Nord Anglia balances academic rigour with all-round development in its first decade

A typical challenge might focus on climate change and ways to tackle aspects of global warming. Relevant tasks and questions are assigned for students at different levels, and the overall response is always enthusiastic, with models and short films sometimes used to present ideas and solutions. 

“In general, we pride ourselves on our ability to personalise a child’s curriculum for the different stages of their learning journey,” Duncan says. “So, for example, if they join for IGCSE from an IB MYP (middle years programme) school, we can shape the teaching and support accordingly. What we look for is progress in relation to the starting point, not just against the usual external benchmarks.” 

This year, as a way of marking its 10th anniversary, NAIS Hong Kong is putting special focus on the importance of service to others. That is already a key constituent of the IBDP, but the intention is to see it take root throughout the school.

As a result, students are being encouraged to go out into the local community, raising funds, and assisting charities and NGOs. These efforts include work with Feeding Hong Kong to provide meals for people in need, and with organisations in Kwun Tong which aim to promote recycling in the fashion industry. 

Showing real initiative, one student with a passion for design technology is putting those skills to use by repairing wheelchairs every Saturday. He uses a 3D printer to produce wheels and bearings and is committed to giving continuing support.   

The concept of service, though, is not limited to Hong Kong. This year, 10 or more international trips and visits will allow senior secondary students to spend time in countries like Cambodia, Laos and Tanzania. Under close supervision, they will take part in local community projects, perhaps teaching a class or helping to build an extra schoolroom, and see what life is really like for their contemporaries in other parts of the world. 

Trips to Tanzania are based at a Nord Anglia Group expedition centre near Mount Kilimanjaro, which also makes it possible to undertake short safaris and consider the consequence of failure to act on global warming. 

That ties in with the school’s broad-based support for the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through instruction, action, and generally raising awareness. 

“We also have an ongoing relationship with Unicef to inform students and get them involved in health and education projects,” Duncan says. “In fact, we have won a Unicef social impact award for incorporating arts and technology in different ways and making students aware of their responsibilities as citizens of the world.” 

That extends to discussions about the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and, as with two upcoming trips – one for school musicians to perform in Prague, the other to speak Spanish in Toledo and Barcelona – the objective is to ensure students understand the real world in all its many forms. 

“Getting strong academic outcomes is the key to their futures, but we also recognise the importance of developing the whole child and enriching their experience,” Duncan says. “We also make sure our pathways are appropriate.”

 Accordingly, Putonghua classes are compulsory up to early secondary; a Chinese stream for acquisition of English has been introduced for non-native speakers; and the IBDP option leading to more vocational qualifications will be made available.  

“We are now an established school in Hong Kong,” Duncan says. “As you grow, you can offer more bespoke options or interventions that suit the needs of each child and allow them to go on to universities and careers at the highest level.”