Quick summary of key school information
School details
Number of students |
1000 |
Number of nationalities represented in the school |
40 |
Native English and Chinese speaking teachers |
Yes |
Language support for students not fluent in English and Chinese |
Yes |
Max. number of students per class |
Each IMS class has a maximum of 25 children with two teachers (one Montessori trained, one Chinese). |
Average number of students per class |
25 |
Does the school employ teaching assistants? |
Yes |
Dedicated staff/programs for students with special learning needs |
IMS is very willing to accept children with learning and development difficulties under its premise. Generally, children with special-needs and children learning a second language tend to do well in the Montessori program because children learn better in a “multi-sensory” environment, where they can hear, see, touch and experiment. |
Learning support offered |
IMS has the obligation to assure all parents that the school can maximize the development benefits for each child. IMS will accept children with learning difficulties into a classroom as it can ensure that the staff can provide the best option for the child with special needs, and the other children in the classroom as well. In many cases, additional support by a Montessori teacher or an assistant is required for some period of time in order to assist the child in meeting his or her full potential in the Montessori environment, and these supported places are limited. For children with special-needs, IMS requires a therapist or psycho-educational evaluation to assist in the application process. |
Entry evaluation for students |
Assessment |
Brief description of entry evaluation required |
Foundation Program (ages 2-3): Parent-accompanied assessments are held in the late Spring. Casa dei Bambini Program: Your child will interact with a group of peers and teachers. One parent or caregiver may accompany the child in the interview. If your child has difficulty separating from parents, the child may be more independent if accompanied by a helper or other caregiver. Montessori Primary Years Program: Your child will be assessed within a group of peers for several hours in a normal class, and individual interviews will be conducted to assess academic skills and readiness for the independence and responsibility of work in a Montessori classroom. IMS does not administer a standardized test for entry. |
Waiting list |
Depends on the grade level. |
Deadline for registration (new academic year) |
No deadline. |
Students can join after academic year begins |
Rolling admission. |
School bus service available |
Yes |
Uniform required |
Yes |
Extracurricular activities or clubs offered |
Sailing, Judo, Gymnastics, Football, Basketball, Netball, Tennis, Chess , Coding, French for Native Speakers, Drama, Cooking, Science, Art, Chinese Paper Cutting, etc. |
Sports activities included |
Primary Years students learn team sports such as soccer, cricket, volleyball, and floor hockey in PE. Movement classes feature folk dances from other countries and creative expression through dance and drama. |
Sports teams or sport competitions available for students |
Yes |
Sports facilities at the school |
Sports ground |
Qualities and characteristics best defining the school |
The International Montessori School shares the aspiration of every parent: it wants a life of intelligence and independence for all children, enjoyed with self-reflection, a multicultural mindset, and purposeful engagement in the world. Which is why, across the school's four campuses on Hong Kong Island, IMS is dedicated to nurturing and inspiring children through bilingualism, individualized program, and Montessori Learning, with a focus on independence, freedom within limits, and respect for a child’s psychological, physical and social development. With the foundation of their formative years built around a child-oriented, enquiry-based curriculum, children who graduated from IMS have found their ways into preeminent schools in Hong Kong and worldwide. |
Teaching approach of the school |
IMS provides the highest quality education possible using the highly successful, proven Montessori Curriculum, developed by Dr. Maria Montessori and implemented in over 22,000 schools worldwide. IMS aims to expand upon its position as the leading English/Chinese (Putonghua) bilingual Montessori school in the world, and to make this Primary curriculum available to all international families in Hong Kong who seek it for their children. IMS fosters an inclusive child-oriented, creative, and bilingual learning environment, which nurtures a child’s innate desire to learn and discover, and enables the child to discover their own personal excellence, to move at his or her own pace, and fully develop their own individual gifts and talents through challenging expectations, self-reflection, and purposeful engagement in the world. Together, IMS staff and parents will continue to forge a community that will prepare the children to be life-long learners who are able to express their uniqueness and creativity as well as participate in diverse cultural experiences, and learn to be respectful and responsible members of a world community. Fundamental to Montessori theory is the multi-age classroom, wherein children can work with other children of different abilities in different subject areas. IMS’ Montessori Primary Years Program is divided into two multi-age settings: Lower Primary for 6- to 9-year-olds and Upper Primary for 9- to 12-year-olds.
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