ICHK Hong Lok Yuen Kindergarten & Primary was founded in 1983 after a group of parents decided to start a school in their verdant community of Hong Lok Yuen Estates. It was one of the first international schools to offer a Chinese language programme. Today, ICHK Hong Lok Yuen is a Kindergarten and Primary school. When moving to secondary school, ICHK HLY students have priority places at ICHK Secondary School. The school has recently been shortlisted for the 2023 International School Award.
Campus and facilities
Located in a valley in an accessible part of the New Territories, Hong Lok Yuen is known for its spacious, green surroundings. The Kindergarten and Primary campus features extensive outdoor learning areas:
- A natural playing field,
- Garden,
- Miyawaki mini-forest (the first of its kind in Hong Kong),
- Sand playground,
- Outdoor forest classroom,
- Nature area called “The Woods”,
- And access to nearby wild areas.
ICHK Hong Lok Yuen’s sprawling outdoor spaces are truly unique in Hong Kong, giving students the opportunity to engage with nature on a daily basis.
Values and DNA of ICHK Hong Lok Yuen
Students are encouraged to develop empathy for and knowledge about environmental sustainability
There are 400 kindergarten and primary students, which, as Head of School Derek Pinchbeck puts it, allows the school to be “large enough to do exciting things while small enough to have a true sense of community.”
The proximity to nature truly impacts the culture of the school, he says. This holistic approach to children’s growth engenders confidence and love of nature in students on top of academic excellence. ICHK Hong Lok Yuen’s values can be summed up as building empathy for the environment and other people, as well as an excitement for learning.
ICHK Hong Lok Yuen’s curriculum
The IB Primary Year Programme (PYP) focuses on developing the child as a natural inquirer. In particular, the curriculum emphasizes meeting the unique needs of bilingual and multilingual (BML) students. ICHK Hong Lok Yuen was the first school in Hong Kong to be awarded BML SMART School status in recognition of the quality of support they provide to BML students.
Lessons are delivered in English, with a 45-minute period of Mandarin (Traditional Chinese writing and reading) daily.
ICHK Primary students have preferential places at ICHK Secondary. Around 80% of Year 6 students choose to continue their secondary school studies at the secondary school.
How admission works
Applications to all grade levels are open all year round, and should be completed online. The school is now accepting applications for 2023/2024 year. (Limited places for the current school year are also available.)
Interested parents can book school tours on the website or by emailing Shirley Lam at admissions@ichkhly.edu.hk
Essential details
- Start time at 8:15am. (School gates open at 8am.)
- Part-time Nursery finishes at 11:30am each day.
- Full-time Nursery & Reception to Year 6 finish at 3pm, except Wednesdays when the finish time is 2pm.
- The school uses Maxim’s for its bus services, with provision for most locations in the New Territories. For more information on routes, school bus policy, and transport application form, please check their website.
Meet ICHK Hong Lok Yuen Kindergarten & Primary
- Website: https://ichkhly.edu.hk/
- Phone: +852 3955 3000
- Address: 3, Twentieth St, Hong Lok Yuen, Tai Po, New Territories
Image credits: ICHK Hong Lok Yuen Kindergarten & Primary
