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Hong Kong International School - Tai Tam Campus

Hong Kong

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The school at a glance
Instructs in English
Fees HK$236,200 - 263,300
Ages 11 - 17 years
Pupil numbers 3000
Type Co-educational
Opened 1966
Bus Service Yes
Part of
Hong Kong International School
Academic offering
Curriculum Advanced Placement (AP), American Curriculum, Christian Curriculum
Taught languages English, French, Mandarin, Spanish
Typical class size 22
Strengths Sport, Performing Arts, Academic Enrichment
Clubs Academic and Intellectual, Arts and Creative, Social and Hobbies, Community and Service, Leadership and Professional, Lifestyle and Wellbeing
Stages Middle School, High School
Introduction

HKIS’s Tai Tam Campus serves Middle School (G6–8) and High School (G9–12) on Hong Kong Island’s south side at 1 Red Hill Road. The site includes 114 subject-specific classrooms, two libraries, student community spaces, an auditorium and black box theatre, two gyms, a pool and a sports field with access to Tai Tam Bay for water sports. High School students can select from 25 AP courses within a U.S. standards framework, while both divisions offer extensive co-curricular, 100+ clubs and 30+ service clubs. School transport is provided via Kwoon Chung buses. Language learning spans Mandarin and Spanish in Middle School, with Mandarin, Spanish and French options in High School. Recent and planned developments at Tai Tam include a Dragon Centre for Activities & Athletics (2025) and a 900-seat Performance Hall (2027).

This campus is part of Hong Kong International School

1 Red Hill Rd, Tai Tam, Hong Kong

The Essentials

Hong Kong International School - Tai Tam Campus has 3,000 pupils, typical class sizes of 22, instruction in English.

Location
The Tai Tam Campus is located at 1 Red Hill Road, Tai Tam, in the southern district of Hong Kong Island. The campus is surrounded by hills and has access to Tai Tam Bay, giving students opportunities for outdoor and water-based activities.

Stages
Tai Tam houses Middle School (Grades 6–8) and High School (Grades 9–12).

Type
HKIS is a co-educational, nonprofit day school. It does not provide boarding.

Additional learning support
At Tai Tam, SEN support includes co-taught classes, Learning Strategies courses, and testing accommodations in a dedicated Testing Center in High School. The school supports mild to moderate learning needs within mainstream classrooms but is not a specialist SEN institution.

Country affiliation
HKIS provides an American-style education, aligned with U.S. standards.

Religious affiliation
The school is grounded in the Christian faith through its founding with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, while respecting other faith traditions.

School day structure
Grades 6-8 (Middle School): 7:50 AM - 3:05 PM
Grades 9-12 (High School): 7:45 AM - 3:00 PM (First period at 8:35 AM).
After-school activities and sports extend the day, with late buses offered for participants.

Bus service
HKIS offers a bus service through Kwoon Chung Motors, with routes covering Hong Kong Island. This includes drop-off and pick-up options for students at both Repulse Bay and Tai Tam campuses.
Diving Deeper

Uniform Requirement
Lower Primary and Upper Primary wear uniforms consisting of navy blue bottoms and red or white collared shirts with the HKIS emblem. Middle School requires a uniform of navy blue or white polo shirts with the HKIS emblem and blue, black, or khaki bottoms; PE uniforms are also required. Grades 9-12 have no uniform requirement.

Food Options
All four divisions offer hot lunch options. Lower Primary and Upper Primary can order lunches online and view monthly menus; Middle School and High School pay for lunches by cash or Octopus card.

House System
Every student belongs to a House and a Pastoral Care Group in Middle School. Houses are named after significant locations across Hong Kong and have associated colors; house activities promote community and a year-end winning house is announced.

Governance and Ownership
HKIS is governed by the Board of Managers, a self-perpetuating volunteer board that includes the Head of School. The Operating Agreement with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) governs the relationship with LCMS, and a majority of Board members are members of the Church of All Nations; HKIS is a Section 88 charity in Hong Kong.
Fees

Annual tuition at Hong Kong International School - Tai Tam Campus ranges from HKD 236,200 to HKD 263,300 for 2026/27.

Application Fee: HKD 2,000 (non-refundable).
Entry Fee: HKD 15,000 (non-refundable).
Annual Capital Levy: HKD 23,000, per student.

Annual Tuition Fees
Grades 6–8: HKD 236,200 (HKD 118,100 per semester)
Grades 9–12: HKD 263,300 (HKD 131,650 per semester)

Other costs
Experiential Learning Programs - Grades 6-8 (MS PEAK) HKD 2,500 - HKD 12,300
Experiential Learning Programs - Grades 9-12 (HS Interim): HKD 2,800 - HKD 26,000

Bus service, uniforms, and activities are charged separately.

Billing schedule
Fees are invoiced twice a year (August and January).

Payment Method
Payment is due before the start of each semester and can be made via bank transfer or cheque.

Refund Policy
HKIS states that deposits and certain fees are non-refundable; detailed refund terms are not fully disclosed.
Academics

Hong Kong International School - Tai Tam Campus teaches Advanced Placement (AP), American Curriculum, Christian Curriculum for students aged 11 to 17.

Curriculum
At Tai Tam, learning from Grades 6–12 is grounded in a comprehensive standards-based curriculum rooted in Understanding by Design (UbD). In Middle School (Grades 6-8), students engage in core academic subjects (English, mathematics, science, social studies, world languages), as well as arts, physical education, faith/spiritual development, and advisory/self-directed projects. In High School (Grades 9-12), students continue core work while choosing from a broad slate of electives in humanities, arts, STEM, technology, and design. HKIS offers Advanced Placement (AP) courses for students who wish to pursue college-level work. All students are assessed continuously, with grading, reporting, and feedback aligned with the school’s philosophy of supporting growth and clarity.

Academic calendar
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
In Middle School, SEL is a dedicated part of the curriculum, focusing on self-awareness, empathy, and building healthy relationships. Each grade has its own counselor who follows students through the division. High School integrates SEL through its advisory and counseling program, though no separate SEL curriculum is described.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)
HKIS employs 13 Learning Specialists schoolwide, including at the Tai Tam campus. In High School, SEN support is delivered through co-taught classes with learning specialists, Learning Strategies classes, and testing accommodations in a dedicated Testing Center. HKIS supports mild to moderate learning needs within mainstream education but is not a specialist SEN institution.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)
The school does not publicly disclose information regarding EAL at the Tai Tam campus.

Mental Wellbeing
Tai Tam has 11 counseling offices and a Peace Garden for reflection. Middle School employs three grade-level counselors, while the High School has eight counselors organized into “Communities” (H, K, I, S). Counselors provide academic, social, emotional, and college-related support, through proactive seminars and individual meetings.

Safeguarding
HKIS states that it follows governance and policies to ensure safe learning environments. Safeguarding content is embedded in SEL lessons at younger grades, but the school does not publicly disclose detailed safeguarding or child protection protocols for Middle or High School.
Parent Experience

History
HKIS was founded in 1966 through a collaboration between the American business community in Hong Kong and the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS), with land support from the Hong Kong government at Repulse Bay. The school first opened in temporary quarters in Chung Hom Kok with 195 students, then moved to its permanent Repulse Bay site in 1967 with over 600 students. Over time, HKIS expanded to include a second campus in Tai Tam (completed in 1989) to accommodate Middle and High School divisions.

Community
HKIS serves a diverse community of over 3,000 students from 48 nationalities, supported by 270 faculty and more than 1,200 parent volunteers. The community is active across academics, arts, athletics, and service, with over 30 after-school activity categories and more than 1,500 students taking part in concerts and stage productions each year. Cultural events and celebrations are highlighted in the school calendar, newsletters, and DragonTales magazine, which also features stories on service, sustainability, and student life. Fundraising and philanthropy are central to community life, with more than half of families contributing annually to the school’s fund.

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
HKIS has two independently run parent organizations—the Parent Faculty Organization (PFO) and the Booster Club—as well as six school-administered parent committees and three board committees. Together, these groups coordinate classroom volunteering, cultural and community events, and support for athletics and performing arts. In total, 1,200+ parents are active in classrooms and events across the school year. Their involvement includes fundraising, organizing student enrichment activities, and community-building events that strengthen ties between families, staff, and the wider school community.
Facilities

Facilities Overview
The Tai Tam Campus houses the Middle School (Grades 6–8) and High School (Grades 9–12) at 1 Red Hill Road. The campus features learning spaces, community spaces, and shared facilities such as the sports field and swimming pool. The Dragon Center for Activities & Athletics opened in November 2025 adjacent to the Tai Tam field, and provides a pool, rooftop tennis courts, climbing walls, dance studios, and martial arts studios. The campus supports a broad program of co-curricular activities and clubs, including After School Activities across sports, performing and visual arts, spirituality, STEM, and more. The High School and Middle School share spaces such as learning spaces, auditorium, and a library, plus sports facilities including the sports field and swimming pool.

Sports Facilities
The Dragon Center for Activities & Athletics on the Tai Tam campus includes two gymnasiums, a 25-meter swimming pool, four rooftop tennis courts, a fitness center, a golf simulator, and specialty studios for dance, martial arts, spinning, and rock climbing. The Dragon Center is adjacent to the Tai Tam field and supports PE classes, athletics training, after-school activities, and local and regional competitions.

Academic Facilities
Learning spaces on the Tai Tam campus include eight science classrooms, six world language classrooms, a library, three arts classrooms, and three music classrooms, along with an auditorium and a choir rehearsal hall, a fashion studio, a gymnasium, and a weights room. Middle School facilities include 30 core classrooms, six science labs, six Chinese classrooms, two art studios, a band room, a choir room, a string classroom, a black box theatre, a culinary arts studio, an idea studio, and a library. Shared spaces with Middle School include the sports field and swimming pool.

Extra Curricular Facilities
HKIS offers a broad co-curricular program including After School Activities across sports, performing and visual arts, spirituality, STEM, and more. The School Clubs page documents a broad set of Middle School and High School clubs and leadership opportunities.
Languages

Language Provision
Mandarin is compulsory from Reception 1 through Grade 5. In Middle and High School, students may choose Mandarin or Spanish as their modern language, with French also offered in the later years. A modern language is an elective from Grades 6-12, and most college-bound students take at least two years of Mandarin, French, or Spanish. The Chinese Studies program focuses on language proficiency and cultural understanding, and the Dual Language Immersion program provides a bilingual pathway.

Bilingual Teaching
The Dual Language Immersion (DLI) pathway is offered within the Primary School. It provides approximately 50% English and 50% Chinese instruction in homerooms. DLI starts in Reception 1 and continues through Grade 5, after which students are integrated into the Middle School pathway. In DLI, students spend one day in the Chinese learning environment and one day in English.

Immersion Programs
DLI is the primary immersion program described for HKIS. In 2025-26 HKIS admitted two Reception 1 classes to the DLI pilot program. The DLI curriculum matches the mainstream HKIS Primary School program and uses simplified Chinese characters.
Reputation

Awards
HKIS wins in Experiential Learning at the GBA School Awards 2025
HKIS’ Upper Primary Hydroponic Farm program was honored for its hands-on, real-world experiential learning.

HK Business Awards – National Business Award 2022
Recognizes organizations in Hong Kong for excellence in business operations and contributions to the wider community.

HKIS Homepage wins Silver at InspirED Brilliance Awards 2024
The school’s website homepage was recognized for its design and user experience.

HKIS wins Gold at the 2024 Trusted Brands Award
HKIS was awarded Gold for being trusted by consumers/parents in Hong Kong’s education sector.

HKIS wins Best Facilities Story in 2024 School Stories Awards
The planned Student Activity Center (SAC) was the subject of this recognition, highlighting the school’s facility development narrative.

CASE Circle of Excellence Awards 2025
In 2025, HKIS earned Bronze in Data & Analytics (Annual Giving Dashboard), Bronze in Institutional Website (“The Story of HKIS”), and Silver in Promotional Video (“The Story of the Ribbon”). This recognizes excellence in communications, marketing, and institutional advancement.

Great Place to Work® Certification (multiple years)
Based on anonymous staff survey data, this certification recognizes HKIS for maintaining a positive and supportive workplace culture.

Accreditations
Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
HKIS is fully accredited by WASC, a U.S.-based accrediting body that ensures schools meet recognized standards of quality in teaching, learning, and governance.

East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS)
HKIS is a member of EARCOS, a professional association of international schools in East Asia that promotes networking, professional development, and shared standards.
Admissions

Admissions
1. Pre-Registration
Prospective parents begin by filling out the pre-registration form on the HKIS portal. This step creates an account that allows families to manage their application and upload documents.

2. Application Submission
Once registered, families complete the online application forms. This includes entering student details, educational background, and paying the required application fee.

3. Supporting Documents & Pre-Entry Testing
Families submit supporting documents such as school reports, teacher recommendations, and identification records. Students may also be scheduled for pre-entry testing or assessments, depending on grade level.

4. Admissions Decision
After review, families are notified of the admissions decision. Successful applicants are offered places, and families confirm enrollment by paying the acceptance fee and capital levy.

Scholarships
HKIS offers the Black Kite Scholarship, a merit-based award recognizing students who demonstrate strong academic ability, leadership, and personal qualities. The scholarship covers tuition costs and is open to new applicants meeting the eligibility requirements. Selection is competitive, and recipients are expected to contribute positively to the school community.

Waitlist
HKIS operates a wait pool rather than a numbered waitlist. Applicants who meet admissions criteria but cannot be offered a place immediately are placed in a pool for their grade. When spaces open, the admissions office reviews all students in the pool holistically, considering a range of factors rather than admitting based strictly on application date.
School Events
The school has not added events
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