Last week, we warmly welcomed SVS Advisory council for their third annual visit to HIKSVS. The advisory council consists of six members, including the chairman, Lady Elizabeth Vallance, the Vice-Chairman Mrs Gillian Swaine, Headmaster of Sutton Valence School Mr Bruce Grindlay, Principal of SVPS Mrs Claire Corkran and members of the board, Mr Andrew Hutchinson and Mr Richard Green. The SVS advisory council oversee the development of the pre-prep school, preparatory school, secondary school and sixth form. They visit HIKSVS International School twice a year for inspection.
Accompanied by Mr. Yin, HIKSVS Chairman of Governor and Principal Mr. Hurst, the advisory council group had a comprehensive campus tour. The group members found lots of changes in the school since their last visit, including updated student photos in the lobby, bright and informative displays of children’s work in the corridors and classes, new English textbooks and library books, several information boards in the public area and a showcase of the “Four Journeys” ethos.
On flag raising ceremony, the advisory council witnessed new students joining their respective Houses. Each new student was put into one of the four Houses of the school: Bodiam, Hever, Leeds and Rochester. The children were awarded respective House ties by Lady Vallance and Mr Grindlay. The students will take part in house events and competitions and do their best to win house points for their houses.
Just like previous Advisory Council visits, observing the classes was an important part of the schedule. The advisory council randomly selected domestic and international subjects in different year groups, including English, mathematics, humanities and music. In the process of observing the classes, the council members found that the students' oral English level had significantly improved and they were more confident in their communication in general. Teachers were very confident in their teaching. Domestic and international teachers also worked together very well. During lunch breaks, the council members had a lunch together with the students to experience the campus life as it is day to day.
Another important part of the visit was to meet with the parents. Principal Mr. Hurst shared the many advantages of bilingual teaching with the parents which included: promoting the development of the child’s brain, establishing critical and creative thinking, developing multilingual communication skills, improving self-confidence, cultivating native English learning ability, applying to better domestic and foreign universities, understanding a multicultural environment and widening our options and future job prospects. Headmaster of Sutton Valence School, Mr. Bruce Grindlay summed up the key principles for student’s development in line with the ethos of Sutton Valence School which has 453 years’ history. The key principles include the "Four Journeys",“Total Curriculum”and the "Value-added development of students in school".
During the annual visit, the advisory council made a comprehensive assessment of the teaching at HIKSVS and proposed some valuable suggestions. The school will make targeted improvements and developments accordingly in the new academic year. We will learn from the centuries-old educational and teaching management experience of Sutton Valence School and combine them with our individual courses and students' situations of the school to form the school’s future at HIKSVS.