Top international primary school emphasises academic achievement and all-round development
When Shrewsbury International School Hong Kong opens in August 2018, primary students aged 3 to 11 years will begin a journey that supports academic success along with the development of personal characteristics that prove critical for success and happiness in the classroom and beyond.
[Sponsored Article]
Building on the track record of their renowned sister schools in the UK and Bangkok, Shrewsbury’s academic programme – which is based on the English National Curriculum - will guarantee both range and rigour in academic subjects.
In addition, Shrewsbury’s attention to pastoral care will support children’s social and personal development, nurturing confidence and independence, and lay the foundations for academic success in Senior School and university. Shrewsbury’s focus on the primary years, supported by world class facilities, resources and equipment that are specifically designed for these year groups, is designed to foster academic curiosity, engagement and critical thinking skills along with the confidence to build varied and supportive relationships.
As Principal, Ben Keeling explains, “Ensuring the inspiration and motivation that drive a passion for learning, and an environment that supports the development of crucial life skills, is what makes a great primary school truly special.”
Located in purpose-built premises in Tseung Kwan O, close to Lohas Park MTR, the school will have state-of–the-art facilities for sports and the arts, allowing students to pursue a wide range of activities and explore their potential. And in offering primary education specifically for children aged between three and 11, the school challenges the concept of through-train education;
“Shrewsbury offers an education without compromise”, Keeling explains. “Our focussed primary education is about getting the fundamentals right, from a child’s very first day at school, and families can be assured that these formative years will be guided by excellent, experienced teaching professionals.”
“We have a huge responsibility. Quite simply, these are the years where children learn to learn. However, we are in the enviable position of opening a new school in Hong Kong with the comprehensive support provided by Shrewsbury School in the UK, which was founded in 1552,” Keeling says. “We also benefit from the experience and support of our highly regarded sister school in Bangkok, one of Asia’s leading international schools, who have developed an extremely successful model of primary education”.
Children at Shrewsbury will enjoy a play-based, active learning approach in the Early Years, with discovery and self-guided learning helping to nurture curiosity and independence. Moving through to Key Stage 1 and 2, the curriculum is based around exciting topics that tie different academic subjects together, and which ensure a truly integrated, holistic educational experience.
Shrewsbury Hong Kong promises an internationally recognised, English Language curriculum, but which is also tailored to the needs of the child and to the local context. For example, recognising the broad impact of language study, a specially developed Putonghua programme will form an integral part of the thematic curriculum. Daily lessons will be thoroughly embedded and driven by the very latest educational research, rather than relying on the more traditional style of rote learning commonly experienced elsewhere. Classes for native, near-native and non-native speakers will provide every child the opportunity to develop reading, writing, speaking and listening skills at an appropriate pace.
“Our thematic approach ensures that students are fully immersed in their learning - Putonghua will be no exception,” Keeling says. “Our language classes form part of our core curriculum, ensuring that children embed key learning concepts within a rich and interwoven series of lessons.”
Selecting the best education for their child can be an overwhelming prospect for parents, especially when trying to envisage a pathway for infants right through to university. However, Ben Keeling says that Shrewsbury presents a clear choice. “We think that parents will appreciate the specific, uncompromising focus on a top quality primary education that Shrewsbury Hong Kong offers.”
“As children move through and beyond their early childhood experiences, it becomes easier for parents, teachers and children themselves to determine their strengths and interests, and therefore to identify and support the most suitable pathway for secondary education”, notes Keeling. “By the age of 11, it will become clearer whether it is in the interests of the child to pursue the wider-ranging International Baccalaureate (IB) system or the increased specialism offered by GCSEs and A-levels. By choosing a first class primary education at Shrewsbury, families will not be forced to make this choice at the age of 3. Rather, by developing the skills for life-long learning children who have benefitted from a primary education at Shrewsbury will be equipped to succeed wherever their passions and abilities take them next. Further, whether our students continue their education at a secondary school in Hong Kong, at Shrewsbury School in Britain, or somewhere else, they will be prepared both academically and personally to thrive”.
Allied to this, Shrewsbury also guarantees a carefully supported transition for graduating students as they progress to secondary education. Teachers will work closely with parents and children, providing advice and counselling long before a final decision has to be made.
“Making sure of a purposeful transfer is part of our promise to parents,” Keeling says, ‘our ability to personalise this journey is one of the key benefits we offer. This is all part of Shrewsbury’s pathway to success”.
Visit www.shrewsbury.hk for more information.
