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South Island School

Hong Kong

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· Reviewed by · B2C Marketing Manager

Independently researched by doris.
Not yet claimed by the school
The school at a glance
Instructs in English
Fees HK$167,600 - 181,100
Ages 11 - 18 years
Pupil numbers 1400
Type Co-educational
Opened 1977
Bus Service Yes
Availability Not shared by this school
Part of
English Schools Foundation
Academic offering
Curriculum IB (MYP), IB (DP), IBCP (International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme), BTEC Qualification, Cambridge IGCSE
Taught languages English, French, Japanese, Mandarin, Spanish
Typical class size 22
Strengths Sport, Performing Arts, Academic Enrichment
Clubs Academic and Intellectual, Arts and Creative, Cultural and Language, Social and Hobbies, Community and Service, Leadership and Professional, Lifestyle and Wellbeing
Stages Secondary School, Sixth Form
Introduction

South Island School is an English-medium, Years 7–13 secondary on Hong Kong Island’s south side (Deep Water Bay/Aberdeen). It offers the IB Middle Years Programme in Years 7–9, IGCSEs (Cambridge and Pearson Edexcel) in Years 10–11, and three senior pathways in Years 12–13: IB Diploma Programme, IB Career-related Programme (including BTEC options), and the SIS Diploma. The campus includes a renovated School Hall that seats 400+ for performances and a rugby-appropriate AstroTurf pitch. The language of instruction is English, with Chinese, French, Japanese, Spanish, and Korean offered through multiple pathways. A distinctive feature is the school’s Making a Difference ethos, seen in community projects within the MYP and whole-school events such as International Evening, TEDxTSIS, and service-oriented programmes.

sis.esf.edu.hk
This campus is part of English Schools Foundation

50 Nam Fung Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong

Vibes and Culture
The school has not added this information
The Essentials

South Island School has 1,400 pupils, typical class sizes of 22, instruction in English.

Location
South Island School is located at 50 Nam Fung Road, Deep Water Bay / Aberdeen, on Hong Kong Island. It is in a semi-rural green setting, backed by Mount Nicholson and facing the South China Sea, yet connected via local bus routes (e.g. Citybus 76, 41A) and taxi access (though campus gates are closed during school hours).

Stages
The school serves Years 7 to 13. Within that span, it provides middle years (7–9), IGCSE (10–11), and senior years (12–13) programmes

Type
South Island School is a co-educational day school.

Additional learning support
SIS operates an inclusive model of support, with tiered “Levels of Adjustment” (LOA) from 1 through 4 for students requiring accommodations. Students at LOA 3–4 can access more specialised provisions via the Learning Support Centre, small-group classes, or alternative curricula. In some cases, the school may request a private Educational Assistant to support a student’s classroom access or care.

Country affiliation
The school is not affiliated with any country.

Religious affiliation
The school has no religious affiliations.

School day structure
The official school hours vary by day: on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays the day runs 7:55 am to 3:15 pm; on Tuesdays the start is later, and Fridays end earlier (7:55 am to 12:55 pm).

Bus service
The school provides a bus service operated by Kwoon Chung Bus Services across Hong Kong Island. Students are typically picked up near homes or public transport nodes (it is not purely door-to-door). The bus application, route information, and fee payments are managed via an online platform.
Diving Deeper
The school has not added this information
Fees

Annual tuition at South Island School ranges from HKD 167,600 to HKD 181,100 for 2026/27.

Application Fee

A one-time, non-refundable application fee of HKD 2,800 per applicant.
This covers admissions administration and must be paid at the time of application.

Tuition Fees (per year, payable over 10 months)

Years 7–10: HKD 181,100
Year 11: HKD 159,400
Years 12–13: HKD 167,600

Billing and Payment Schedule

Tuition fees are paid in ten monthly instalments (August to May) by mandatory direct debit.
Payments are due on the first day of each month.

Deposit

A deposit equivalent to two months of school fees must be paid when a place is accepted.
Half of this deposit is offset against the first month’s fee, while the remainder is credited against the last month’s fee (if withdrawal notice conditions are met).

Other Charges

Non-Refundable Capital Levy (NCL): A one-off, sliding-scale fee, ranging from HKD 26,000 for Year 7 to HKD 3,800 for Year 13, payable when joining ESF schools.
Families may also choose Individual Nomination Rights (INR) or Corporate Nomination Rights (CNR) for interview priority.

Refund Policy

Deposits are only offset against tuition (not refunded as cash).
Fees remain payable if a student goes on leave during term.

Payment Options

Payments are made by direct debit for tuition.
Application fees are paid via credit card or PayPal.

Academics

South Island School teaches IB (MYP), IB (DP), IBCP (International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme), BTEC Qualification, Cambridge IGCSE for students aged 11 to 18.

Curriculum
Students in Years 7 to 9 follow the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IB MYP), which combines subject learning with skills development and community projects. In Years 10 and 11, students prepare for external examinations through a mix of Cambridge IGCSE and Pearson Edexcel IGCSE subjects. At the senior level, Years 12 and 13, the school offers three distinct pathways: the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP), the International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP), and the SIS Diploma. The IBCP includes vocational options such as BTEC qualifications, providing flexibility for students with different interests and strengths. Across all stages, English is the main language of instruction, and students study additional languages including Chinese, French, Japanese, Spanish, and Korean. This structure allows progression from broad foundational learning in the middle years to specialised qualifications in the senior years.

Academic calendar
Wellbeing
The school has not added this information
Parent Experience
The school has not added this information
Facilities
The school has not added this information
Extra-Curricular Activities
The school has not added this information
Languages
The school has not added this information
Reputation
The school has not added this information
Admissions

Admissions
1. Online Application Submission
Families submit an online application through the ESF admissions portal, selecting up to four ESF school preferences. The application includes the non-refundable administration fee.

2. Assessment / Interview / Testing
Applicants (for years other than entry levels) are invited to attend assessments or interviews to evaluate their readiness for the English-medium curriculum. Shortlisted candidates are notified with schedules for testing and interviews.

3. Offer of Place & Acceptance
If successful and if a vacancy exists, the school issues an offer of place. The family must accept by a deadline, after which a deposit or building levy may be required.

4. Onboarding & Entry Requirements
Once accepted, the student is integrated into the school system, including orientation, registration, and payment of fees per the school’s billing schedule. Families may also be asked to submit supporting documents (previous school records, medical records, etc.). (No explicit public detail on every onboarding step is given beyond the above, so some of this is inferred from standard practice and the admissions overview.)

5. Waitlist Consideration
If no immediate place is available, the candidate may be placed into a waitlist or pool (see below). Offers from the waitlist may be made when places become available.

Scholarships
South Island school does not provide information about any financial assistance via scholarships or aid.

Waitlist
SIS (via ESF) does maintain a waiting list / pool system for school places when demand exceeds vacancies. Applicants are placed on the waitlist in priority order, and if a vacancy arises, offers may be extended from the waitlist by date of application and priority group.
School Events
The school has not added events
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