Hong Kong
YK Pao Foundation to open bilingual school in Hong Kong this September
The not-for-profit YK Pao Education Foundation, renowned for its Shanghai bilingual schools, will launch its first Hong Kong campus in Kowloon East in September 2026, targeting pupils aged six to fifteen.
The YK Pao Education Foundation — established to honour the legacy of Hong Kong shipping magnate Sir YK Pao — will open a new international school in Hong Kong in September 2026, enrolling an initial cohort of at least 100 pupils in Years 1 to 3. The school will initially operate from premises at 8 Shung Shan Street, Yau Tong, in Kowloon East, before eventually relocating to a purpose-rebuilt campus at 4 Rose Street, Kowloon Tong, once construction is completed around 2028.
A proven bilingual model brought home
The new school extends a model first established in Shanghai in 2007. YK Pao School Shanghai has been ranked the number-one bilingual school in mainland China for six consecutive years by both the Hurun Report and Forbes China, and its graduates have recorded a 100% bilingual IB Diploma achievement rate. The Hong Kong school will deliver an immersive Putonghua-English programme and is pursuing IB Primary Years Programme candidacy, with enhanced courses in Putonghua and Mathematics.
The Foundation's co-founders, Anna Pao Sohmen and Philip Pao Sohmen, cited strong parental appetite for quality bilingual provision as the driver. The Kowloon Tong site, awarded to the Foundation by the Hong Kong SAR Education Bureau, will ultimately span more than 8,000 square metres of facilities and green space, including a new teaching building due to be completed in 2028.
Fees and pathway
Annual tuition for the 2026–27 academic year is set at HK$220,000 for Years 1–3, with a capital levy of HK$50,000 — waived during the interim years at the Kowloon East campus. Senior-year pupils will have the option to continue at YK Pao School Shanghai's boarding programme, or pursue other pathways in Hong Kong and overseas. The school is designed to serve ages six to fifteen, catering to both local and non-local families seeking a bicultural education grounded in Chinese cultural fluency.