To strive and thrive
HKIS focuses on producing students who flourish academically and personally. Though founded in 1966 as a private Christian institution, Hong Kong...
Though founded in 1966 as a private Christian institution, Hong Kong International School (HKIS) makes a point of welcoming students of all faiths.
The Tai Tam campus offers an American-style curriculum for middle school (Grades 6-8) and high school (Grades 9-12) students, with the stated goals of promoting personal growth in the areas of academic excellence, spirituality, character development, self-motivated learning, Chinese culture, and contributions to society.
Along with their qualifications, high school principal Patrick Hurworth wants students to gain a sense of the importance of service to others, a sense of compassion, and “an engagement with anything they turn their hands or their heads to”.
When gauging academic achievement, HKIS calculates each student’s grade point average (GPA) on a 4-point scale. Over six semesters, two-thirds of the “class of 2017” scored a GPA of between 3.33 and 4, while a further quarter scored between 3 and 3.32.
Between 2014 and 2016, almost 100 per cent of HKIS graduates went on to pursue studies at tertiary level, with more than 80 per cent opting for colleges or universities in the US.
“We have very low class sizes, with an average of 16 and a maximum of 22,” says Hurworth, who is proud of the degree of choice in terms of academic pursuits. “We are very well resourced, so students have access to numerous different classes, from robotics to fashion design, game design and the choir.”
As for sports facilities, he highlights the large all-weather playing field - relaid last summer - and its full-size swimming pool. Hurworth notes too the commitment to community service running through the entire high school. This runs alongside activities which are part of the regular timetable and includes week-long trips, which usually take place in March.
