Awarded the “International School of the Year,” “Best School – Humanities & Social Sciences” and “Best Technology Program” at the Hong Kong Education Awards 2021, The Harbour School (THS) is an international school that was established over a decade ago in Hong Kong. It follows an American curriculum, and focuses on the core skills of problem-solving, teamwork, communication, self-direction, presentation, flexibility, innovation, and social responsibility, with projects applied to authentic problems.
“We aim to unlock the best in every student from Kindergarten to Grade 12 by taking a customized, experiential and inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning,” said Dr. Jadis Blurton, Head of School. “We provide various kinds of support and resources, including the Marine Science Center, Foundry and Black Dolphin, the school’s sailboat, across both our Grove Campus and Garden Campus in Ap Lei Chau.”
At THS, every student is respected as an individual. And as part of a diverse learning community, students reap the benefits of small group differentiated instruction and authentic hands-on, project-based experiences in a progressive international educational setting.
“We encourage students to be creative, imaginative and collaborative under rigorous and complex activities. Teachers can even adapt their methods to deliver curriculum to different types of learners,” said Blurton.
The school also values the importance of sustainability in Hong Kong’s highly competitive market. In August 2021, THS launched the Social Impact and Sustainability Program (SISP), demonstrating the journey from its humble start as Project Hope – a community project that evolved into SISP, a full-blown institutionalised program that introduces sustainability education and operation at THS.
“We hope to demonstrate that the set-up of a sustainability program in each school on a whole-school approach could be a unique and strategic opportunity to directly involve those who are sometimes left behind in this global race towards sustainable development – our children,” explained Rafi Cristobal, Director of SISP. The school was awarded and recognized for its programs at the UNSDG Achievement Awards 2022 Hong Kong, organized by the Green Council.
Looking ahead, THS aims to locate and secure a world-class high school campus in Hong Kong. Recently, the school and its partner Lifewire Foundation were awarded a kindergarten campus (THS Earth Campus) by the HKSAR Government at the historic Tai Tam Tuk Water Pumping Station under the Batch VI of Revitalization Scheme, which is expected to launch in 2027. The campus design will take into account the principle of “minimum intervention” and “reversibility.” The emphasis will be on the environment with the incorporation of sustainable materials, design and practice, providing nature-based early childhood education as well as sustainability and heritage awareness programs designed for the public.
“We also hope to share our best practices with other organizations across fields including K-12 education, EdTech and sustainable development in Hong Kong, in which HKGCC would be an amazing platform to build connections and seek collaboration.” Cristobal added.
Company: The Harbour School Ltd
HKGCC Membership No. : HKH0948
Established: 2007
Website : www.ths.edu.hk