Student Withdrawal
Parents who wish to withdraw their child from Discovery College are required to submit a Student Withdrawal Form via the ESF App*. The online Student Withdrawal form is the ONLY official way for parents to inform Discovery College of their children leaving the school.
As per the Terms and Conditions of Offer shown on the Acceptance Form when a student joins Discovery College, there is a deposit paid equivalent to 2 months’ fees. The first half of the deposit is credited against the first month’s fees while the remaining half will be credited against the fees for the last month of enrolment, subject to the Student Withdrawal Notice being received at least two calendar months prior to the student’s last date of attendance.
For students leaving at the end of an academic year, notification is required no later than the 30th of April, if the remaining half of the deposit is to be credited against the fees for the last month of enrolment.
If notification is not received by the 30th of April deadline, the deposit will be forfeited and ESF Billing will assume your child is returning after summer and parents will be liable for the tuition fees for September even if the student does not return to school.
Remarks
1. If a family has more than one child attending ESF schools, please submit an individual withdrawal notice for each child.
2. Tuition fees are charged for a complete month. There’s no pro-rata adjustment for attendance for part of a month.
3. Any change of last attendance date/cancellation of withdrawal is subject to the availability of school places at respective schools.
4. If there is any credit balance / refundable capital levy on the account, the refund will be made via the designated auto-pay account.
5. Please expect the financial settlement, including any eligible refund, to be completed within two calendar months after the student’s last date of attendance. (For secondary students who may be on examination leave, the last day of attendance is deemed to be the last day of the academic year.)
* To access the withdrawal form via the ESF App, please tap on the Ding! icon and scroll down to forms.
Subsequent Change of the Last Day of Attendance
Parents who wish to change the last date of attendance after a notice has previously been submitted, are required to notify the change to the Admissions office at admissions@dc.edu.hk and submit a new online Withdrawal form via the app with the revised last date of attendance.
Any subsequent change of the last date of attendance may be declined as change depends on the availability of a school place for the student.
The remaining half of the deposit made when accepting the offer of a place will be forfeited if the change of the last date of attendance is submitted less than two months prior to the last date of attendance, even though the first Student Withdrawal Notice was received at least two months prior to the student’s last date of attendance.
Cancellation of Student Leaving/ Withdrawing
Parents are required to inform the Admissions Office at admissions@dc.edu.hk before the last date of attendance. The cancellation may be declined as the cancellation depends on the availability of a school place for the student.
Withdrawal of Prospective Student
Should a parent decide to withdraw a prospective student before the student’s scheduled first day of school, the parent is required to complete and return the Student Withdrawal Notice to Discovery College.
As per the Terms and Conditions of Offer shown on the Acceptance Form, the admission deposit equivalent to two-month’s fees, is non-refundable and non-transferable and will be forfeited.
Reports, Transcripts & References
Please note that access to a child’s school reports will cease the day after the last date of attendance, and parents are, therefore, encouraged to download school reports before this date. School reports can be viewed and downloaded via the ESF app, please click here for guidelines.
At different times during the year, students leave us to move to schools around the world and need references or copies of their Discovery College transcripts. Please click here for information about who to contact at the school to action your request. The college will only provide a reference / transcript according to the Discovery College Reference Form / Transcript Document.
Internal Transfer
Transfers are allowed between Discovery College and other ESF/PIS Schools following the completion of the commitment period, if applicable, to the current school or if the student has already been with the school for two or more years.
It is particularly important during the Secondary years of schooling that disruptions to learning are minimised, and careful consideration is given to a student’s circumstances and the best interests of the involved stakeholders prior to an internal transfer taking place. ESF takes a managed, considered approach to such transfers based on dialogue and collaboration.
The student may join the internal transfer waitlist for the year group and school of zone according to the category priority order. The timing of the transfer will be dependent on a number of factors, including availability. In general, requests made during the course of an academic year will be considered and, where agreed, enacted, for an August start at the new school.
Year 6 to Year 7 transfers – the guaranteed secondary school placement is based on the system the student is currently in. If the student is attending one of the all-through schools — Discovery College or Renaissance College, the Year 7 place is guaranteed for their respective secondary school phase. ESF primary students are guaranteed places at an ESF school based on the conditions specified.
Procedure for transfer request: https://www.esf.edu.hk/internal-transfer/
All requests for transfers may be submitted from 1 January, at the earliest, and will generally be considered in Term 3 for entry to the following academic year.
For students on a two-year commitment, the transfer request may be submitted six months in advance of the completion of their commitment. Normally there is movement and withdrawals over the summer period for transfer to take place.
For secondary requests, approval will occur where there is a specific and legitimate reason for the transfer. Factors may include:
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Relocation: has the student changed residential location and does the new location present unreasonable challenges in getting to school
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Programme compatibility: does the new school offer programmes/subjects that are compatible with the student’s best interests as a learner
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Support: is the new school able to provide sufficient support for the student in response to their needs/context
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Best interests: viewed holistically, is a move from the current school to the new school in the best interests of the student
The written transfer request must be submitted to the Admissions Office at the student’s current school. The current school will raise the transfer request if the relevant conditions or requirements are met. The future school is informed of the transfer request.
Once there is availability, the future school will inform the student’s current school to initiate the transfer process. The current school will be in contact with the family to confirm and start the transfer arrangements.