problem-solving and creativity, and pupils participate widely in Expressive Arts and extracurricular activities. Students completing Year 6 at Pok Fu Lam typically transfer to the Senior School at Kowloon Bay.
1. Initial Enquiry and Application Parents begin by completing the online application form and paying a non-refundable HKD 1,500 application fee. Required documents, such as school reports and identification, must be submitted with the form.
2. Age and Year Group Placement The school uses clear age guidelines to determine year group placement. Exceptions are rare and assessed individually.
3. Assessment Applicants are invited for assessments appropriate to their year group. This may include written tasks, online testing, and interviews with senior staff. English language ability is also assessed, especially for older year groups.
4. Offer of Place Following assessment, successful applicants receive a formal offer. Offers are conditional on the outcome of assessments and availability of places.
5. Acceptance and Fees Parents confirm acceptance by returning the signed offer letter and paying the required fees, which include the capital levy, tuition deposit, and other charges.
Admissions
1. Initial enquiry and review: Families can apply at any time, as applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Parents are encouraged to review the school’s Admissions Policy and relevant documentation before submitting an application, particularly since places at some year groups are often full.
2. Preparing documents: Applications must include a recent passport-sized photograph of the student, copies of the student’s passport and birth certificate, and Hong Kong ID if applicable. Families must also provide the most recent two years of school reports, if available, to support the application.
3. Application submission and payment: Applications are submitted online via OpenApply, and must be accompanied by the appropriate application fee. These fees are non-refundable.
4. Assessment and placement: Depending on the year group, applicants may be required to attend an assessment to confirm readiness for the curriculum. Placement decisions are made with reference to the school’s admissions criteria and curriculum requirements.
5. Offer and acceptance: If a place is offered, families must secure it through either a debenture or the Annual Capital Levy, as set out in the school’s fees policy. Tuition and other costs are then billed according to the school’s published termly schedule.
Scholarships
Scholarships
The school offers Scholarships and Exhibitions for entry into Year 9 and Year 12. These are awarded for outstanding ability in areas such as academics, sport, music, or the arts. Awards are based on performance in assessments, interviews, and evidence of achievement. Exhibition awards may be given to pupils with strong potential who do not yet meet full scholarship criteria. Scholarships provide recognition and may also include partial fee remission.
Scholarships
The school does not publicly provide information about scholarships.
Waitlist
Waitlist
Harrow Hong Kong operates a waitlist system when year groups are full. Applications are assessed in the same way as standard admissions, and successful candidates are placed on the waitlist until a space becomes available.
Waitlist
Kellett states that a waitlist is in operation for certain year groups, and in recent years, classes have been full with families placed on waiting lists. Waitlist movement depends on availability, and parents are advised to maintain contact with the Admissions team for updates.
