Harrow Hong Kong

Harrow Hong Kong opened in September 2012 with 750 students and has grown to a roll of 1180 at the start of its fifth year; the Lower School roll is 501 and the Upper School is 679. The School occupies a spectacular site on the Gold Coast in the New Territories near Tuen Mun. Its Lower School includes Early Years (K1 and K2) and the Pre-Prep School (Y1-Y5); the Upper School consists of the Prep School (Y6-Y8), the Senior School (Y9-Y11) and the Sixth Form (Y12-Y13). Up to half of the places in the Upper School are for weekly boarding. There are currently three Prep School Houses for boys and three for girls, three Senior School Houses for boys and three Senior Houses for girls, one of which is a ‘day’ House.

The School is very fortunate to have a wonderful new campus with a first-rate range of facilities. The classroom elements have been beautifully designed. Light, wide corridors, very well equipped classrooms and large, departmental office areas purpose-built for collaborative preparation are characteristic of the Lower School and Upper School teaching areas. There are also a number of large multi-purpose rooms. Specialist teaching areas include high quality Science laboratories, a Library and Learning Lounge closely linked to the ICT department located at the heart of the School, and well-equipped studios for art, music, drama and dance. Supporting Physical Education and sport are a swimming pool, extremely large sports hall, very well equipped fitness room, a state of the art 4G astro and tennis courts.

In January 2016, the Board of Governors made the decision to move to the construction of phase 3 of the School’s building programme. This involves an extension to the western ‘bookend’ of the current main building and some internal changes to the existing building in order to develop a range of additional facilities: new Upper School classrooms and science laboratories; extra facilities for sport, music, art and drama; large- multi-purpose areas for examinations and an extra Dining hall; a new Lower School Library; new, enlarged areas for the Admissions department, Upper School Office and Staff Common Room; and the creation of two boys’ and two girls’ Upper School ‘day’ Houses.

The School’s vision statement, Leadership for a better world, underpins what happens in the classroom, in extra-curricular activities and pastoral care in the School. Collectively, we aim to develop in our students the desire and skills to make a positive difference through people to the communities in which they live. In doing so, the School essentially combines elements of educational philosophy, practice and traditions from Harrow School in London with the international mindedness of a diverse student body in Hong Kong: and it constantly seeks a balance between the ‘Harrow’ and ‘International’ elements of the School’s name in its practice..

There are clear differences at Harrow Hong Kong compared to Harrow School: it is co-educational; it encompasses a much wider age range; it offers both boarding and day places; and it embraces and aims to reflect its location in the vibrant international community of Hong Kong. However, many aspects of the School are characteristic of Harrow: high expectations of students and teachers; excellence in academic work; an emphasis on extra-curricular pursuits; high quality pastoral care; a genuine focus on the individual; the importance of service and the development of leadership skills. The School has also quickly taken on some of the traditions of Harrow that have survived continual scrutiny and review over many years: it has composed its own Songs; some elements of the School uniform; some of the academic rewards and sanctions; and some of the distinctive Harrow ‘language’; and Speeches & Prizes on Speech Day includes some of the traditional ceremonies that have a long history at Harrow.

At all ages in the School, there is a strong emphasis on the quality of relationships and community life, and the personal formation of character of each of its students. In the Lower School, the focus of pastoral care is the Class Teacher. However, from Y6 when students enter the Upper School, pastoral care is centred on the boarding Houses: all boarders and day students are members of a House. Boarding, the heart of life at Harrow School, is therefore also integral to the life of our Upper School students at Harrow Hong Kong. There are currently three boys’ and three girls’ Prep Houses (Y6 to Y8), and four boys’ and three girls’ Senior Houses (Y9 to Y13). We work hard at establishing strong bonds within the communities of our Houses and the School. Above all, we aim to ensure our students are happy, secure and valued. The result is that there is already an evident sense of pride among students of all ages in the School, and what it means to be a part of it and the family of Harrow schools.

The present student body is a diverse international one with 36 different nationalities; just over 35% are solely local Hong Kong passport holders. The focus of the student admissions process is to identify those with the aptitude, ability and personality to make the most of the opportunities at Harrow Hong Kong. And through our scholarships scheme, we are looking to attract outstanding students with the potential to act as significant leaders in academic work, cultural activity and sport in the School, irrespective of their parents’ financial circumstances.

At present, there are 109 full-time members of the Common Room, which has a tremendous blend of collective experience in excellent independent (boarding and day, senior and prep) and state schools in the UK, and international schools particularly in South East Asia. These teachers have already demonstrated the ability and commitment to work effectively and collaboratively in a team dedicated to establishing the School from a ‘blank sheet of paper’. There are now further opportunities to join this team to help continue the School’s development.