Application Form for S.1 Discretionary Places (2023-2024)

(I) Application Procedure of 2023-2024 S1 Discretionary Places

• There will be 4 classes in Form One in school year 2023-2024. There will be 31 new students in each class. The medium of instruction in all classes is English.
• The number of discretionary places in the school year 2023-2024 is 40.

(II) Distribution of Application Forms

• Date: 3^rd January 2023 to 17^th January 2023
• Time: Monday to Friday: 9a.m. to 12:00 noon, 2:00p.m. to 4:00p.m.; Saturday: 9a.m. to 12:00 noon
• Applicants may take the hardcopy of the application form in person (no identity proof is needed) or download the softcopy from the school website (https://www.stmc.edu.hk).

(III) Submission of Application Forms

• Date: 3^rd January 2023 to 17^th January 2023
• Time: Monday to Friday: 9a.m. to 12:00 noon, 2:00p.m. to 4:00p.m.; Saturday: 9a.m. to 12:00 noon.
• Please submit the stapled documents according to the following sequence.
  1. EDB application form with our school name filled in the box “Name of School Applied”
  2. Application form for our school
  3. Photocopy of report cards of P5 and P6
  4. Photocopy of awards and proof of participation in activities
  5. Photocopy of identity document
  6. 3 returning envelopes (with $2.2 postage stamps, the Chinese and English name of the applicant and the correspondence address)
• All photocopies of documents should be A4 in size and no binder is required. According to EDB regulations, applicants are not required to submit the recommendation letter issued by their primary school.
• If the application is submitted in person, please bring the original copy of identity document of the applicant for verification. Late applications will not be accepted.
• For applications submitted via the SSPA e-Platform, a copy of the student’s identity document(s) must be uploaded as well.
• Applicants may add pages listing his/her participation in extra-curricular activities if necessary.
• According to EDB regulations, applications cannot be withdrawn / cancelled after submission.
• The personal information submitted by the applicants will be used in the selection procedure of S1 discretionary places. It may be transferred to the government departments concerned for allocation of S1 places if necessary.
• All submitted documents will not be returned to the applicants. They will be destroyed after the announcement of S1 places allocation.
• According to the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance, applicants have the right to amend or inquire about the personal information that he/she submitted. Applicants should submit a letter of request if necessary.

(IV) Interview

• Date: 4^th March, 2023
• Time: exact interview time for each applicant will be informed by letter.
• All applicants will be granted an interview.
• The interview will be conducted in groups, in both Cantonese and English. The assessment criteria will be based on politeness, self-confidence, personal qualities, thinking abilities and oral English abilities.
• The interview questions usually are related to the daily life / family life / school life, extra-curricular activities, social issues and expectations toward secondary school life. Besides, questions with different imaginative scenarios may arise during the interview.
• All applicants should reserve the time from 1:00p.m. to 6:00p.m. on 4^th March 2023 for the interview.
• In case of bad weather that the EDB announces any school suspension, the interview will be rescheduled to the same time slot on 11^th March 2023.
• To ensure the applicants can receive the up-to-date information about his/her application, the applicants should inform our school immediately if there are any changes of the correspondence address and/or the contact number.
• All applicants should receive a letter about the details of the interview on or before 22^nd February 2023. If not, applicants should contact our school by phone (Tel: 26021300) during office hours between 23r^d February 2023 and 24^th February 2023.

(V) Arrangement for Notification Successful Applicants

• Date: 31^st March 2023
• Each applicant will be informed by letter and by phone.
• According to EDB regulations, our school can only contact the parents of successful applicants. The notification is not the official allocation result of S1 places. The parents concerned do not need to reply to the notifications. All participating students will receive the SSPA allocation results (including results at the Discretionary Places and Central Allocation Stages) in mid-July as usual.

(VI) Announcement of Results (by the EDB)

• Date: 11^th July 2023
• All successful applicants should go to our school for registration according to the procedures announced by the EDB.

(VII) Admission Criteria

• Applicants should support the education mission of our school. The admission criteria are listed as follows. 

        (i) Rank order from the EDB and academic results in primary school    50%
        (ii) Conduct, activities, services and awards      25%
        (iii) Interview    25%

• In case there are any special circumstances that the interview must be cancelled, the admission criteria will be changed as follows.

        (i) Rank order from the EDB and academic results in primary school  65%
        (ii) Conduct, activities, services and awards    35%

Special Arrangements on the Submission of Application for S1 Discretionary Places (DP) by Post