The Lion 2020-2021 by Harrow International School Bangkok

THE LION 2020-21

THE LION 2020-2021

CONTENTS Introductions Head Master

4-5

The Head Master of Harrow UK

Chair of Governors

Friends of Harrow

8-9

Academic Lower School Year Review

10-17

Upper School Year Review

18-21

English

22-29

Mathematics

30-33

Computing

34-37

Science

38-45

Creative Arts

46-53

Sport

54-61

Languages

62-69

Humanities

70-77

Social Sciences

78-79

Leadership in Action

80-85

Houses

86-97

Boarding

98-105

Wellbeing

106-107

Incoming Leaders

108-109

Our Mission Vision and Values

110

Class Photos

111

Thank you to all who contributed articles and photographs Edited by Richard Green Designed by Nitipun Sorat Published June 2021 by The Harrow International Press Harrow International School Bangkok, 45 Soi Kosumruamjai 14, Don Mueang Subdistrict, Don Mueang District, Bangkok 10210 Thailand www.harrowschool.ac.th Copyright © Harrow International School Bangkok 2020 All rights reserved. No part of the contents of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher Printed in Thailand THE LION 2020-2021

Welcome to Harrow Bangkok

HEAD MASTER

Dear Parents I reflect upon a year of two halves. Up to Christmas, school life was as near normal at Harrow Bangkok for your children as anywhere else in the world. Aside from the basic precautions such as mask wearing, with zero local COVID cases, we were able to proceed with most activities and events. I remember feeling how lucky we were! Then the virus returned during the Christmas holiday, and the second half of the year has seen us return to online learning. I also reflect on the history of medicine: many medical advances have been spurred on by crises. Alexander Fleming discovered the antibacterial properties of penicillin in 1929, but he was not able to persuade others of the importance of his discovery at the time. It was the Second World War which spurred the government of the USA to invest in its development. Penicillin was instrumental in reducing the number of deaths caused by infected wounds in allied soldiers, and mass production swiftly followed. Whilst we understandably focus on the negative impacts of the pandemic, we can see the efforts put into vaccine development to protect us from COVID 19, including some new technologies. Within Harrow Bangkok, online learning has advanced the ICT skills of our staff, and this too includes new discoveries which will become ‘COVID Keeps’, teaching and learning strategies we will use long after this pandemic ends. With the arrival of vaccines, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and we hope for a near normal 2021/2022 school year. Thank you for your understanding and support in these difficult times. Jon Standen Head Master

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Welcome to Harrow Bangkok

HEAD MASTER OF HARROW UK

Optimism, whatever your part in the sacred endeavour that is education, you are an optimist. As a pupil, a parent or a professional; in the journey of a young person, a school and its society you believe in the possibility and potential of positive change – and you want to be part of that change. We are optimists, all of us, in Harrow Bangkok, in Harrow on the Hill and across the fellowship that is the Harrow family of schools. As we begin to mark (rather than celebrate) coronavirus first anniversaries we do so with the advance of vaccines, the development of treatments and a much greater sense of how to cope rather than capitulate. We will remain on our guard of course and will never be complacent about Covid-secure protocols for our schools; but in doing that we can be proud, genuinely of how through ingenuity and open-minded determination we have improvised, adapted and overcome. Many of our Giants of Old would be proud of their inheritors. In humility we have acknowledged our human frailties and have learned how to use technology, we have been more mindful of the marginal in our societies and to honour their needs. We have thought carefully about what we do, what we take for granted and how it can be done differently, and we have learned to treasure, deeply, the simple exhilaration of human contact. So, I am cheerful and delighted to look forward to the rest of this year and towards 2022 when Harrow School will celebrate, with you, its 450th anniversary. We should take courage from our recent accomplishments and know that we are all well-placed in the Harrow Family of Schools to be the educational innovators and leaders as we approach the second quarter of the twenty-first century. Alastair Land

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CHAIR OF GOVERNORS As the pandemic persists, there is an opportunity to reimagine what our school will look like and how to evolve schooling so our students get most out of it. This is the time every member of the school community work together for our next generation, and the change is testimony to the leadership attributes underlying our vision statement Educational Excellence for Life and Leadership. In spite of all the challenges we have had to face because of the pandemic, with closed schools and a lack of face-to-face activities, we have done everything possible to ensure that none of our students are left behind. The teachers have worked tirelessly to prepare and adapt learning materials that meet the needs of online learning in an engaging and stimulating way. Our parents and guardians have taken on added responsibilities to make sure that their children are logged in and work is submitted; all despite their own altered working situations. I am so proud to report that the students have remained eager and joyful to learn, showing a resilience and adjustment beyond what we could have hoped for. Next academic year we will once again have to adapt and change – this time by hopefully returning to the classroom – I have every confidence that the skills we have learnt from the past year will carry us forward. Safety and health is obviously a priority of our school, but so is ensuring that we provide a complete education in an inspiring, motivating, creative and exciting environment for everyone. I wish everyone a very successful, healthy and happy year. Dr Rosanna Wong

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Friends of Harrow

This year has been my 3rd year as the Friends of Harrow Chairperson and we have welcomed 5 new members to our committee, Khun Gabriel, Khun Pu, Khun Kate, Khun Kathryn and Khun Anneleen. We have also said our farewells to Khun Alex who left school at the end of Term 1. I would like to wish her all the best for the future. It has been another rollercoaster year for us all with the COVID-19 situation. As a committee, we have tried our best to support our community. I would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude and thanks to everyone at Harrow Bangkok for helping to keep our community strong against all the difficulties we have faced over the year. I really hope that you are remaining positive, well and safe. Due to the pandemic, we could only hold one event, which was at Christmas time. It was really nice to see so many of you coming together as a community and enjoying the music together, which was played so well by our students and teachers. This year also sees the departure of Jonny Liddell, Alex Prout and Karen Prout. The Friends of Harrow would like to thank them for all they have done for the school and their support of Friends of Harrow. We wish them good luck and happiness for the next chapter in their careers. Finally, I would like to wish you all a very happy summer holiday. Hopefully we will be able to go back to school in August, and I am looking forward to seeing you all in the next academic year. Mantana Phaophandee

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Academic

LOWER SCHOOL YEAR REVIEW

We’ve had another fantastic year of learning through play in Early Years. We were delighted to welcome back our existing families and also proud to welcome over 70 new families to the Little Lions Early Years Centre this year. We started Term 1 in August, dapting to the ‘new normal’, particularly with our children showing impressive perseverance, resilience and determination. Halfway through the school year we moved to a period of online learning again, utilising new technologies and innovative strategies to maintain a healthy balance of screen time. Once again, our children and families engaged with this period with such positivity, enthusiasm and hard work. As we returned to school, a big focus and priority for us was to acknowledge the period of closure, celebrate the successes of online learning and to support our children in returning back to school. A key focus for us is to constantly provide our children with the very best levels of care, nurture and emotional support. We recognise that we are in a very privileged position in

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working with the youngest children at Harrow Bangkok. Research in neuroscience tells us that in order to learn well, young children need to feel safe, secure and loved. Our very youngest children join us in Lion Cubs between the ages of 18 months and 2.5 years old. In both our Toddler Only and Parent Toddler classes, we prioritise the development

of children’s confidence to ‘have a go’ and the opportunity to practice new skills. These early stages of instilling a growth mindset help our children with facing challenges and help develop a positive attitude towards their learning. We pride ourselves on providing a stimulating indoor and outdoor environment for our Lion Cubs with resources and opportunities to play, learn and explore.

Singing is something our Lion Cubs absolutely love to do! This year, we have had lots of fun learning new songs, reciting our favourites and having fun with sounds and noises we hear all around us. These early stages of sound recognition are the building blocks for the process of learning to read, later on in their development. In Pre Nursery, we maintain a high level of focus on the prime areas of personal, social and emotional development. Children develop their skills with making friends and building meaningful relationships, developing their confidence and interests. They also begin to understand their different emotions and how they can regulate these.

It is so wonderful to see the children begin to develop friendships, but this does also bring with it the challenge of how to solve conflicts that arise. A lot of teaching in Pre Nursery is focused on supporting the children with how to deal with friendship challenges in the correct way. The ultimate aim is to help children to learn how to self-regulate their feelings and emotions. Through our thematic, topic based curriculum, we have been developing our children’s High Performance Learning Skills. The children have had opportunities to think about different problems and how we might find solutions to these, to link their learning to new situations and come up with ideas of their own. Creative thinking is something that we love to support our children to develop and explore as they immerse themselves into our environments and different topics. Within our learning environments, children are given lots of opportunities to explore their thinking and develop different ideas.

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Academic

LOWER SCHOOL YEAR REVIEW

As the children continue their learning journey into Nursery, personal, social and emotional development continues to be a key focus. In Nursery, we work hard to support our children to become aware of what it means to be independent. Each half-term, the children explore their activities through a range of different topics. These have included ‘Walking in the Jungle’ and ‘Once Upon a Time’. In Nursery, we continue to develop the children’s understanding of High Performance Learning (HPL) by teaching them about how they learn and exploring various methods within their learning, whilst taking risks and showing resilience when faced with challenges. Our outdoor free flow areas support this by providing space to explore physical, sensory and natural materials. There have been some truly memorable times throughout the school year including the children’s amazing Christmas performances. Albeit a very different format this year with the classes being separated, but as usual, the children did an incredible job and made us all very proud. The Nursery Year is a pivotal time for the learning and development of the children. They accomplish and experience so much and grow in many ways. The final stage in your child’s time in Early Years is our Reception Year. This is an important stage where children continue to learn through our play based approach, with a gradual shift to more adult led activities. As children reach the end of the Reception Year, we work tirelessly to ensure they

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are fully prepared for the transition into Year 1 where they start the Pre Prep phase. Throughout the year, the children have grown so much in confidence and independence as well as socially and emotionally. In Reception, High Performance Learning has been an area of focus. In order to develop the children’s cognitive awareness, we have introduced a visible thinking routine called ‘see, think, wonder’. This routine is a simple technique to help children to describe what they see, discuss their thoughts and ask questions. It has been fantastic to hear our Reception children using the language of thinking, with confidence. They are now prepared to take their thinking skills to the next level of metacognition. This year, we have celebrated many different events with themed dress up days for Loy Kratong, Halloween, Chinese New Year and World Book Day. A huge highlight of the Reception Year was using the Recital Hall for the very first time to perform our Christmas Nativity Show. The children were extremely brave to perform in a new setting and showed us just what they are capable of. Not only did the children perform a Christmas show but also entertained us with five wonderful Class Assemblies. These wonderful experiences will be remembered for many years to come. We are so proud of the children and all they have achieved this year. It has been an absolute pleasure working with you all and witnessing the amazing progress our Little Lions have made in all of the Year Groups. To our Reception children, we will miss you very much but we are confident that you will continue to enjoy, achieve and succeed as you move onward with your learning journey into Pre Prep. Thank you all for an incredible year, Ste Foster Acting Head of Early Years

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Academic

LOWER SCHOOL YEAR REVIEW

Schools are brilliant. They are places which bring out the absolute best in people. They are full of dynamism at every corner. Teachers leading learning, Early Years practitioners facilitating talk with their children enquiry-based projects being developed by students in collaboration with adults. Schools are exceptional places – they bring out the best in people. Sports teachers leading games, coaches cheering on their team, advisors supporting the next hour of practice to ensure that those who are there are striving to be the best that they can be. Schools are creative places – they bring out the best in people. Music teachers leading mini-concert, computing teachers supporting the next level of coding, art teachers exposing children to a work of art and seeing them replicate it in their own unique style. Teachers are creative beings at

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heart, and it is their creative ideas to engage pupils in learning and support their individual needs which allows so many to flourish. Schools are supportive places – they bring out the best in people. When times are hard, teachers are there. When problems occur, teachers are there. When extra work is required, teachers are there. Partnerships and the way we support each other within education are key to success – student and teacher; teacher and teaching assistant; parent and teacher – we must work together to allow all to thrive. Lower School is brilliant. It brings out the best in its students, teachers and parents by allowing them… well… to do all of the above and so much more! Mike Godwin Acting Head of Lower School

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Academic

LOWER SCHOOL YEAR REVIEW

What an incredible year it has been in Pre Prep. This year has created challenges like no other. We have gone from learning in school as we know best, to online learning and back to school with restricted measures in place. But none of this has slowed down what we do in Pre Prep and what we do is wonder, care, create, go for it, respect and practise! Pre Prep has as always been a hotbed of activity. We have had mini-concerts, sports days, expeditions, class assemblies, guest readers, school trips, Christmas concerts and lots more. Our Leadership groups have continued to flourish, with our Head Boy and Girl, Deputy Head Boy and Girl and House Captains, writing and leading assemblies. Our Global Leaders, leading us to the incredible accomplishment of attaining our Green Flag Award. We have had Play Leaders training and supporting our pupils in play times, Digital Leaders upskilling and supporting the already amazing level of technology in Pre Prep and Library Leaders inspiring us to pick up a book and develop a love

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of reading. And whilst all of this was happening, our School Council was making the school a better place for each and every pupil. What makes Pre Prep so special for me? Well, because all of the above should be the cherry on top, but not in Pre Prep; it is just what we do! I haven’t even mentioned the absolutely world class learning that happens each day, the smiles on the playground each morning, the questions our pupils ask each day or the absolute unbridled love of learning that our pupils show. Our wonderful building is alive on a daily basis with memories that will last our pupils a lifetime, develop them to be our future leaders and inspire them to be the best they can possibly be. Thanks to all of our pupils, parents and staff for another wonderful year. I cannot wait to see what the next one brings. David McKillop Acting Head of Pre Prep

Curriculum in Lower School It has been another wonderful year of enthusiasm, enquiry and engagement in Lower School. As we continue our journey towards becoming a World Class, High Performance Learning school, we are confident that we will gain accreditation in May, yet we know that our journey does not end there. We will continue to seek out the most up-to-date research in educational practice and pedagogy worldwide, ensuring we continue to offer the very best we can to our students. We know that in this rapidly changing world, we need to prepare our students for a future that we cannot predict. Therefore, alongside the essential learner skills; Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, Numeracy and Digital Literacy, it is vital that we are teaching our students to use the Thinking Skills; Meta-Thinking, Linking Learning, Analysing, Creative Thinking and Mastery, and they have amazed us at how well they have done this. Students are also frequently demonstrating our two new iRules; iWonder and iPractise, highlighting the importance and value of enquiry and deliberate practice. Although they may not have the language to verbalise these skills our Lion Cubs and Pre-Nursery students regularly model them through play and interactions with peers and adults. Some have even begun to show a basic awareness through use of the keyword sign for ‘Thinking’! Reception students have used the visible thinking routine ‘See, Think, Wonder’ as a starting point for topics such as; Why are plants important and how can we help them grow? In Pre-Prep, our students have been fantastic at making sure they plan, monitor and evaluate their learning. Within lessons, there are opportunities for guided practice, but also independent practice. Students are beginning to make links between their learning and are identifying their strengths and areas for development. They are definitely starting to understand HOW they learn, which is very exciting indeed! Kate Umpleby Acting Deputy Head of Lower School THE LION 2020-2021

Academic

UPPER SCHOOL YEAR REVIEW

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When I arrived, 6 years ago, I did a presentation to parents about how leading a school was like getting on a ship that is already moving and how the aim was to get to the bridge as quickly as possible and take full command. In my final year at Harrow Bangkok, it is wonderful to look back on what we have achieved as a community, the storms we have weathered and the resilience we have developed. As I hand over to my successor, Kathryn Gavin, our ‘ship’ is on a clear head-ing and I know that she will be ready to get to the bridge very quickly and steer the ship on a new heading in her own style.

There is so much to reflect on from this past year. We were lucky to have a pretty normal first term and we used this time to make sure that we closed any potential gaps in learning from the previous year and pushed on with the courses of study, knowing that we might have to close again if COVID-19 returned. A highlight for me was inviting last year’s graduating class back with their parents to celebrate them finishing at Harrow Bangkok and going off to university. It was delightful to see our students able to participate in sports, music activities and House events and see the spirit and soul of the school come roaring back to life. The one thing we sorely missed was running residential House camps that have become a longstanding tradition. For me, the two highlights of the term were the House Music competitions, which included the standout performance of a Jamiroquai Beejees mashup performed by Nehru House, and Sports Day where the sports pitches were a sea of colour and students competed admirably.

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Academic

UPPER SCHOOL YEAR REVIEW

In Term 2, when we had to close again, the resilience of our students proved remarkable. Their transition to online learning was seamless and teachers commented on how impressed they were with how they adapted to learning online. Thankfully, it was only a short period and they were back in the classroom fairly quickly. For examination classes, the disruption was minimal. In some ways, they actually covered more and we found that the pace and intensity of learning can increase when learning online. In Term 3, our examination students faced a highly disrupted examinations system with a mixture of examinations and internal assessments. It has been admirable how they have approached this and I would like to take this opportunity to wish them every future success. Sadly, the expeditions which we had hoped to run in Term 3 had to be cancelled. There was simply too much uncertainty given the COVID-19 situation.

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As I come to the end of my time here, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone in this wonderful community. The staff are hugely dedicated and provide outstanding levels of support for our students. The students are delightful, dedicated and make us want to always go the extra mile to make sure they succeed. Our parent body is also hugely supportive. I would also like to thank all colleagues in the lower school who have contributed to my daughter’s education. It has been outstanding. As I am staying in Bangkok to take on my next appointment, I hope to still ‘see you around’. Do come and say hello if I bump into you in a shopping centre. Wishing you all the greatest successes in life and leadership. Jonny Liddell Head of Upper School

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Academic This year, in the Little Lions Early Years Centre, we have continued to focus on communication and language as it is the key to learning and social development. Every half term, the children have explored language-rich core texts from which exciting activities and role-play areas have been planned carefully to encourage and enable the children to use language at every opportunity throughout their day.

ENGLISH

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In Lion Cubs, irresistible activities and experiences are set up so that our children can learn with their caring adults alongside them modelling language. During the toddler years, our children learn to speak - a significant developmental milestone which is a very exciting and proud time for every family. We share this joy knowing that children who speak well in their home language will have a wonderful foundation on which to learn English. This year, we have optimised language-learning by teaching Key Word Signs which correspond to our children’s precious first words. We teach signs for words such as ‘please’, ‘thank you’, ‘where’ and ‘stop’. We have shared these with parents so that the children can learn with their families at home which helps them remember, understand better and begin to communicate successfully.

In Nursery this year, we have seen huge levels of development with regards to the children’s listening, understanding and the use of both their home and English language. The core texts we have used this year have been chosen carefully to engage and inspire the children and key phrases from these books have often been heard from the children during their play. Julia Donaldson’s Room on the Broom has been a particular favourite! In Nursery, the children have also started to enjoy learning phonics. This, alongside a wealth of mark making opportunities, begins their pathway to early reading and writing skills. It has been wonderful to see the growth of their confidence with the use of language and how this has played such a key role in their year in Nursery.

This year in Pre Nursery, it has been fantastic to see how the children’s early language skills have continued to develop. We have enjoyed building close relationships with the children, which has helped us to support them with developing both their home language and their English language development. We have carefully planned and created exciting learning environments, which have encouraged the children to communicate and build their vocabulary through their play. This year, the children have enjoyed pretending to be at the airport, the train station, being a vet and playing in the cafe. The children have enjoyed listening to exciting stories, songs and rhymes throughout the year to immerse them in the English language. It is always wonderful to see which stories and songs have become the children’s favourites.

It has been amazing to see the progress that Reception children have made in all areas of their English learning. We understand how mastery of spoken language leads to greater success in writing, so we have focused on developing their vocabulary and oral storytelling. We introduced a combination of Helicopter Stories and Tales Toolkit which gave the children an opportunity to tell their own imaginative stories incorporating characters, settings, problems and solutions. Watching their classmates acting out their own stories gave them a huge sense of pride and inspired them to write independently. We saw a significant increase in mark making confidence through the introduction of Greg Bottrill’s Message Centre and Drawing Club. Fairy doors magically appeared in our classrooms which sparked more child-initiated writing. There can be no doubt that our Reception children are ready to make their journey to Pre Prep. In Pre Prep, a focus on writing has seen the children produce some brilliant work. The progression in writing skills has been clear to see as they journey from refining accurate sentences through oral retellings in Year 1, to creating sophisticated texts based on wordless narratives in Year 5. Critical thinking was a focus during reading sessions in the whole of Pre Prep.

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Academic

ENGLISH

Year 1 loved writing stories based on some of their favourite books such as The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl and Tiddler by Julia Donaldson. Using drama and speaking activities, they have retold stories to develop their language skills, expression and confidence. Critical thinking was developed in reading by studying illustrations in books and asking insightful questions. It has been great to see Year 1 turn into confident readers with a real love for books.

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Year 2 has had an exciting year of storytelling. We have used the books Oi Get off our Train and Flotsam and Jetsam to inspire the children to write their own stories and playscripts. The children have learnt to plan and rehearse stories before writing them, using role-play and puppets to bring them to life. The children have perfected their editing skills by using ambitious new vocabulary and punctuation to create effects. Our topics have inspired non-fic-

tion writing all about places such as Antarctica. What a successful year! Some of the highlights in Year 3 English have included incredible newspaper reports on the mysterious egg discovery, persuasive letters to the Thai government about pollution and inspiringly creative quest myths based on the quest of Jason and the Golden Fleece. The children have developed a high level of vocabulary as well as practising and improving their

punctuation skills. They have enjoyed reading a variety of texts together through whole class reading, including The Mystery of The Whistling Caves and Krindlekrax. We are incredibly proud of the children’s enthusiasm, hard work and love for English. In Year 4, the English lessons are centred around the whole class reading inspiring stories and our fantastic topics. The brilliant book, Kensuke’s Kingdom, inspired the children to

write excellent dilemma stories and speaking and listening skills were developed through debates. After that, Year 4 took a trip through the amazing Amazon rainforest by reading the classic book, Journey to the River Sea. This inspired exciting stories set in an endangered rainforest and information texts about the threats to the Amazon. In Term 3, pupils wrote Ancient Greek myths and read about the exciting adventures of Percy Jackson in The Lightning Thief.

Year 5 had an amazing learning experience in English this year. We have been writing excellent pieces across a wide range of genres including explanation texts on the formation of a waterfall, newspaper reports based on the book Friend or Foe, as well as amazing narratives on the video The Piano. Through whole class reading, every child engaged in high quality discussions and deepened their understanding of a range of sophisticated texts.

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Academic

ENGLISH

In March, we had another fun-filled Book Week where we had many exciting activities for the children. These included having mystery readers visit classrooms, a virtual author visit from Emma Cary, a house book quiz and a treasure hunt. We also saw some outstanding costumes as our children dressed up as their favourite book characters. We are also very proud of the 33 Pre Prep students from Year 2 to Year 5 who took part in the prestigious English Speaking Board examinations in April. This assessment marked the end of the students’ commitment and effort in our ESB activity which developed students’ advanced speech, language and presentation skills. Prep English students have enjoyed a year full of exciting opportunities to develop their language skills, focusing particularly on reading and listening. At the beginning of the year, we welcomed Mrs Godwin in her new role as the Second in English Prep Phase. She has continued building the reading culture in Prep and has been working with the English teachers on Accelerated Reader and guided reading. We have been incredibly impressed with student progress. Not only did most students make accelerated progress in their reading ages, but by March, we already had 30 stu-

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Year 7 students have excelled this year, learning about the conventions of travel writing, developing amazing holiday destination brochures and writing a collection of poetry based around the theme of family. The study of The Hobbit generated a lot of enthusiasm among the students, who absolutely loved creating The Hobbit book trailers for Y6s to share with their future learning journey with them.

dents who had read over a million words each. What an achievement! The start of March saw yet another fantastic Book Week celebration, which included a highly popular readathon, a virtual visit from Candy Gourlay (a writer shortlisted for the highly prestigious Carnegie Medal) and a special treat for our Word Millionaires; a brunch with the Head Master. Our students also competed in the Kids’ Lit Quiz against teams of students from schools across Bangkok.

Our students have been busy in their English lessons too. Year 6 studied Greek Mythology, which has, over the centuries, inspired many writers. Year 6 wrote letters to Prometheus, a news article on the opening of Pandora’s box and a story adaptation of Perseus and Medusa. They also had the opportunity to debate whether gaming is terrible or terrific as well as exploring dragon myths from Asia and Europe, answering the question, ‘Do dragons exist?’ and acting out parts from a variety of Shakespeare’s plays.

Finally, Year 8 students have been developing their creative and analytical skills ready for their move into SR5. They started the year writing autobiographical diary entries in the character of an important figure from history and studied Macbeth, developing analytical and debating skills on who was most to blame for King Duncan’s murder in the play. They have also had the opportunity to engage with a range of non-fiction and poetry, surrounding issues of social injustice and prejudice, creating poems to reflect their personal experiences. Overall, we are incredibly proud of our Prep students and the progress they have made this academic year. Once again, students in SR5 English have had a busy and productive year, building on their analytical skills from Prep and developing critical thinking by engaging with ambitious texts. The big initiative this year was extending the Accelerated Reader programme to Year 9 as we encourage our students to become lifelong readers,

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Academic

ENGLISH enjoying reading for pleasure. We also worked hard to review our Year 9 curriculum. The students had the opportunity to explore historical and current global world events and social justice issues as part of their study of non-fiction texts. We were incredibly proud of the Year 9 students who took part in Poetry Recitals and wrote their own spoken word poems whilst studying online. Their maturity and engagement with social justice themes were remarkable. Year 9 were also given the opportunity to explore the links between Thai and British culture and themes of class and power as part of their study of the play An Inspector Calls. Year 10 developed their IGCSE First Language and Literature skills. They engaged well with critical and creative writing and reading skills through the study of set texts and wider reading. These included 1984 and the poems of Carol Ann Duffy, the UK’s first female Poet Laureate. Year 11 students developed grit and determination by preparing for external examinations despite the climate

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of uncertainty and the challenge of temporarily returning to online learning halfway through the course. Students also had the opportunity to engage with social justice ideas through their study of The Crucible and its religious, social, and political context. Our A level teachers would like to recognise the resilience of the Year 12 and 13 English Literature students. This academic year has been a challenging one with the current global situation resulting in the cancellation of their exams. However, their enthusiasm, commitment and level of engagement in lessons has been fantastic throughout. We were impressed with how well students engaged with challenging texts with their emotional and difficult themes. A level students studied The Kite Runner, which deals with the experiences of war and religious conflict, as well as The Handmaid’s Tale and Streetcar Named Desire, which explore the themes of power and misogyny, alongside Shakespeare’s classic tragedies such as Hamlet and Othello, as well as Victorian poetry.

This year we have continued our development of a more targeted model of language support through the English for Academic Progress curriculum area. This programme places a huge emphasis on supporting English as an additional language and has been designed specifically to support individual learners who have had less exposure to English. This has enabled them to acquire the language skills required to succeed across the curriculum. It has been most pleasing to celebrate the achievements of the significant number of learners who have succeeded in developing their language proficiency and have progressed on from the English for Academic Progress programme this academic year. At the end of the year, we are saddened to say goodbye to a number of well established members of staff: Miss Dava, Mrs Kench, Mr Pearce and Mr Tasker, while Mr Howe will move to his exciting new role in the US library. We would like to say a huge thank you for all their hard work and dedication over the years. We will miss them!

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Academic

MATHEMATICS

We are problem solvers. We are critical thinkers. We are mathematicians. Our learning journey begins in our EYC where our students are encouraged to investigate and make exciting mathematical discoveries through their play in Pre Nursery. Our youngest students work with our teaching staff to develop a solid understanding of numbers and to be curious about the mathematics all around them. Choosing, sorting and observing are some of the key skills we teach as students acquire a strong sense of early number. In Reception, students build on the skills they have secured in Nursery and we deepen their understanding of numbers to 20. Reception students can subitise, which is the skill of recognising an amount without the need for counting. The students continue to observe, notice and spot patterns, and are beginning to think mathematically to explain what they see. These essential skills ensure students are ready for Pre Prep and are becoming fluent with their mathematical understanding.

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As they progress into Key Stage 1, students use concrete equipment to develop their conceptual understanding of mathematics. We have great fun using Numicon to represent different numbers and use our connection finding skills to find links with different areas of learning. Students become super confident with their number bonds and can apply these skills to a variety of different problems. We

continue to develop our thinking skills and our Year 1 students love to be the teacher and spot the (deliberate) mistakes in their teacher’s work. Students use mathematical vocabulary to explain what went wrong and how to correct the error. By the end of Year 2, our students are becoming ‘Times Tables Rockstars’ and can fluently recall their 2s, 5s and 10s times tables. We also work hard to become fantas-

As one of the core subjects at Harrow Bangkok, mathematics forms the underlying language for many other subjects across the curriculum. Developing fluency in reading mathematics is central to developing resilience in our learners and to ensure they are able to express their ideas clearly. Scaffolding the skills and strategies needed to be life-long problem solvers lies at the heart of our curriculum. Through this, students develop a love for the subject that endures well into university and beyond. In Prep, our students make their first transition from the Pre Prep phase and develop their abilities with a more challenging array of problems. Many of our Prep students will be covering early IGCSE skills as they develop their repertoire of competencies. Prep students also have the opportunity to participate in the prestigious Junior UKMT mathematics challenge; an internationally recognised competition with the very best students from across the world. tic with fractions and solve different problems involving unit and non-unit fractions. Our Year 3 mathematicians love the subject! They work with their teachers using concrete equipment to develop a deep understanding of the tricky topics they encounter. Our Year 3 students are beginning to find ways to work systematically through their problems and to be confident enough to explain their results when completing investigations. Key questions include asking ‘have you found all the possibilities?’ And ‘how do you know?’. Our older Pre Prep students have been completing complex investigations this year that challenge their intellectual confidence as well as their self-regulation skills. This means that students check their own strategies and adjust accordingly to meet the needs of the problem. Our Lower School Mathematicians love the subject and we work incredibly hard together to develop skills that will prepare our students for the future of mathematics in the real world. THE LION 2020-2021

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MATHEMATICS

At Junior level, we participated in the October 2020 SEAMC competition with outstanding performances from Eugene Wang, Kim Somboon, Moni Tojirakarn and Perth Chirawichada. SEAMC were also highly impressed with Moni Tojirakarn, Perth Chirawichada and Wendy Chang. They have been asked to create videos for the SEAMC website explaining the nine rounds of the competition. These videos will be watched by hundreds of students across South East Asia for years to come. They have also been invited as adjudicators to help young-

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er students in the 2021 December Junior Finals in Melbourne. Our sincere thanks go to Ms Cumming for leading these fantastic competitions and the Harrow Bangkok ‘Mathemagicians’ led by Amy (So12), Kevin (So12), Ploy (So12), Luke (N12), Sun (K12), Jinhyung (So12) and Tracy (K12). The Mathematics Department at Harrow Bangkok continues to go from strength to strength and despite the COVID-19 restrictions, we have been able to produce some outstanding results in external examinations. In

SR5, based on the outstanding work the students completed last year, CIE awarded us 74% A*-A grades for IGCSE Maths and 100% A*-B in Additional Maths. We were also awarded 100% levels 9-7 in AQA Further Mathematics and 90% levels 9-7 in IGCSE Statistics. These grades reflect a very difficult and challenging year for all which saw our students rise to the occasion. We also had external examinations in November 2020 for CIE Maths which saw 95% of all students entering scoring A*-A; a superb achievement and a full two terms earlier than the rest of Year 11. Well done to all these students who worked very hard under extraordinary circumstances. In our Sixth Form, we had 145 students sitting over 500 separate examinations: 43 students studying the A Level Further Mathematics programme and 102 sitting the A Level Single Mathematics across Years 12 and 13. Once again, Edexcel recognised our outstanding work and strong historical performances by awarding us 85%

grade A-B for AS Level Mathematics. At A Level, we were awarded 83% A*-B for Single Maths and 100% A*-B for Further Maths. This is a fantastic achievement for all involved and a reflection of the hard work and dedication on behalf of both the students and staff. As with each year that passes, we inevitably bid farewell to some current staff. Mr Williams will be joining London Academy as the Head of Mathematics and Ms Cumming will be joining the Ada Lovelace High School in London. Mrs Shannon will be leaving us this year to teach mathematics at Whitgift School along with Mr Shannon who takes over as Whitgift’s Head of Computing. They have been superb members of our faculty and will be sorely missed by both the students and the staff who work with them every day. We wish them all the very best for their future adventures with our sincere and heartfelt thanks for all they have brought to our school.

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COMPUTING

When I first started leading this subject in 1999, I could never have imagined the technologies available to our students today. However, robotics, artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) all now feature throughout our Lower School curriculum. From Nursery through to Year 5, we have seen amazing outcomes across all three strands of Computing: Computer Science, Digital Literacy and Information Technology. In the EYC, the children have explored programming through the use of robots and early coding apps. Nursery pupils have navigated Beebots across treasure maps whilst Reception students have programmed them to draw simple shapes. The area of e-safety has been addressed through storytelling and children have created avatars on the iPad to illustrate

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Our Year 4 students took on the role of young fashion designers, coding geometric patterns for T-shirts using x, y and z coordinates. They then moved from block-based to textbased coding, exploring languages such as HTML and CSS and tinkering with the coding on the Harrow website! During school closure, students learnt about photo manipulation and created some stunning pictures of images trapped in bottles using double exposure. Once back at school, they continued this topic and engaged in critical thinking about issues surrounding photo manipulation in fash Year 5 started with an exciting ‘Film Makers’ project where the students learnt about effective use of camera angles, sound, greenscreen, special effects and editing. More recently, they have been considering the role of AI in the future and coding their own Google Assistants with self-designed graphical user interfaces. the importance of staying safe online. Reception pupils have had fun exploring the potential of AR for visualising structures, such as buildings and bridges, and for re-telling their favourite fairy tales. The Year 1 students have become competent users of technology, demonstrating increasing automaticity when using a keyboard and mouse. They have developed their programming skills using the app ‘Scratch Junior’ and have recently begun using the full version of ‘Scratch’ in preparation for Year 2. During online learning, the children continued to amaze us with their enthusiasm and creativity, using ‘markup’ to create self-portraits in the style of Van Gogh. Back at school, they animated paintings by the same artist using the app ‘Motionleap’.

More recently, the students have been coding virtual animals to eat, run and sleep and using AR to project them onto physical models of habitats. Their work on e-safety was also excellent when they turned themselves into ‘Super Protectors’ to illustrate important rules for staying safe online. In Year 3, the students have learnt the programming concepts of sequence and selection and have coded some fun dinosaur quizzes in Scratch using conditional logic. During an expedition, they collected sounds from the seaside to create digital soundscapes. When they returned to school, they explored this topic further using the app ‘GarageBand’.

At the time of writing, Mr Bridger and I are waiting in anticipation for the results of the FOBISIA Coding Competition. The level of work submitted this year was particularly high and this is testament to the students’ commitment to Computing and willingness to continue their learning outside of school. It has been a privilege to lead this ever-changing subject and to have had some part in preparing our students for a future we can only begin to imagine.

High Performance Learning could be seen in action across Year 2, when students were set the challenge of programming Edison robots to become artists. They attached paintbrushes to the robots and created algorithms for them to follow. This process took time and they had to monitor their work constantly, debugging code until they reached the desired outcome. THE LION 2020-2021

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COMPUTING The 2020/21 academic year brought with it some exciting challenges and great optimism for our newest recruit to the Computing department, Mr Tim Rushbrooke. A highly qualified subject specialist, Mr Rushbrooke is undertaking his first international post and has settled in seamlessly to the Harrow Bangkok way of life. As a department we have collectively witnessed a range of significant improvements. Based on the exemplary work by the students last year, CIE awarded us with 100% A*-A grades at A2, and the highest percentage of A*-A grades ever at IGCSE (67%). Last year we began to embed an array of programming languages and technologies into our curriculum, with the aim of providing Harrow pupils with the highest quality Computing education. We are now seeing the benefits of this; pupils from SR5 and Sixth Form are already comfortably coding in languages such as C#, Vb.Net, Python, Javascript and C++. Their passion for the subject extends far beyond the classroom, whereby they are developing applications and complex algorithms to further their learning independently, and with great success. Following on from the success of the 2019/20 Bebras challenge, pupils again had the opportunity to take part in this year’s challenge during the month of November. Pupils in Year 6 through to Year 9 took part during their weekly Computing lessons, with Computer Science pupils in Years 1013 also taking part. The response and success this year was again tremen-

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dous, with 84 of our pupils achieving a mark in the top 10% globally, for their respective age category. Nammon Thiratanapong’s performance last year took him through to the later rounds where he ultimately received an invitation to attend a special day at Oxford University, competing against the other top 19 pupils in the world. This year Max Chaimankong, Year 6, received the same invitation to the final round. However, due to Covid-19 restrictions, he participated remotely. Max and the rest of the participants deserve a huge commendation for their efforts. This is further evidence of the fantastic things happening in the Computing department here at Harrow International School Bangkok. High Performance Learning could be seen in action in all strands of our teaching and learning this academic year. Our accreditation has brought with it a renewed vigour to extend our own teaching practice. Members of the department have used a range of academic literature, training and workshops to develop their skills and provide pupils with all the opportuni-

ties a world class education can offer. A particularly exciting new venture saw the introduction of Micro:Bits to the curriculum, whereby pupils engaged collaboratively on mini projects, as we witnessed their engagement and computational thinking skills increase greatly. This is just one of many initiatives the department is working on, alongside programming and robotics clubs, and Harrow computational research projects in the Sixth Form. On a final note, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincerest gratitude to the Harrow community

for what has been the most amazing two years of teaching. My wife and I have taken the difficult decision to return to the UK to continue our teaching careers but leave with the most amazing memories of our time in Thailand. The staff at Harrow have been like a second family, and the pupils have made our whole teaching experience worthwhile. It has been a privilege to lead such a committed and dynamic team in such a fantastic environment, with special gratitude to Ms Joseph, Mr Rushbrooke and Mr Rothwell. I wish everyone in the Harrow community a healthy and prosperous future. THE LION 2020-2021

Academic ‘Understanding the World’ area of our curriculum.The children have been afforded many learning opportunities from understanding what magnets do through play to growing plants from seeds, to name just a few!

SCIENCE

The first experiences of learning about Science in Lower School can be traced all the way down to our youngest learners in Early Years. In Lion Cubs, Pre Nursery, Nursery and Reception, we can see tremendous amounts of curiosity, wonder and awe. Our Early Years curriculum offers many opportunities for developing and applying these skills through the Characteristics of Effective Learning and the

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A rather soggy lesson took place in Reception where the children learned how water travels through pipes and even solved a problem on how to get their own water to travel through a series of connected pipes. In Nursery, one of our stand out moments of the year was our ‘Snow White’ lesson, where we observed what happened to apple slices when they were placed in different liquids. This really sparked the children’s curiosity and they had so much fun exploring all of the liquids. In Pre Nursery, one of the children’s favourite wow moments was when they began to explore slime and how it moves. It didn’t quite feel as solid as a brick but it was certainly not as smooth and flowing as water. The children were fascinated by the way that the slime moved and how it felt.

Finally, our youngest learners in Lion Cubs have had many experiences using their senses to explore a range of materials. Through our play based learning, the children have been able to experiment with a range of new materials such as ice and foam.

In Year 1, we have had many momentous occasions but one of the children’s particular favourites was exploring the human body. The children were tasked with learning as much as they can about the human body and its skeleton. With this information they then created their own human skeleton and labelled it using cotton buds and glue. Although it was a messy affair, the children really worked hard to deepen their understanding of why bones are an important part of our body.

As we progress into Pre Prep, we first visit Year 1 and Year 2; ignited with a thirst for knowledge that has been developed by our wonderful EYC staff. The children in both year groups follow an enquiry cycle which enables them to not only observe but also test some of their own ideas out in certain areas of our Science curriculum. Immersed in a range of scientific enquiry from the human body to learning all about the brain, our young Harrovians are beginning to develop their understanding of how Science is linked so closely to our everyday lives.

As we move up to Year 2, you might hear words such as ‘hippocampus’ and ‘cerebrum’ as the children kickstarted their year developing their knowledge and understanding of the brain and its key functions. This was a unit that was particularly enjoyed by all. The outcomes of this were incredible and resulted in the children becoming knowledge experts and creating detailed information posters. Recently, the children have been learning about animals and minibeasts, understanding that there are certain requirements for certain habitats. The children then used this knowledge to get creative and come up with their own original ideas to build a bug hotel. I wonder who might move in?

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SCIENCE Moving up to Year 3 and Year 4, we can see that Science knowledge is now becoming embedded and that children are able to link their learning to previous experiences that they have been afforded here at Harrow Bangkok. Observations have become second nature to the children in these year groups, often helping them to form their own questions to investigate. In Year 3, the children studied rocks, fossils and soils where they were provided with the exciting opportunity

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of learning what it takes to become a palaeontologist The children were so enthused with understanding how a fossil is formed. Rocks were also tested for their permeability and absorbency with the children becoming experts on different types of rocks and where we might find them. Another magnificent learning experience took place when studying animals and humans, in particular the structure of their skeletons. One task even saw the children challenged to reflect back on previous learning when trying to recall major bones in the human body.

As we progress into Year 4, we get our first taste of what electricity actually is and how a circuit really works. The children enjoyed engaging with electrical toys and games to build their knowledge of how these are powered and work. They then used this knowledge to begin to test circuits of their own, sometimes having to use their analysis skills to work out why a certain circuit might not be working. Year 4 also further developed their understanding of the human body through their research of major body organs and their functions, providing us with some of the most knowledgeable future doctors in the making!

As we reach our oldest learners in Pre Prep, it is clear that Science has become a staple part of their educational diet through their years of practice. In Year 5, the children have been engaging in a range of topic areas from observing reversible and irreversible changes to travelling out of this world when studying Earth and all other planets within our solar system. Year 5 particularly enjoyed this topic, becoming enthused about space travel and investigating the movement of celestial bodies. A stand out moment for the children was when they, as a class, ‘became’ the solar system, showing the movement of the planets in a drama themed Science session.

This year our STEAM activity has once again proved popular with the children, creating two nights of Science related fun! A noticeable wow moment was our ‘explosive’ related learning where we experienced what happens when you mix vinegar and baking soda together. The children discussed their theories and then began to put them to test, working out whether more vinegar would make a larger ‘blast off’ or if we should try adding more baking soda. Another thought-provoking challenge that the children had to overcome was to figure out which materials would be best suited to make a wind-powered car and how to then assemble it. The children had lots of fun and what’s more they developed crucial enquiry skills! THE LION 2020-2021

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SCIENCE Observing the academic year through the narrow lens of COVID-19, with lockdowns, face masks and social distancing, our 2020-21 academic year could flippantly be described as our annus horribilis. In reality, it has been a fantastic year with a multitude of reasons to reflect positively. The year began in top gear with everyone excitedly introducing aspects of High Performance Learning into lessons, with the momentum continuing throughout. It was a year that really highlighted the importance of the social elements of learning, and the key role that an education in Science at Harrow plays, through opportunities to solve problems together and engage in collaborative practical work.

It was undoubtedly disappointing to be unable to host some of our annual events. However, Science teachers strived to ensure our students experienced a myriad of practical opportunities and had lots of opportunities to benefit from the social aspects of learning, which practical Science lessons lend themselves to so well. It was fantastic to see our students across all phases of Upper School enjoying their practical work on our return to school after our period of online learning.

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Science teachers and technicians did an amazing job of modifying lessons and equipment to ensure Upper School Science lessons were buzzing with excitement whilst maintaining social distancing and hygiene protocols. As ever, our Year 13 students have done us proud with another bumper set of prestigious university offers to read undergraduate Science courses around the world for the next academic year. In addition, there have been some amazing individual achievements with Olympiad competitions and Crest Awards. Well done to all of our Science students. It has been great to see the enthusiasm and willingness of our new Year 6 students to get involved in Science this academic year, as well as the continued passion for the subject amongst Year 7 and Year 8. High Performance Learning has served as a clear roadmap for our students to develop and start mastering a range of skills; most importantly, become more adept at taking on challenges independently. We have been busy modelling and mentoring the students in how they can take control of their own learning and revision. I have been delighted with how well they have taken this on and how it has empowered them. It is only the beginning, but I believe we are building strong foundations for future success.

Innovation, experimentation and extension. Three big words to match the big ambitions we had for this academic year. The Chemistry department has embraced High Performance Learning as a framework: to allow us to challenge our students to learn through experimentation, to challenge themselves to think further and deeper, and to embrace technology in the classroom to enhance their learning experience. With our revamped practical scheme of work in place for both IGCSE and A Level, all teachers were focused on providing students with an enhanced enquiry based learning experience. From Year 10 now being highly skilled titrators to Year 13 independently synthesising aspirin, we’ve done it all!

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SCIENCE

Our new ‘Extension in Chemistry’ board has provided students with ready access to broader reading, breaking news articles and challenging Olympiad questions. Congratulations must go to all of this year’s Olympiad entrants, but especially to Ung (N12), Kevin (So12) and Jerry (C13) who all achieved Bronze awards, Poon (K13) who was gained a Silver award and Peach (B13) who is our first ever recipient of a Gold award. We have also been leading the way with the use of inkable devices as our standard method of working. Using OneNote in place of traditional whiteboards and exercise books, this innovative approach has given students enhanced access to resources and feedback, both in and out of lessons. Finally, we bid a fond and very sad farewell to Laura Pidgeon who leaves us after 4 years. The silent assassin of the Chemistry department; there isn’t a student she can’t inspire, nor a Chemistry problem she can’t solve. I know every one of her students will join me in thanking her for everything she has done. She will be sorely missed. This year has been a year of change and challenge in the Physics department with students and staff embracing the framework of High Performance Learning. Through the new Year 9 course centred around the theme of Space, which echoes the year of increasing space flight, expe-

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dents has been captured and focused on the application of Physics beyond the classrooms of Harrow Bangkok. It has been pleasing to see a significant number of students looking to extend themselves through the Engineering Society and Extension Physics activities. A large number of Harrovians gained awards in their year group Olympiads. Special mention should go to Luke (N12) who achieved Merit in the Y13 Challenge and Plub (B10) who was awarded a Gold in the Y11 Challenge, both a year early. ditions to Mars and beyond bearing fruit, our students have been learning about the cutting edge of current scientific research. The freedom to explore ideas with this year group has meant that there has been an increase in the experimental skill as well as the research ability of our future Physicists. All students have been engaged in significant experimental work, whether this be virtually, via simulations or in the laboratory. With enquiry questions such as, “How do materials behave?” to “How do we image the human body?”, the imagination of stu-

and maintain an outstanding learning experience for the students. From animated simulations to collaborative online projects, the time spent online has been a fantastic opportunity to experiment and share new teaching ideas.

It is ironic that the very element that has caused so much disruption to global education is actually an important topic of both IGCSE and A Level Biology. The COVID-19 pandemic has been an excellent opportunity to bring real world Biology into the Harrow Bangkok Biology classrooms. Year 9 has been studying the structure of viruses and how they cause illness. Our IGCSE classes have been looking at how viruses and other pathogens are transmitted and ways to prevent transmission and our A Level classes have been investigating the biotechnology behind the development of the COVID-19 vaccine and the bioethics of global vaccination programmes. All in all, the pandemic has been a great opportunity to expand and enhance Biology teaching over the last 12 months and presented some unique opportunities to develop High Performance Learning and awareness of contemporary biological science.

As the world starts to move on from the pandemic, so do members of the Biology department. I would like to wish Karly Evans the best of luck in her new role. She has brought some innovative ideas into science teaching at Harrow Bangkok and I have been impressed with her dedication and the professional standards she sets herself and expects from her students. We welcome John Witton to the department from August 2021 and I am sure he will flourish in his new role as we embark on another academic year, ready to face any challenges the world presents us with.

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Academic

CREATIVE ARTS

This has been a fantastic year for musical performance in the Lower School. The Mini Concerts showcased our many very talented ‘Mini-Mozarts’, a number of whom have won prizes in international competitions this year. The range of instrumental performance has also been impressive with vocal, brass, woodwind, percussion and strings all represented. Weekly assembly performances have also become an important platform for students to hone their performance skills, which continued during online learning in video form. “The school really features music and gets everyone to sing and play in the different groups.” Pinn Pinn (5C) The Christmas concerts were highly successful where every student in the Lower School had the opportunity to take to the stage and perform. Interest in the Junior Orchestra has continued to increase after their highly professional performance and it now has almost 50 members rehearsing weekly. The choirs also remain extremely popular and the Junior Choir has been busy supporting the weekly Junior Singing Assembly, both live and with online recordings. They have also been involved in an exciting FOBISIA choral project with other schools around the world, as well as working on a collaboration with the Upper School Choir. The cast of the Lower School musical production, Alice in Wonderland, has been rehearsing in earnest.

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In a year of unprecedented change and challenge, Harrow Music Students have to continued excel in areas of musical performance. The year began with the House Music Competition with performers showcasing their creativity and collaboration. The Music Scholars enthralled their audience in their first live Chamber Concert of the year and the Christmas Concert featuring choirs, orchestras, steel bands, Jazz band and the Mamma Mia ensemble was just the tonic we all needed at the end of a long term. The much anticipated Mamma Mia brought about a bit of a motto in the Music Department; ‘Take a chance’. With the cancellation of events and restrictions on performances, we had to seek alternative ways of sharing the love of music and performance. Students and teachers had to think

outside of the box and take risks. As a result, Term 3 saw the release of a series of excellent pre-recorded concerts and films featuring rock bands, the Scholars Music concert, Jazz Band, the Advanced Percussion Group and last but not least, Mamma Mia, the abridged version of the Musical. What a journey! I would like to acknowledge the success of our students in their ABRSM examinations and the achievements of our Music Scholars in numerous music competitions locally and internationally. We are very proud of you all. To leave you with one final quote from Mamma Mia: “I have a dream…” that one day soon, we will be able to perform together again for live audiences and when the time comes, be prepared to dazzle.

“I thought the Christmas concert was a complete extravaganza. It was an incredible performance from every single child involved.” Pre Prep Parent In Music classes, a focus on the High Performance Learning skill ‘creative thinking’, during Terms 2 and 3, has resulted in some extremely inventive musical compositions. students have composed their own short film scores using ‘mickey mousing’ and leitmotiv techniques. They have developed improvisations on Wagner’s Ride of The Valkyries, as well as having composed their own versions of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. It has certainly been a very exciting and creative year for Music in the Lower School! THE LION 2020-2021

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CREATIVE ARTS

“I enjoyed learning about cubism because our self-portraits were full of lots of different shapes and colours!” Ava (3T)

art has shaped history, students gain the confidence and expertise to experiment, invent and create their own works of art.

The students in Lower School have seen another exciting year of Art and Design filled with creativity and imagination. Art provides opportunities for our pupils to use a range of materials creatively whilst developing an understanding of colour, pattern, texture, shape, space and form. By first exploring ideas and meaning through the works of famous artists and developing their understanding of how

“I liked learning how to make colours lighter.” Yoshi (1O)

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This year, Lower School students have had the opportunity to interact with an increasing range of resources, tools and equipment to develop their skills in painting, drawing, sculpture, printing, textiles and collage. “I loved doing the pastel work because I loved touching the colours and getting all messy whilst creating a Rousseau picture - even getting some on my face!” Annabelle (4L)

In the Early Years Centre, Art allows students to explore and experiment, think freely, be creative and express themselves in a variety of ways. Art provides our very youngest learners with visual, tactile and sensory experiences by choosing their own materials and using them in an open-ended way. In Pre Prep, Art skills are taught explicitly and build on the creativity fostered through the Early Years curriculum. “I liked creating 3D sketches because I learned a lot of new skills that I practise at home.” Hettie (5M) We are so proud of our Lower School Artists who show iCreate and iGoForIt in every piece they do!

It has been a productive year for Design Technology in theLower School We have introduced the use of 3D printers with a 3D printing competition, where students designed Christmas decorations. The winning designs have been printed and presented to the students. We are embedding the use of the 3D printer into future projects in the curriculum and planning to use them in a computer aided design after school activity, which will be launching next academic year. Year 2 have practised their sewing skills by creating puppets of endangered animals. As well as seeing much impressive needlework, we were pleased to discover that many of the

endangered animals studied in previous years have now been taken off the endangered list. Year 4 worked on their woodwork and precision skills through creating boxes. They used hacksaws, bench hooks and sandpaper, as well as computer design software to plan their boxes. They also alarmed their boxes with simple buzzer circuit systems, to stop unwanted visitors peeking inside! At the time of writing, and in preparation for their transition to Prep School, the Year 5 students planned to use the Design Technology workshops in Har-

row Bangkok’s CPA building for their final Design Technology project of the year. This will be a good opportunity for the students to be inspired by the fantastic tools and resources that will be available to them in their Design Technology learning in the future. Thank you to students of Pre Prep for your hard work this year. We, as a staff body, have been impressed by your determination and creativity! And thank you to the parents for your support, collecting and donating recycled materials for us to use for our various projects.

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CREATIVE ARTS

As the Upper School Design Technology department continued to grow this year, so has the number of students we have passing through the studio doors each morning, lunch and after school. They have all been eager to develop their creative and practical skills and enhance their love for the creative arts after the lockdown we had to endure. One of our main foci this year was to encourage Prep and Shell students to embed vital computer aided design and prototyping skills into their repertoire of processes. During the periods of online learning, we were able to challenge the students to create virtual environments, using a wide variety of apps available on their devices. The skills developed here have allowed the students to think logically as well as solve design problems and more importantly, enhance their designing skills using relevant technology. Another focus has been to embed resilience and reflection as a positive learning tool. We did this by setting

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cardboard engineering challenges, including a marble run, a cardboard boat that could carry a load, and a chair to take the weight of a person. The students used design processes included researching, designing, manufacturing, testing and redesigning again, before videoing and presenting their solutions. The department was overwhelmed by the skill, creativity and complexity of the entries received. Our IGCSE students have shown incredible passion and resilience by completing their projects with a full design portfolio to complement their 3D outcome. There have been a lot of late nights in the workshop with full support of the department staff to produce an outstanding array of work with a high level of quality and finish. We are so proud of all of the students for getting to this stage. As we move forward, next year will see the department expand further with a new member of staff joining the team, as well as our first cohort of A Level students completing the Edexcel Product Design course.

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CREATIVE ARTS

We began the year by awarding Art Scholarships to a dedicated band of Upper School artists. It is always a pleasure to see young artists flourish whilst making sometimes masterful pieces of work. But just what does it take to make a great piece of art? There is of course no universal formula, but having witnessed our best artists at work in the studios this past year, I can say with some certainty that it takes courage, resilience, inventiveness, independence, a willingness to make mistakes and oodles and oodles of time. At Harrow Bangkok, we are particularly blessed to find these characteristics in our students. In Yeong Yuh (B13) and Kiki (N13), we have two of the best artists Harrow Bangkok has ever had. We say fond farewells to an exceptionally talented year group of senior artists who have found new ground in their pursuit of Art & Design over the past two years.

Students brought as much creativity and energy as ever to this year’s House Art Competition. Inspired by the art of illuminated manuscripts, each House was tasked with creating an original design featuring one of the letters of our school, H.A.R.R.O.W. Whilst still a competition in every sense, we cherish the spirit of teamwork and creativity brought about by this competition. Ably led by our senior students, we are always thrilled to see so many take part. The House Art Competition holds a special place in the Creative & Performing Arts calendar, as does our

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Year 8 Rangoli Challenge Day, which brings characteristic colour and pattern to the walkways at Diwali. This year, we took a deeper look at the transition between the Lower and Upper School. We were delighted to host a life drawing day for Year 3 students, who spent time sketching in our gallery before embarking on their own delightfully imaginative watercolours. We are continually impressed with the creative spirit to be found in the studios. We thank all our staff and students for another marvellous year.

With the pandemic being the global drama of the year, opportunities for our talented students to exhibit their talents have been limited. Now bolstered by the multi-talented Mr Nicholas Lewis and our design technician Khun Lookwa Saeng-Xuto, the department has created new avenues for our students to find outlets for their imagination and ideas. In Year 9, students were given the opportunity to learn about the skills required in set, costume, sound and puppet design while Year 7 and 8 students rehearsed mini public performances in the shape of horror film trailers and Greek Chorus storytelling. Despite lockdowns, our Year 11 students persevered with coursework demands, to pull together some challenging work around the themes of war, human trafficking and

LGBTQ+ rights. Despite no live performances of Mamma Mia, the cast and crew valiantly filmed an abridged version of the musical and as I write, Prep school are also filming a show including dancing, singing, monologues and magic acts. Even Year 3 have got in on the act as they received two hours of drama as part of their topic exploration on Fair Trade. They were excellent in their attitude and in their use of some very testing techniques. A great advert for the innovation and inspiration that Lower School students could display in regular Drama lessons. Next year, we hope that the department will be able to see audiences again. Until then we wish you all a safe and peaceful summer break.

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Academic

SPORT AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION Thank you for your continued support towards everything Sport and Physical Education this year. It has been a difficult time as we have continued to navigate our sporting provision, curriculum and sports teams across all the year groups in the school. We have started, stopped and thankfully now, are slowly resuming to some normality, albeit under certain restrictions. Your support and trust has been pivotal in ensuring that Harrow Bangkok Sport and Physical Education continues to grow and develop. Our team of teachers, academy coaches and outside providers have been brilliant this year, working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure we have been able to offer greater opportunities and increased sporting chances to represent our school, learn new skills and most importantly, rediscover a love for getting physically active and healthy. Our parents also play a huge part in this culture and we hope that through our upcoming ‘Passion4Sport initiative’, you will also soon enjoy the benefits of using some of our excellent facilities and expert staff coaching. While our competitions and fixtures may have been limited this year, our focus has shifted to our internal development. We have explored the question of ‘What makes Harrow Bangkok sport unique?’ I will also be presenting the Harrow Bangkok Sport DNA model early next year during parent workshops. Your feedback and support is always welcome!

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Harrow Bangkok has been at the forefront of developing sport within Bangkok, our wider community and across South East Asia. As a result, there will be changes next year. Our normal sporting tournament organisation, BISAC, will no longer exist. Instead, we have jointly created a new league with other British schools in Bangkok; British International Schools Association (BISA). Our new organisation will ensure our British values and sporting passions are both accessible for more students, more Lower School focused, with increased opportunities and differing sports. This year, I have been immensely proud of all of our teams, including training and social sports teams. Our students continue to challenge for the greatest honours, work tirelessly and represent the school. We Are Harrow Bangkok!

This year has been filled with great achievements and opportunities for our young athletes during Lower School curriculum Physical Education. The start of the year saw our students returning to school with much enthusiasm and pride as they looked forward to an action-packed curriculum, learning new skills, new sports and new initiatives. Over the year, our committed Physical Education staff have relished the opportunity to observe the students develop their physical fitness, practical skills and leadership qualities. Our Physical Education curriculum is all about our students and how best to further their learning experiences. The start of the year saw a host of new sports added to make sure the diverse development of our students is at the centre of all we do. New sports such as touch rugby, netball, hockey and handball have been introduced to inspire our students to develop their knowledge and skills in a wider variety of competitive sports.

The use of High Performance Learning strategies is now becoming a major part of the learning experience in Physical Education lessons on a daily basis. This continues to extend each student’s understanding and equip them with the knowledge to gain a more in-depth understanding of how we improve our team’s performance. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the Lower School Physical Education staff for their work throughout what has been a challenging year. Their energy, flexibility, knowledge and skills provide the foundation on which we are able to build the curriculum and provide the opportunities for learning that students at Harrow Bangkok enjoy so much. As always, your unwavering support has been admirable and I cannot wait for the day we can all be back in school enjoying our fantastic House days together.

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SPORT AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

We are so glad to be back in school to see students enjoying physical activity with huge smiles on their faces. When we returned to normal face-toface classes, we focused on developing sport specific motor skills but also promoted high levels of collaboration, creativity and competition, which were sorely missed during online learning for Physical Education. At the start of the year, Prep students learned about a new activity called Orienteering, where they developed map reading skills in order to find information placed all over the expansive sports fields and facilities. The students showed a competitive spirit with their fitness being tested, simultaneously learning about GCSE content including muscle and bone locations. During the hottest season, we expanded our delivery of Trampolining and Table Tennis to more classes, including Years 7, 8 and 9 students, due to some classes missing this during the first period of online learning.

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At the end of this academic year, we had the first cohort of Sports Leaders Level 3 students complete their qualification despite the many challenges of online learning. Students worked together to plan, deliver and evaluate sports events and developed skills in organisation, communication and teamwork. The completion of the Level 3 qualification will also assist them with university applications as it holds weight in terms of UCAS points for Year 13 students. There have also been record numbers of Level 2 Sports Leaders certified this year, an opportunity that takes place within SR5 Physical Education lessons. Well done to all students completing a Sports Leadership course this academic year. We hope to see you demonstrating these refined skills across the school.

FOOTBALL ACADEMY

The Football Academy has had a productive year considering all the uncertainty around COVID-19. Our year started off with Varsity Girls winning BISAC, also finishing a close 2nd in the revamped SEASCA tournament. November was bursting with tournaments, with U10 & U15s playing in the Bulldog Cup, as well as the Harrow Bangkok Youth Cup taking place at the end of the month.

A positive Harrow Bangkok Primary 7s made its debut; an innovative event aimed at giving students who don’t normally play in tournaments the opportunity to perform in a relaxed atmosphere where no scores were recorded. March was an exciting month with another Q&A, this time with Leicester City goalkeeper and captain Kasper Schmeichel. The largest Leicester City Zoom Q&A audience of 116 students Harrow Bangkok students, learnt first-hand what it takes to become a professional football player and were given an honest insight into the life of Kasper Schmeichel. April was bursting with tournaments hosted by Bangkok Prep, followed with three demanding tournaments in May, one of them being our popular Festival 7s. To finish off an eventful year, we hosted two tournaments in June, with U7s playing in a 3v3 and 5v5 tournament, as well as a second Primary 7s. Looking back over the year, I am overjoyed to observe our students being given the opportunity to get back to playing team sports in an on-off year. I would personally like to thank all the students and coaches involved in the football academy for the sweat and determination they have shown during the past year. It is great to see them develop as individuals and grow in confidence. THE LION 2020-2021

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GOLF

ACADEMY In Bangkok, school golf is continuing to grow rapidly with more and more schools hosting ‘International School Golf Tour’ (ISGT) events. It is fantastic to be able to give our dedicated golfers more opportunities to showcase their masterful skills, develop new friendships and compete against some of the best golfers in Thailand.

elling and supporting each and every student in their development journey during this academic year. The performance of the Development Team this year has been superb, with more students transitioning to both SIM and on course practice and regularly joining competitions.

The Harrow Bangkok Golf Academy enables students of all abilities to practise with a purpose and to play with passion and enjoyment. Our team of dedicated professionals have been superb in coaching, mod-

Although the golf calendar has been compressed due to global circumstances, we have been extremely fortunate to be able to compete and practice on a regular basis. Our students have taken full advantage of this opportunity and have all per-

formed superbly throughout the course of the year at both ISGT and Faldo series events. The three Faldo Series events: Pattaya, Hua Hin and Kabin Buri, which is hosted by Harrow Bangkok, run separately over the course of the year and sees students compete over three days. No easy feat for our Elite and Development teams. At the first two series events, our team demonstrated huge amounts of concentration, determination, composure, resilience and camaraderie to overcome difficult conditions and tough competition. It has been fantastic to see so many of our Development Team thrive at these prestigious tournaments, alongside our elite golfers. It has also been a pleasure to welcome more and more boarders into the Golf Academy, who have shown an excellent commitment to refining and developing their skills. Golf at Harrow Bangkok is available to everyone. All areas of the game are covered including competitions, course management, analysis, technical training, sports psychology and fitness. All parents are welcome to join the Harrow Bangkok Community Golf day or to come along and join one of our Parent Golf mornings, where you have the opportunity to receive expert coaching, challenge our Pros to a virtual game, the long drive competition or just play against your friends. So whether you play on a regular basis or have never played before, there is a pathway for you and you are always more than welcome to come and give it a go.

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TENNIS ACADEMY

We got off to a wonderful start to the year with our U15 season winning the singles event in both Boys and Girls categories. The invitational doubles event hosted two age groups, U13 and U15, to kick start the year and get students into the flow of competing against different schools. Harrow Bangkok Boys performed impressively, winning both U13 and U15 categories, with Harrow Bangkok Girls claiming the runners up trophy. The Team event concluded the season with the Girls Team taking 1st place and a weakened Boys team still managing to impressively take home 3rd place. Leading toward the Christmas break, the U9 and U11 Academy players had their chance to showcase their skills in the Orange and Green ball events. This is proving to be a great platform for our new up and coming students to express themselves in match play, as they learn how to score themselves and play without the pressure of winning and losing; the goal being an emphasis on the element of fun.

Season 3 managed to side step away from online learning and the U13 season was back in full swing. We have had friendlies and a BISAC singles event leading the students to prepare for our main Team event. A young Girls team and 3 Boys teams will engage in the heat of battle this weekend. I am sure many have seen we have added two new members to our coaching team, who have been superb additions. Their experience and expertise will be valuable to move our program onto the next level. It is encouraging to see all the individual challenges we have faced and how we are continuing to grow and develop. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the parents for their continued support for the Harrow Bangkok Tennis Academy.

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GYMNASTIC ACADEMY

Our Gymnastic provision goes from strength to strength. Starting with the Parents open skills day, the Academy opened its doors for observers to learn more about Gymnastics, the expectations set and to also attempt some of the skills themselves. This was the foundation of building the team, and also had the effect of strengthening our community, just in time for the start of the competition season. On Saturday 31st October, we held the first ever ‘Born to Shine’ tournament, specifically designed to encourage success and recognition at the development level. It was a great initiative for Harrow Bangkok to create, and was especially rewarding to see the younger athletes learn new skills, improve performance and celebrate their achievements. At our first big competition, FOBISIA, we went home with 39 IA medals, 8 AA and 5 T trophies (17 golds in total). At this stage, we had started to create more All-Around Gymnasts, showing our consistency within all skill areas. Most recently at the Falcons championships, we took the plunge, entered new teams, and progressed Gymnasts to higher levels. We had one of the biggest teams with the youngest athletes and a grand total of 61 competitors. Walking away with 64 IA medals, 9 AA and 9 T trophies (30 golds in total), we were bursting with pride!

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SWIMMING ACADEMY

It is pleasing to know our programme continues to be successful and our refined technique is being recognised. With a real commitment towards improving apparatus technique, skill set and self-confidence, I would like to take the time to congratulate all of our squads, as well as the whole coaching team and parents for their continued support. Despite facing a difficult year, the Swimming Academy certainly rose to the challenge and adapted together to continue participating in a sport they love. The year began with the long awaited return to the Harrow Bangkok swimming pool. After 2 months of dedicated training, the team attended their first competition of the year, ‘Bulldog Dash’. The team achieved 2nd overall in Team Scores, an excellent result for our first competition of the year! Shortly after, 10 of our performance swimmers qualified for Thai Nationals 2020, attaining an incredible 9 medals throughout the championships. November saw our development swimmers attend ‘Puppy Cup’, where the team of young swimmers achieved 4th overall as well as a number of new personal bests! Our performance swimmers were also busy in November with ‘Trick or Treat 2020’, achieving an impressive medal haul of 46 medals; a whopping 13 more than our previous 2019 achievement.

At the start of 2021, our senior performance swimmers took part in the virtual SEASAC Senior competition. The results were very positive, building upon our previous SEASAC achievements whilst also attaining two individual trophies. In April, a team of 54 swimmers from across the Swimming Academy participated in the Brighton Festival of Swimming. Overall, the team finished in 2nd place whilst also achieving an impressive 8 individual trophies from our youngest swimmers all the way up to our most senior competitors. It is encouraging to see that even with the challenges our team has faced this year, we have continued to develop in both our participation and competitive success. We would like to congratulate all of our swimmers and thank the coaching team and parents for their continued support.

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LANGUAGES

It is with great pride to see our students, whose educational background is set in a rich international environment, excel in their own language acquisition and culture. As well as seeing those non-Thai students appreciating Thai language and culture, and embedding it in their daily life at school. Our standard of Thai language in Lower School here at Harrow Bangkok is second to none. From the Early Years to the end of Pre Prep phase, it is amazing to see how much progress they have made and how hard they have worked. This could not have been achieved without the hard work of our students and the cooperation and support from the parents. This progress can clearly be seen during the period of online learning. The Thai Department maintained the high standard of teaching and learning, and received very positive feedback from our young learners and parents, through their comments on Google Classroom. It is incredible to see our students in the Early Years grasp the strong foundation of Thai language. They continue to develop from strength to strength and despite the disruption of the pandemic, we have seen the smooth transition. We adjusted our materials and resources to become interactive, fun and efficient. The learning outcomes were delightful.

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In Pre Prep, the format of the Thai Home Language lessons changed from stream to mixed ability, to better align with the High Performance Learning philosophy. This has become a challenge for teachers and students with new learning approaches. Fortunately, our students are flexible, efficient and perseverant. They became familiarised and were able to adapt with the new Thai classroom arrangement. More importantly, we encouraged students to use ‘Thinking Skills’ in their daily Thai lessons so they were aware of thinking processes. Students ask more questions and enjoy the opportunity to acquire knowledge.

Thai outfits, beautiful Thai dances performed by our Thai Dance activities students, as well as Rum Wong Loy Krathong by our students, VIP guests and professional Thai Dance instructors. Toby (5S), Deputy Head Boy, stated: “Loy Krathong is fabulous, especially the role play because there were many performances. I enjoyed every part of the day. Loy Krathong at Harrow Bangkok is brilliant and I would like to do it again”.

This year has proved to be an exciting and productive year for the Lower School Thai Department. I would like to thank my Thai team for their commitment, parents for their continued support and students for their determination. Last but not least, we are sorry to say farewell to our beloved, most respected and legendary Khru Jew who is very much loved by all students, staff and parents. We wish you all the happiness after retirement.

The highlight of the Thai Department this year was Loy Krathong Day. The school looked spectacular with beautiful Thai traditional costumes worn by our students, staff and parents. The venue was beautifully decorated with colourful Tung, a craft made by students themselves. Our Loy Krathong assembly started with a live Thai music ensemble which was beautifully performed by our students. This year, the celebrations started with a role play about Loy Krathong, which included a fashion show with splendid

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LANGUAGES “你好 Miss Sherry!” “再见!” “我吃米饭和鸡肉.” It is such a pleasure to see the children trying to speak Chinese beyond the classroom. This year, we have had a very good Chinese learning atmosphere in the Lower School. In class, various interesting activities were designed and different useful tools were used to make Chinese lessons fun and engaging. Listening and speaking are the two most important skills for the beginner group. Apart from a lot of modelling from the teacher, the use of talking pens, talking toys, online vocal resources and so on make it possible for students to listen and speak easily and confidently. A lot of peer work and role play also helped students build up their confidence to speak. Different ways to show students’ outcomes, such as filming and recording, gave students the freedom and confidence to present their work. Meanwhile, the native speakers have had very good opportunities to improve their reading and writing skills. The learning environment and resources are available for children to develop good learning habits. We have also implemented internet and computer tools. The children have really enjoyed using virtual reality equipment whilst practising descriptive writing about the environment. This year, students continuously showed high levels of interest in Chinese cultural activities. Year 1 were

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very excited when talking about their Chinese zodiac animal signs, as well as that of their family members. Year 2 enjoyed practising using chopsticks while covering the topic of food. Year 3 loved performing the dragon dance and lion dance. Year 4 students showed their talent in Chinese calligraphy. Year 5 students were impressed by the beautiful landscape in China through virtual reality. We should also not forget the enjoyable Chinese New Year dress up day.

competition in which students can receive certificates and prizes based on the number of books they manage to read in Thai, both in lesson time and independently from a set reading list. In addition, for this year only, we introduced a one year Spanish course for Year 9 students who were new to the school. Topics covered in lessons included describing yourself, your family, town and school. Students also explored the culture of Spanish speaking countries including their food and music, and learnt about the Mexican festival The Day of the Dead. Selected classes in the Prep phase were also introduced to Knowledge Organizers; a High Performance Learning tool which is designed to promote self-reflection and to support the learning of vocabulary by presenting students with a range of revision techniques suiting different learning styles.

This year, the Languages Faculty welcomed three new staff members to the team in the Upper School. Mr Simon Small arrived from City of London School for Girls as the new Head of Faculty, Ms Masumi Jinda joined us from Bexley Grammar School in the UK as the new Teacher of Japanese, and Ms Mai Trerattanavong arrived as a Trainee Teacher of Japanese for this academic year. Our students continued to produce linguistic excellence in their public examinations. in Chinese, Jiayi S13 who had previously won an award from the exam board for high achievement in her IGCSE Chinese as a First Language exam, once again received an award from CIE. This time it was for outstanding performance at A Level. This year, we enhanced our curricula in a number of ways. Most notably, we introduced the Thai Reading Award for students of Thai as a Home Language in Years 7, 8 and 9. This is a THE LION 2020-2021

Academic It has been a busy year for the Languages Faculty in terms of trips, exchanges, community work and speaker presentations.

LANGUAGES

In September, Silke Mentchen from the University of Cambridge recorded a presentation for Harrow Bangkok students about the benefits of obtaining a good grade in IGCSE Thai as a Home Language and the advantages of studying a foreign language at IGCSE and A Level. The informative presentation was designed to support Harrow Bangkok students in Year 9 and above as they select their subjects for the next phase of their education. In October, Year 11 Harrow Bangkok students of Japanese had remote conversations with students from Kaichi High School in Japan. Each student was designated a partner from the Japanese school and they prepared for a set of questions on the oral topics in the GCSE Japanese specification. They answered questions on some of the topics in Japanese and asked their Japanese partners questions on the remaining ones in English. It was a revelation in terms of confidence building. November was a busy month for our faculty. Our Year 7 students went on a Thai Studies trip to learn about the Ayutthaya Era. In the same month, the Thai Programme for the Sixth Form invited alumni who are currently studying medicine at Thammasat University and Mahidol University to join an informative discussion session with our students. They provided invaluable information about medical courses and university life to those wanting to pursue future careers in medicine. Also in November, we organized an informative lecture for Chinese as a First Language students in SR5 led by Kevin (So12), who shared effective learning techniques and advice on how to prepare for examinations. In Term 2B, nine Thai students were recorded reading fables, educational books and sing-alongs on tape for schools for the blind.

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with the challenges at this unpredictable time. They have also displayed their dependability by supporting and encouraging each other so well. The Year of the Ox was welcomed in the Mandarin Department with a range of cultural lessons. These focused on activities such as calligraphy, arts and crafts and building on the students’ knowledge of the history and myths behind the Chinese New Year celebrations. The celebrations continued in boarding, where a group of Chinese students arranged a very well received hot pot evening. Students in Years 6 through to Year 9 also took part in a competition to design the most creative Chinese New Year Card. We celebrated the Loy Krathong Festival in October. Students from Year 6 to Year 10 had the chance to practise their handicraft skills by making krathongs from natural materials during their Thai lessons to take home and float on Loy Krathong Day. Many students and staff also dressed up beautifully in traditional Thai costumes to show their appreciation for the Thai festival and they looked fabulous! The main highlight was the House Krathong Making Competition. Students in each House made krathongs from eco-friendly materials such as vegetables, fruits and flowers. By incorporating High Performance Learning thinking and performing skills, the students had a great opportunity to use their creativity, work collaboratively as a team, show awareness for society and the environment by using natural materials, as well as enhancing their leadership attributes. It was a wonderful week, full of culturally enriching activities that celebrated the uniqueness of Thai culture around the school. Throughout the year, we also had a student group focused on Thai dance. In February, we organized a range of activities for the Lunar New Year Celebrations. Like the zodiac characteristics of the Ox, our students from China and elsewhere have shown their strength and determination in coping THE LION 2020-2021

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LANGUAGES In September, students in Year 7 to Year 9 participated in the Languages Pop Video Competition. They filmed themselves singing a song in Thai, Chinese, Japanese or French. The aim of the competition was to enable the students to apply their language skills in an exciting way and to enthuse them about their language learning. In November, students in the Prep Phase and Year 9 participated in the Education Perfect Languages Competition. It involved students earning points for completing online vocabulary and grammar tasks in Thai, French, Chinese and Japanese. They competed against students from around the world and spent a total of 904 hours answering 609,000 questions correctly. In the national competition, we finished in first place beating all of our competitor schools in Thailand. In the global contest, we finished in third place. 54 Harrow Bangkok students achieved at least a Bronze Award for scoring over 1,000 points, including Jennie (S8) who was the 10th highest scoring student worldwide, Autumn (B8), the 14th highest scoring student worldwide and Katie (N9). In February, students of Japanese applied their artistic skills in the Nengajo competition, an event in which they marked the arrival of the new year by designing beautiful greeting cards. In the same month, Harrow Bangkok students took part in the annual Linguistics Olympiad, a competition in which students worked in teams to solve linguistic data problems. As a result, they developed their analytical

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skills as they searched for patterns in data from languages including Tagalog and Latvian. During Term 3, students in Year 6 to Year 9 will participate in the Spelling Bee and Translation Bee competitions. They will have one minute to spell as many words in a foreign language as possible (Spelling Bee) or to translate as many sentences from English into a foreign language as possible (Translation Bee).

This year, we have been very active with our boarding community. On most nights after school, we provide academic tutoring to our boarders to help them with their homework and to support them with preparing for assessments. In addition to teaching languages to our boarders, we have enabled them to explore and discover the cultures of the countries in which the languages we teach are spoken. During Term 1A, Ms Jinda, Khun Nang and the boarders prepared Japanese miso soup and savoury pancakes known as Okonomiyaki. In September, we also marked the European Day of Languages with the

boarders. The event promotes the importance of language learning and protecting the linguistic and cultural heritage of European languages. The idea is to promote language learning, but also to show students that when you learn a language, you also learn about the culture of the country where the language is spoken. On this occasion, in boarding, the Bradbys boys had the opportunity to experience languages in Europe through food. The students prepared three famous dishes from around Europe: Italian pizzas, French croissants and Greek tzatziki. They also learnt new cooking techniques such as rolling dough. For many students, it was their first encounter with garlic and also their first time tasting tzatziki. Mission accomplished.

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HUMANITIES

Let’s explore our world… Our learning journey within Humanities begins in the Little Lions Early Years Centre, with some of our youngest students beginning to ask questions about the world around them. The students have been exploring History and Geography as a part of their ‘Understanding the World’ curriculum. Their enriched learning environment helps the students learn about the world through active involvement within their indoor and outdoor learning environments. These fantastic students have enjoyed exploring the lives and occupations of people within different communities. They have been immersed with exploratory based role-play opportunities and open-ended enquiries. Our

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youngest students in Lion Cubs have been using photos and stories to find out about their family history. Pre Nursery have looked at different occupations and used maps when acting as pilots! Nursery have continued the travel theme, looking at different areas around Thailand and have learned about castles. Meanwhile, the students in Reception have learned about famous landmarks, the continents and have enjoyed exploring different maps. The students in the Little Lions Early Years Centre have shown fantastic creativity and thinking skills this year, looking at the geography of our world and the importance of our own family history. A wonderful year of exciting learning in the Little Lions Early Years Centre!

I see, I think, I wonder… Moving on through the school into Key Stage 1, Year 1 and Year 2 have had an exciting year learning new geography skills and gaining historical knowledge. As a part of our enquiry based learning, Key Stage 1 have been leading their own learning, beginning to ask questions about the world and about events from the past. The students are starting to think critically about our topics and analyse different sources. In Key Stage 1, the students have had the opportunity to experience enriched roleplay activities through exploring their topics, which in turn has strengthened their fantastic vocabulary skills. Year 1 explored how transport has changed throughout time and they were able to investigate different forms of transport in their ‘Transport Museum’ including looking at kayaks and surfboards! They are now experts at looking at photos from the past and using historical vocabulary to describe history.

Year 2 have worked hard on analysing sources during their work on the topic of pirates and have become skilled geographers, also using their critical thinking skills to find out why some animals are endangered! Year 2 launched an exciting Pirate Day where parents were invited to learn from the students and see all of their fantastic pieces of pirate work. They even sampled some pirate hardtack biscuits! Key Stage 1 have improved their speaking and listening skills this year, communicating their ‘wonders’ about the world and using these as a starting point for enquiries. Their passion, engagement and creativity have been wonderful to see this year as Key Stage 1 delved into understanding the world around them. “It’s so fun learning about the past! I love the fun songs!” - Harriet (2H) “I liked learning about pirates and speaking like a pirate!” - Iona (2C)

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HUMANITIES

Ask, investigate, create! As History and Geography progresses throughout Lower School, Lower Key Stage 2 have worked hard on bringing Humanities to life with continuous exciting experiences throughout the year! Year 3 and Year 4 have excelled in their collaboration skills, working together during their mini-enquiries in their topic lessons. You probably noticed the day the dinosaurs took over the school! In combination with Science, this was Year 3 taking part in an archaeological dig and exploring dinosaurs on their ‘Dig It’ day. The Year 3 students were fully immersed in roleplay, exploring how dinosaurs survived in the past and how the Earth has changed since then. The brilliant Year 3 students also explored how historical events have influenced art throughout time and produced fantastic African masks.

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Year 4 have demonstrated brilliant critical thinking skills this year, investigating where clothes were made and even designed a garment factory in teams! They evaluated the true cost of clothing, thinking about the bigger picture. Year 4 brought history to life during their ‘Wow Greek Day’ taking a plunge into the life of people during Ancient Greece. Lower Key Stage 2 have mastered their atlas skills, identifying countries, cities and can confidently describe different climates and biomes. What amazing enquirers they have become this year! “I loved learning about where our clothes come from. It was a surprise for me and now I think more carefully about what I buy.” - Ching Ching (4L) “Aztecs were awesome! They did some really interesting things!” - Ryuu (3F)

The Humanities learning experience continues to thrive well into Year 5, where the students have excelled with their geography skills and historical knowledge. Year 5 are enquiry experts and have fully embedded their enquiry based learning skills in both Geography and History units. The students have applied their geography skills this year during their enquiry unit based on rivers and have celebrated their knowledge by sharing their learning during a Parent Exhibition. Year 5 impressed all during this exhibition and proved they were expert geographers, describing the importance of rivers. During the event, they shared the knowledge gained from their enquiry unit including field trips, 3D models and a range of research projects. It is safe to say Year 5 have truly become experts with enquiries! They have also delved into learning about the impact World War II has had on the world and have become skilled analysers when using sources and artefacts. Their in-depth learning shone through during a class assembly, when teaching the students in Pre Prep about the war and the impact it had.

Excellent history learning continues after school in extracurricular activities too! Harrow Historians have seen some avid historians explore, learn, discuss and share this year. These keen historians across Pre Prep have learnt about significant events of the past and influential people in history, led by their own interests. An enquiry about The Great Fire of London saw the students create their own artwork representing the city. Harrow Historians have used drama, art and games to help investigate space, famous women throughout history, medicine and kings and queens. How proud we are to have such enthusiastic historians among us!

“The arts and humanities teach us who we are and what we can be.” Ronald Reagan In Prep Humanities, we build on the strong foundations of learning in Pre Prep to continue to challenge our students to think critically about the world around them, exploring the global context from a historical, geographical and religious perspective. In Year 6, we have gone on a journey through time, exploring history right from our early ancestors to the ancient civilizations that have shaped our world today. Alongside this journey into history, Year 6 have also ex-

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HUMANITIES

plored some key geographical concepts from both human and physical geography. We have investigated the formation of waterfalls, developed map skills, explored Antarctica and modern-day urban issues. This blended approach to the study of humanities ensures they build the skills of an able humanity scholar.

forestation in Madagascar, studied the processes behind our weather and completed virtual fieldwork. In Religion, Ethics and Philosophy students have investigated what it means to be a religious believer through analysing different philosophies about God, forms of worship and religious pilgrimages.

As students move into Year 7, we have been excited to also introduce the study of Religion, Philosophy and Ethics. This approach provides a holistic outlook on the world today to help students fully appreciate the nature of the world they experience outside of our classrooms.

Through engaging with enquiry questions across the humanities disciplines, our students have been encouraged to take ownership of learning, work collaboratively and think outside the box. It has been exciting to see our students develop skills to explore their learning more critically.

We have completed historical enquiries into the Roman Empire, the Crusades and the impact of the Black Death in medieval times. In Geography, we have used intellectual confidence to consider the impact of de-

“I came, I saw, I conquered.” - Caesar

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In addition to all the exciting learning going on within our classrooms, we have been lucky to run the Roman Challenge Day for Year 7 students this

year. It was an action-packed day with each House group competing to be crowned victorious as the strongest legion in our Roman Army. It was great to see such creativity in action as some students arrived in homemade armour, shields, swords and were truly ready for battle. Throughout the day, the level of collaboration was exemplary as students threw javelins, fired catapults at Roman enemies, built an army camp and took part in a final mock battle. Suriyothai were the victorious House on the day but the effort and engagement from all students was a joy to see. It was a great opportunity for all to apply their learning about the Romans and put it into action. In Year 8, students have embarked through a challenging and diverse curriculum that has encouraged them to be open-minded, to think critically and show resilience. Through their studies in the History department, we have seen students analysing the age of exploration, revolutions, changes in industry and the way these have shaped society in both the past and the present. Geography has mirrored this focus on societal developments through a consideration of migration policies, the role of the United Nations and the impact of tourism. In Religion, Philosophy and Ethics, global issues such as gender equality and inspirational people have been investigated with a philosophical focus. The students in Prep have demonstrated an increased ability to make connections between their learning, to be proactive and confident learners with the skills of humanity scholars, who are fully prepared for the next step in their Humanities learning journey. “The minds of scholars are libraries.” Eliza Cook Throughout Year 9, students are further equipped with the skills, knowledge and passion to be successful in the Humanities subjects at IGCSE at beyond. Our Geographers have honed their understanding of the relationship between Geography and the world around them through the study of THE LION 2020-2021

Academic volcanic hazards, earthquakes and climate change. Students have worked collaboratively to complete a project on climate crusaders to consider the impact of climate change of different groups within the world today.

HUMANITIES

This contextual exploration has extended into IGCSE where our Geographers have considered the impact and causes of urbanisation in Bangkok. This development of contextual knowledge has been a key focus across the phases.

Our Historians have focused on the main issues surrounding WWI during their Year 9 studies. This has included an in-depth study, analysis and evaluation of the events that led to this major historical event. The unit culminated in independent research and the application of skills of originality to develop plans of attack for WWI Trenches. These skills of independence have been further refined by IGCSE Historians who have worked to complete project work and presentations on the origins of the Cold War. We have also seen some excellent examples of analytical coursework on Weimar Germany. In Religion, Ethics and Philosophy, students have been engaged in a philosophical approach to modern day ethical issues. They have considered medical ethics and the morality of genetic engineering, issues related to the death penalty, and crime and the application of moral decision-making theories. This moral and philosophical thinking has been further enhanced by IGCSE Religious Studies students through a focused study of religious practices, beliefs and a comparative study of attitudes towards moral themes.

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The journey ends… The final part of the Humanities learning journey at Harrow Bangkok ends with the opportunity to study Geography, History and Travel and Tourism at Sixth Form. Our Year 12 Geographers have shown the extent of their skills through a challenging and advanced study of weather and climate. They have been reflective learners who have worked collaboratively to develop mastery in relation to both their skills and knowledge of the topics studied. This same sense of agility can also be seen in Year 13 where the students have fully applied themselves to the study of global development. It has been an interesting year to explore physical geography with numerous natural hazards occurring to make the learning topical. For example, the recent volcanic eruption in Iceland. In Travel and Tourism, students have organised birthday parties for students in Lower School and boarding trips to a water park to demonstrate their independent skills. They have also enjoyed the experience of external speakers from the Thai Tourism authority to develop their knowledge of the tourism industry. Our Year 12 Historians have sharpened their debating skills with frequent and lively debates on contentious aspects of US history. They have explored big questions such as: How adequate was Hoover’s approach to the Great Depression? This spirit of debate and collaborative learning has also been seen in Year 13, where students have immersed themselves in the study of Russian history. The extent of this was evident in the production of an homage to Lenin in cake form. As our students end their learning journey with us, we have been pleased to see their exploration of Humanities continue at university level. There are a number of students opting to study History, PPE and Liberal Arts as they take the next step in their learning.

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Academic

SOCIAL SCIENCES

The Social Sciences Faculty is responsible for the delivery of the Business, Economics, Psychology and Media Studies curricula at A Level and Business Studies and Economics at IGCSE in Years 10 and 11. Our faculty also offers experiential learning opportunities to students outside of the classroom, including the student-led LionView Productions (LVP), Junior Achievement (JA) and Equity Partnership programmes. In Business and Economics, the far-reaching effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on economies and businesses have become frequent topics of discussion over the past year. Uniquely placed to gain a deeper insight into the impact of one the most significant events in recent history, Business and Economics students have discussed everything from the effect of border closures on Thai-

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land’s particularly hard hit tourism sector to widespread unemployment, rising poverty and government policy responses to the economic turmoil created by the global pandemic. In Psychology, a subject which is new at A Level, students have learned about a wide range of fascinating topics including the workings (and failings) of memory and psychological conditions, such as schizophrenia and sleep disorders. This year’s Psychology students have developed an excellent foundation in the discipline, taking on the language and mindsets of genuine psychologists. In Media Studies, Year 12 students created openings for films from different genres. They also analysed the technical elements of film and looked at production, marketing and distribution in the film industry. In Year 13,

students worked in groups to produce short film packages to include in a film festival postcard or on a social media page. They also studied postmodern media, the power of the media and media ecology. Students from other parts of the school also developed their media skills through participation in the Prep and Senior School House Film competitions and LVP, which is run as an after school activity. Outside of lessons, the Social Sciences Faculty put on an array of experiential learning opportunities for students. The student-led LVP team has continued to impress through the filming and production of high quality videos reporting on school events, including House Dragon Boat and Sports Day, which can be viewed on YouTube. In the area of enterprise, this year’s student-led JA company, EAZEA, authored, illustrated and printed their very own educational story and colouring book targeted at young children. Their fun story, ‘Max and the Magic Straw’, was written to educate children on the harmful effects that plastic straws can have on marine life and the environment. The book was a huge success, selling almost 100 copies within the school community alone. The Equity Partnership programme, a collaboration between international and Thai schools with a focus on promoting enterprise and craftsmanship, was offered for the first time this year. As part of this programme, a group of students from Harrow Bangkok partnered with students and staff from the Anuban KohKha School in Lampang to develop an Organic Silk Cocoon Scrub which is sold online through JD Central. This year, we sadly farewell two dedicated and valued members of our faculty team, Mr Downs and Mr John. To our departing Year 13 students, the Social Sciences Faculty congratulate you on the completion of your A Level studies and wish you every success in your future endeavours.

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LiA This year in Lower School, we have had a challenging, yet very rewarding year developing our various Leadership in Action programs. We further developed our student leaders, expanded our Lower School Activities provision and continue to work hard to provide meaningful service opportunities for our students.

LOWER SCHOOL

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The year began with the very rewarding opportunity to deliver reusable masks, thermometers, hand washing stations to help Wat Laski School, our Year 5 charity, open for students safely after lockdown. We were also able to continue last year’s project of providing fully stocked reading corners for each of their Year 3 to Year 5 classes. Along with these physical donations, we also offered consultation with our operations team, to give advice about reopening procedures. Once again, it was wonderful for the students to see the positive impact they made to our local community through this charity work.

This year, Lower School has expanded their after school provision to include a number of new and exciting opportunities for the students. Activities such as Drone Club, Calligraphy, ‘Harrow Historians’, Innovative Design and Speed Stacks have really given students a huge variety of choice when it comes to activities. We now offer over 150 different activities each week and continue to work with over 20 high quality outside providers. The largest challenge to activities this year was the four week school closure. It was with great pride that we were able to continue to offer over 50 weekly online activities to every child in the Lower School, making sure they had access to these activities too. This was a real credit to our dedicated sports staff as well as our extremely creative and talented outside providers.

Lower School Sport has had a wonderful year, coming back strongly after the pandemic disruptions of the previous year. The sporting extracurricular activities have been more diverse and inclusive than ever, allowing our students to experience a wider range of sports to develop their skills, fitness, understanding and passion for various games. New activities this year included Frisbee, Touch Rugby (girls & boys), Netball (girls & boys), Tag Games and Bench Ball. It has been fantastic to see our students challenging themselves by joining new clubs. Other popular activities have continued as normal including Basketball, Athletics, T-Ball and Learn to Swim. The Boys U11 Basketball team enjoyed success in the BISAC tournament where they finished as runners up. The Athletics squad performed fantastically well at the Patana Invitational, where our younger students gained fantastic competition experience for next year.

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LiA

Digital Leaders – This year, our Digital Leaders have continued to be a wonderful link between technology and our students. The main project they worked on involved becoming experts using new technology called Makey Makey’s. Using a mixture of coding and basic circuitry, our Digital Leaders have had great fun trailing this new equipment that can turn a banana into a piano! Wow! Our Global Leaders have had an extremely busy year working towards Harrow Bangkok receiving the EcoSchools Green Flag award, Please read out their wonderful work in their own section of this publication. This year, our Library Leaders continued to make a positive impact on the running and organisation of lunch time activities in the Pullman Library. Trained and supported by Mrs Jenny Bell, the students have become a regular fixture in the library every lunchtime.

A real success of the LiA curriculum this year was the continued expansion of our Play Leaders program. 20 of our dedicated young leaders were selected to be trained, before school, to become our designated Play Leaders and help support our students during play times. Trained by our Sixth Form students and under the watchful eye of Mrs Matsushita, Mr Rock and Miss Pocock, our Play Leaders graduated and became a valuable part of our play time provision, running lunchtime activities and games each day. School Council - The Pre Prep Student Council has had a huge impact on the running of Lower School. This year, they have focused their attention to food. Working alongside the dedicated Mrs Pramoj and Mr McCargow, our young school councillors have really learned the value of democracy and organised student voice. Through creating a meaningful student survey, they were able to canvass the student body for their opinions of school lunches and then were able to present this data to our Head of Lower School and our catering staff to enact real change. Well done to them.

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This year has seen our charities continue to be a major part of the Leadership and Service curriculum. Highlights have included the Wat Laksi provision, mentioned earlier, along with the Year 1 and Year 2 projects. Year 1 have continued to raise awareness for rescued soi animals with the PAWS Charity. Year 1 had a visit from the organisation and were pleased to donate money and resources raised during their cake sale. Year 2 have once again linked their underwater topic work with two charities. The longstanding relationship with the Sattahip Turtle Sanctuary continued, with the students releasing rescued turtles back into the sea during the expedition, as well as the newly established charity connection with Eco Trust began. Eco Trust ran a two day awareness program where students were introduced to the dangers faced by Thailand’s coral reefs and the animals within this habitat. Overall, it has been another great year for Lower School Leadership in Action as our students continue to strive for Educational Excellence for Life and Leadership.

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LiA

In this ‘new normal’ world, it would be easy to forget the plight of others and turn inward, focusing purely on ourselves and academic success. The Sixth Form Prefect Events Committee, chaired by Mind (K13) and Kriti (S13), did an outstanding Haunted House in October where screams and laughter filled the dark abyss of the CPA building at night, providing much merriment for their fellow students. Harrow Bangkok students have had a great philanthropic focus and there have been several charitable efforts this year. The annual Christmas appeal raised over 70 000 THB to make over 700 Christmas parcels for the orphans of Pakkred. Also, several appeals and

UPPER SCHOOL

After a testing 19/20 academic year, we had hoped for a better 2021, but this year has remained a challenge. Nevertheless, despite the many obstacles placed in our paths, we have managed to run activities programmes and get the students outside of the classroom. When we consider how many children worldwide have not been to school and not been able to be outdoors or even play together, I am thankful for just how fortunate we have been. Seeing full pitches at lunchtimes, after school or on the weekends is always brilliant to see. Walking around site between 3pm and 4pm, with activities in full swing, I am always amazed by how wide a variety of choices there are: the creative activities in every room of the CPA building, buzzing science labs, sailing, windsurfing and kayaking on the lake, knitting, books galore in the library and drone racing, to name a few. It’s been another tough year to complete the Leadership and Service curriculum. Nevertheless, with a few modifications I have been delighted with those students who have chal-

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The Year 8 Cycle Challenge day is always great fun, requiring perseverance and resilience as we cycle across the outskirts of Bangkok through rice paddies on local roads. There were lots of smiles at lunchtime at the completion of the 30km cycle and many a sore limb. All Year 8 students should be commended on their great spirit and enthusiasm throughout this day.

lenged themselves, put themselves forward into leadership positions and have achieved the award. A special mention must go to Belle (S11) and Kris (S11) for completing their Distinction level award. We remain committed to helping our students actively pursue new and different challenges, learning new skills and the different problem-solving techniques so important for general life skills. Whether this be doing a First Aid Challenge day or a full lifesaving course, each skill allows our students to develop and see the world differently. This year in Upper School, we have managed to run two successful Challenge days. The Year 7 First Aid Challenge day is always interesting, with students having a one hour briefing on basic First Aid followed by scenario training which involves dealing with minor cuts and bruises from motorbike and bicycle accidents, to learning and performing simple lifeguard skills in the pool, as well as learning and practising life saving CPR. We hope that these basic life skills will be valuable for years to come.

projects continued our support for the migrant schools in Mae Sot, delivering rice, food, school supplies and clothing. Some SR5 students, led by Reawya (So10) and Kim (S10), organised support for a local nursing home delivering adult incontinence pants and medical supplies. It is wonderful to see the continuity of support that we give these communities on a yearly basis. The annual Ride for Rainbow saw almost 100 participants raise over 50 000 THB for the CCD foundation whilst the Sixth Form Charity Committee team, led by Grace (K13) and Poon (K13), organized the Charity Mile which raised over 50 000 THB for Operation Smile and local groups in the Don Muang/Laksi area. These student-led events undoubtedly show the very best of our students. I remain encouraged that the world will be a better place in the future with these student leaders venturing beyond the borders of Harrow Bangkok.

Despite the restrictions imposed by COVID-19, activities undertaken by students for their DoE International Award have still been going strong this year. It has been fantastic to see the commitment from some students despite the uncertainty of their Adventurous Journeys and the knowledge that it would be extremely challenging to complete the Award. We have had over 100 Year 9 students sign up for the Bronze Award and we were extremely excited to be able to take them to Khao Ito for their first Adventurous Journey in March. In December, our Gold Award participants spent 2 days kayaking around Koh Sichang for their Practice Adventurous Journey, studying plastic pollution on the island’s beaches. It was great to see the students developing their skills and showing huge amounts of perseverance to kayak around the island during the trip. We also look forward to upcoming Silver and Gold expeditions in June to end another relatively challenging year for the Award.

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Houses

BYRON

The challenges of the past year are no match for the might and resilience of the Byron army. We continue to march forward and shine bright. The Byron bond has never felt stronger and extends right through the school, from our youngest Harrovians, to our B13 graduates and even beyond to our alumni, whose achievements we still celebrate today. Congratulations to the B13 Class of 2021 on your graduation. You’ve come a long way since our days together in B7. You are ready! My sincere thanks to Mr Pearse, Mr John and Ms Cumming for their contributions over the years and I wish them the very best for the future. Lawrence Prunty Head of Byron House

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It is safe to say that the previous year has been a year like no other. Together, Byron House has persevered through the challenges with laughs and smiles along the way. From adjusting to online learning due to COVID-19, to coming together to work collaboratively on events such as House Art or House Football, Byron has proved our resilience and fortitude along the way. Alongside our support for each other, Byron’s passion for altruism remains ever-present: with an active Charity Day, a successful visit to a new charity, the Foundation for the Better Life of Children, and with our continued support of the Teaching Hospital in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka. A highlight of the year that many looked forward to was Sports Day, where Byronites participated with enthusiasm. It is clear that despite the difficulties of the year, the green machine remains stronger than ever. Look out for what Byron has in store! Rena and Indy Byron House Captains

B Y R O N Byron is the best! This was proven in House Dodgeball where Byron destroyed all the other houses, winning the whole competition. Byron also won House Football for Year 4 but didn’t quite win the overall prize. Every week the school counts up the points that the children earn and then announce the House of the Week. Byron has won this so many times! So many in fact that we are confident that we will win House of the Year. There are a lot more House events such as FOBISIA writing and maths, Sports Day, House coding and a whole lot more. It has been a spectacular year and we are very proud of the students of Byron. Now let’s hope that Byron will win House of the Year! Luke and Kaohom, Pre Prep Byron House Captains THE LION 2020-2021

Houses

CHURCHILL Thank you Churchillians for your continued kindness towards each other in what has been a very challenging year. The Churchill family has shown amazing resilience throughout this year. It has been wonderful to see your smiling faces in the corridors and fantastic team spirit during House Events. One of the highlights for me was Sports Day; all coming together, celebrating successes and supporting our friends. We wish C13 a fond farewell and best wishes for your future. And to Mrs Kench, Ms Pidgeon, Mr Sands, Mr Tasker and Ms Greenidge, best of luck in your new ventures. You will always be part of the Churchill family. Tomoko Matsushita Head of Churchill House

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The academic year 20/21 has been a bizarre whirlwind of ups and downs. Our Churchillians demonstrated fierce House spirit and braved through all kinds of challenges and obstacles. We are especially proud of our House that pushed through with utmost determination. Special thanks to the amazing Churchill leadership team whose assistance and input proved invaluable to us. The Prep Leadership team and six House Captains: Mild, Victor, Jing Jing, Simon, Amy and Peak Peak. They are all very confident leaders, who excel at putting forward and articulating their ideas and messages during House Assemblies. We are proud of their courage and hard work. It has been a delight to see the blue army never lose its spirit and zest. As this year approaches its end, we believe that the powerful Churchill spirit will ever prevail because ultimately, we are the blue army. Muskan and Kingpai Churchill House Captains

What a year it has been for Churchill! We believe that Churchill is the best House of all time. After all, Year 3 won House Football for their year group, we won House of the Week about ten times and in addition, we won House of the Term in Term 1! The mighty Churchill always comes close to winning most House events, as we most of the time get 2nd, 3rd, or 4th place, depending on what event it is. We really enjoy being House Captains and we will continue to represent our fabulous House in Prep. It has been an honour to lead Churchill as House Captain. We hope the next House Captains of Churchill will lead our House to victory. Alice and Jacob Churchill House Captains

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Houses

KELLER

So far this year has been a successful year for Keller House as we managed, after a hot day, to come in 1st place in two House events including House Football and House Karaoke. The House Keller is named after Helen Keller, one of the greatest people in history. Some of the Houses at Harrow Bangkok are named after famous role models, which is something that House Captains aspire to be; role models.

I remain encouraged by the resilience of the Legends. I remain grateful for the pupils and staff that make up the legendary team. My thoughts go to those moving on from Harrow Bangkok. The Year 13 students are funny, ambitious, humble, diverse and kind; a near perfect mix of people. I wish them all well in their lives beyond Keller. A fond farewell also goes to Ms Evans, Ms Godfrey, Mrs Shannon and Mr Shannon. I hope they all know how grateful I am for their efforts. My best wishes go to those that are remaining. Now, it’s a ‘good night and good luck’ from me.

We tried our very best in other events and almost came in 1st place again. We managed to win House of the Week multiple times. Everyone in Keller, including infants, have managed to put in an incredible effort this year, representing Keller with pride! The House Captains have had an even more wonderful time, helping and assisting to lead Keller throughout the year and we look forward to many more House events with possibilities of receiving that coveted prize of 1st place once again. It has been a pleasure leading the House this year and we hope one day we are honoured with the privilege of leading Keller again!

Richard Downs Head of Keller House

Ploy and Daniel Pre Prep Keller House Captains

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We, Keller House, take pride in all of our achievements and outcomes. No matter the challenge, we always provide the most effort and enthusiasm. From House events ranging from House Basketball to House Chess, the support we give each other is encouraging. This can be seen with the massive crowds in attendance and cheers during sports events or even Senior House Music, where our pop band came in 1st place. It seems like every day, we are able to inspire one another, without fail. The strong bonds and friendships within both the Leadership team and our House members creates a loving and friendly environment. It is always wonderful to see students smiling at each other and waving ‘hello’ whenever walking past a familiar face, especially with the conversations and small talk students have among each other during House Assemblies and Vertical Tutoring sessions. With our positive and joyous members, it truly makes Keller House feel like a family. The Keller Student Leadership team THE LION 2020-2021

Houses

NEHRU

Despite the challenges that our world has faced in recent times, for Nehru, this year will be remembered as the year in which we all pulled together as a family. We have had some incredible successes, and these are a testament to the strength of this year’s Leadership team, who with impeccable organisation, motivation and tenacity have driven the House forward and spearheaded the team spirit, felt by all. Mr Connor and I are so proud of all the achievements of every student within our House and we look forward to coming back even stronger next year. Sadly this year we will say goodbye to Ms Dave, who has been a valued member of Nehru House for a number of years and we wish her all the best for the future. Harriet Pilkington and Jake Connor Head of Nehru House and Nehru Prep House Leader

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This is a little known fact but the mighty Nehru is the best House of all time! From the beginning of the year, Nehru created suspense in House Football by pushing Keller all the way in the final. We redeemed ourselves by winning the first House of the Week of the year! You might be wondering, is the spectacular Nehru House only good at football? Well, the answer is they are talented at every sport! They proved that in House Dodgeball by coming in 3rd place! What an amazing achievement! Speaking of amazing achievements, in House Science, Pinn Pinn (5C) represented Nehru brilliantly by doing all of the challenges. It has been an delightful honour to be Nehru House Captains in our last year of Pre Prep. So, if you ask us the question: Will we represent Nehru house in Prep? Of course we will! Pina and Jacob Pre Prep Nehru House Captains

We are more than privileged to be Nehru House Captains for this year. Aside from our incredible successes as a House, we are most proud of how we all came together amidst these unprecedented times. It was truly gratifying to see all of our distinct spirit, passion and energy which made up yet another year of Nehru, which we are honoured to be a part of. One of our main goals this year was to develop a more transparent and open relationship between our senior Leadership team and the younger members of our House. We are very thankful to see that everyone has been supporting each other and contributing to our successes not only as a House, but also as individuals. We would like to thank all of our fellow Nehruvians, Ms Pilkington and Mr Connor for always being amazing and being there for us every step of the way. Khow Poon and Andy Nehru House Captains

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Houses

SONAKUL

Yo Yo Yo!! Yo - What’s up??!! Our call and response never fails to fill Sonakulian hearts, crucial in a year requiring extra flexibility and determination. Fortunately, we have had a magnificent set of student leaders as role models, unrelenting in their positivity. Sports Day stands out, not just for the spirit shown on track and field, but for the incredible fundraising effort on our charity drinks; Oranges from all year groups played their part. We wish all the best to the wonderful So13 who embody our guiding principles of family, effort and kindness. A fond farewell and thank you to Mr Williams too. Go well. Jake Dodds and James O’Connell Head of Sonakul House and Sonakul Prep House Leader

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It has been an absolute pleasure for us to be the House Captains of the mighty Oranges this year. We have had our ups and downs, wins and losses, but throughout this journey every Sonakulian showed phenomenal House spirit. As a House, we are definitely competitive, but the most important aspect is always enjoying the collaboration across year groups and developing a sense of family. Whenever an upcoming House event is introduced, we are often approached by fellow Sonakulians with enthusiasm and eagerness to participate for the greater good of the House. We hope that everyone can leave this academic year with memorable experiences that can be cherished for a lifetime. Ploy and Kevin Sonakul House Captains

What a year it has been for the mighty Sonakul! My fellow House Captain Prim and I have had the best and most incredible year. We know that Team Sonakul have smashed every single House event. Our highlight of the year was definitely when we were selected as House Captains; what an honour! We loved how much we were able to help and adjust thoughts of other children in different parts of the House and beyond. Every year, in most of the House events, we believe that our House has done our best and showed the power and determination of Sonakul. It has been a pleasure being House Captain and we wish good luck for the future House Captains. Louis and Prim Pre Prep Sonakul House Captains THE LION 2020-2021

Houses

SURIYOTHAI

This year has not been without its challenges, but as Acting Head of Suriyothai House, I have been continually impressed by the ambition, resilience and togetherness of our Purple People. Our victory at Sports Day was a fantastic achievement that was only made possible through the contribution of every student. Thank you to all our fantastic tutors and the Suriyothai Leadership team led by Jinny and Basic. Your support is invaluable and you have really brought the House together. Finally, thank you and good luck to Prep House Leader, Mrs John, who is leaving us at the end of the year. Andrew Archibald Acting Head of Suriyothai

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The superb Surioythai have had the most astonishing year ever. The fantastic Year 1 and Year 5 students did an amazing job at the book quiz during Book Week. The fantastic Year 5 received an incredible 19 points, winning by a landslide. Recently, Surioythai won House of the Week by winning over 800 HOUSE POINTS! It was the first ever time winning this year. It has been a pleasure being House Captains for the first time ever. We cannot wait to go to Prep and represent Surioythai with pride! We have really enjoyed our most recent Sports Day and it was amazing to see the fantastic Year 1, 2 and 3 students showing their bravery and zooming through the obstacles to hopefully lead Surioythai to glory! Nada and Goethe Pre Prep Surioythai House Captains This year, Suriyothai has demonstrated the warmth and compassion, which has been embedded within our community for many years. Our purple spirits have grown stronger and stronger throughout the year, and we are constantly supporting and cheering each other on. It is only because of this that we were able to win the most significant event of the year: Sports Day 2021. Suriyothai is so much more than a House. It is another family. We can all acknowledge just how amazing the Suriyothai family is. This year, the bond between the House has grown to become very tight. Working with this family is a priceless experience and has given us countless opportunities to serve our community. We love seeing the Purple People enjoying every moment with beaming smiles on their faces. We will forever cherish these unforgettable moments and they will forever hold a special place in our hearts. Basic and Jinny Suriyothai House Captains

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Boarding The first thing that I noticed walking into the boarding house this year was a large poster board with the names of all the West Acrians displayed on a brightly coloured chart. I later found out that this would serve as a tracker for our newly established merit system. Gaining enough points would entitle us to Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond Award certificates which are recognised by the Housemistress, Head of Boarding and the Headmaster himself. The merit system encourages stu-

dents to participate in activities such as capture the flag, cooking competitions or the infamous Friday challenges to earn more merits. We are rewarded for being proactive in going ‘above and beyond’ and for being positive role models for the other girls. These positive rewards have been very popular in encouraging us, as boarders, to develop the desired Values, Attitudes and Attributes, as boarding and the wider school have adopted the High Performance Learning framework. I am motivated by it! Eyn Eyn (B12)

Appreciations box

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The ‘Appreciations Box’ is a new idea introduced in West Acre this year. The West Acrians leave messages for each other that are then handed out at the end of the week. It has been very successful, with girls from all year groups leaving short messages and anonymous appreciations to thank each other and the staff for their kindness and support over the week. The box has greatly contributed to the positive and harmonious atmosphere in West Acre and continues to acknowledge the thoughtful and caring actions displayed by West Acrians towards each other. Lhachen (S13)

Boarding is an environment where everyone should feel like they are at home and part of the West Acre family. One big, happy family! Each and every one of us is important and need to be given the opportunity to be heard, which is quite difficult in a house full of around 50 girls! As a result, a special box appeared. Not any ordinary box either; the ‘Suggestions Box’! This provides an opportunity for us all to make boarding feel even more homely and enjoyable. It enables us to feed in ideas anonymously and the boarding staff read these out every Thursday, discuss them and bring the ideas to life. Until now, there have been all sorts of proposals ranging from Playstations, fun activities and changes in certain routines in the house. However, my personal favourite is food. I am always as happy as a clam whenever I see the suggestions to change the food being adopted within boarding. We appreciate that our voices are heard. Muskan (C12)

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Boarding

At the end of Term 1a, our boarders represented their boarding houses with pride, commitment and passion to delight the crowd in a singing performance that will live long in the memory. Bradbeians, West Acrians and Grovites sang with full effort to deliver some striking performances that left everyone grinning and pining for more. Bradbeians performed their very own version of ‘Believer’ by Imagine Dragons. Coordinated clapping, feet stamping and solo verses from Eugene, Davy and Sun set the bar high and West Acre knew they had to deliver. They did just that with a beautifully sung tune incorporating Disney’s ‘Sofia the First’ and ‘For The First Time In Forever.’ Wonderfully choreographed hand movements and synchronised feet stamping added to the performance. The Grove were given the final performance slot and knew the pressure was on! They stepped up well to present the judges, Miss Woollam and Mr Tneoh from our coveted Music Department, with a very difficult decision. There could be only one winner of the inaugural Boarding House Song Competition. In what turned out to be a very close decision, The Grove came out on top with their own version of Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’. A (very) early Christmas present at the time. The positive and inclusive atmosphere was the biggest winner of the night. Well done and thank you to the boarders for putting on the most superb evening. A Harrow Bangkok tradition is born… we are already looking forward to next year! Richard Walter House Master of The Grove Head of Boarding

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The purpose of boarding weekends is to provide opportunities and events for our boarders to nurture and develop socially, physically and morally. We encourage participation from all boarders, regardless of age or stage, to promote a cohesive environment within our boarding community. Most importantly, these experiences are in place for our boarders to ensure that their confidence and resilience are routinely developed. The 2020-2021 Weekend Programme has been outstanding for all involved. The weekends always begin with the Friday Night Challenge, in which the boarders are given activities or tasks to improve their problem-solving skills, collaboration and resilience. This year, the offsite activities have ranged from high adrenaline pursuits such as paintballing, laser tag or zooming down the steep flumes at water parks, to opportunities of problem solving in escape rooms or soaking up the vibrant culture of Ayutthaya or Bangkok on the Chao Phraya. A notable event of the year was the trip to Ramayana Water Park that was organised and led by our own year 12 students, Gorn and Sydney. It was excellent to see them demonstrate their leadership, flexible thinking abilities and creativity to run such a successful trip for the boarding village. A huge well done to them both! At the start of Term 2, the period of restrictions across Thailand pushed the boarding team to pull together and organise a range of excellent on-site opportunities for boarders to become active, boost their creativity and learn new skills. Weekly windsurfing and kayak sessions took place on the lake, slip and slide dominated the Harrow fields each Saturday afternoon and opportunities to develop skills in archery, swimming and cooking were abundant. A huge well done and thank you to all boarders and staff involved.

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Boarding My name is Eugene Wang and I am Deputy Headboy of Bradbys. I have been a part of this boarding family for several years. When I first joined in Year 7, my academic grades were in need of improvement, especially my English. Since then, my grades have dramatically improved. In my opinion, one of the most important reasons for this improvement is the English speaking environment in boarding and regular academic tutoring. I think for a child who is going to travel abroad, a comprehensive English speaking environment is essential. We are provided with such an environment when boarding here in Bradbys. Furthermore, we receive academic tutoring for an hour every weekday from 6.30pm until 7.30pm. During this time, we have specialist teachers from different subjects such as English, Science, Japanese and Mathematics come in and help us. I have been studying Japanese on Wednesday evenings and these extra free lessons have helped my grade improve significantly.

My name is Three and I am Headboy of Bradbys, which has been my home for two years. My time in boarding has helped me become a better reader. Boarders have to individually read with a staff member of boarding for twenty minutes every day. Students from all year groups have a chance to read every day as a routine during prep time. Throughout this year, I have seen clear improvements amongst boarders through their time spent reading with staff. Staff reassure us that we truly understand each word from each book we’re reading. We learn new vocabulary, improving our pronunciation and fluency by reading out loud. Once we have finished our book, we then do an Accelerated Reader quiz online which shows us how well we understood the book. The website calculates our reading age and if we pass the quiz, we gain points for our house. From my experience, this is one of the main reasons why boarding students have improved their reading ability in such a short time. Three (B9)

Eugene Wang (B9)

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The collective effort of lots of different groups is what has made boarding such a special part of our school. These formal occasions are fundamental for preparing our boarders for such events when they go on to University and beyond. It was also a wonderful way to formally thank key staff who tirelessly support our boarding community. Special thanks must go to our school photographer, Christian who captured the evening so beautifully and Anneleen Erlingen, our new Director of External Relations, whose photo booth was a fantastic way of capturing the wonderful event. It was a fantastic evening and a great way to celebrate a superb term in boarding.

Boarders and school staff celebrated and reflected on a fantastic first term for our boarding community in our first Formal Christmas Boarding Dinner. The Hub dining area was transformed into a festive, Christmas winter wonderland under the vision and direction of Miss Casteja, our Housemistress of West Acre. Our boarders and staff looked stunning in their formal dress. After drinks, canapes, and speeches in each of the three boarding houses, we were treated to a traditional three course dinner courtesy of our catering partners, Epicure. Our sincere thanks to Khun Tarn and her team! Background music was provided by the ever talented and generous Stainer family and our own Bradbeian Year 9 boarder, Sun. Their string quartet played beautifully in between courses. Each Boarding House also sang their own Christmas carol expertly accompanied by Plub, a proud Year 10 Grovite and Music Scholar here at Harrow Bangkok. THE LION 2020-2021

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Boarding

Boarding is, by definition, home away from home. This last year has been especially tough. We have really had to come together as one large boarding family in order to work through the challenges that we have seen during the past year, with many of our international and domestic boarders having been affected. In January 2021, we experienced restrictions in Thailand that resulted from the rise in Covid infections. Teaching was moved online at very short notice. Through this time, boarding remained open. Our boarders had full access to our excellent onsite school facilities. They continued to exercise and play sports when many other public spaces were completely closed. They also benefitted from a structured study environment. We are grateful to our boarding staff who remained with the boarders during the school day, supervising online learning and supporting them with their academic progress. Boarders were able to continue their daily routine as close to normal as possible and enjoyed targeted academic support from the resident boarding staff. New friendships were forged across the year groups and houses, allowing the community to grow even stronger. We were also joined by several new students at this time who have since shown great agility, resilience and have adapted well to their new school and the transition from online learning to face to face teaching.

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We greatly appreciated parental feedback about the boarding provision at Harrow Bangkok during this time: “I would like to thank Harrow International School for its continuous support for my child during the most difficult period of the COVID-19 outbreak. I have a deep understanding of the efforts that teachers and other on-the-job staff need to make during this period. They gave up a lot of rest time to accompany my child.

In these difficult times, we have total confidence and support for our child in boarding because we know that you have an excellent team to take care of him. Thank you again for the special help provided by Harrow International School during our most difficult period, so that our child can return to school to continue learning again.” Michael Downey Deputy House Master Bradbys

might not work for us. The most important thing is to find your balance. Overall, it was a very meaningful and interesting talk and we learned a great deal from it.

Boarding has provided amazing opportunities for us to get to learn and grow through the passions, interests and expertise from a number of external speakers who have come into boarding this year. Tara Conrad, a professional nutritionist, gave a presentation on balanced and healthy eating habits. It was such a pleasure having her in boarding, offering fact based advice based on extensive scientific research. For example, the chemical processes that

go into creating protein powder along with the added sugar are nutritionally, a poor second compared to eating unprocessed food in its natural form. This will give us all the protein we need. We also learned that our body, skin and hair need a wide range of nutrients to function well and that both fats and carbohydrates are necessary. Mrs. Conrad also told us to not copy other people’s diets as each one of us is unique and other people’s diets

Boarding also invited Khun Ton, a Harrovian alumni from Harrow on the Hill who then graduated from Imperial College London. The talk was mainly about sharing his own learning process and life experience as an Asian student in the UK. At the beginning of the talk, he introduced his life at Harrow on the Hill, followed by his life at Imperial. This allowed his confidence to grow and form friendships with his fellow local students. After graduating from Imperial College, he took an active part in social work to enrich his knowledge and experience as he wanted to show us that, “university life is just a starting point of your new journey. People should move forward by chasing their dreams rather than listening to others.” The boarding village is one big family. It provides us with a positive atmosphere to learn and develop life skills, understand our self worth and to also understand the positive impact we can have through our actions and ultimately develop into the very best versions of ourselves that we can be. Jiayi (S13) and Tracy (K12)

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Wellbeing

It has been an incredibly unique opportunity to have met and developed close relationships with so many students and staff right across Harrow Bangkok. More than just an opportunity, it has been an absolute pleasure and has highlighted how much enthusiasm and dedication there is to improving wellbeing for all. Of course, with school comes the education. Wellbeing themes are woven into the curriculum for delivery to all ages, yes, but there is also the student voice. Our students have plenty to say when it comes to their wellbeing. I was graciously reminded of this during a visit to a Year 3 class, ‘Wellbeing is important to everyone, everywhere’. This student justified her opinion further and the detail she included was just astonishing to hear.

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As well as using their voice, our students have plenty they want to do! Examples of leadership in wellbeing can be seen all around us, from the Year 5 student-led wellbeing assembly to the Sixth Form Mental Health and Wellbeing Committee which was created by a Year 13 student as a result of his studies and desire to raise awareness of mental health. He has driven this forward with an impassioned group of peers from Years 12 and 13. There is so much to celebrate! Now more than ever, with the pandemic among us, it is important that we continue to focus our efforts on working together to grow these already existing ‘seeds of wellbeing’. Harrow Bangkok is committed to ensuring the wellbeing of our students so that they can flourish here and beyond. Thank you for your commitment to that same practice.

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Incoming Leaders

Dr Michael Reddish - Principal Principal Deputy Head

Kathryn Gavin - Acting Head of Upper School

Previously Deputy Head at Princethorpe College, an HMC independent day school in the UK.

Kathryn Gavin joined the Executive Leadership Team in August 2021 as she naturally stepped up as the most senior member of the Upper School Senior Leadership Team.

Studied Law at Warwick University, LLM at Harvard Law School, where he was a Frank Knox Memorial Fellow, and subsequently a Doctorate in Law from Warwick University. Joined by wife Laura, an experienced independent school teacher of English, and their two children, Isabel and Thomas. Will take responsibility for wholeschool aspects of our provision, deputise for the Head Master, and will work closely with the Head Master and the Board of Governors to deliver the school’s Strategic Development Plan. Will oversee whole-school coordination and major school event planning. He will also lead the development of Harrow Bangkok’s overarching teaching and learning ambitions including oversight of academic staff appraisal and continuing professional development.

She graduated from Exeter University with BA Honours in Geography before transferring to undertake a PGCE in St Luke's College of Education. She started her teaching career at John Lyon School, part of the Harrow family of schools before moving overseas to Malaysia, Thailand, Bahrain and China. Arriving in 2008, this is Kathryn’s fourteenth year at Harrow Bangkok.

Paul Beach - Head of Lower School First-class degree in Maths and Stats from Brunel University Worked as an actuary and as a business consultant focusing on managerial solutions for a major oil company, before moving into the education sector in 1999. In his first headship in the UK, he oversaw improvement to Ofsted ‘Outstanding’, before moving to Singapore, where he has been Head of Primary at Nexus International School for seven years. Conducts school evaluations on behalf of the Council of International Schools.

She brings experience as a teacher, middle and senior leader, as well as a deep knowledge and understanding of Harrow Bangkok and it’s community.

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Our Mission, Vision and Values Organisations should pause occasionally to reflect on why they exist and what they aspire to achieve. These sentiments are typically then expressed in a statement of the organisation’s mission, vision, and values. With Mr Standen well-embedded as the new head master, and with ongoing growth and changes at group level, the last year has been an opportune time for such reflection. For some years, Harrow Bangkok had stated its mission as: “All of our students will develop as leaders contributing to a better world, realise their academic potential and succeed at the university of their choice.” Whilst this resonated well, its focus on success defined by university destinations alone was too narrow, and didn’t recognise other routes to successful happy lives. Following a consultation process involving various parts of the school community (teachers, TAs, admin staff, contractors, students, and parents), the mission statement has been updated to: “Educational excellence ensures Bangkok Harrovians flourish at school and beyond, enabling them to lead purposeful and meaningful lives, able to influence their chosen profession and the world around them.”

The school did not previously have a vision statement. To reflect our ongoing pursuit of excellence, and to serve as a reminder that we should always be aiming higher, we have chosen a short, memorable phrase for our vision: “A world class school” All Harrow schools in Asia have adopted a group wide set of values that staff and students should live and work by. These are: courage, honour, humility, and fellowship. Over coming weeks and months, the school will update posters and signage around school. Parents may also have noticed that we have adopted a new ‘strapline’. Across the group, ‘Leadership for a better world’ has been updated to: “Educational Excellence for Life and Leadership” This phrase will be used alongside our mission and vision. When people ask us why all this matters, and why we have spent time and energy writing and adopting these statements, our response is not simply that it is best practice. These statements should guide the decisions the school takes and provide a guiding principle such that all members of the community understand the role they play in running the school today and in enhancing it for tomorrow. Over the next few months, we are excited to share with you our plans for this chapter in our history.

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Educational Excellence for Life and Leadership

The Lion 2020-2021

Articles inside

Social Sciences

Humanities

Sport

Languages

Creative Arts

Computing

Upper School Year Review

Chair of Governors

English

Mathematics

Lower School Year Review

The Head Master of Harrow UK

Friends of Harrow

Head Master