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Carmel School - Holly Rofé Early Learning Centre

Hong Kong

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The school at a glance
Instructs in English
Fees HK$10,800 - 16,700
Ages 1 - 5 years
Pupil numbers 350
Type Co-educational
Opened 1991
Bus Service Yes
Part of
Carmel School
Academic offering
Curriculum IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP)
Taught languages French, Hebrew, Mandarin
Typical class size 4
Strengths Performing Arts, Visual and Creative Arts, Academic Enrichment
Clubs Arts and Creative, Cultural and Language, Lifestyle and Wellbeing
Stages Infant/Toddler Care, Early Years
Introduction

Carmel School’s Holly Rofé Early Learning Centre is located inside the Jewish Community Centre at One Robinson Place, 70 Robinson Road in Mid-Levels, Hong Kong. It serves children from age one through Pre-K and feeds into Carmel’s IB Primary Years Programme at the nearby Elementary campus. The ELC’s programme includes Sensory Play, Creative Arts, Movement and Outdoor Exploration, with English as the language of instruction and additional language learning in Mandarin and Hebrew; French is available through the Extended Day Programme. Facilities at the ELC include an indoor heated pool, indoor and outdoor jungle gyms, an indoor multi-sport facility, climbing wall and a multiplay area. Families can use the school bus run by City School Bus Service Limited. Carmel School as a whole enrols over 350 students aged 1–18 across three campuses on Hong Kong Island.

This campus is part of Carmel School

Jewish Community Centre, Level 3, One Robinson Place, 70 Robinson Road, Mid-Levels, Hong Kong

The Essentials

Carmel School - Holly Rofé Early Learning Centre has 350 pupils, typical class sizes of 4, instruction in English.

Location
The Holly Rofé Early Learning Centre is situated in the Mid-Levels district of Hong Kong Island. This is a mainly residential area located above Central, with convenient access to the city. Families are supported by a dedicated school bus provider that connects the campus with other neighbourhoods.

Stages
The ELC caters to children from age 1 to age 5 across Walkers/Tzutzik, Ganeynu/Pre-Nursery, Nursery (K1), and Pre-K. From there, children move into Carmel Elementary (IB PYP) and later Elsa High School (IB MYP and DP).

Type
The school is an inclusive co-educational Jewish day school. Carmel operates as a day school across all three of its campuses, with no boarding facilities.

Additional learning support
Carmel notes a dedicated Learning Enhancement Room at the Elementary campus. The ELC’s pages, however, do not publish details of SEN provisions or specific support for children with Additional Learning Needs.

Country affiliation
Carmel is not affiliated with any one country; it is an International Baccalaureate Continuum School located in Hong Kong.

Religious affiliation
The school is an independent Jewish day school, guided by Modern Orthodox principles.

School day structure
The ELC day begins at 8:45am. Families can extend the day through the Extended Day Programme (EDP), which runs from 1:00pm to 3:00pm, Monday through Friday.

Bus service
Yes, the school offers a bus service run by City School Bus Service Limited. Families register directly through the provider, with support from the school office. If families cancel, one calendar month’s written notice is required, or a month’s fare is charged in lieu. Contact details for the provider are published, including a dedicated phone line and email.
Diving Deeper

Boarding Arrangements
The school does not offer boarding. There is an Extended Day Programme (EDP) for Nursery and Pre K from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm, and an Afternoon Unaccompanied Programme for toddlers from 12 months and up.

Uniform Requirement
Uniform is required. On Fridays and formal days, Blazer Days require blazer, shirt and tie; on other days, the polo shirt may be worn. A kippah is an integral part of the school uniform for Jewish male students.

Food Options
Snacks and lunch are prepared to meet nutritional needs and adhere to Kosher dietary laws. Nursery and Pre K lunches include options such as beef spaghetti, chicken or beef burgers, a selection of vegetables, fried noodles, and rice.

House System
The school uses a house system. Four Houses—Intellect (Blue), Virtue (Red), Loyalty (Purple) and Trust (Green)—are used for S1. Elsa High School operates with three Houses: Jerusalem, Haifa and Tel-Aviv.

Governance and Ownership
The governance is provided by the Carmel School Association Limited Board of Directors. The Board comprises not less than 10 members plus two PTA-nominated members; it sets policies and oversees the Principal and Head of the Elementary School. The Board's duties include ensuring the ethos, financial stability and strategic direction of the school, while day-to-day operations are led by the Principal and staff.
Fees

Annual tuition at Carmel School - Holly Rofé Early Learning Centre ranges from HKD 10,800 to HKD 16,700 for 2026/27.

Tuition Fees (Monthly)

Tzutzik / Walkers (Age 1–2): HKD 10,800 per month
Ganeynu / Pre-Nursery (Age 2–3): HKD 11,800 per month
Nursery (K1, Age 3–4): HKD 16,300 per month
Pre-K (Age 4–5): HKD 16,700 per month

Billing Schedule and Payment Terms
Fees are billed every month according to the child’s programme. The website does not provide details about specific due dates, instalments, or late payment conditions.

Additional Fees

Uniforms: Families purchase school uniforms separately through designated suppliers.
Transportation: Bus fees are charged by City School Bus Service Limited. Cancellation requires one month’s written notice, or one month’s fare is charged in lieu.
Other additional charges (such as lunches, textbooks, or activity fees) are not published on the ELC website.

Refund Policy
The bus service provider specifies that cancellations require one calendar month’s notice; otherwise, an additional month’s fee is charged. Tuition refund terms are not publicly detailed on the fees page.

Payment Options
The website does not specify payment methods (e.g. bank transfer or credit card).
Academics

Carmel School - Holly Rofé Early Learning Centre teaches IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP) for students aged 1 to 5.

Curriculum
The Holly Rofé Early Learning Centre provides programmes for children aged 1 to 5, focusing on sensory play, creative arts, movement, and outdoor exploration. English is the main language of instruction, with Mandarin taught three times per week from Nursery and Hebrew introduced as a subject; French is available in the Extended Day Programme. Students progress to Carmel Elementary, where the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP) runs from Kindergarten through Grade 5. From there, they continue into Elsa High School, which delivers the IB Middle Years Programme (IB MYP) in Grades 6 to 10, followed by the IB Diploma Programme (IB DP) in Grades 11 and 12. Carmel is authorised as an IB Continuum School, meaning students can complete their entire IB pathway within the same institution.

Academic calendar
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
The Holly Rofé Early Learning Centre incorporates age-appropriate development through structured activities such as sensory play, creative arts, movement, and outdoor exploration. These activities are designed to help children build early social interaction skills and emotional awareness. The programme includes music and movement sessions and free play, which provide opportunities for cooperation and self-expression. Specific staffing or dedicated SEL programmes are not publicly described on the school’s website.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)
Carmel School notes the presence of a Learning Enhancement Room at its Elementary campus. However, the Early Learning Centre pages do not provide details on the type of Special Educational Needs the school can support, nor do they outline SEN-specific provisions or specialist staff. The school does not present itself as a specialist SEN institution.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)
The school does not publicly disclose information regarding EAL at the Early Learning Centre. At the admissions stage for Elementary and High School, the school notes that English proficiency is assessed for non-native speakers; however, no ELC-specific program or support is published.

Mental Wellbeing
The school does not publicly disclose information regarding mental well-being initiatives, counselling services, or dedicated staff provision at the Early Learning Centre.

Safeguarding
Carmel School publishes a Health & Safety Policy, which outlines its commitment to maintaining a secure learning environment. This includes guidelines for supervision, health measures, and safety protocols. However, a standalone safeguarding or child protection policy is not published on the website.
Parent Experience

History
Carmel School was founded in 1991 as an independent Jewish day school in Hong Kong. It began with one preschool class and gradually expanded to include primary and secondary education across three campuses. The school follows Modern Orthodox Jewish principles while welcoming students from a variety of backgrounds. Since 2001, Carmel has been accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), and it is recognised as an IB Continuum School.

Community
Carmel places an emphasis on cultural and religious traditions, celebrating Jewish festivals such as Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot, and Shabbat across the campuses. Students also participate in service-learning initiatives and community activities. Assemblies, workshops, and family events form an important part of the school calendar, reinforcing connections among students, parents, and staff.

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
The Carmel PTA plays an active role in supporting school life through volunteer initiatives and events. One regular activity is the PTA Tuck Shop at the Elementary campus, where parents help provide snacks for students. The PTA also supports holiday celebrations, family gatherings, and cultural programmes that bring the community together. Parents often volunteer their time at events, ensuring children have enriching experiences beyond the classroom. Their involvement strengthens ties between families and the school, and helps sustain a welcoming and engaged community environment.
Facilities

Facilities Overview
The Holly Rofé Early Learning Campus offers a purpose-built, open-plan learning environment designed to encourage exploration and discovery. It features learning spaces with play corners and dedicated indoor and outdoor areas to support cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. Outdoor spaces include opportunities for gross motor activities, while indoor areas are arranged to be flexible for changing interests and needs.

Academic Facilities
The campus uses a tailored transdisciplinary curriculum delivered through small classes with a high teacher-to-student ratio, focusing on holistic development and giving individual time and attention to each child.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual
The Holly Rofé Early Learning Campus offers Tzutzik (1–2 years) and Ganeynu (2–3 years) in a play-based, language-rich environment designed to build independence and social skills. The programme includes Hebrew and Chinese language exposure, with Mandarin sessions beginning in Ganeynu, and a weekly Word Fun component plus a Hebrew language element named Chalav Ud'vash. The campus also includes an Afternoon Unaccompanied Programme for toddlers from 12 months, emphasizing English with Mandarin exposure and a blend of structured learning and free play to foster independence and social-emotional growth.

Arts & Creative
The site emphasizes learning through play with activities in music, arts and crafts, and movement, within a flexible open-plan environment designed to support cognitive, social, emotional and physical development.

Cultural & Language
The curriculum blends English as the primary medium with significant exposure to Mandarin and Hebrew (Mandarin three times weekly in Nursery; Hebrew introduced in Ganeynu and later in Pre-K). An Extended Day Programme offers Mandarin, Hebrew and French.

Social & Hobbies
The early years focus on social development through group activities, collaborative play, and routines that foster empathy, cooperation and positive peer relationships.

Community & Service
The programme integrates Jewish studies and calendar traditions as part of daily practice, with routines such as morning tefillot and Jewish studies embedded in the Nursery timetable.

Leadership & Professional
The campus operates within Carmel School's transdisciplinary, IB-aligned framework, preparing students for continued IB learning paths through Nursery to the Elementary Programme.

Lifestyle & Wellbeing
Outdoor and indoor play spaces support gross and fine motor development, with a strong emphasis on safety, emotional security and a nurturing learning environment.
Reputation

Awards
The school does not publicly disclose any institutional awards received.

Accreditations
Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC): Carmel School is accredited by WASC, a U.S. regional accreditation body; this accreditation affirms that Carmel meets accepted standards of institutional quality and continuous improvement.

International Baccalaureate (IB) Authorisation: Carmel holds authorisations to deliver the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), and Diploma Programme (DP), making it an IB Continuum School.

Membership in the East Asia Regional Conference of Overseas Schools (EARCOS): The school is publicly acknowledged as a member of EARCOS, a regional association of international schools in East Asia.
Admissions

Admissions
1. Application submission
Parents begin by completing the Application Checklist and Application Form, which can be submitted by email, post, or in person. For older applicants, additional documents such as student or educator questionnaires may be requested. Families are encouraged to apply well in advance, as placement is dependent on space availability.

2. Interview
Once applications are received, candidates and their families are invited for a face-to-face interview with the Carmel faculty. This meeting allows the school to better understand the child and the family’s expectations, while also giving parents the opportunity to ask questions. The interview is a required part of the process before any admission decision is made.

3. Assessment (where applicable)
While formal academic testing is not listed for Early Learning Centre admissions, the wider Carmel admissions process may include assessments, such as MAP entrance exams for higher grades. For ELC students, the focus is on developmental readiness rather than academic performance. The school also applies grade-level prerequisites for progression into Elementary and High School.

4. Placement criteria
Admission is based on age cut-off dates (31 October). For example, Nursery (K1) applicants must be three years old by 31 October of the school year. When places are limited, the school prioritises applications from siblings, children of staff, and members of the Jewish community.

5. Offer and enrolment
Successful applicants receive a formal acceptance letter. A non-refundable deposit is required to secure the child’s place at the school. Families must confirm acceptance promptly, as places are limited and demand is high.

Scholarships
The school does not publicly disclose information about scholarships or financial aid.

Waitlist
Carmel School does not operate a pool system. However, when places are limited, a priority system applies. Preference is given to siblings of current students, children of Carmel School staff, and children of employees or members of the Jewish community in Hong Kong. If no places are available, applicants may be placed on a waitlist until a space becomes available.
School Events
The school has not added events
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