WELCOME FROM THE HEAD
Boarding is at the heart of what makes Harrow so special. Every pupil in the Upper School is assigned to one of our fifteen Houses, whether they are a day pupil or a boarder. The excellent relationships that our staff have with our pupils, and their consequent ability to deliver outstanding pastoral care, are founded on the time they devote to their pupils. All of the House Masters and House Mistresses, the Assistant House Masters and House Mistresses, Matrons and, in the case of the Prep School Houses, the Gap Tutors, live within the House and it is in this environment that a real sense of community is built and House spirit is developed.
Most of all though, boarding at Harrow Hong Kong offers the best of both worlds. Pupils are supported in their learning and stimulated by the academic atmosphere provided both by their peers and their tutors. Boarders also have access to academic staff who assist during evening ‘prep’ sessions each evening, and they are encouraged to get invoiced in a rich programme of activities, encouraged to challenge themselves, try out new things and venture outside of their comfort zone, all of which enhance university applications and build a CV bursting with the skills employers are looking for.
The supportive House structure at Harrow Hong Kong enables children from across the ages and nationalities to mix together, and learn tolerance, understanding and an appreciation that we are all different, but that we are all members of the same Harrow family. These are essential life skills that hold them in good stead for the future and also aid considerably in their understanding of self.
I do hope you have the chance to take a tour of one of our boarding houses. I am certain your child will relish the experience of boarding, develop lifelong friendships and enhance their academic and cocurricular potential.
Ann Haydon MBE HEAD
“Our House Mistress, tutors, prefects and gap tutors create exciting boarding activities which take place on Wednesday nights or after prep time. For example, last year we had a game of capture the ducks with other houses and karaoke nights in the boarding house, which are still some of my favourite memories in boarding.”
Janis (Year 8, Fry)
WELCOME TO BOARDING
At its core, boarding is about developing emotional and social intelligence within a family atmosphere that nurtures children to flourish and develop resilience, respect, empathy and a boldness of character rooted in self-awareness and authenticity. At Harrow Hong Kong, we therefore strive to create a welcoming home-from-home for your child where they feel accepted, comfortable and at ease amongst their friends in a diverse and vibrant atmosphere. Our aim is to equip our pupils with the personal and social skills which allow them to reach their future goals, whilst teaching them the value of camaraderie, leadership and teamwork along the way.
Underpinning the boarding system and the School’s pastoral provision are the Houses, each ably led by a House Master or House Mistress and their dedicated team. Their primary role is to care for the physical, emotional and social wellbeing of your child, and to ensure that each and every pupil under their care has the same opportunity to thrive and to reach their full potential. The boarding environment is ideally suited to facilitating the development of self-confidence and the independence of thought to seek new opportunities and to grasp these when and where they are available. All of our Houses are close communities within the broader Harrow family, and pupils take pride in their House, representing it within the School across the academic year. The contribution of each individual towards the good of the whole is an intrinsic element of our philosophy.
Ultimately, boarding is about broadening the experiences that a pupil can gain from their educational journey and nowhere in the School are the Harrow Values of honesty, humility, courage and fellowship more prominent than in the boarding houses. The whole pastoral team is here to help your child make the most of their education. We look forward to welcoming your family to Harrow Hong Kong in the near future.
Ms Kirsten McLintock Deputy Head
(Pastoral and Wellbeing)
BOARDING BASICS
In today’s busy world many families find boarding to be a way of relieving pressure on family life by reducing the time spent commuting, and by ensuring that family time is quality time by meeting most of school commitments during the course of the working week.
At Harrow Hong Kong, boarding starts for pupils from Year 6 and is on a weekly basis with pupils arriving on Sunday evening and departing after classes on Friday afternoon.
We have found that this suits Hong Kong’s busy lifestyle very well. Not only does it mean that travel time can be used far more productively, but it also allows the majority of the pupil’s work to be completed in a supervised and supported way throughout the week - whilst many parents would still be at work. The weekends, however, can be given over to quality family time and are all the more special as a result.
Sophia, Head of House (Year 13 Keller)
“As a boarder from year 9 to 13, experiencing help from teachers on duty in the evening and spending quality time with my friends after prep time were important in shaping my camaraderie and work ethic now.
Additionally, being able to participate in various extracurricular activities after school whilst being committed to schoolwork has taught me the significance of time management and adaptability.”
Nathan, Head of House (Year 13 Churchill)
“Boarding is a great opportunity for pupils to build time-management and self-disciplinary skills. It offers a chance for independence whilst allowing pupils to return home on the weekends. Personally, boarding permitted me the privilege of receiving further academic help as well as the additional time to spend with friends and build lifelong relationships.”
BOARDING AT HARROW HONG KONG
10+
Help given by qualified staff to ensure sound academic progress 13+
Homework supervised with staff guidance through Key Stage 3 and GCSEs 16+
Healthy and varied meals
Children nurtured by caring boarding staff in a family environment
Increasing independence with strong support from boarding staff
Independent learning encouraged but with support through A levels
High quality accommodation
Personal choice and responsibility encouraged, with advice provided by boarding staff
Close communication between teaching staff, boarding staff and parents
Comfortable bedrooms with separate newly-fitted shower rooms
Single bedrooms for Sixth Form
Strong mixed boarding community across age and nationalities, mixed with day pupils
Range of sports and activities to suit all interests including special weekly activity
Range of Co-Curricular Activities available to develop lifelong enthusiasms
Involvement in a range of School activities, fostering leadership and responsibility
Based in the Gold Coast, the School is integrated into the local community
A valued partnership with supportive parents allows family life to be enhanced
Ample time and opportunities to build social skills and strong friendships
Positive relationships between boarders and their parents maintained during adolescent years
Health Care Centre is open 24 hours a day
Social opportunities develop confidence, security, tolerance and respect for others
Mature relationships between boarders and their parents form the foundation for future years
Social skills develop to allow selfmotivation, ability to organise own time and to make lifelong friendships
Access to School’s facilities including Music rooms, Library, ICT network and leisure/Sport facilities
Jamey, Prefect for Banks (Year 13 Peel)
“Boarding at Harrow has been incredibly enriching, opening a world of opportunities for me to grow and receive support.
The House Master, Assistant House Mistress and House Pastoral Team have been there for me throughout my journey in Harrow, offering unwavering support and playing a vital role in my personal development.”
Jaison (Year 8 Darwin)
“I have been a boarder since Year 6 and I think that it is a truly spectacular experience for pupils to enjoy. Boarding at Harrow allows everyone to form bonds as they get along during their daily lives. With facilities to enjoy in the boarding house and across the School, pupils can further develop their communication skills while also having a brilliant time.”
BENEFITS OF BOARDING
EXPERIENCE VARIED ACTIVITIES
At Harrow Hong Kong, we have a responsibility to keep our boarders busy in their downtime. This means that they have numerous opportunities to develop themselves and to get involved in House productions, musicals and competitions. There is healthy rivalry and camaraderie between the Houses, and pupils often mix with each other when they pick particular activities to try during their week.
IMMERSE INTO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY
One of the main reasons pupils choose Harrow Hong Kong, apart from the excellent education, is the rounded experience in which they can participate. Super-Curriculum Activities (SCAs) are integrated throughout the School day with Co-Curricular Activities interspersed outside of the timetable. Being part of a boarding House, learning a musical instrument, taking up a sport, or even practising for their role in a Drama production are just some of the activities that your child will be able to make the time for and participate in, alongside their studies.
LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Our Houses are effectively family units with responsibilities falling to older pupils to care for and support younger pupils. Almost invariably, pupils rise to the occasion when given the opportunity to shoulder such responsibility, and this significantly enhances their leadership qualities.
SENSE OF INDEPENDENCE
Being away from home for five nights of the week gives a child a real sense of independence. Boarding develops so many of the essential skills necessary to succeed in today’s workplace and provides a precursor to a pupil’s university life.
LIFELONG FRIENDSHIPS
All pupils, both day and boarding, will make friends at school, however, the development of great friendship is often enhanced in a boarding environment. These are the friends they will live with, eat meals with and the ones with whom they will share the joys and tribulations of everyday School life. We see these strong and deep friendships growing over the years. Not only do pupils keep in touch with one another, we are proud to say that many of them keep in touch with the School long after they have left.
HOUSE SYSTEM
The Harrow Hong Kong House system develops a child’s confidence because they have to interact with other pupils across a variety of year groups, some of whom they would never have had the opportunity to meet during the day. This, along with the supportive shepherd, buddy and mentor system, are key components of what makes the Houses at Harrow so successful.
THE HOUSE STRUCTURE
The House system is integral to Harrow Hong Kong. It is embedded in the footprint of all the Harrow Schools, and it is through the House system that our values and ethos are instilled in each pupil.
The House Masters and House Mistresses keep a watchful eye over the welfare and personal and academic development of every pupil in their care. For parents, their child’s House Master or House Mistress is their main point of contact, and a child’s development is very much a partnership between pupil, parent and School. We encourage regular communication via phone and email, and parents receive a fortnightly newsletter every Saturday with an update of the past week’s events and forthcoming dates.
Boarding means that pupils can fully immerse themselves in the School day and not worry about finishing up and going home. They have time for extra subjects and create much more time for Sport, Music, Art, Drama and other activities.
At Harrow Hong Kong, pupils in Years 6-8 are in a Prep School House. Alongside the House Master and House Mistress and their Assistant, we also have a resident Gap Tutor and a matron to support the pupils. All Houses in the Upper School are single sex. Pupils can be part of a mixed boarding and day House or a day only House.
PREP HOUSES
BOYS
BANKS DARWIN
SHACKLETON
LYON | DAY HOUSE
SENIOR HOUSES
BOYS GIRLS GIRLS
PARKS
NIGHTINGALE
FRY | DAY HOUSE
CHURCHILL
PEEL
SUN
SHAFTESBURY | DAY HOUSE
KELLER
GELLHORN
ANDERSON | DAY HOUSE
WU | DAY HOUSE
A BOARDER’S DAY
A day in boarding is full of purpose, activity and a mixture of academic studies and co-curricular activities. 6.45 AM Wake up
7.15 AM Boarders to breakfast
8.00 AM Day pupils arrive and Call-over for the whole House
8.15 AM Period 1
9.15 AM Period 2
10.10 AM Break (snacks, which are brought to the House)
4.45 PM Co-Curricular Activities / Academic Clinics / Lectures
6.00 PM Supper for Prep Houses 6.30 PM Supper for Senior Houses 7.00 PM Call-over in House for boarders
7.15 PM Prep (Wednesdays are prep-free in the Prep School Houses) 8.45 PM - 10.00 PM Staggered bedtimes in House Year 6: 8.45 PM Year 7: 9.00 PM Year 8: 9.15 PM Year 9: 9.30 PM Year 10: 9.45 PM
PREP AND STUDIES
There is a real emphasis placed on ‘prep’ (homework) for boarders at Harrow Hong Kong and every measure is taken to ensure they are challenged on a daily basis. With the support of the House Pastoral Team, the focus is on the quality of prep, ensuring that their time is used effectively. With subject specialist teachers and peers on hand in the evenings, all of whom are willing to help, the opportunities for academic advancement are significant. The House system allows younger pupils to seek assistance from those in other year groups and this in turn promotes a nurturing community full of camaraderie and genuine respect.
BOARDING ACTIVITIES
All boarders enjoy a fortnightly programme of post-prep activities. After prep time on Monday to Thursday evenings, boarders may choose from a range of sporting, academic, musical, creative and wellbeing activities, staffed by the boarding tutors and House Masters and House Mistresses. These sessions provide boarders with further opportunities to access the School’s facilities, develop new and existing skills, support their mental health, and interact with boarders from other Houses.
It is also a great opportunity to ask subject teachers further questions and to get assistance with their revision. Pupils from Year 10 to Year 13 particularly benefit from these clinics during revision time for their public examinations.
ACCOMMODATION
Our Boarding Houses are part of the main School building overlooking our campus with views of the sea. Being in the main building provides a safe and secure environment whilst also giving easy access to facilities including the Dining Room, Library, Hawking Sixth Form Zone, music practice rooms, the astroturf (where the majority of outdoor sporting activities take place), and study areas. All doors to the boarding House are secured by electronic locks, restricting access to only residents and key staff.
There are common rooms within each boarding house as well as shared kitchens so that pupils can relax together after School. The main aim of the Boarding House is to provide a ‘home from home’ environment where pupils can feel relaxed and comfortable.
Each room has a comfortable bed, desk, chair, lamp, pinboard, wardrobe and drawers. Pupils are encouraged to personalise their room with posters, plants, rugs and soft furnishings. Pupils regularly bring their specialist musical instruments with them, which they are able to keep in their room.
PASTORAL CARE
Our pastoral care is one of the central pillars upon which we have built our values and ethos. We aim to ensure that our pastoral system delivers real care and that pupils know who they can turn to for any support or help that they need. We strongly believe that effective pastoral care underpins all aspects of School life, and it is vital that a pupil feels happy and comfortable in their environment in order to succeed.
At Harrow Hong Kong, we think of pastoral care in two ways;
• The tangible personal care that we take of your child during their time with us. This is achieved through caring House Masters and House Mistresses; ensuring School work is completed to a high standard; health care provision; wholesome food; arranging exciting activities; encouraging participation in team sports and co-curricular activities.
• The depth of care, often intangible and all the more pertinent in a boarding environment where a child is away from home. It is the creation of a loving community around them, to make them feel part of a family to which they can turn to, during the ups and downs of life. It is also teaching pupils, not only from books, but from real life. Equipping them to learn to face the world with confidence, self-esteem and an understanding of how to treat others with respect and kindness.
All of the key boarding staff live on site and in the same building as the boarders. They are there to provide 24-hour care and assistance, and also to ensure that the boarders enjoy a community life to the full, with the right balance of study, relaxation and challenge.
A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT
A child’s physical and mental wellbeing is extremely important. We have a fully equipped Health Care Centre on site, which is staffed 24 hours a day during term time, and there is always a member of the boarding team on duty outside of School hours, to respond to any health-related matters. Alongside the House Masters and House Mistresses, we also have School Counsellors and a dedicated School Psychologist, who can talk to pupils about issues that they may wish to raise privately, and a team of Matrons who are all highly experienced pastoral practitioners.
Subject Teachers
PUPIL
Assistant House Master/ House Mistress House Master/ House Mistress
Matron
Tutor
Pupil Wellbeing Ambassadors
School Counsellor
School Psychologist
Heads of Department
Heads of Houses (Senior)
Prep House Ambassadors (Prep)
James, Year 8 Shackleton
“Boarding in Harrow is an enriching experience. It provides the pupils a chance to gain a sense of independence. The houses are like a massive family for the school week, and you can go to anyone if you need any support or guidance.
Whilst boarding does of course include getting your work done, there are also many fun opportunities boarding can bring. For example, going down to the Gold Coast piazza or the beach; and playing a game of capture the flag or a scavenger hunt with all of the houses. There are also different teachers on site each day to provide support in pupils’ subjects during prep time.
Overall, boarding is an experience that can prepare students for university and can provide pupils with a sense of responsibility and maturity as they learn to do things themselves.”
“Boarding only enhances these special moments, immersed in the close-knit, inspiring atmosphere with the opportunity to access all the facilities the School provides. All tutors and HMs are teachers of diverse subjects where students can receive additional guidance and mentorship.”
Cherry (Year 13, Keller)
FOOD AND NUTRITION
Food is an important part of boarding school life. Active, growing children require plenty of nutritious food and regular meals. At Harrow Hong Kong, we use as much fresh food as possible and our menus are often created with seasonal and local produce. We are very conscious of additives, preservatives and excess salt and sugar in the food that we serve, and the pupils and parents have a voice in this process via their respective Food Committees.
At Harrow Hong Kong we want our boarders to really enjoy their food. We recognise the importance of providing a quality menu with flexibility and choice which our pupils enjoy. A great deal of time is spent on menu planning and we are able to adapt to different menu styles and requests.
There is a fresh supply of homemade snacks, fresh fruit and drinks in all of the House kitchens, for when pupils wish to enjoy a snack during the day and in the evenings.
The menu on the opposite page is an example of a typical week.
BREAKFAST
Breakfast is a treat at Harrow Hong Kong. There is a selection of Chinese hot options, including steamed pork buns, Siu Mai, Har Gow, Nor Mai Gai and Gyoza. A full English breakfast is also served daily and includes eggs, baked beans, hash browns, sausages, croissants, scones, waffles and pancakes. There is always toast and a selection of jams, fruit and yoghurts. For breakfast and supper, pupils sit together as a house, replicating a family-style environment at meal times.
Lunch Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Hot Dish A Beef Bourguignon
Turmeric and Coconut Chicken Pork Loin, Mushroom Sauce
Hot Dish B Sweet & Sour Fish Char Siu Chicken
Vegetarian option Stir Fried Rice Vermicelli in Soy Sauce
Carbohydrate Potatoes, Steamed Rice
Fried Tofu with Zucchini & Mushroom
Potatoes, Steamed Rice
Stir Fried Beef & Vegetables in Oyster Sauce
Rosemary Chicken Steak Fish Pie
Chicken Coconut Curry Pork Adobo
Spaghetti Napolitana Tofu & Vegetable Stew
Potatoes, Steamed Rice
Penne, Eggplant & Tomato Basil Sauce
Potatoes, Steamed Rice Chips, Steamed Rice
Vegetables French Bean Broccoli and Carrot Cauliflower Green Peas Tomato and Zucchini
Salad bar with 20+ options
Supper Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Hot Dish A Pork Loin, Prune Gravy
Hot Dish B
Chicken Yakitori, Miso Udon Soup
Vegetarian option Vegetarian Paella
Carbohydrate Potatoes, Steamed Rice
Breaded Chicken Fillet
Wonton Rice Noodle Soup
Seafood Pizza
Chicken and Preserved
Vegetable Rice Noodle Soup
Roast Cauliflower, Ricotta Cheese Pizza Margherita
Potatoes, Steamed Rice
Potatoes, Steamed Rice
Beef Sausage, Onion Gravy
Chicken, Shrimp and Fish
Cake Ho Fan Laksa
Gobi Masala, Spring Onion Roti
Potatoes, Steamed Rice
Dessert Mango pudding Cheesecake Apple Crumble Double Fudge Cake
Salad bar with 20+ options
Boarders go home after School
BOARDING FACILITIES
One of the numerous advantages of boarding is the access to the facilities after school. Pupils are encouraged to go for a swim, workout in the gym, play a game of tennis, visit the library, use the Sixth Form Zone, practise their instrument in a music room, use the art room to finish their work or practise for a play in the Shakespeare Studio. There are so many facilities around the School open to boarders and they are encouraged to take full advantage of these opportunities.
Astro Pitch
Art Queen Elizabeth II Hall
Music
Dance Studio Library
Science
STEAM Centre
Kadoorie Dining Hall
Swimming Pool
Girls’ Common Room Girls’ Bedroom
Boys’ Common Room Boys’ Bedroom Gym
TRIAL BOARDING
If boarding is something that you or your child would like to explore further, the School is very happy to offer a one-off week-long ‘trial’ boarding period so that your son or daughter can experience the benefits that this unique educational experience offers. Trial boarding is subject to a bed space being available and in the first instance, interested parties should contact their House Master or House Mistress to discuss this option further.
HARROW INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL HONG KONG
38 Tsing Ying Road, Tuen Mun, New Territories, Hong Kong
Tel: (+852) 2824 9099
Fax: (+852) 2824 9928
harrowhongkong.hk