Introducing Wycombe Abbey School, a New International School for Hong Kong
Wycombe Abbey UK is internationally recognised as a world leader in secondary education with a reputation for academic excellence and a holistic approach that focuses on the whole child. The school has a long-standing and proud heritage, founded more than 120 years ago, it is one of the leading independent boarding schools in the UK.
Now primary school children in Hong Kong are able to experience that type of well-rounded approach with the opening of Wycombe Abbey School Hong Kong this September.
Wycombe Abbey School: An Outstanding New Primary School for Hong Kong
“I am delighted that Wycombe Abbey School has opened in this dynamic, culturally vibrant and diverse international city of Hong Kong,” says Howard Tuckett, Founding Headmaster at Wycombe Abbey School Hong Kong.
The new campus in Tin Wan Aberdeen, on Hong Kong Island, has been equipped to provide an exciting and well-rounded primary educational experience that will provide students with a firm foundation for success in the years ahead.
Wycombe Abbey Schools Greater China already have a school in Changzhou with a large kindergarten, primary and secondary boarding school. The group has a bright future with plans for the development of new schools opening in Hangzhou, Nanjing and Zhuhai in the coming years. There are also plans to open a secondary school in Hong Kong with boarding facilities after 2022.
Building Confidence for Life
Wycombe Abbey School Hong Kong provides primary children with an outstanding education during their most crucial formative years. Upon completion they will be prepared for entry into the finest independent secondary schools in the world.
“Our vision is to give many generations of Hong Kong children the opportunity to benefit from a truly exceptional education”, says Howard Tuckett, the highly experienced Headmaster who has had more than 35 years of educational leadership in British prep schools.
Ethos and Vision
Wycombe Abbey’s reputation in the UK for academic rigour is well-established and examination results are consistently outstanding. The school’s ethos is rooted in the simple principle that a holistic education, which incorporates a diverse co-curricular programme, will foster the skills required to succeed, including creativity, emotional intelligence, teamwork and leadership. Preparing children to be confident, happy, responsible, highly skilled and globally mobile is a major focus of Wycombe Abbey School Hong Kong.
Bespoke Curriculum
The bespoke curriculum reflects the cultural, linguistic, geographical and historical significance of Hong Kong, Greater China and the wider region. Wycombe Abbey School Hong Kong ensures that children have a firm grounding in the Chinese language and culture, with a particular emphasis on the Chinese approach to Maths. At the same time pupils will develop total fluency in English and access a curriculum which is built around the core components of the internationally renowned National Curriculum for England.
Chinese is taught as a discrete subject in every year group, with a similar number of lessons allocated to Chinese, English and Maths each week. Putonghua is the medium of instruction for all Chinese lessons and pupils are taught primarily to read and write simplified characters, with exposure to traditional characters through lessons in calligraphy, voluntary supplementary reading lessons and a variety of extra-curricular activities. Wycombe Abbey School Hong Kong aims to ensure that their pupils have a firm knowledge and keen appreciation of Chinese culture and language, as well as achieving fluency in English and an ability to adapt appropriately to a Western cultural context when necessary.
Focusing on the whole child with a strong extra-curricular program
Children benefit from a diverse co-curricular programme that teaches them the skills they need to succeed, like creativity, emotional intelligence, teamwork and leadership.
The campus has therefore been equipped with dedicated facilities for speech and drama, music, art, science and STEAM subjects. Extra-Curricular Activities are a major part of what the school offers.
The school provides a longer day for students who want to take part in the comprehensive ECA program which takes place for 2 extra hours every afternoon from 3 – 5pm. Extra-curricular activities that are on offer include sports such as basketball, football, wall climbing and swimming, as well as cultural activities such as musical theatre, classical ballet and Chinese calligraphy, in addition to several science clubs and NASA education.
Homework club is also available for students who want to stay on to do their homework under a teacher’s supervision and there is after school care for parents that want to keep their children at school until 6pm.
Admissions
Prospective parents are invited to book a School Campus Tour or an ‘Explore Meeting’ online to learn more about the school. The school tours welcome prospective parents and pupils to visit the Tin Wan Campus during the school day to experience the school in operation. The Explore Meetings are an opportunity to find out more, while remaining within easy reach of the office as they are held at the School’s Central office in Prosperity Tower every Monday at 6.30pm.
The School Tours and Explore Meetings are led by the Headmaster, Howard Tuckett. “I very much hope that parents will visit the school. I welcome them to schedule a meeting so that we can meet in person to discuss their child’s primary education at our exciting new school.”
Good to Know
- The school day runs from 8.30am to 3.00pm with nine academic lessons in the day
- There is a mandatory school bus policy, so children can arrive and leave by school bus
- Children are encouraged to stay on for the extra-curricular activities available from 3.00pm to 5.00pm
- Supervised after school care is also offered so children can relax or do their homework until 6.00pm
- Annual tuition fees for academic year 2019 – 2020: $188,000 (years 1 to 5, ages 5 to 9) and $198,000 (year 6, ages 10+)
- To apply for entry, please complete an online application form in English or Chinese and upload required documents and photos
- All children will receive an invitation for assessment within two weeks of submitting their application
Wycombe Abbey School Hong Kong
Campus address: 17 Tin Wan Street, Aberdeen, Hong Kong
Enquiries: 2129 7100 or enquiries@was.edu.hk
Admissions: 2584 6142 or admissions@was.edu.hk
Website: www.wycombeabbey.com.hk
