Wycombe Abbey School Hong Kong fosters a love of learning in students

In collaboration with Wycombe Abbey School Hong Kong

Nicola is a mother of four daughters. With the eldest and the youngest outside of the school’s Year 1 to Year 8 criteria, the middle two daughters are both studying at Wycombe Abbey School Hong Kong (Lily in Year 5 and Leah in Year 2). So why did Nicola choose Wycombe Abbey as the place to be for her daughters?

“My daughters went to local schools prior to switching to Wycombe Abbey. I felt they never quite fit into the traditional local school culture, in which the children were relentlessly measured by academic results. I felt my children were being deprived of a proper childhood, and I decided it was not how my children will be brought up.”

The Importance of Chinese culture

“Choosing schools is no easy task.

“There are many international schools in Hong Kong, but I felt most of them are very much geared towards educating expatriates. For local students studying there, the risks of them losing touch with their own language, culture and heritage are real.

“I want my children to be brought up with a western-style education without losing sense of their background. It is very important for my children to retain their Chinese culture, so they can become an effective bridge that connects the East and the West.

“The critical determining factor for choosing Wycombe Abbey is their emphasis on the importance of learning Chinese. Chinese is taught daily, with seven lessons per week. This is incredibly helpful in my children’s development to be fluently bilingual.”

Children enjoy the learning process

“I am no ‘Tiger Parent’, but I do care about my children’s learning environment and their mental and social well-being.

“The biggest change I have observed since my children joined this school is their liveliness and motivation to be in class every day. I can see the spirit in their eyes.

“In their previous schools, I have seen how Lily and Leah sat at their desks seemingly listening to teachers, but I had no idea how much they really learned. Now, Lily often shares with me all the new things she has learned at school. The depth of her knowledge far exceeds my expectations for a Year 5 student.

“Leah used to be quite timid and was afraid to try new things. Now, she will happily attempt challenges knowing full well she will make mistakes. I think she is beginning to enjoy the process as well.”

The Headmaster is a real educator

“I have met and conversed with many headmasters in the past. My impression was that some can really talk the talk, mesmerising parents with pupil statistics, academic accolades, competitive achievements and marketing terminologies.

“I didn’t see this in Mr Tuckett. He did not use numbers and statistics to describe the school, but shared his views on pupils’ personalities, interests and his education philosophy which focused on each child’s individuality.

“Reflecting on the above, the school’s end of term reports include two types of grades; one reflecting the level of academic knowledge, the other on the pupil’s effort. Both are of equal importance and are closely related. Pupils understand that the more effort they put in, the better their results will be.”