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Discovery College

Hong Kong

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The school at a glance
Instructs in English
Fees HK$162,100 - 215,300
Ages 5 - 18 years
Pupil numbers 1400
Type Co-educational
Opened 2008
Bus Service Yes
Academic offering
Curriculum IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP), IBCP (International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme)
Taught languages English, Mandarin
Typical class size 30
Strengths Performing Arts, Academic Enrichment, Outdoor Education
Clubs Academic and Intellectual, Arts and Creative, Social and Hobbies, Community and Service, Leadership and Professional, Lifestyle and Wellbeing
Stages Primary School, Secondary School, Sixth Form
Introduction

Discovery College (ESF) is an all-through IB school in Discovery Bay, Hong Kong, serving ages 5 to 18 (Years 1 to 13). Its campus opened in August 2008, located at 38 Siena Avenue on scenic Lantau Island. The school follows the IB continuum: PYP (Years 1-6), MYP (Years 7-11), and offers both the Diploma Programme (DP) and the Career-related Programme (CP) in the senior years. With around 1,400 students, Discovery College emphasises consistency in learning across levels. The language of instruction is English, and students also study Chinese (Putonghua) and may receive support in their mother tongue. The school operates bus services from Tung Chung, Tsing Yi, Kowloon and other parts of Hong Kong to cater to those living off-campus. Among its notable features are a compulsory Education Outside the Classroom (EOTC) programme involving camps, regional trips, and “No Boundaries” initiatives. The arts are strongly supported through drama, music, and visual arts facilities and programs. Discovery College encourages parent involvement in learning partnerships and celebrates the diversity of student backgrounds through its mother tongue support.

38 Siena Ave, Discovery Bay, Hong Kong

The Essentials

Discovery College has 1,400 pupils, typical class sizes of 30, instruction in English.

Location
Discovery College sits in Discovery Bay on Lantau Island, in a scenic residential area surrounded by hills and coastline. Many students live locally, but the school also runs bus routes from Tung Chung, Tsing Yi, South Lantau and parts of Kowloon to bring students in.

Stages
Discovery College is a Year 1 to Year 13 through-school, meaning children typically join at age 5 and continue through until around age 18. It delivers the full IB continuum (PYP, MYP, DP, CP) across those years.

Type
The school is a co-educational day school.

Additional learning support
Discovery College runs a Learning Diversity Team that works with teachers to provide individualized planning, targeted support, curriculum adjustments, small-group work or short one-to-one withdrawal as needed.
However, under ESF’s policy, Discovery College does not provide full Learning Support provisions; it only accommodates students up to Levels of Adjustment 1 and 2 per ESF’s framework.

Country affiliation
The school is part of the English Schools Foundation (ESF) in Hong Kong, and is not formally tied to any particular foreign country’s government or education system.

Religious affiliation
Discovery College is non-denominational and does not have a religious affiliation.

School day structure
Buses deliver students typically between 7:30 am and 7:50 am (with adjustments for Tuesday) and the school’s refectory and café are open from 7:15 am to 3:30 pm.

In the afternoon, the last lessons finish at 3:10 pm for primary and 3:25 pm for secondary, with buses departing between 3:30 and 3:40 pm after students are escorted to the waiting areas.

Bus service
The school provides a contracted bus service via Kwoon Chung Motors Co. Ltd. (KCM) for students who live outside Discovery Bay. Each bus has a bus supervisor who monitors student safety and behaviour.
Diving Deeper

Governance and Ownership
The school is part of the ESF (English Schools Foundation) network in Hong Kong. Admissions are processed through the ESF website.
Fees

Annual tuition at Discovery College ranges from HKD 162,100 to HKD 215,300 for 2026/27.

Application Fee
A non-refundable Application Fee of HK$2,800 is charged per applicant for ESF and all-through schools. This fee covers the administrative cost of processing applications and must be paid online via credit card or PayPal at the time of submission. The fee payment does not guarantee an interview or a school placement.

Tuition Fees

* Years 1–6: HK$162,100 per year
* Years 7–11: HK$213,600 per year
* Years 12–13: HK$215,300 per year
Tuition fees are billed in 10 equal monthly instalments from September to June each academic year. Payments are typically made through direct debit from a Hong Kong bank account.

Non-refundable Building Levy (NBL)
Each student pays an NBL of HK$8,060 per year, billed across 10 instalments of HK$806 alongside tuition fees

Additional Costs

* Uniforms and learning materials are purchased separately through designated suppliers.
* Optional school bus services are billed independently via the contracted provider (Kwoon Chung Motors).
* There are no boarding fees, as Discovery College is a day school.

Refund Policy
All fees, including the application fee and NBL, are non-refundable. Tuition fees are refundable only under ESF’s standard withdrawal policy, which requires written notice in advance of withdrawal.

Payment Methods
Payments are accepted via direct debit, credit card, or PayPal, depending on the fee type.
Academics

Discovery College teaches IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP), IBCP (International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme) for students aged 5 to 18.

Curriculum
Discovery College offers the full IB continuum from Year 1 to Year 13. For Years 1–6, students study the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), working through transdisciplinary units around six themes. For Years 7–11, the school offers the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP), with a focus on connecting learning to real-world contexts, student inquiry, interdisciplinary units, and a Personal Project in Year 11. IBCP students combine at least two DP courses with a career-related study and complete a IBCP core (Reflective Project, Service Learning, Language Development, Personal & Professional Skills).

Academic calendar
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
Discovery College embeds wellbeing and social-emotional support in its school structure. Students can access student counsellors (one focused on primary, one on secondary) for therapeutic counselling, skills building, in-class support, and referrals. The school also works with Hong Kong government-funded social workers who run group work and workshops addressing resilience, self-esteem, social skills, and emotional challenges. Students may self-refer or be referred by teachers or parents. The counselling team collaborates with teachers and external professionals as needed.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)
Discovery College operates a Learning Diversity Team to support students with “Individual Needs (IN),” including learning, language, and social or emotional needs. The team partners with classroom teachers to deploy strategies such as guided small groups, co-teaching, front-loading, re-teaching, and occasional short one-to-one withdrawal. In more exceptional cases, students might receive more intensive personalised support outside class time. The school is not a specialist SEN institution; its SEN support is integrated within a mainstream, inclusive model.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)
Discovery College’s Learning Diversity roles explicitly include EAL support, meaning that specialist staff plan and deliver support for students for whom English is not their first language.

Mental Wellbeing
Mental well-being is supported through the counselling service, which handles issues such as anxiety, depression, family relationship challenges, self-esteem, and more. The counsellors provide short-term or longer intervention plans depending on student needs. They also coordinate with the social workers and external agencies to extend support when needed. Wellbeing is framed as a shared responsibility among staff, students, families, and the school’s care structure.

Safeguarding
Discovery College maintains a structured network for safeguarding and child protection, with staff trained to respond to concerns. The school’s safeguarding framework is part of its broader student support and wellbeing policy. Parents and students are encouraged to raise concerns with trusted staff members, and there is a coordinated care framework involving deans, counsellors, Learning Diversity, and leadership roles to manage welfare issues.
Parent Experience

History
Discovery College was established by the English Schools Foundation under the “Private Independent School” model and officially opened in August 2008, built to replace the earlier Bauhinia School based in Lai King. Plans for Discovery College go back to 1999, when ESF sought to create a primary-cum-secondary through-school under a self-funded model. The campus in Discovery Bay was constructed between 2003 and 2008, with partial capital funding support from the Hong Kong Government under land grants; ESF is expected to repay capital costs over time. The school is operated under ESF’s subsidiary structure (ESF Educational Services Limited) and is one of ESF’s two private, non-subsidised schools.

Community
The Discovery College community is active with cultural, service and arts events throughout the year. Students and families engage in celebrations such as Mid-Autumn Festival lantern making, and the school publishes an annual magazine “Shi Jie” that reflects student voices and cultural diversity. As part of the broader ESF system, students can take part in cross-school events like the ESF “Chinese Battle of the Books”, ESF Innofair, and leadership workshops across ESF schools.

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
The DC PTA (Discovery College Parents’ Teacher Association) supports and enriches life at the school through social, fundraising, and community initiatives. Recent events include a Family Fun Day with crafts, international food, performances, and student “sponge the teacher” booths, and a Gala Dinner co-hosted with DBIS under a themed “A Night in Old Hong Kong” with performances and live music. The PTA also organizes a second-hand uniform sale to help families with uniform costs and sustainability. The PTA has run a New Family Mentoring Programme, pairing established DC families with newly arrived families to help them settle into the community. The PTA also funds end-of-year parties for all year groups and supports capital enhancements — e.g. upgrades to gym equipment, the Language & Cultural Centre, and AV improvements.
Gallery
Facilities

Facilities Overview
Discovery College is located in Discovery Bay, Lantau Island. The campus includes dedicated spaces for Visual Arts, Design, Academics, Athletics, Music and Drama.

Academic Facilities
The campus provides academic spaces as part of its Year 1–13 IB programme.

Extra Curricular Facilities
Extracurricular activities include Visual Arts, Design, Music, Drama, Athletics and Community Engagement.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual
The school is an IB World School offering the IB program for Year 1 through Year 13. UNLOCK is a pathway for new secondary students providing intensive English language support (6 to 12 months) to bring reading and writing proficiency up to speed. Discovery College offers merit-based scholarships in Academics, Athletics/Sports, Community Engagement, Design, Drama, Music, and Visual Arts.

Arts & Creative
Visual Arts, Music, and Drama are core arts offerings, with dedicated emphasis on design and creative work. The school provides scholarship opportunities in Drama, Music, and Visual Arts. The site highlights theatre-related activities and performances as part of the arts experience.

Cultural & Language
The school is located in Discovery Bay, Lantau Island, Hong Kong, and serves a diverse, international student body with many students commuting from across Hong Kong. The UNLOCK English language pathway supports new students' English proficiency to join the regular program.

Social & Hobbies
Students participate in a range of extracurriculars including music, art, physical education, and drama, with specialist lessons noted in primary years. The school emphasizes a culture of mutual encouragement among students and teachers and offers opportunities across arts and performance. Service and action opportunities are part of the school culture, including a Service as Action team.

Community & Service
Community Engagement is a highlighted area of the school, with publicized service and action activities and a focus on service-learning. Students describe engaging experiences that involve collaboration with peers and staff to improve the school and local community.

Lifestyle & Wellbeing
The school prioritises mental and emotional wellbeing within its learning environment. The campus location is described as safe and pleasant, with accessibility via bus routes from multiple parts of Hong Kong.
Languages

Language Provision
The school provides English language support through UNLOCK for Secondary Years 7–10, with intensive, assessed English language classes over six to twelve months to raise reading and writing proficiency. Chinese learning is part of the regular curriculum. UNLOCK gives new Secondary students the necessary competence in English for full-time enrollment, and the program is available only for Years 7–10 applicants.
Reputation

Awards
* Structural Excellence Awards – design commendation: awarded by the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers for campus architecture, as cited on its campus page.

Accreditations

* International Baccalaureate (IB) World School: Authorized by the International Baccalaureate Organization to offer the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), Diploma Programme (DP), and Career-related Programme (CP). This accreditation ensures that the school meets global IB standards for curriculum, assessment, and teaching quality.

* The Alliance for Sustainable Schools (TASS) – Founding Member: Discovery College is a founding member of TASS, a network of schools committed to sustainability and climate action in education. Membership reflects the school’s participation in shared sustainability goals and environmental initiatives across the Asia region.

* Association of China and Mongolia International Schools (ACAMIS): The school is a member of ACAMIS, which connects international schools across China and Mongolia to promote collaboration in professional development, student activities, and cultural exchange.
Admissions

Admissions
1. Online Application Submission
Families submit an online application through the ESF / DC admissions portal, selecting up to four ESF school preferences. The application includes the non-refundable administration fee.

2. Assessment / Interview / Testing
Applicants (for years other than entry levels) are invited to attend assessments or interviews to evaluate their readiness for the English-medium curriculum. Shortlisted candidates are notified with schedules for testing and interviews.

3. Offer of Place & Acceptance
If successful and if a vacancy exists, the school issues an offer of place. The family must accept by a deadline, after which a deposit or building levy may be required.

4. Onboarding & Entry Requirements
Once accepted, the student is integrated into the school system, including orientation, registration, and payment of fees per the school’s billing schedule. Families may also be asked to submit supporting documents (previous school records, medical records, etc.).

5. Waitlist Consideration
If no immediate place is available, the candidate may be placed into a waitlist or pool. Offers from the waitlist may be made when places become available.

Scholarships
* Discovery College offers merit-based scholarships for secondary students (Year 7 and above) in areas including academics, community engagement, sport, music, drama, visual arts, and design.
* Scholarship applicants must also complete the standard admission process (assessment/interview) and meet Discovery College’s admission requirements.
* For academic scholarships, candidates must meet certain grade thresholds (e.g. MYP score of 46 across eight subjects; DP score of 35 across six subjects), sit an external scholarship examination in math, language, writing and academic potential, and possibly attend an interview.
* For athletics, arts or other domain scholarships, evaluation is based on evidence (e.g. portfolios, references, performance videos), auditions or interviews, and prior achievements.
* Once awarded, scholarships are reviewed annually and typically expected to continue through to Year 13, assuming the student maintains academic and co-curricular commitments. If a student leaves early or transfers, the scholarship may be revoked or require repayment of awarded fees.

Waitlist
DC (via ESF) does maintain a waiting list / pool system for school places when demand exceeds vacancies. Applicants are placed on the waitlist in priority order, and if a vacancy arises, offers may be extended from the waitlist by date of application and priority group.
School Events
The school has not added events
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