Education Spotlight: The Harbour School
A closer look at this year’s International School of the YearAs a self-described “teeny tiny school”, The Harbour School is certainly punching above its weight. A big winner in this year’s Education Awards, The Harbour School scooped up a total of three big categories, including Best School- Humanities & Social Sciences, Best Technology Program and the overall award for Hong Kong International School of the Year.
The awards cap a period of exciting change for The Harbour School, which has seen inclusiveness, innovation and creativity placed at the core of its education philosophy. Jadis Blurton, Head of School at The Harbour School, says the awards were recognition of its vision and its approach to education. “We are honoured” she says. “It’s a really great thing to have this support for our vision for education and that there are people around us who believe in this vision.”
Read more: Education Spotlight: Hong Kong International School
Blurton added that education was going through a period of extreme change and that The Harbour School was at the forefront of this change. “Our school motto is unlocking the best and unlocking the best means finding and helping individuals to find the missing parts and strengths that are going to carry them forward.” As Covid disrupted many of its traditional ways of working, The Harbour School sought to adapt and adapt fast. “It was very important for us to maintain as normal an atmosphere as possible,” Blurton says. A big part of that plan was the launch of its Virtual Classrooms at THS program. But the program had to do more than just deliver content, Blurton says. “Virtual Classrooms had to connect people, it had to connect students and teachers and connect the administration.”
Not only did it have to deliver, it also had to stand up to its motto of developing students as individuals. “We believe that every single person is different and people come with different strengths, weaknesses and interests, history and personality. If you expect everybody to be the same, you are missing all their gifts.”
