St. Mark's School to Hold Open Day on 5 December: Interview Tips + Teaching Features at a Glance

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St. Mark's School, a traditional elite school in the Eastern District, will hold its Form 1 Admission Open Day and Briefing Session on 5 December 2026 (Saturday). In addition to fully opening its campus for parents and students to visit, there will be two Form 1 admission talks. Parents interested in applying should note the online registration time and prepare thoroughly in advance for secondary school selection and late applications.

📅 Open Day Details and Registration Information

St. Mark's School will hold its Open Day on 5 December 2026 (Saturday). Apart from touring campus facilities, the highlight of the day will be the Form 1 admission talks. Parents who wish to learn more about the school's curriculum features, admission procedures and interview information should note the online registration time. Online registration opens at 10:00 a.m. on 6 November 2026, with limited places available on a first-come, first-served basis. The Open Day runs from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the Form 1 admission talks are at 10:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. (both sessions have identical content).

📝 Form 1 Discretionary Places Application Schedule and Admission Breakdown

At the Discretionary Places stage, St. Mark's School has always been highly sought after by parents. The school reserves about 40 Form 1 places at this stage, with academic results and interview performance each accounting for 50% of the admission criteria. Since all applicants are given an interview opportunity, interviews are usually held over two days. The application period is from 4 to 18 January 2027, and applications may be submitted in person to the school office or through the Education Bureau's Secondary School Places Allocation Electronic Platform. Interview notifications are expected to be sent to eligible applicants in mid-February 2027, with interviews expected to be held on 6 and 13 March 2027, and successful applicants to be announced on 31 March 2027 by direct letter or phone call to parents.

Required documents for application include: the Education Bureau's Form 1 Discretionary Places Application Form, St. Mark's School's Form 1 Discretionary Places Application Form, two stamped self-addressed envelopes, and photocopies of Primary 5 and Primary 6 school report cards, certificates of good conduct and academic performance, proof of extracurricular participation, awards and other relevant achievement certificates.

🗣️ Principal Shares Interview Tips: Character Matters More Than Grades

Principal Chan Sze-yan of St. Mark's School previously said that the school receives over 600 discretionary applications each year, with about 13 to 14 applicants competing for each place, which is highly competitive. The interview is mainly divided into two parts: the first part involves individual reading aloud and Q&A in English, while the second part is more relaxed, allowing students to use a familiar language to share academic and life experiences, with parents invited to join so that teachers can gain a deeper understanding of the family's educational philosophy and knowledge of the school. Principal Chan thoughtfully reminds parents and students that the most important thing in an interview is to stay natural, avoid being artificial, and be your true self.

As for how parents should prepare, Principal Chan said the interview is like everyday conversation, with topics centred on students' lives and very life-oriented, so parents need not be overly nervous; her tip is to "go to bed early the night before." As a "principal mother," she also shared her parenting insights, saying frankly that she would not get angry because her child scored low in an exam, but places greater emphasis on cultivating values: "Grades are temporary, but character affects a lifetime. The most important thing is to see whether the child has done their best in the process and whether they have positive thinking."

🌟 Whole-Person Education and Four Student-Led Initiatives

St. Mark's School was founded in 1949 and has a long history. In addition to producing a DSE top scorer in 2019, it has repeatedly achieved outstanding results in the HKDSE and international competitions over the years, with many graduates progressing to the top three universities and countless students admitted to medicine, law and dentistry. The school emphasises whole-person education and an English language environment. In recent years, it has launched three groundbreaking "Student Growth Breakthrough Programmes," including "Take the Principal Travelling" (planned and led by students themselves, taking the principal to Toronto), the student-initiated "Children's Joy Gifted Programme," and the planning and operation of the "Flying Lion Summer Academy" on campus. By truly letting students take the lead, the programmes comprehensively enhance their problem-solving ability, leadership and sense of social responsibility.