Parents

This has been a significant year for ESF.

A few months ago we launched our new strategy, our Vision for 2030. This document is so much more than the words on its pages. It is a way of working that, by identifying our key priority areas of Belonging, Engagement and Personalisation, will equip us to face an uncertain future with confidence. It will allow us to lead the change in education that this current technological revolution demands. Above all, it will ensure that we are ready to deliver on our promise to help your children be the best that they can be, regardless of what the future holds.

We also moved into our new permanent home in North Point. This is one of the most important developments in our near 60 year history. We now own our own headquarters - and what a strong signal that sends to the people of our city. From that world-class facility, we will be able to grow and develop and continue to support our schools as we deliver the very best for generations to come.

We are proud of the strong partnership that we have built with our parents. You know your children better than anyone and your unique insights can help us build that exciting future together.

That is why I am asking you to take part in our upcoming Stakeholder Survey, which will launch the week commencing 23 February.

In the survey, we will be asking you to tell us about your current experience as an ESF parent - and also asking you to tell us what we might do differently or better. This feedback is hugely important to us.

The survey will be emailed to you and is relatively short, it will take around ten minutes to complete. We will also be sending similar questionnaires to our staff and our students. Your responses will be anonymous - unless you choose to identify yourself. Once the survey period closes, we will collate and analyse the data and, of course, feed back to you what we have found.

ESF is a wonderful organisation that I am proud to lead. Thanks to the excellence of our staff, the passion and dedication of our students and, of course, the incredible support we receive from you, our parents, I believe that we are well placed to meet any challenge that may come our way.

As always, thank you for the faith and trust that you place in us.

Belinda Greer

Chief Executive 
English Schools Foundation 

Dear Parents,

Keeping your child safe is our top priority at ESF.

I would like to share our Safeguarding and Child Protection Brochure with you. This document explains how we work to protect your children from harm.

You may be aware that Hong Kong has introduced a new law regarding child protection. As of 20 January 2026, our teachers and staff are legally required to report serious safety concerns to the authorities. We view this as a positive step to ensure children's safety, and all our staff have been trained on this new law.

We want to work closely with you to keep your child safe.

If you ever have a worry or concern, no matter how small, please come and speak to us. It doesn't have to be about a major incident; it could simply be a feeling you have or something you are unsure about.

You can speak with your school's Principal, or contact your school's Child Protection Officers directly. Please visit your school's website and go to the "What we stand for" section. You can find their contact details there.

Our doors are always open to you.

Sincerely,

Mark Blackshaw

Director of Education
English Schools Foundation 
 

Parents

I hope that you all had a great mid-term break and enjoyed the many wonderful activities that take place around Mid-Autumn Festival. It is such a magical time of year. As someone who has adopted Hong Kong as their home for more than a decade, it is a time of year that I look forward to immensely.

I wrote to you last after Super Typhon Ragasa had finally dissipated and moved on from us. It was an incredible few days, amongst a few months that have reminded us of the power and influence of Mother Nature.

I wanted to provide you with an update on what we have been doing since then. 

You will recall that I said that, in the face of what appears to be weather that is changing with each passing year, we were going to review areas such as how we deliver on-line learning. That work is progressing well and I hope to be in a position to let you know about the outcome in the coming weeks.

We have also taken this opportunity to broaden this work out. 

Our young people, your children, spend 500 weeks at school. This may sound like a lot but, as you know all too well, that time passes by at an incredibly fast pace. 

The key thing about those 500 weeks is, of course, that time only moves in one direction. We do not get the chance to go back and do things again. Every student has that set period of time in school - and it is our responsibility as teachers and leaders to make sure that we squeeze every bit of value out of every moment for every student.

While we have developed strong protocols for online learning - and these will be further strengthened by the work of our review - we all know that the optimal situation, for a whole host of reasons, is to have the students in school with their teachers and classmates.

So, we have decided that we need to look at ways in which we can both maximise the time our students have in school - and provide a consistent approach to areas that directly impact you, our families. So, we are going to be carrying out a review into the way in which we carry out activities such as the K2-Y1 transition and parent/teacher and three way conferences. 

Where we can streamline processes to get more time for our students to be in school, then that is what we will do.

We have also made a decision about the ESF-wide CPD day that is scheduled to take place towards the end of February. As you know, we place an incredible amount of importance in making sure that our staff have every opportunity to develop and enhance their skills. This is something that makes ESF stand out not just here in Hong Kong, but globally as well.

However, we recognise that this year has been truly exceptional in terms of the disruption we have faced due to the weather. In the past few months alone, there have been a total of eight days where our ability to conduct face-to-face learning has been disrupted for all or some of our schools. This is double what we saw last year.

So, in order to counter this exceptional situation, we are taking exceptional measures. The CPD day in February will revert back to being a teaching day - and our schools will be open to students. Your Principal will be in touch with you shortly to talk about the specifics of how that is going to happen. 

As always, I want to thank you for all of the support that you give to your school and to ESF. We are an exceptional organisation - and all of us know just how important the role that you play in helping us to do what we do: helping every student be the best that they can be.

Belinda Greer

Chief Executive Officer
English Schools Foundation 
 

(REMINDER) Bus Service Registration

Dear Parents, 

We hope you are having a wonderful summer. As the first school term approaches, we kindly remind you to register your child for the school bus service as soon as possible if needed.

School Bus Arrangements

Our school bus service is run by an outside company, Kwoon Chung Motors Company Limited.

Routes: Bus routes operate across Hong Kong Island, covering areas from Chai Wan (Island East) to Pok Fu Lam (Island West) and South Horizon (Island South).

Schedules: The Bus Company will tell parents about specific bus pick-up and drop-off points and times about one week before school starts.

Route Operation: The bus routes depend on the number of children who sign up. This means some locations might not have bus service. We advise parents to confirm their transport plans before enrolling in kindergarten.

Fees: Bus and escort (bus mother) fees are paid each term, no matter the distance.

Private Arrangement: This bus service is a private arrangement between parents and the bus company. 

Application: If your child needs school bus service, please apply using the registration link as soon as possible.

Any questions, changes, or concerns should be sent directly to Kwoon Chung Motors Company Limited.

Email: esfhs@kcm.com.hk

Registration: http://school.kcm.com.hk/esfhs

Tel: +852 2979 8798

Fax: +852 2562 3399

We look forward to welcoming you to Hillside Kindergarten!

Kind regards,

Hillside Admin Team

(REMINDER) Bus Service Registration

Dear Parents, 

We hope you are having a wonderful summer. As the first school term approaches, we kindly remind you to register your child for the school bus service as soon as possible if needed.

School Bus Arrangements

Our school bus service is run by an outside company, Kwoon Chung Motors Company Limited.

Routes: Bus routes operate across Hong Kong Island, covering areas from Chai Wan (Island East) to Pok Fu Lam (Island West) and South Horizon (Island South).

Schedules: The Bus Company will tell parents about specific bus pick-up and drop-off points and times about one week before school starts.

Route Operation: The bus routes depend on the number of children who sign up. This means some locations might not have bus service. We advise parents to confirm their transport plans before enrolling in kindergarten.

Fees: Bus and escort (bus mother) fees are paid each term, no matter the distance.

Private Arrangement: This bus service is a private arrangement between parents and the bus company. 

Application: If your child needs school bus service, please apply using the registration link as soon as possible.

K1 Induction Weeks: For K1 induction weeks, to help with a smooth start, the full bus service will not be available. In the second week, if your child will be taking the bus, please do not wait at school to say goodbye, as this can increase anxiety. A quick and cheerful drop-off helps your child settle in.

Any questions, changes, or concerns should be sent directly to Kwoon Chung Motors Company Limited.

Email: esfhs@kcm.com.hk

Registration: http://school.kcm.com.hk/esfhs

Tel: +852 2979 8798

Fax: +852 2562 3399

We look forward to welcoming you to Hillside Kindergarten!

Kind regards,

Hillside Admin Team