We are here for all Hong Kong families: An interview with Howard Tuckett
- Being a Headteacher is a consistently challenging role. This kind of job is a marathon rather than a race
- We started with an empty shell, of what had formerly been a shopping centre and designed the school from scratch
An Interview with Howard Tuckett, Headmaster at Wycombe Abbey School Hong Kong
Life Before Being A Headmaster
My name is Howard Tuckett. I was born in Epping, Essex, in England in 1960. When I was 11, my father’s company moved us to South Africa, where I completed my education and initial teacher training. My wife - Colleen and I married in 1986.
Since 2000 I have consistently been employed as a Headteacher at three schools: St. Joseph’s College Junior School, Ipswich; Caterham Prep School, Surrey; and now Wycombe Abbey School Hong Kong.
Being a Headteacher is a consistently challenging role. I have been doing the job for over twenty years now. I guess there is adversity in the constant pressure for a school to run well. In that respect, endurance to keep providing consistent and reliable leadership in a school has been the biggest challenge. This kind of job is a marathon rather than a race!
Wycombe Abbey UK vs. Wycombe Abbey School Hong Kong
Wycombe Abbey International Schools, (WAIS), was formed from a joint venture between Wycombe Abbey School in England and BE Education, a British owned education company, based in Shanghai for over twenty years. WAIS currently operates four schools, (Wycombe Abbey Changzhou, Wycombe Abbey Nanjing, Wycombe Abbey Hangzhou and Wycombe Abbey Hong Kong). Other schools are being planned.
The founding team in Hong Kong comprised of a dozen academic staff and a small administration team. More colleagues have joined regularly as the school has flourished, even during these difficult times.
There is open and regular contact between all the Wycombe Abbey Headteachers, including Mrs. Duncan at Wycombe Abbey in England.
Whilst Wycombe Abbey U.K. is a senior school and we are a Prep (Primary) school, we both follow the National Curriculum for England and Wales as a core curriculum document. Therefore, the teaching at our two schools is as aligned as it can possibly be. Our pupils follow exactly the same curriculum here in Hong Kong that they would if they were at a U.K. Prep school.
Wycombe Abbey School Hong Kong’s niche is that we are a private school in Hong Kong (not an international school), which means we can bring the very best of British Prep education to all children in Hong Kong without being restrained by the international school ‘quota’ system.
The Environment and Facilities in WASHK
A stimulating learning environment is critical for any great school. I consider myself very fortunate to have been part of the group who designed our school from a blank piece of paper. We started with an empty shell, of what had formerly been a shopping centre and designed the school from scratch. As a teacher, I was able to offer practical advice as part of this creative process.
Because the school was designed specifically for prep school-aged children, they use all of the facilities very effectively. We are constantly looking at ways to add and improve to our existing design.
- Our central Atrium which includes a glass domed roof and a 14.5m high climbing wall
- Our balance of indoor and outdoor space, including our 20,000 sq ft rooftop garden
- Our specialist classrooms for iSTEAM, Art, Drama, Science and Music
Next Steps for WASHK Graduates
A large number of our students are preparing for entry to British boarding schools. As reported above, we have already had considerable success in the offers our students have received from these schools.
This year, the two girls from our school who applied to Wycombe Abbey both received their places and start there this August. Following many applications from Hong Kong last year, Wycombe Abbey only offered four places to Hong Kong girls; we were delighted to have received two of those. Our pupils also received offers from schools such as Cheltenham Ladies College, City of London School for Girls and Rugby School.
All of our departing 13+ (Year 8), students are offered places in one of our WAIS boarding schools in Mainland China (Wycombe Abbey Changzhou, Wycombe Abbey Nanjing or Wycombe Abbey Hangzhou).
Many of our students will also remain in Hong Kong. As an outstanding Prep school, we can prepare them for places at any one of the exciting senior school options in Hong Kong, including the international schools.
We continue to explore options to open our own secondary school in Hong Kong.
