Shanghai's Most Prestigious Bilingual School Opens Its First Hong Kong Campus

YK Pao School Hong Kong has opened this September, bringing the Foundation's flagship bilingual model to the city nearly two decades after the original school was established in Shanghai. According to The Standard, the school is operating from a Kowloon East campus for its first two years before moving to a purpose-built facility at the site of the former Kowloon Junior School in Ho Man Tin, expected to open in 2028 after a HK$100 million renovation.

The school is a candidate institution for the IB Primary Years Programme, opening with Years 1 to 3 and planning to extend through Year 9 as cohorts mature. Teaching follows a Putonghua-English immersion model, with enhanced mathematics and Chinese language instruction built into the core curriculum. The student-to-teacher ratio in the first year is 1:8. Founding head Cathy Braithwaite, who brings more than 27 years of UK education experience, leads the school.

Who is enrolling

Annual fees for 2026/27 are HK$220,000, payable in ten instalments, with the school aiming to enrol at least 100 pupils across four classes in its inaugural year. Chief executive Wayne Zhang said interest had been "more positive than expected," and that a majority of prospective students come from non-local families, including holders of high-skilled talent visas under the government's residency schemes. The fee level and profile suggest the school is building primarily for the affluent non-local segment rather than the broader locally-educated market.

The YK Pao Education Foundation was established to continue the philanthropic legacy of the late shipping magnate Sir YK Pao. His grandchildren, Anna Pao Sohmen and Philip Pao Sohmen, co-founded the Hong Kong venture. Anna Pao Sohmen described the school's approach as one that "nurtures the whole child," while Philip Pao Sohmen said the immersive bilingual programme was "designed to benefit children at a formative age." The Hong Kong opening marks the Foundation's first expansion beyond mainland China.