There’s always plenty to look forward to on the educational journey. From new schools to new facilities and curriculums, here are just a few of the latest developments in schools in Hong Kong and abroad!
Clever Kids
How remarkable that in a year that presented challenges the likes of which we’ve never seen, students in Hong Kong excelled in their IB and A Levels results for the academic year 2020-2021. In fact, 130 kids got a perfect 45 in the IB, compared to 23 last year! ESF Schools, CDNIS and FIS were among those with students with top marks in the IB, while Harrow International School and Kellett School achieved unprecedented A Level results, among others. The Expat Living team sends a big congratulations to all the city’s hardworking graduating students this summer – and an acknowledgement of their supportive parents and family members in an unprecedented year for schooling. Well done!
30th Birthday!
This year marks a special milestone for the Canadian International School of Hong Kong as the school celebrates three decades of education. From modest beginnings, CDNIS in Aberdeen has become a leading IB World School known for academic innovation, extracurricular opportunities and a welcoming and supportive community. The school says it’s looking forward to “celebrating the past and inspiring the future this year and for years to come”.
Find out more at cdnis.edu.hk
New Campus
Kwun Tong has a new international school campus, with Nord Anglia opening its fourth secondary school venue for the start of the 2021- 22 academic year. With space for an additional 800 students, the campus features specialist subject classrooms filled with plenty of natural light, plus science laboratories, rooms for dance, drama, music, art and visual media, a learning resource centre, a full-size sports hall, an indoor swimming pool and an impressive performance auditorium.
9 Yuet Wah Street, Kwun Tong.
3958 1488 | nordangliaeducation.com
Take a Tour
Woodland Pre-Schools is offering Private School Tours and Free Trials to prospective families interested in joining their Early Years programmes from six months to six years old. This is a great opportunity to experience classes, meet the team of experienced educators and learn more about your child’s journey at Woodland Pre-Schools. Spaces are limited, so register through the website for the campuses at Mid-Levels, Happy Valley, Kennedy Town, Pok Fu Lam, Repulse Bay (two locations) and Sai Kung.
2526 9478 | woodlandschools.com
Welcome To Kellett
Kellett has announced its new Head of School for Kowloon Bay Preparatory School. Samantha Steed brings over 20 years of Primary and Early Years education experience to the role, having started at Holy Trinity School, London, and going on to three headships in international and UK independent schools, as well as being an Early Years Inspector for the UK’s Independent Schools Inspectorate. We wish her well in the new role.
Going for Gold!
A big congrats to the alumni from various schools in Hong Kong who took part in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Games. Among them were two former students of the Australian International School – Bill Thorley in marathon swimming and Stephanie Norton in sailing – and six ESF alumni, who competed in fencing, swimming, hockey and more. Thomas Neil, an alumnus from Kennedy School, won a bronze medal in the 4x200m freestyle relay for Australia. Meanwhile, St. Paul’s Secondary School must be over the moon at the performance of former student Siobhan Haughey, whose feats in the pool are unmatched by HK athletes from previous Games.
Making a Splash
The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust has partnered with the non-profit Splash Foundation to fund a project that gives free learn-to-swim and water safety coaching to special needs children and young adults in HK. The three-year Splash Jockey Club SwimABLE Programme provides 20 hours of group coaching with a certified instructor with special needs support experience. Lessons focus on water safety skills, buoyancy, basic freestyle and more.
splashfoundation.org | fb.com/splashfoundation
New Schools
Oxbridge School
With its first school year underway from August 2021, Oxbridge School is a new international primary school in Hung Hom. Teaching is based on the renowned National Curriculum of England and Wales across Years 1 and 6, with Chinese language learning a key focus too. The bright and modern campus features a Learning Hub library facility, a dedicated Gifted and Special Needs centre, plus on-site play areas including a swimming pool. Class sizes are deliberately kept small (maximum 15 students) to allow for personalised, individual learning.
G/F & 1/F, Star Ruby, 1 San Wai Street, Hung Hom
Bloom KKCA Academy
Bloom is a new bilingual and multicultural primary school where Chinese and English are integrated into different subjects, from mathematics to art, and well as in projects, field trips and daily “campfires”. Two pathways are available: Chinese as a Second Language, and Chinese as a Main Language. STEM and innovation are emphasised, and the teaching staff includes the likes of a NASA engineer who teaches students to design their own experiments to a reading specialist with more than 1,000 hours of training.
The school is located just west of Kowloon Tong. 7 Pui Tak Street, Kowloon
Keen to read more about education in Hong Kong? See our Schools section online, or subscribe to our quarterly magazine so you never miss an issue.
