-
Advertisement

ESF to create more kindergarten places as demand soars

Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Adrian Wan

The English Schools Foundation plans to almost double the number of kindergarten places in the next few years, to meet growing demand from parents who want to send their children to English-language schools.

Places for the next academic year at the foundation's kindergartens, primary and secondary schools are all oversubscribed. It plans to increase the number of places at its kindergartens from 1,200 to 2,000 after a big increase in applications this year.

The ESF's head of marketing and communications, Peter Craughwell, said this might take three to five years if venues were available and they could recruit enough teachers.

Advertisement

Applications for next year ended two weeks ago and the ESF had received 1,769 applications for places in Year One - the first year of primary school - and 267 for Year Seven - the first year of secondary school.

But a spokeswoman said there would only be 1,200 Year One places available and 100 in Year Seven. So at least 700 pupils will not get a place.

Advertisement

Applications are still coming in for its kindergartens, she said, so she could not provide an exact figure, but there was already a surplus.

Advertisement
Select Voice
Select Speed
1.00x