Independent Schools Foundation Academy is a non-profit bilingual (Chinese and English) school that offers an IB education to students aged four to 18 years.

The ISF Academy offers a full immersion bilingual programme in English and Chinese, as well as an international curriculum based on the IB’s Middle Years Programme and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP).

Since being founded in 2000, The ISF Academy has developed into a large primary and secondary school with a student body of around 1,600 children. As a Private Independent School, 70% of the school’s intake must have permanent residency in Hong Kong.

An international team of teaching staff, who are native speakers of Putonghua and/or English, deliver a well-rounded bilingual programme that focuses on Putonghua in Foundation through to Grade 5, then English from Grades 6 to 12.

In the school’s own words:

“As a bilingual immersion school, we strive to have equal representation of both languages and cultures in assemblies, activities, and our awards programme. All students are encouraged to work, learn, and play together using the primary language emphasized within their year. We aim for mastery in both languages by upper secondary, backed by a deep appreciation for Chinese and other civilizations.”

At primary level, The ISF Academy follows an internationally blended curriculum that’s deeply rooted in Chinese culture and follows teaching methods of the UK, the US, Hong Kong, China, and Canada. At secondary level, teaching is based on the MYP and the IBDP, and enhanced with classes in the classics, science, and global politics as part of the school’s challenging and rigorous Shuyuan programme. The ISF Academy has small class sizes in all year groups, ranging from 20 students in primary up to 22 in secondary.

The ISF Academy moved to its new campus in 2007, where facilities include a 180-seat black-box theatre, art rooms, music practice rooms, junior science laboratory, indoor gymnasium with a vertical climbing wall, rooftop playground, senior study centre, two libraries, basketball courts, and a dining hall. A new Sporting and Cultural Centre houses a 25m six-lane indoor swimming pool, a performing arts centre with a 850-seat auditorium, multi-purpose sports courts, a wushu practice room, a tennis court, and a covered play area.

Academic results

The Class of 2021 achieved a 100% pass rate, with an average mean score of 40 (last year's was 37.2). There were three top scorers, 18 students scored 44 or 43 points, 63% scored 40 points or higher, and 76% students received the Bilingual Diploma.

Head of School, Dr. Malcolm Pritchard, praised the efforts of the graduating class:

“The ISF Academy commends the 60 members of the Class of 2021 for their resilience, diligence and adaptability throughout their IBDP learning journey, particularly in the face of challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2021. The entire ISF community is very proud of our 2021 graduates, the tenth cohort of IB Diploma students at The ISF Academy, for their great efforts and impressive results.

"The high proportion of Bilingual Diploma earners – 76% – also demonstrates our students’ extraordinary linguistic skills in mastering both Chinese and English through our unique curriculum, which imbues a deep appreciation for Chinese culture and other civilizations. We wish them every success in their future endeavors!”

Read our roundup of Hong Kong's 2021 IB results here.

This is a selective school. Tuition fees range from HKD 188,940 – 238,630. There is a General Capital Levy for the 2018-19 academic year of HKD 200,000; HKD 100,000 of it is refundable. There is also an Annual Capital Levy of HKD 45,000 for the first year and HKD 30,000 per year for second and subsequent years.

A full review will be posted shortly.

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