Island School

This article is about the school in Hong Kong. For the school in The Bahamas, see The Island School. For the school in Hawaii, see Island School (Kauai).

Island School (港島中學)
Island School
Location
20 Borrett Road Mid Levels Hong Kong
Information
Type	Private, comprehensive, international, secondary, co-educational.
Established	1967
Principal	Mr. Christopher Binge
Faculty	not applicable
Enrollment	approx. 1,2001
Years Alumni	Year 7-13 "New" Official Alumni Website A previous Alumni Website
Website	http://www.island.edu.hk/

Island School (Chinese: 港島中學) is a co-educational non-profit international school in Hong Kong. The campus is situated in the Mid-Levels district of Hong Kong on 20 Borrett Road. It is a member of the English Schools Foundation – the largest independent schools organization in Asia.

Origins and history

The school opened in 1967 to meet increasing demand for schooling for the children of expatriates living in Hong Kong. As there were no secondary schools for English speaking children on Hong Kong Island, the Hong Kong government established the English Schools Foundation (ESF) in 1965 to provide additional schools for expatriate British children. Island School was the first ESF secondary school, adopting the Chinese name of 英童中學, literally translated as "Secondary School for British Children".

The first Principal of Island School was the Reverend Geoffrey Speak who was appointed from St Paul's School in 1967 [1]. Rev. Speak, a graduate of Selwyn College, Cambridge, combined the principalship with managing the ESF between 1967 and 1971 [2], during a rather inauspicious time.In 1967 the Cultural Revolution was in its throes with bombs detonated in Central, water was rationed to four hours every fourth day and with Prime Minister Wilson's devaluation the prospect of working in Hong Kong became less financially appealing. The Rev. Speak will be remembered at Island School for his introduction of the "House System" as the basis of pastoral care and for teaching, a system which is still in place today, and as a pioneer of extracurricular activities.[3]

In 1971 C. Ronald Rivers-Moore was appointed to succeed Rev. Speak as Principal. Rivers-Moore, a Cambridge graduate, continued Rev. Speak's vision both in academic policy and through the continuation of the extracurricular program [4]. The introduction of the Nepal Trek, the School Camp, a school zoo and the Student Union are examples of his commitment to that vision.[5]. Chris Forse, former Deputy Head and Island School Historian, referred to Rivers-Moore as a man who combined his "integrity with liberal benevolence in roughly equal proportions".[6]

Succeeding Rivers-Moore in 1978 was Charles Jonathan (Jonty) Driver, a graduate of Trinity College Oxford. Driver extended the Island School curriculum to include Drama, Photography and Computing [7] and a pastoral curriculum. A believer in community education, Driver founded the Island School Evening Institute which provided adult education to parents and friends of the Island School community. It was also during Driver's tenure that Island School's lasting student periodical, "The Islet", was established, succeeding the original student newspaper "The Echo". [8]. Jonty left Island Scool in 1983 to become Headmaster at Berkhamsted School, later moving to the prestigious Wellington College in Berkshire.

Dr. Colin Niven, a graduate of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge and Brasenose College, Oxford, was Principal of Island School between 1983–1988. During his tenure, Dr. Niven raised the prestige of the school internationally, tripling Oxbridge entries [9] while gaining membership of the elite Headmasters Conference. There was a major investment in a new library and the school uniform was replaced. After leaving Island School Dr. Niven became a fellow at Westminster College, Oxford and later the Principal at the prestigious Alleyn's School in London.

Mr. David James became the school's first internally appointed Principal in 1988. Mr. James was an innovator, introducing the new British National Curriculum, vocational education and the International Baccalaureate at 16-18. He enhanced the responsibilities of the Sixth Form enabling "students to become surrogate teachers and leaders of the school"[10]. He broadened the profile of Island School's out-reach efforts in both Hong Kong and abroad through the encouragement of student participation in community service programs among them the Summerbridge and School After School program through which Island School students taught English and life skills to less privileged children. In 1990 Island School became the first ESF school to introduce an Interim Week during which the regular timetable was abandoned for a range of alternative challenges in Hong Kong and overseas.

Mr James retired in 2005 and was succeeded by a deputy principal Mrs. Michelle Hughes, a graduate of Open University. Mrs Hughes tenure began in difficult circumstances with a pay dispute between the teachers and the ESF which resulted in some curtailing of the extra curricular program and support for parent run activities like the school fair. Her tenure has been characterised by its attention to meeting the modern imperatives of quality assurance and in increasing role of "student voice" at Island School. Mrs. Hughes left the position in June 2009, and was replaced by Mr Christopher Binge, previously Secondary Principal at the "La Chataigneraie" campus of the International School of Geneva.

A fuller history can be found in Chris Forse's "No Ordinary School" written for the school’s 40th anniversary in 2007, and which is available from the school. The summary above is a distillation from this publication, which is copyrighted.

Curriculum

The school, having been admitted as an International Baccalaureate World School in 2006, began providing the IB program as well as the ESF Diploma to its students in August 2007, while the class of '08 finished the final year of A-Levels. The school follows its curriculum, which is noted in some documents handed out to students, very tightly.

College Matriculation

Island School claims that the school is comprehensive, yet recent examination results have matched those of independent and selective schools in the UK. Most students from the school go to colleges in the United Kingdom and the United States as well as those in Australia, Switzerland, Singapore, Hong Kong, Continental Europe and Canada. However, Island School has recently removed all information regarding college matriculation from its website. The most popular college for Island School graduates is the University of Exeter and the University of Southern California.

Students and the House System

There are currently 1130 students from 38 different countries enrolled in Island School, although a third of the students hold British passports. Each year group is divided into six houses named after famous and significant people - Da Vinci (orange), Einstein (purple), Fleming (red), Nansen (blue), Rutherford (green) and Wilberforce (yellow). Since 2009, each house has been led by a Senior Head of House and a Head of House. House competitions take place throughout the year, with points being awarded throughout, leading to the giving of a trophy to the house with the most points at the end of the year.

Houses (and colours) and Head of Houses (as of 2011-12 academic year)

Da Vinci (Orange) - Mr. Kevin Lester and Mrs. Joanna Rickards
Einstein (Purple) - Mrs. Sheila Dewick and Mr. Paul Harries
Fleming (Red) - Mrs. Angela Worthington and Mr. Philip Tudor
Nansen (Blue) - Mrs. Cathryn Hopkins and Ms. Philipa Peters
Rutherford (Green) - Mr. Pak Chan and Mr. Russell Scott
Wilberforce (Yellow) - Ms. Kate Sommerville and Ms Lowanna Dunn (acting in absence of Mr. Jez Rowson)

The Sixth Form

The Sixth Form (Years 12 and Year 13) serves a vital role in school life. Students in the Sixth Form are exempt from wearing uniform and are expected to organise activities for the younger students. They also have much more freedom than lower years and have free periods implemented into their school timetables. However, many students choose to bring their skills and talents abroad to finish their last years of secondary school. Boarding schools in Europe and America are popular choices. The current Sixth Form director is Mr. Daniel Trump.

The Student Union

The Student Union has traditionally been active in the school community. The Union executive is democratically elected each November. Normally a few major parties as well as "joke" parties participate.

The Student Union run activities, including "Timeout", a youth club for Year 7 to Year 9 students, and fund-raising. Notable efforts include a sponsored walk, raising over half a million Hong Kong dollars for the South Asian Tsunami Disaster by the VIP (Vox In Populi) party along with the school's Community Service Committee. The union regularly challenges the school management on health and safety issues like the state of the toilets, and the school uniform. Occasionally Union elections are ruled out of order. In 1989 a party bearing a neo-fascist name was disqualified. The Student Union has been criticized for inefficiency as it has not been able to fix a hole in the female changing room window after many years.

Ethnicity and Denomination

The school originally served mainly British expatriate families but since the end of British rule in 1997, about half the student body are ethnic Chinese (many with foreign passports) with about 10 percent Eurasian. About ten percent of the school population has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, a figure consistent through the history of the school. The school is run on secular lines. There is no daily worship but the school celebrates its cultural diversity in many ways, including through school assemblies and cultural evenings.

Activities

Island School offers a wide range of both sporting and non-sporting activities. Apart from inter-house sporting events such as swimming, athletics and volleyball, the school participates in most inter-school events in Hong Kong, including basketball, swimming, water polo, rugby, golf, debate and Association football. The school has won the award as the top co-educational sporting school in Hong Kong 18 times.

Students may choose to do as many activities as they want and can manage to do. The school offers about 100 activities each week, run by teaching staff and students, especially those in the Sixth Form. The school expects every student to take part in the program.

Students take part in the Hong Kong Award for Young People programme (which succeeded the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme in 1997), offering the Gold, Bronze and Silver level awards to students who successfully finish the program.The students produce a yearbook throughout the year called the 'Islander'. In 2007 an extra section was added to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the school.

Apart from sporting activities, the school also offers non sporting activities such as an annual inter-house quiz, debating activities and chess. One of the most popular non-sporting activities is Model United Nations – where students come together to act as delegates to the United Nations and debate a world issues. Island School is a permanent member of the annual Hong Kong Model United Nations. In December 2006, a team of Island School students also traveled to the United States of America to attend Princeton Model United Nations Conference (PMUNC) 2006. In addition they will also be sending a team to the Beijing International Model United Nations in March 2011. Just two of many overseas competitions that the school has taken part in.

Island School also prides itself for the student publications, such as the annual Year Book -the Islander, and the monthly Islet.

Island school also have a student Environmental group, called Wanbo. Island School students also established the ESF student union and also the ESF Environmental Action Group.

Rugby has very strong foundations at Island School with the school always being regarded as particularly strong in this area. On 14 December 2006 Island School won the Hong Kong Schools Rugby Championship (Division 1) by beating South Island School 24-0 in the final at the Hong Kong Football Club [11].

40th Anniversary

During its fortieth anniversary in September 2007,led by Angus Luk & Tiffany Lau, the entire student body and teachers were gathered and made an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the longest contra line, dancing to the disco hit Y.M.C.A. by The Village People, which is the unofficial school song. It was confirmed as of 15 February 2008 that Island School broke the record with a total of 1,048 people participating, breaking the previous record.^{[citation needed]} The record can be viewed in the Guinness World Record website. However, the school did not enter the record into the 2009 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records.^{[citation needed]}

Competition

Over the years Island School has competed to be one of the best schools in Hong Kong. However they have had a great deal of competition with West Island School in the areas of IB scores, sports teams (swimming, football, rugby) and many more.

Renewable Energy Project

Island School has purchased one small wind turbine and a small array of solar panels on the roof. The operator is Savita Solar and powers a fraction of the electricity used in Block 1. Island School officially states:

During the Autumn Term of 2010, Island School became the first ESF School to install solar panels and wind turbines. These became active on the 8th Dec 2010 and you can see them located on the Science block roof.

Whenever the sun shines or it is windy, we can now generate our own electricity. This is connected directly to our normal electricity supply in Block 1 so that we can use it to power lights, equipment etc. This should reduce our electricity consumption and will significantly help Island School achieve its goal of reducing overall power expenditure in the ‘Cap and Trade’ project. The solar panels and wind turbine are made in a carbon-neutral factory (powered by hydroelectricity) which ensures that no carbon footprint is created during manufacturing. They are made from high quality materials that have a very long, maintenance free, lifespan of up to 35 years, at the end which, most of the components involved can be recycled, making them even more environmentally friendly. In addition, an exciting educational website allows students to collect data and do experiments involving our own solar panels and wind turbine. This website offers opportunities for students to compare the amount of electrical energy we generate, the amount of carbon emissions we reduce and the amount of money we save.

Facilities

The school consists of seven blocks each of five to seven floors high. The school's teaching facilities include a semi-specialist science block (block 1) that have purpose-built science laboratories. There are also dedicated Art, Computer, Music, Textiles, and Home Economics rooms mainly located in block 2. Blocks 3, 4 and 5 contain the general teaching rooms. Many teaching rooms have a projector and interactive white-boards facilities. There is also a school hall in block six that covers 2 floors and provides a venue for school assemblies and other events. Block six also houses the specialised drama room and the large school library. Block 7 is a block made for examination and PTA uses.

There is a swimming pool in the school, next to the "Green Area" – a triangular shaped sports ground, and 3 multi-purposed play areas and a sports hall. Some sports, however, are carried out elsewhere, for instance, in Happy Valley; Hong Kong Park or the Western Park.

There are currently plans for major renovations to keep up with growing demands from parents for improved facilities. Many of the classrooms were refurbished during the 2010 summer holidays. A move to a new site is under consideration by the school and ESF management.

Notable alumni

Ex-students of Island School have in the past kept in touch and organised alumni events through volunteers and staff. The ISHK web site was a focal point of alumni activity for many years, though currently only the mailing list is maintained. In March 2005 the outgoing principal, David James, revitalised the Island School Alumni Association with the backing of the school, Island School PTA and the English Schools Foundation. The Island School Alumni Association is now actively working to forge a community of ex-students and work on objectives to support the alumni.

Famous ex-students and teachers include:

Notable Teachers

• Chris Forse, Writer of "No Ordinary School"

Notable Alumni

• Fiona Sit, Cantopop singer
• Hannah Wilson, HK Olympic swimmer
• Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg
• John Chick, Toronto, Canada sportswriter
• Alice Patten, third and youngest daughter of former Governor Lord Patten
• Kenneth McBride and Nicola Myers, a couple who were brutally murdered on Braemar Hill on 20 April 1985; the school annually holds a fundraising mufti day in memory of them.[12][13]
• Nina Wadia, cast member of British TV comedy series Goodness Gracious Me, and Eastenders
• Harry Hill, British comedian who attended the school under the name Matthew Hall
• Carlo Rota, Canadian Actor, cast member of US Drama series 24 (TV series)
• Alison Armitage, well-known glamour model who worked under the name Brittany York
• Anand Tucker, Critically acclaimed film director and producer
• Christine Loh, Former member of the Legislative Council and Human Rights Monitor

OFSTED Inspection

In December 2002, OFSTED issued a report on the school. This is a small excerpt from the report:

'Island School is very effective and has many outstanding qualities. It is a school to which parents want to send their children and to which students want to come. The very strong and vibrant ethos pervades everything the school does whether it is in the classroom, examinations or working with the community. The very effective leadership of the principal and senior managers motivates everyone to strive for and achieve the best. The good teaching and excellent relationships ensure that students achieve very high examination results and that they develop excellent personal skills.'

See also

• Education in Hong Kong
• English Schools Foundation

External links

• Island School
• Island School Alumni Association - The official Alumni website
• Island School Alumni Network - not currently accepting new members
• Island School PTA
• English Schools Foundation