Carmel School welcomes students from all sections of the Jewish Community without regard to race or nationality. The School is open to all Jewish children residing in Hong Kong where at least one parent is a full time resident. Attendance at the school does not certify the Jewish status of any child attending the School.

There is also an International Stream in the Middle School which welcomes students of all faiths. Carmel School is committed to providing an outstanding and rigorous education for students from many different backgrounds. Students applying to the Middle School will take a placement exam.

In order to provide the best education for all students and to meet their needs expeditiously, it is most important that parents inform the school of any previous testing, special needs, or medical issues a child may have. All information will be kept in the strictest confidence.

It is the aim of Carmel to provide places for all members of the community. In the event that places become limited then admission is prioritized according to the following criteria:

i) Children who have siblings in the school, where all siblings of Carmel School age are attending the School.

ii) Children of employees of the Carmel School Association Limited.

iii) Children of Jewish Community employees such as the Rabbis of the Hong Kong community.

iv) Children of families who are members of one of Hong Kong's Jewish communities, the Jewish Community Center or other Jewish families living in Hong Kong.

v) Non-Jewish families (for Middle School only).

Class Placement

The administration of the school assigns students to their classes in the event of more than one class per grade. Placement recommendations are made by the teachers on the basis of an equal distribution and a balance of students by gender, a heterogeneous mix of academic abilities, learning styles, and language, and a balanced distribution of students with special needs (for remedial and/or enrichment), age, at least one friend from their class from the previous year, and social dynamics. Teachers are also asked to state which students they feel should or should not be placed together in the same class.

Children are not moved from one classroom to another at parent's request. The Administration and teachers are very aware that some children may experience difficulty adjusting to their new class in the beginning of the year. However, in the event of a request for change of classroom for a child when there is more than one class per grade, there must be a waiting period, agreed by the teacher and administration, during which the child is observed by the teachers involved, and the issue is discussed with administration. Only then will there be consideration given.

However, it remains the administration's responsibility and prerogative to make the final decision as to which class a student is assigned and who the teacher of that class will be. Class lists are available to parents only on Orientation Day at the beginning of the school year.

The age cut-off date for entrance into a school year is October 31st. For example students who are three years old by October 31st 2007 are eligible for the Nursery program, and those who are four years by October 31st 2007 are eligible for the Pre-Kindergarten program, etc. It is school policy to assign students to classes so that they will be with students of the same age group.