Principal’s office: Ian Clayton of French International School
Ian Clayton, Principal of French International School (FIS), on his career highlights and how FIS has adapted to the global pandemic.
Can you tell us about your career? What brought you to Hong Kong?
I have been in Hong Kong for 12 years and this is the end of my seventh year at FIS. I was attracted to Hong Kong by its vibrant culture and lifestyle. Contrary to what I had been told, I find Hongkongers very polite and helpful! Before my time here, I was, for 8 years, the founding principal of the secondary section of the British School Manila in the Philippines. If we stretch back into the last century, then I worked for 16 years in the UK. So in all honesty, I have really been in school for around 55 years.
What attracted you to French International School?
The role at FIS looked fascinating with lots of room to grow and develop ideas. There was also the opportunity to work with people from a different culture. So the job has given me the opportunity to nurture some of my ideas and to be honest, those seven years here have flown by. Never a dull moment, as they say!
What is the teaching philosophy at French International School and how do you uphold these values?
As you may know, there are two streams here at the school, the French Stream and the International Stream. The French tradition is based on academic rigour and obviously the importance of the language. The French education offers a strong focus on developing independent, analytical thinking across broad subject areas. The international Stream has a philosophy of international mindedness at its core, based on the importance of well being.
Can you tell us more about the French and International curriculum?
The French curriculum is essentially based on the training of citizens of the world able to handle very advanced knowledge with highly developed social and human skills. From 3 years to 18 years everything leads to a progressively of learning that complement each other gradually. The high school years allow us to specialise and to prepare for higher studies of high quality.
We are very excited by our new International curriculum offer in Hong Kong. All the way from nursery age (3-4 years old) to year 8 (12-13), we have the International Early Years Curriculum, the International Primary Curriculum and the International Middle Years curriculum. Recently, we were formally accredited by the International Curriculum Association to deliver the IPC programme. As the students enter year 10 and 11, they study the IGCSE qualification and finally, at years 12 and 13, the students study the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.
Can you tell us more about the school facilities at FIS?
We have four campuses across Hong Kong, each with a different character and ‘feel’. The newest addition to the FIS family is at Tseung Kwan O. This is an amazing state of the art modern campus. Planned to house both international and French stream students, it has led us to develop the unique immersive bilingual offer which allows students from both streams to cooperate and collaborate taking advantage of authentic language opportunities. This makes TKO unique amongst Hong Kong schools.
Our campus at Chai Wan is full of character as it is a converted nunnery. We have exciting news about our two oldest campuses at Jardine’s Lookout and Blue Pool Road because they are both in for a major facelift. Building on the innovation of TKO, the school is investing in creating flexible work spaces. The next few years will see the campus upgrades to take FIS confidently into the late 2020s and beyond.
Read more: Hong Kong Education Awards 2021: The results are in
What is a typical day like at the school?
I think my motto is “expect the unexpected”. For me, a day will inevitably include several meetings, which can be about a multitude of things ranging from the cotton content in our school uniforms and the state of the school toilets to very serious HR issues and student meetings and all stops in between. My favourite parts of the day/week are when I manage to get into the classrooms. Reading a story to wide eyed 5 year olds is an experience never to be taken for granted. It’s funny, rewarding and also incredibly moving. It also makes me even fuller of admiration for their teachers.
How has the school adapted in times of the global pandemic?
Like for all schools, the global pandemic has been incredibly challenging. I think we are in a much better place in terms of staff being upskilled and more confident in what they are doing. The resilience of both the teachers and the students has been an outstanding feature of the pandemic.
Despite the fact that we have been restricted in the time that students have been able to spend at school, our results have remained stellar. The students in both streams were wildly successful in their French Baccalaureate and International Baccalaureate exams respectively.
