Tutor Time, Hong Kong’s Leading Holistic Bilingual English-Mandarin Preschool

In collaboration with Tutor Time

In one of the most competitive cities in Asia for early childhood education, where the kindergarten your child goes to can affect the rest of their academic trajectory, meet Tutor Time, the first immersive English-Mandarin preschool in Hong Kong. The ethos behind this bilingual nursery and kindergarten is preparing children to attend the best primary schools in the city. Founded in Florida in 1988, the first Hong Kong branch opened in 2001, and now has four beautiful campuses.

Tutor Time’s nursery program

The nursery program for ages 2 to 3 is the second step in Tutor Time’s school readiness pathway. The ‘Learn From The Start’ curriculum focuses on teaching students to follow directions, collaborate, get comfortable with routines, and start developing the curiosity and discernment necessary for independent learning. All nursery classrooms have adjoining child-sized washrooms, which serve two purposes: maximum comfort and safety for the kids and promoting self-help skill growth.

Tutor Time’s kindergarten program

Tutor Time’s kindergarten program is where children aged 3 to 6 can really rev the engines of their multi-language learning and grow topic-specific skills. Students are encouraged to explore their interests through the LifeSmart program, which covers 10 spheres of knowledge including Creative Arts, Nature & Science, and Logic & Reasoning. Storytelling, reading, and hands-on activities develop collaboration and communications skills. As with the nursery classes, all classrooms have directly accessible child-appropriate washrooms. Both nursery and kindergarten curriculums are offered at all Tutor Time campuses.

Campuses and facilities

Campuses are located in Central, North Point, Kowloon Tong, and Yuen Long, the majority of which incorporate a flow of indoor space and verdant outdoor play areas.

The newest campus is the YOHO campus, the largest yet at over 20,000 sq.ft covering two floors with two indoor playgrounds. The Dorset Crescent campus in Kowloon Tong boasts four full playgrounds – two indoors and two outdoors (one with a rock climbing wall), all tailored for different purposes of play. 

The Braemar Hill campus in Hong Kong Island’s eastern side is also spread over two levels, with nine classrooms, an outdoor playground and indoor playground with floor-to-ceiling windows. Tucked in Mid-Levels, the Caine Road campus has a rich student body of diverse nationalities, who have gone on to study at some of the most prestigious international schools in Hong Kong.

Values and DNA of Tutor Time

Serving ages 6 months to 6 years (i.e. infant to Kindergarten 3), Tutor Time’s educational values are based in personalizing the curriculum for your child based on their learning opportunities and strengths, and preparing them for future education and society by growing their self-esteem and passion for self-motivated learning.

Curriculums are tailored by teachers because each child has unique strengths. In short, it’s important that Tutor Time’s teachers have a curiosity and flexibility to discover, similar to the love of learning they strive to instill in students. This methodology is inspired by Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory, the idea that a person’s intelligence is made up of a range of abilities (including Logical-Mathematical and Bodily-Kinesthetic) rather than general mental intelligence.

Personalized curriculums

What exactly is the process of customizing curriculums for your child? Teachers use the Intentional Planning cycle, where they observe each child in class and create personalized lesson plans with activities fine-tuned to target their learning blocks, while nurturing their innate talents. These programs include early sign language, cognitive development, and healthy living education, which are regularly assessed and modified based on student success to maintain a competitive edge.

Classes, which maintain a 1:8 teacher to studio ratio, are conducted by native Mandarin and English teachers.

In the end, the goal of the School Readiness Pathway curriculum is to pave the way for your child to enter excellent international and local primary schools, setting them up for success in the long run.

How admission works

The 2022-2023 semesters run from September 1, 2022 to December 16, 2022 (Fall), January 3 to July 14 (Spring), and July 17 to August 11 (Summer).

To start the process of enrolling your little one at a Tutor Time preschool, parents are invited to attend info sessions or a school visit, or even a convenient virtual tour (conducted in English or Mandarin) any time during the year to learn more about Tutor Time’s values and programs.

All new Tutor Time applicants are invited to attend an interview called an observation session, where a staff member interacts with the child in a series of activities to ensure that Tutor Time’s curriculum is a good fit. Interviews are ongoing throughout the year starting from October, but as placement of outside applicants is based on a first-come-first-served basis, it’s recommended that parents begin applications for the autumn term up to one school year in advance to get into their program of choice.

Annual tuition fees for the 2022-2023 year are based on the campus, and can be provided upon request.

Essential details

• Nursery and kindergarten school days run Monday to Friday from 9am – 12pm (AM session) and 1:30pm – 4:30pm (PM session). Parents may also opt for the extended day option, where they can join both sessions.
• Wow Activity Group playgroups run Tuesday to Saturday from 9am – 10:30am or 10:30am – 12pm (AM sessions) and 1:30pm – 3pm or 3pm – 4:30pm (PM sessions). At Caine Road campus, Wow Activity Groups are also available on Monday (mornings only on Monday and Saturday).
• Braemar Hill and Dorset Crescent campuses offer bus services.
• After-school arrangement: After School with Friends enrichment classes are open to students and non-students, with each campus offering different classes each term. These special interest-based programs allow children to pursue kung fu, dance, cooking interview prep, arts and crafts, and third languge such as Spanish.
• Scholarships are available for children of primary and secondary school teachers in Hong Kong.

Meet Tutor Time

Image credits: Tutor Time