Harrow International School Hong Kong celebrates its 10th anniversary
In collaboration with Harrow International School Hong Kong
The first and only British boarding school in Hong Kong, Harrow Hong Kong opened in 2012 to offer pupils a boarding experience built on the traditional British principle of community living. 10 years on, it now has a combined roll of 1500 pupils from Early Years (3 years old) to Sixth Form (18 years old).
With its unique position, the school is a perfect blend of historical and international elements – that is, combining the best of 450 years of British education with the vibrant backdrop of city life in Hong Kong. The campus, too, creates a suitable atmosphere for pupils to thrive. The crescent-shaped facade is reminiscent of the beautiful Royal Crescent located in Bath.
Of course, the results achieved speak for themselves. An impressive 60.6% of A-level results achieved in 2021 by pupils at Harrow Hong Kong were the top A* grade, with 84.1% of grades at A-A and 93.5% at A-B.
The 2021/2022 school year marks a significant time for Harrow. Not only is it the 10th anniversary of the opening of Harrow Hong Kong, but it has also been 450 years since Queen Elizabeth I granted John Lyon a charter to open a school for ‘local’ boys in Harrow, North London.
Unique pastoral care system
With locations in major cities across the world, including Bangkok, Beijing and Shanghai, the Harrow family of Schools share academic excellence and a broad-based learning experience within a traditional framework.
Harrow Hong Kong follows the traditional British House system, which is central to the sense of community and atmosphere in the school. It operates on a vertical pastoral structure that groups together and connects pupils of different ages.
From the beginning, the school has placed significant emphasis on the quality of relationships in the school community and establishing positive, respectful relationships. From Year 6, when pupils enter the Upper School, a House Master or House Mistress is assigned to take responsibility for their pastoral care, following Harrow’s Social Vision statement of how to treat each other.
Only British boarding school in Hong Kong
The most distinctive characteristic of Harrow Hong Kong is its House System, fully developed and adapted from its British counterpart. The mentioned vertical pastoral structure is a key component of the Harrow boarding ethos.
All pupils, both day or boarders, are members of a House, which provides opportunities for interacting with pupils from a wide range of backgrounds and for developing more profound relationships.
The vertical integration through different year groups is similar to a large family unit, where older pupils take on the responsibility of taking care of younger pupils; and younger pupils have the opportunity to follow the examples set by their seniors.
Boarding also allows pupils to tackle the daily challenges of living with other people, leading them to develop the intricacies of human interaction.
“The atmosphere in the houses is very pleasant and vibrant, and you’ll definitely have an enjoyable experience there. There are plenty of opportunities to hang out with your friends, and boarding teachers provide great support for your academics and mental health. The range of facilities available allows you to immerse yourselves in what you love to do thoroughly and the ability to consult teachers on duty gives you easy access to help or guidance from subject specialists or pastoral care.” shares a boarder.
Excellent leadership
Harrow Hong Kong is spearheaded by Ms Ann Haydon, who took up her position on August 1, 2017. She is the first woman to lead a Harrow School.
Before her current tenure as Head of School at Harrow Hong Kong, she was Deputy Head at Guildford High School and Principal of Surbiton High School.
Adding on to her experience, she is also a leading educator with multiple accolades including the Independent Schools ‘Outstanding Senior Leadership Team of the Year’ and ‘Outstanding Governing Board of the Year’; as well as having held positions as HMC London Division Secretary, a member of the HMC Sports Committee and of the United Learning Heads Reference Group.
“We hope that in every area of the school, this will give us energy, give us a sense of purpose and allow us collectively to continue to achieve something very special in 2021/2022 and in the years to come,” says Ms Haydon on the milestone of Harrow Hong Kong.
A significant milestone
To commemorate Harrow Hong Kong’s 10th anniversary and the original Harrow School’s 450th year, the school will be holding events that bring together its pupils from all different year groups to showcase their talents in music, sports, charity, science and the arts.
Upcoming events include #HarrowIDEAS450, a competition for students to flex their entrepreneurship muscles and create innovative ideas to help contribute to global sustainability and tackle certain issues; Harrow 450 Music Festival, a musical performance that collaborates with many Harrow Schools around the world and will be hosted in Harrow Hong Kong; Project Harrow Fashion Show, which features clothing designed by Harrow students; International Old Harrovians Reunion, an alumni event where graduates can gather together and share where they’ve been since leaving school; and the opening of a STEAM Centre that will add valuable facilities for learning in the sciences, technology, engineering, arts and maths fields.
Virtual Open Mornings
To learn more about Harrow Hong Kong, prospective parents and pupils are welcome to the school’s open events. While the campus is closed due to Covid-19, the school has launched a series of virtual Open Mornings, which include a presentation from the Head, a Q&A panel with current students and a virtual tour of the school.
There are two types of Open Mornings: Lower School Open Morning for children entering K1-Year 5 (ages 2-9); and Upper School Open Morning for children entering Year 6-Year 12 (ages 10-16).
Visit Harrow Hong Kong’s website or contact the Admissions Department at admissions@harrowschool.hk for more information.
