Editor
Laura Tyson
Additional Contributions by
Hollie Arnulphy
Harriet Rhodes
Illustrations by
Beryl Yim
Managing Editor
Donald Ma
Photography
Anthony Domingo
Donald Ma
Kellett Senior School Media Team
Kamini Chak
Amelie Miller
Tiffany Cheung
Charlotte Ye
I am delighted to introduce this extra special golden edition of The Dragon to celebrate Kellett’s half century. This extended edition, particularly the feature on our founders, reminds us of the countless individuals over time who have shaped Kellett
As we have delved into the archives and spoken with those who founded Kellett what has been most striking is the role parents have played at every stage of our development. Staff and parents have, time after time, year after year, come together to make incredible things possible. Parental involvement was prioritised from the outset, and has been pivotal ever since
It is with great pride and gratitude that we celebrate our 50th anniversary and our global community of likeminded individuals, young and old, students and staff, parents and partners, who cherish their connection to Kellett and all it stands for.
Paul Tough Principal & CEO
Kellett is an international school where children develop a love of learning and confidence for life True today as much as it was when the school was founded 50 years ago. We are parent-founded and still to this day parent-led, and this makes us substantially different from other schools With our focus on Excellence, Wellbeing and Community, and core values of Kindness, Respect and Integrity, Kellett today is unique.
From ‘The Little School That Did’, the book of Kellett’s first 30 years, Kellett has developed into a leading school, not just in this great city of Hong Kong, but in the region and beyond. With our new for 2026 Sixth Form Bay Hub and major plans for redeveloping Pok Fu Lam, we are a through-school (from 4-18 years) of the highest order, with students achieving top results in iGCSE and A-Levels
Our outstanding leadership team, professional teaching and support staff, plus a strong and committed Board of Governors, will drive the school forward as we invest for the future This year, please participate and enjoy some of the many events the School is holding as we come together to celebrate our 50th anniversary.
Nick Marsh Chair of the Board of Governors
Vivienne Sole née Steer was the head teacher of Kellett School from its inception in 1976 until she retired in 1996 Her energy, commitment and creativity built the foundations for a homegrown community school with a focus on educational excellence.
hen Vivienne Steer’s husband was appointed Deputy Head of Stanley Fort School in 1976, she asked the army to send her a list of teaching jobs that were available in September Much to her dismay, the army informed her that they didn’t expect the wives of those in senior posts to work and she faced the prospect of arriving in Hong Kong without a job to go to. Growing up as the daughter of a school principal in Wales, Vivienne had assisted her father at the school and then qualified as a primary school teacher herself at St Mary's College Cheltenham. She had been teaching since her children started school and had no intention of giving up any time soon Thus, on arrival in Hong Kong she immediately began to ask around and explore her options, but most education posts
had been filled months earlier
As Vivienne settled into life in Hong Kong with her husband and two daughters at secondary school, she became intrigued by a growing argument in the media regarding a need for Englishspeaking pre-school classes The debate had been sparked by Mrs Joanne Elliott’s letter to the South China Morning Post entitled “A strong case for January school intake” in which she had called for Reception classes at Englishspeaking government schools Joanne had met the ESF Secretary and felt he would plead her case to the Education Department, yet, when a meeting was called to discuss the matter at St John’s Cathedral Hall, Government speakers announced that they could not support the scheme. Two
weeks later, Vivienne, who had left her name and number with Joanne, received a phone call to ask if she’d like to attend an interview. She was appointed as a class Reception teacher for the new school, but after further discussions around curriculum and design, she was quickly promoted to head teacher
Vivienne is the first to admit that the premises in two rooms of Holy Light College in Wan Chai were far from ideal, but she was excited by the prospect of a blank slate with which to create something special.
The two women were in agreement that they wanted a child-centred kindergarten with small class sizes and a focus on creativity alongside academics “I’d worked in a great primary school in the U.K. with a
very progressive head teacher who wanted to move away from the idea of filling a bucket with information,” says Vivienne. “He believed in children developing and learning through their own activity and we’d recently had an outstanding report from the educationalist Christian Schiller ”
Vivienne explains how a field had been donated to the school with the idea it would be a football pitch, but the head teacher chose to turn the area into a nature reserve with a series of ponds to attract all sorts of wildlife She recalls how they would take the children out to explore and then come back and use the knowledge and material they had gathered in their classwork “I knew this was the way I wanted to continue working, so I tried to transfer that into a Hong Kong situation while being respectful of the fact that we
had a totally different environment to work with,” she continues “I didn't know many of the birds and the ducks and the flowers and plants in Hong Kong, so I started from scratch learning alongside the children. We used to have a table that was called “Look and See” and every few days we’d display something for the children to look out for like a picture of somebody eating with chopsticks to help to make them aware of their environment and how it was providing a backdrop for their learning ”
With less than two months to get everything ready to begin, it was all hands on deck to ensure they could welcome the first 44 students. Vivienne describes how they worked with Joanne’s ‘Parents Together’ group to repaint, clean and scrub, as well as source furniture and equipment “The tables were cut down from the secondary school upstairs and we went to a local plastic shop, which sold everything in plastic you could imagine, to get some little tiny chairs,” says Vivienne “A lot was donated, including some large play equipment and some very
nice furniture, cupboards and shelving units and quite useful storage. This came from one of the parents who worked for a chemical company which was closing down a furnished flat ”
Educational equipment was also difficult to source in Hong Kong at the time and Vivienne remembers borrowing sample booklets from Stanley Fort School to submit to the Educational Department for approval “Myself and Gill Sperring, who was the other appointed class teacher, worked together to set up a curriculum,” she says. “We had to be creative with what was available, so we went to China Products and bought these lovely little embroidered butterflies to use for sorting and counting and a sort of chess game with large counters to do matching and putting things into sets and groups Fortunately, another parent who was to become the school bursar, Fionna McLeod, ran a Puffin book club from her flat, so she was able to order books from the U.K.”
The school was originally called Starters because the students were beginning their educational journey, but it quickly began to grow beyond this as word spread of the school’s success “The children were enjoying school and being confident; they did well and the parents talked about it and I think it spread like wildfire because we got a lot of applications very quickly,” says
school for a profit,” says Vivienne She was also keen to get parents more involved in the running of the school, having seen the benefits of this in her role coordinating parents at her previous school “We already had parents doing a few things, but we decided to set up an official Parents’ Committee in the Summer term. One of the first tasks set by Joanne before she left for the U K in November was
Vivienne Within a year, the student body had outgrown its premises and Mr Sandhu, the registered Principal of Holy Light College, proposed an increase in class sizes at Starters to grow the school into Primary “One of the things that I didn't like was the fact that Mr Sandhu was running the
to find new premises for the school,” says Vivienne. “They were absolutely wonderful and we all had the same vision of creating a not-for-profit school with community values ”
Thus it was that in 1978, the officially renamed ‘Kellett’ opened
in rented premises in Taikoo Shing with seven classes of Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 The Parents’ Committee chairman, Barrie Spears, was responsible for finding the building through his job with Gammon and Vivienne fondly remembers working alongside the tight knit group to repeat the process needed to open a new school “Just a few weeks before we were due to start, the building was still just a shell really with raw concrete flooring and walls. The windows were in, but there was
still no electricity,” says Vivienne “Even on the first day, we still hadn't got approval from the government to open, so it had to be a registration day Luckily by this point one of our fantastic teaching assistants, Linda Evans [now Speed], had been promoted to music teacher so the children spent a lot of time singing in the hall that day!”
By this point, Vivienne says, she really felt part of a team of people who wanted to make it work, so
when the school was ready to grow even further, they wasted no time in applying to the Education Department to find a piece of land to build on The first wing of the new school at Pok Fu Lam opened in 1980, although, in true Kellett style, it was again a group effort to get it ready! “We were there until midnight the night before and we’d already delayed the opening by two weeks,” says Vivienne. And still the school continued to grow, adding a new wing the following year complete with a new hall for
all of Kellett’s assemblies and performances, which were encouraged from the students’ earliest years “The new building was celebrated with every child taking part in the “Easter Eggstravaganza" performed in our wonderful new hall,” says Vivienne
Throughout her 20-year tenure at Kellett, Vivienne’s quiet calm was appreciated by staff who unanimously describe her as someone who treated everyone as an equal and managed all eventualities with a level head She was instrumental in creating an ethos where everyone felt comfortable to share their ideas and engage in important discussion “I think one of the most important things we did was to let teachers visit other classrooms so everyone was comfortable with
everyone else and knew what was going on across the building,” she says “I think this made it easier for teachers to work in teams and work together to make the most of what was available.”
Under her leadership numerous initiatives were launched that are still in evidence at Kellett today and are part of what makes our school community so strong. “Both
Linda Evans and Christina Lamont really developed a role for themselves within the boundaries of what we were doing,” Vivienne says. “They weren’t appointed as specialist teachers of Music and Art, but through putting together productions with amazing singing and spectacular backdrops, the value of these positions became clear ” Class assemblies, Christmas concerts, charity
fundraising and school trips and visits were all instigated during Vivienne’s time at the school
In 1996, having since remarried and with both daughters grown up, one in the U K and one in Hong Kong, Vivienne settled near family in Hereford. Though she was sad to bid farewell to Hong Kong, she was happy to begin a new life in the U K "It was hard leaving behind my wonderful school,” she says, “I had so enjoyed working with everyone but especially the children of all nationalities Kellett had been the most amazing opportunity and I consider myself very fortunate to have been in the right place to take advantage of all that ” She was also sad to leave her granddaughter who was born just two weeks before her departure, but was pleased to see her legacy live on when her daughter, Jane, and her then 17-year-old granddaughter attended the opening of the new Kowloon Bay campus in her stead. Since leaving Hong Kong, Vivienne has enjoyed making art and studied a degree course in Fine Art at Hereford
College of Arts. She has exhibited at several shows, including solo and two-man exhibitions, her latest being a show called "No Place like Home" in Hereford Her two daughters are both now in the U K working in journalism and retail, and she recently became Great Grandma to a beautiful baby boy.
As she reflects on her career, she recalls being gifted a book during Kellett’s first inspection at Pok Fu Lam “The author was Christian Schiller, the HM Inspector of Schools who had visited my school
in the U.K,” she says. “I still have the book here and one of the things that I've got underlined from all those years ago is a quote by the Chinese philosopher Laotzi–“A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves”– I find that interesting because it’s really what I still think Kellett exists because those early teams of governors, parents and staff worked together with a common aim, to create a great school for their children. From what I can see that vision is going forward offering brilliant opportunities for our Kellettonians ” At Kellett we are forever grateful for Vivienne’s vision of a not-for-profit, parentgoverned school with a thriving community.
(Left) Vivienne in Hereford today
(Below) The KLB Campus opening ceremony attended by Vivienne’s Daughter, Jane (Middle), & Granddaughter (Second to Right)
This year Kellett School celebrates 50 years of a love of learning and confidence for life Find out how a group of parents with a vision for educational excellence, community, and growth in Hong Kong built the foundations for the school we all know and love.
t’s the year of the Dragon 1976 and government schools in Hong Kong are full to bursting The English Schools Foundation policy states that children turning five during the Spring and Summer terms will have to wait until the Autumn term to go to school, and American expat, Joanne Elliott, is not happy. Her four-year-old daughter, Susan, is ready to learn to read, but will have to wait until she’s almost six to start school
Joanne decides to take action She lays out her case for a January school intake in a letter to The South China Morning Post and gains support from many other parents in the same boat She meets with the ESF Secretary and invites government speakers to a meeting of over 100 parents at St John’s Cathedral Unfortunately, they do not gain the desired result; there are no government funds available to add Reception classes to the current schools.
Mrs Elliott refuses to accept defeat. She remembers how much she enjoyed reading and wants her daughter to have the same strong educational foundations that she did Along with the ‘Parents Together’ group she created, she sets out to open a new school. Her background as a teacher and lecturer provides a good starting point, but she quickly joins forces with a visionary primary teacher who has recently arrived from Wales, Vivienne Steer (now Sole) Mrs Steer has been working in a primary school in the U.K. that espouses the belief in a holistic education in which children learn best through activity, play, talking and discussion Mrs Elliott shares this vision, believing that every child should have access to quality learning within a nurturing environment Together they begin to plan a community school with a solid foundation in Reading, Writing and Arithmetic and plenty of time for Art, Music and Performance, that is rooted in the community in which they live.
With the end of the calendar year approaching, time is running out to find somewhere for students to start school in the new term, but the Principal of Holy Light College in Wan Chai hears about their plight via a current affairs programme Mr Sandhu has a few empty classrooms in his secondary school and is happy for them to be used Mrs Elliott can for Carp and so on, to teach Phonics
clearly envision these large classrooms filled with smiling children busily learning despite the rather unsavoury location in the back streets of Wan Chai Having accepted the offer, she gets to work employing staff, beginning with the promotion of Vivienne Steer to head teacher to help her get everything ready to open the school “Gill Sperring, the other appointed teacher, and I got our curriculum together and sent it down to the Education Department,” says Vivienne, “then we waited to see if we’d been approved.” Barbara Cox and Linda Evans (now Speed) are employed as teaching assistants and resources are gathered, including the purchase of some small embroidered butterflies from China Products to be used for sorting and classifying and a Chinese-style English alphabet book; A is for Abacus, B is for Bamboo, C is
Many members of the Parents Together group are involved in various capacities “Maura Coultous started as a parent, but had become deputy head when I arrived in 1983,” says Nick Miller, former longserving staff member at Pok Fu Lam Prep “She was a fantastic Irish lady who worked her socks off alongside another amazing Mum and the school bursar, Fionna Macleod They could both be seen washing up and cleaning in addition to their paid jobs ” This has been a theme of Kellett throughout its 50 years, as new premises and extensions were needed, parent and staff spirit meant they were always to be found on the frontline. Vivienne remembers spending a day with Maura stapling hessian to boards, as well as scrubbing and painting She also fondly recalls all the parental help they received “We had lots of donations, including one parent who was closing down a furnished company flat,” she remembers, “there were some lovely cupboards, shelving units and very useful storage and we all worked together to get the classrooms ready ”
On Monday 3rd January 1977, “Starters” school opens its doors to 44 students As a private school, any parent is free to enrol their child and
a true International School is born with students from all around the globe A level of English proficiency is preferable, but with small classes of 22 students, those for whom English is not their first language quickly excel Two classes soon become three, as waiting lists continue to grow Barbara Cox is promoted to teacher and Christina Lamont appointed as her assistant to begin a new Reception class after the initial Spring Term.
In June the school passes an Education Department inspection, but the future of Starters is beginning to
look uncertain as Joanne Elliott is set to return to her husband's home country of Ireland and Mrs Steer is growing uneasy working at a school that is being run for profit
With a growing number of parents excited for their children to move up to Year 1 and others eager to join in Reception, Vivienne begins to research running the school as a notfor-profit elsewhere She has a huge band of supporters behind her and another meeting is called to discuss the school’s future, attended by many old faces and a few new ones, including James (Dinty) Dickson-Leach
Having attended boarding school from the age of 7, Dinty does not want to send his daughter Alexandra away, so with ESF schools fit to bursting with classes of 30-40 students, he decides to join Starters and the newly-formed Parents’ Committee. Through his position with Kadoorie Estates he is enlisted to work with the Education Bureau and Crown Lands to find new premises for the school, but what to do with the growing classes of children before the grant goes through? Fortunately, the Committee’s hardworking chairman, Barrie Spears, is Gammon’s Project Director for the planned Taikoo Shing development in Quarry Bay. Currently under construction, four floors of a building along with a playground are being developed as a school and not all floors are currently needed, so
Starters can lease one floor while they wait to find a permanent site
Evelyn Phillips, a longstanding teacher who was part of the move from Wan Chai to Taikoo Shing remembers this time fondly. “We were all in scrubbing the floors and cleaning the windows,” she recalls “The kids came along, they gave them a duster and they were really good We took a picnic and everyone sat outside and had lunch together and the kids would play and everybody joined in,” she says “Working together to get the site ready, it felt like one big happy family."
With the new premises a new name was needed “There was talk about it being called the Phoenix School because it was rising out of the ashes, but that just came and went,” says Vivienne “Then there was discussion about following the government schools which were named for their location, but we started looking at the map and Fionna said, “What about Kellett?” We were on that waterfront area and Kellett was the island just a bit further along and it just seemed to have a nice ring to it.”
Thus, with a new (permanent) name and a new (temporary) home, Kellett continued to thrive, but it wasn’t without its challenges With no air conditioning and closed windows due to the building noise outside, things could get pretty uncomfortable.
(Below) Library
“We had fans, but you couldn't put them on very high because the papers would blow all over the place,” Evelyn says. “I remember one boy, I won't mention any names, was always going in and he'd switch the fan on high before we got in and everything I’d laid out for the next lesson would be out the door!”
The spirit of Kellett, however, is strong and its staff are committed to their goal of a holistic education for all its students Vivienne and Joanne had created a school that was filled with creativity and it is reflected in the
staff they appoint, including the Music and Art teachers. “We knew we wanted someone who could play the piano, but Linda Evans (now Speed) actually began as an assistant teacher,” says Vivienne. “The kids loved going to her for singing and recorder lessons and then, when we moved to Taikoo Shing, we had a hall and this really opened things up Christina Lamont, who took charge of Art, used to set up a craft table and do activities there and the two of them really developed a role for themselves within the boundaries of what they were doing and became specialist teachers,” she says.
Before they know it, the lease is up on Tower 11 of Po Shan Mansion in Taikoo Shing They find a new site in Pok Fu Lam, but the building won’t be ready to move into for another year One more move into Tower 19 completes Kellett’s journey before they settle into their permanent home in 1980 “It was office space basically,” recalls Linda “We had the ground floor, there was another organisation with people working one floor above, and then we had the second floor. We had a staff room which was the size of a cupboard; we all used to sit in there and our knees would be touching, it was a jolly lot!”
The new site in Pok Fu Lam is bigger
Watch ‘Our Founding Story’ to hear more from Joanne Elliott, Vivienne Steer, and many others who were instrumental in establishing Kellett during the founding years Scan or Click the QR code to watch the video on Youtube.
than needed, but as always, the Board is ambitious and under the expert guidance of Dinty DicksonLeach, an accountant by training, they get to work raising funds “Parents were fully involved from the get-go,” Dinty says “We had a Ball at the Repulse Bay Hotel and everybody came, then there were fairs and fashion shows and all the parents contributed by selling or donating things ” One of the biggest bonuses he remembers is that even in those days Hong Kong was familiar with the concept of debentures from the many members’ clubs.
“Unfortunately, even after all the parents of potential students took them out, that still didn’t give us enough,” he says, “but then I attended a dinner at Government House for the Hong Kong Arts Festival It turned out that the Chairman of the Hong Kong Bank had a colleague who he wanted to transfer from Singapore, but he insisted that his four children go to Kellett I mentioned we had corporate debentures at $100,000 each and fundraising was never an issue again!”
Continuing the Kellett tradition, staff and parents work together to put the final touches to the new school in Pok Fu Lam Fionna Macleod and new Board member, Clive Hartley, spend their days onsite and Evelyn’s husband, Brian Phillips, an engineer by trade, provides all the electrical and mechanical engineering design work for free On Monday 29th September 1980 Stage 1 is set to open as work on Stage 2 continues in the background While the venue has changed and the student body continues to grow, Vivienne is determined to keep the ethos of the school the same for all members of the community She continues to put the children’s needs first and consider how each individual child will flourish at Kellett.
Evelyn believes that for the majority of parents, the proof is in the pudding: "When they came in and saw what their kids could do they were absolutely thrilled,” she says “These were educated parents who expected their children to achieve and they were achieving I’m sure it’s partly because they were happy and they felt safe and part of a community I’ve always said if they’re happy, they’ll learn ” Nick Miller echoes this and adds that Kellett has always encouraged a love of learning and supported every child to take part “Every answer was
important,” he says “If it was wrong, it was important If it was silly, it was important Children felt that whatever they were offering was important and students frequently took ownership of their learning, adding to their lessons with further study they’d done outside of school ”
Nick describes how Kellett students are expected to speak up and perform from a very early age, inspiring confidence and also a sense of empathy for others, which he believes is a huge part of the Kellett ethos Nick feels that educational visits and camps play a highly
important role in developing a supportive attitude towards others “One year I was in Macau with Year 6 and we were abseiling down the roof of the Hyatt Hotel and there was one girl who was scared to go over the top,” he says, “but her friends were there empathising with the fact that she was scared, encouraging her to give it a go It was beautiful to watch and just made me think how Kellett is not a one-man band; it's a community where everybody is there to help everybody, from children, parents and teachers to housekeeping, caretaking and support staff ”
With over 200 students, new staff are needed and Vivienne continues to select carefully to maintain the Kellett ethos “I don’t ever remember appointing somebody I didn't think would fit,” she says “It wasn't always easy because in those days the salary wasn't as good as other schools, but it was very important to me to get people who put the children’s needs above their own and, as our reputation grew, we had people moving across from other schools
because they would rather work with our ethos than stay earning more money elsewhere ” Evelyn Phillips fondly recalls working with many of the staff and spending time with them outside of school as well. “There were no hierarchies at Kellett,” she says “There was an atmosphere of mutual respect and everyone was appreciated and treated equally We all got on very well.”
Parents remain integral to the growth of the school, leading fundraising efforts to get Phase 2 up and running by the Spring term of 1981 This includes a spectacular hall and a
(Right) Year 3 students visited the construction site of the Pok Fu Lam Campus on a class project with Mrs Steer and Mrs Birnie, one of the first elected members of the Parents’ Committee
large library filled with over 4,000 books When a small proportion of parents begin to challenge the curriculum, arguing that Kellett should focus on preparation for the Common Entrance Exams for Prep schools in the U.K., the majority are opposed. Mrs Steer and the Board are proud of their homegrown Hong Kong International school and want to continue to provide a balance of academic rigour and pastoral care that focuses on what individual children need to perform their best.
In 1996 when Vivienne is ready to retire back to the U K , Ann Mc Donald is enlisted to take Kellett on to the next stage of its success and future-proof it for the next generations She navigates through difficult times, including the Handover, a deficit budget and SARS, as well as good times, including the opening of the Kowloon Bay Campus
“In the beginning, we were simply trying to cater for children before they went into what were then government primary schools because they didn't take them until the year they turned five,” says Vivienne “I certainly didn’t expect it to grow the way that it did and now to have a community of people all over the world is just amazing.” At Kellett we are proud to continue our founders’ hard work in creating and maintaining a school guided by our values of respect, kindness and integrity
Since the beginning of Kellett, parent involvement have been instrumental in the growth of our school from 44 students to now over 1500. We want to take this time to acknowledge the 13 Chairpersons below and extend a huge thank you to the 50+ parents who have sat on the Kellett Board of Governors
Barrie Spears 1977-1980
Dinty Dickson Leach 1980-1981
Peter Rugg 1981-1982
Clive Hartley 1982-1983
Keith McConnell 1983-1985
Roger Rankin 1985-1988
John McGuigan 1988-1990
Mike Button 1990-1992
Stewart Smith 1992-1993
Gustaf Andree-Wiltens 1993-1996
Brenda Sawyer OBE 1996-1998
Dr. John Cribbin 1998-2002
David Kidd 2002-2016
Nick Marsh 2025-Present
STUDENTS
(2 TEMPORARY FOLLOWED BY 1 PERMANENT CAMPUS )
Commissioned to celebrate Kellett's 50 anniversary, our new Harbour dining Room sign mirrors the iconic neon signs synonymous with the streets of Hong Kong. It serves as a reminder that the vibrant culture and rich history of Hong Kong are interwoven into our Kellett story
Nick Miller, Kellett’s longest-serving member of staff, worked at the PFL campus from 1983-2020 From his home in the Philippines, he shared with us what made his time here so special.
ick Miller came to Hong Kong on secondment from his school in the U K intending to stay just two years and then return home. However, a year into his contract he’d already decided that he never wanted to leave “The U K was going through some difficult times with strikes and electricity cuts, so I was looking for excitement and adventure elsewhere,” he says. “I landed at Kai Tak airport in the middle of August and had no idea what to expect, but very luckily Steve Marshall, who was the other P6 teacher at the time, met me off the aeroplane with his wife and two children. They really looked after us and helped us settle in and made us feel comfortable " Nick says this warm Kellett welcome played a big part in his continued desire to work at the school
His first visit to Pok Fu Lam wasn’t
met with such enthusiasm, however He remembers walking into a dark and dank building and wondering whether he’d made the right move! Fortunately, once he began to meet other members of staff, things began to improve and then when the children arrived he says that the magic of Kellett was immediately evident. “It was absolutely amazing, the difference the students made. It was wonderful You could tell how much they loved being there from their excitement the moment they got off the bus,” he says ” I can honestly say they made every day of my 37 years at Kellett an enjoyable experience.” In fact, Nick is still in contact with many of the students he taught, including one from his first year at the school “Dan was a great kid,” Nick says, “he’s 50 now and a really nice person. We send each other emails and I met up with him about 10 years ago ”
Nick credits founding members of staff, including head teacher, Vivienne Steer, with creating a strong community and a school he was proud to work at. “Viv was an
parents wanted the school to fulfil a different role of leading into Prep schools within the UK “Viv and the Board at that time were very strong in their beliefs that a Kellett education was not simply training for the 11+ exams, ” he says. “Thinking that they’d had a successful inspection in 1982, which proved that what they were trying to achieve was being done and the children were performing at the correct level, so they were able to keep the children's interests at heart.”
“I believed our role was to create an environment in which individual children could perform their best”
amazing lady whose guiding principle was that everyone in the school was doing the best they possibly could for the children,” he says “I loved the fact that the children's needs were put above the school needs, because I believed our role was to create an environment in which individual children could perform their best within the classrooms and within life in general ”
He recalls a time shortly after he arrived when a small group of
As well as the students and teaching staff Nick fondly remembers others who helped to build the community, including housekeeping staff and parents “Mr Chu, the Caretaker, would be there at 7am to unlock the car park and then lock it again when the last teacher left, which was sometimes at 10 or 11pm,” Nick says “All of the housekeeping staff were an integral part of the school and the children respected them as much as they respected the teachers because that was the
atmosphere that was built around Kellett ”
Parents also played an important role and Nick says he enjoyed working closely with them in many different capacities “They were always at the heart of the Kellett community,” he recalls “Their involvement and commitment were so important to building the ethos of the school." He describes how they were the driving force in many events, including the annual ‘Night Market,’ where the community would come together to raise funds for the school “I remember Roger Rankin, who worked for Pringle, would bring in something like probably 100 jumpers that they would then sell,” he says “Whatever industry parents were in, if they could sell it, they'd sell it at the Night Market ”
This partnership between students, parents and staff made the school a very comfortable place to work, Nick reflects “The kids at Kellett were there to learn They wanted to learn They were eager to learn,” he says. “They would always come in with things to add to the lessons, having gone home and asked their parents and done their own research They were keen to take part in their learning
and they contributed to their learning day in day out.”
This didn’t change when Vivienne Steer retired in 1996, and new principal, Ann Mc Donald, took the helm “Ann knew she had to place Kellett in a position for after the handover,” Nick says, “but she wasn't trying to change the ethos, just to protect Kellett and future proof it for the next generations ” He says he respects the way she managed to ensure that the students always came first, gave them confidence in learning and helped them to achieve their full potential, while maintaining Kellett’s academic excellence by aligning with best practice in the U K Nick says there was also a need for changes as the school grew and the curriculum developed, such as specialist areas for Science, Drama and Dance for example “Both Ann and Viv were very clever in the way they attracted staff,” he says, “for their academics, obviously, but they also looked at how they would fit into the school as a whole personality-wise, sportswise, arts-wise, and what they could contribute other than the teaching ” He has fond memories of working as a team and of everyone helping each other out.
As a fan of outdoor pursuits, including hockey, running marathons and golf, Nick relished the opportunity to take students on Kellett’s many school trips, including the annual outing on the Huan “A group of staff and parents used to take the two Year 6 classes on the adventure ship every year and one year a Typhoon 3 came in,” he recalls
“Steve Marshall had them all up on deck singing songs for the end of the year show to keep them calm as the captain steered us into Sai Kung It was a lot of fun ”
He was also fond of getting involved in Kellett’s many performances, both on and off the stage. “There’s always been a great tradition of performing from
“There’s always been a great tradition of performing from a very young age, which I think teaches children empathy and understanding and a feeling that all contributions are valid”
A Kellett Tradition, the farewell Noonday Gun
a very young age, which I think teaches children empathy and understanding and a feeling that all contributions are valid,” he says “This created an environment in which everyone was valued, everyone gave back and everyone had a good time.”
Following his retirement, Nick moved to Phuket with his wife and two children and settled in the Philippines late last year While he is enjoying his leisure time, Nick does miss his time at Kellett. “I looked forward to going to school every day and being part of a community where everybody supported each other,” says Nick “I can honestly say I feel extremely blessed to have been able to work there for the length of time I did.”
Needless to say, Nick has left a legacy at the school and those who worked with him fondly remember his time at Kellett
Since opening its doors in 1980 the Kellett PFL campus has evolved to meet the needs of the students. We asked Nick Miller to take us on a tour and describe how the campus has changed over time. Join the tour by scanning the QR Code.
Dear OKs,
The music activities at Kellett helped me pursue a career in the musical theatre industry :). the Y6 concert of Dreamcoat developed my interests further After graduating from New York University, I have had a lot of opportunities to work in the musical theatre industry in Korea. Starting with my debut as a music director/conductor with the world tour of Jekyll and Hyde. I had many opportunities to participate in numerous productions in the Korean Language both as a music director/conductor and an actor One of my most memorable productions was playing the role of Eponine in the Korean Gala Show of Les Misérables :) I still remember playing the narrator in the Y6 concert of Dreamcoat. Before the curtain rises I always take a deep breath and remember stepping on the stage back in the day
Best, Jane Shon
Former Pok Fu Lam teacher, Lynne Lewis (OK 1981-2000) and her daughter, Anna (OK1987-94) share fond memories of Kellett With Anna's children Jack and Max now in PFL, they reflect on their experience of returning to the community as a parent and grandparent
ynne and her husband arrived in Hong Kong the Christmas of 1981 She recalls that it was a difficult time of year to relocate, especially for her family “If one of my daughters did that to me, I would be very upset! But we were just so keen to get to Hong Kong that we agreed to move in December ”
Lynne started as a Year 2 teacher and remembers her time at the
school fondly “Kellett was always such a happy place, the teachers were all so enthusiastic about the school, it was infectious ” Even to this day Kellett holds a special place in Lynne’s heart and her passion and belief in the school surpasses any other she has ever worked in Her feelings are cemented by the length of time she worked at Kellett, retiring in 2000 after 19 years!
(L to R) Lynne, Jack, Max and Anna
As well as working at the school both Lynne’s daughters, Anna and Olivia attend Kellett; Anna started in 1987 followed by Olivia in 1991 They are now a Kellett three generational family, with Anna’s two sons currently at PFL! “Having taught at Kellett, seen both my daughters flourish there, and now watching my grandsons enjoy their own Kellett journey, I feel enormous pride ”
Anna mirrors her mum ’ s feelings towards Kellett, expressing how magical it is to now have her boys attend the school, “Kellett is an incredible school, and I am very proud to have been a part of its past and now, through Jack and Max, part of its future ”
Although Kellett may have grown in numbers since Lynne started, almost tripling in size in her first few years, both Lynne and Anna echo how Kellett has remained true to its ethos, as Lynne explains: “Kellett continues to nurture confident, compassionate young people as they grow and thrive. The school is full of very happy children who have a love of learning and an absolute confidence for life and I am honoured to be a part of that journey ”
Feeling Good @ 50!
See how each of our schools kicked off our 50 Celebration th
We willbe entertainers called thePotatoPals!
I wanttobe somebody who can make a building.A six million metrehighbuilding!
I’mgoing to be a Taekwondo Master.
WhenI’m50,Iwant toexplorenaturelike SteveBackshall!
I’m goingtobe a rich ladywho gives moneyto good people.
When I’m50, I’m going tobe FAST!
When I’m 50, I’m going to be a Prep school teacher.
WhenI’m50,I’m goingto sing!
I’m going to fly in the British Royal Navy
Robin Phillips’ Mum, Evelyn, started working at Kellett when the family moved to Hong Kong in 1977 Three years later, when Robin (OK 1980-87) turned four, it was time for him to join her and his 7-year-old sister at the school He shares his thoughts on the early days of Kellett School
was quite a shy child, so I found it comforting having Mum around at school, but she also always knew what I’d been up to,” he says. “She was the first to find out if I’d done something wrong! But I also think it made me a better student, as school just felt like an extension of home ” He adds that the close-knit Kellett community gave him a feeling of safety and security, describing how parents were always involved in the school. “School performances and events always felt like a big family experience,” he says In fact, despite not being the most outgoing of children, he looks back fondly on the many performances he took part in. “I think most kids (and parents) enjoyed the assemblies and appreciated how they taught us to be confident in ourselves,” he says “The making of the Kellett episode for the TV show Swizzle Street was great fun as well. Everyone got involved, and we all loved it; I even put it on YouTube so others can watch it for free ”
Robin describes growing up in Hong Kong during the 80s as a special time, noting that it shaped him into the person he became. “I think that the moral values that were gently instilled in us would be hard to replicate anywhere else,” he says “Many great teachers supported and encouraged me, including Mr Miller, who made even the most boring
“School performances and events always felt like a big family experience...I think most kids, and parents, enjoyed the assemblies and appreciated how they taught us to be confident in ourselves”
things seem fun He taught me strategies to solve many problems in Maths that I have never forgotten and I still use to this day ”
He explains how the school community extended to home, recalling going round to classmates’ houses after school “The parents would often stay for the afternoon
rather than just dropping them off,” he says “This supported the values we learnt in school, including respect, kindness and friendliness, and we also gained the ability to properly interact with people of all ages. ”
With no Kellett Senior School available in Hong Kong, Robin went
Robin (middle row, third from left) keeps in touch with fourteen of his original classmates and Mr Miller. “We have a group messenger chat online and it's fun to see the photos and stories people share.” His classmates include; Alexandra Wardle, Chris Pawson, Clare Forsyth Jones, Howard Lyons, Jamie Watson, Niki Daw, Ophelia Booth, Simon Clutterbuck, Tabi Creed, Ed Bayliss, Emma Hodgson, Matt Cole, Morag Ashdown, Satu Ahtiluoto, (sadly Dalan Nugent passed away in 2020)
to the U.K. to Charters Secondary School in Ascot. Although he did enjoy his time there he missed the community of Kellett, and Hong Kong in general “The school seemed huge and very grey compared to the bright and fun colours and design of Kellett and the teaching wasn’t as engaging. It was also strange having to wear long sleeved shirts and a school blazer having only known short sleeved shirts up to that point in my life!” he says “I wasn’t prepared for the cold classrooms and the English canteen-style lunches, but I was a good student who kept out of trouble and never had a single detention!”
After studying Hotel Management and
Catering in the U.K., Robin began working in the food and beverage Kong in 1995/96 “It was a bit of a surprise to me to be honest! I was working at the Hilton Hotel in the U K at the time and when my contract ended I wanted to try another location, but there wasn’t much choice in my local area, so I took some time off to travel while I was still young! During that time my parents returned to Hong Kong for work and after about six months I decided to join them. I realised I was home as soon as I landed at Kai Tak.”
Robin still enjoys working in the F&B field “I own a small company that provides project and ongoing
management services,” he says. “It's a vibrant and rewarding industry because the clients range from small cafe owners to large hotel chains and every day has something new to offer This career has taken me all over the world and taught me a lot about myself and the world around me. I feel lucky, even spoilt, to have had the opportunities I've had ”
To the next generation of Kellett students he shares: “Believe in yourself, you can do more than you think. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, mistakes are how we improve, embrace them and learn from them ”
her family
OKs, if you are interested in sharing an update with the community reach out to us at alumni@kellettschool com and we’ll be happy to include you into a future postcard!
At some point as a student, parent or visitor to the Kowloon Bay campus, you will have sat in the British Room. Entering the room, your eyes will be drawn upwards to the four portraits of Kellett’s past Principals. These portraits are a wonderful reminder of the people that have helped shape our school. They were painted by three different artists, each with their own style and vision.
Oil on Canvas
Vivienne Sole (née Steer) helped to found Starters and then Kellett School and served as the School’s first head teacher from 1976 to 1996.
Ann Mc Donald OBE
Oil on Canvas
Principal of Kellett School from1996 to 2019. She was awarded the OBE in 2020 for her services to education and the British community in Hong Kong.
Both portraits of Vivienne Sole (née Steer) and Ann Mc Donald OBE were completed by Liz Dickie, a former Kellett Art Teaching Assistant (OK 2016-2019) Liz is a noted portraitist, and she was first approached to paint a portrait of Ann to commemorate Ann’s 23 years of service The portrait reflects not only Ann’s strength of leadership, but also her warmth
The portrait was completed in May 2019 and unveiled at Ann’s final whole school assembly Liz left Hong Kong in 2019, returning to the UK to set up a studio and provide community art classes to children and retirees
In 2021, Liz was comissioned to complete a portrait of Vivienne Sole (née Steer) to celebrate the school’s 45th Anniversary The portrait now hangs next to Ann’s in the British room
Mark Steed
Oil on Canvas
Mark Steed was Kellett’s third Principal & CEO, holding the post from 2019 to 2023
Elena was the Kellett artist in residence in 2023 During her residency at Kellett, she worked in open spaces on campus, so students could observe how she worked
Elena is a Russian artist based in Hong Kong Working with different materials and techniques, Klimova strives to find and depict the beauty of everyday life.
Diana Vernon
Oil on Canvas
DianaVernon was Kellett’s interim Principal & CEO, holding the post from Aug 2023 to Apr 2024
Claire Lau is the current Art Teacher at Kowloon Bay Prep She was commissioned to paint Diana’s portrait in 2024 Claire’s vision was to keep the painting soft and light with a fresh feeling Intriguingly, Claire likes to work on portraits upside down in order not to be distracted by whether there is a sufficient likeness.
To mark the 10th Anniversary of the Kowloon Bay campus in 2023, the School commissioned our artist-inresidence Elena Klimova to paint both Kellett campuses. She beautifully captured the spirit of both buildings in every brushstroke, using mixed media including acrylic spray paint and charcoal
Prints are available for purchase at HKD$1000/pc with proceeds going to K², our curriculum enhancement fund. You can make a purchase on the Kellett Foundation website (https://kellettfoundation.com/shop). Have a lifelong reminder of your time at Kellett and purchase a copy today!
by Megan Bruns, Director of Fundraising & Partnerships
In 2018, Kellett launched the 26 by 26 campaign in support of the AMD Fund for Bursaries and Outreach The goal was simple, but ambitious: as a community we would raise HK$26million for our 50 Anniversary in 2026 th
We set this goal not because we want to sit around on bags of gold like Ebenezer Scrooge - but to help, to make a difference, to open our doors to local children who are underserved and can benefit from Kellett’s teaching and resources
And help we have
Since 2022
350
children have been helped by academic enrichment sessions at Kellett Outreach
14
children have benefitted from a life changing Kellett education thanks to a bursary
50 Teachers & Students 35 from Kellett have volunteered at Outreach this term
2310
meals were provided for students at Outreach this term, which helps counter food insecurity
10
courses have been offered to Outreach parents to help boost their confidence, skills, and job prospects
of fundraising activities, and hundreds of osity, we are now within a whisker of goal
at things happen when the Kellett mes together to solve a problem, as we
us reach our goal and reach more local onating to 26 by 26. Scan the QR code w you can help!
g well, the response from the Kellett as been so amazing that we ’ re actually is milestone as you ’ re holding a copy of
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hroughout t Pok Fu Lam an traditions help traditions that
In our Prep Schools, every new student, teacher and staff member receives their very own Kellett Dragon at a presentation assembly to welcome in the newest members of the Kellett Community!
Start off the morning in PFL with the Morning Weather Report, accompanied by the traditional Tannoy chime played manually on a glockenspiel by our students! The Weather each morning is read in both English and Mandarin
Confidence-building Prep Class Assemblies were started by Linda Evans, Kellett’s very first music teacher, from the School’s inception and continue to this day
Our Reception classes are gifted a book specially chosen by their parents, which is kept in the library for the first year of school for all to enjoy
The Jetty Jump
y student graduates from Prep, they will hopefully monstrated confidence for life by undertaking the i f J tt J
The art of penmanship is alive and well at Kellett as getting your pen licence in Prep has been a rite of passage for students for many, many years. The practice has evolved overtime to include a Mandarin licence for those writing Chinese characters
A Y5, or more recently Y6, trip to Beijing has been a rite of passage for 20+ years and it is believed that Head of Wellbeing, Justin McLaughlin, holds the record, having been on 13 so far.
Our graduating students in Year 13 receive a book carefully selected each year by the Head of Senior School and special letters from their parents and tutor
Our Year 3-6 Prep students celebrate the Christmas Season and the end of Term 1 with a beach trip, a tradition that has spanned over 20 years!
Global Outlook Week (GO Week) takes Senior students near and far to explore different cultures and perspectives and learn the importance and impact of service to others
Even prior to the first day of classes in 1976, parental involvement at the grassroots level has always been part of the Kellett DNA Parents’ Committee members, past and present, reflect on the impact of their support.
“I first volunteered in the Parents' room, selling uniform and organising small bazaars and quizzes, nothing like the fund raising I gather is undertaken today Kellett was always a very friendly and parent-orientated school and it seems amazing that it's now 50 and has grown into such an impressive establishment ”
The Kellett Christmas Night Market in 1983. Parents solicited items from their professional network to sell and help raise funds for the School.
“Our three children all moved to the Kowloon Bay campus when it opened and I wanted to ensure that KLB could offer the same parental involvement that Pok Fu Lam had. I mostly worked on building up the Kellett wardrobe, making costumes with the help of other parents; I loved interacting with class parents and teachers to ensure the children looked fabulous on stage. Being so involved with the Kellett Parents’ Committee was great fun and I made friends that I still travel the length of the UK regularly to meet up with.”
It was a natural progression to join in the effort to create and nurture the new parent community at KLB We were able to parallel the amazing work of the existing PFL community and build on that with a mostly new parent body So many of my best friendships from Hong Kong were made by being part of the Parents’ Committee team It was an absolute delight to be part of such an enthusiastic and dedicated group of parents, and to work alongside fantastic staff at school ”
“I was a pupil at Kellett from 1978 to 1983 My mother was on the PC and I remember many glamorous evenings, including a fashion show in which I participated When I had my first child join Kellett, I wanted to join the PC as it is key to building the school community I worked on the Fair and the Ball, where everyone went above and beyond, giving generously in donations and bidding on silent and live auctions. It has been a privilege to play many roles at Kellett,
“The PC is a fantastic bridge between the academic staff and the children and their parents. We're the 'added value' part of the school community. My main role was managing the Pop-up Bookshop which I’d been doing since 2014 and then I went on to be the Campus Lead for KLB Prep.”
“In 2013 assisted the staff p g g y rewarding and great fun and I loved seeing a cast come together and all the children excited by their outfits! I also worked as a library assistant and took advantage of other opportunities to get involved E h l d d f d h d f l f h
“I first joined the Parents’ Committee through Kellett Cares We ran pizza sales to raise money for Christian Action, sent pre-loved uniforms to kindergartens in the Philippines and raised funds for a host of other charities We also raised funds for immediate school needs via the School Fair, the Kellett Ball, curry-and-quiz nights and Christmas Carols The three school leads worked closely together and met regularly with Ann Mc Donald to strengthen community ties ”
"What started as volunteering to distribute coffee to staff during Teachers Appreciation Day grew into an opportunity to use my creativity and contribute to a variety of projects. I loved meeting other parents, connecting with my son and his friends in the senior atrium and collaborating closely with staff and Parent Committee members.”
s former Principal, Ann Mc Donald, says: ‘Education is a partnership that requires parental involvement without it one leg of the stool is missing ’ In the early days, many extraordinary mothers dove into school life, brimming with energy and a desire to build a community hey became the backbone of Kellett: running the medical department, performing as ‘bus mums ’ managing the school administration and en cleaning the sch ng has developed,
“My involvement in the PC has been pivotal for both my personal growth and the strengthening of our parent community. The COVID years were challenging, but we have grown from three to 17 member since 2022. During this time we brought back the School Fair and Charity Ball, which broke fundraising records thanks to the generosity of the Kellett community I am grateful to be part of this growing community and honoured to be part of this important milestone ”
"One of the most significant changes was running the Parents’ Committee like a small professional enterprise empowering talented individuals to lead each division, from the Cultural and Social Committees to the Ball Committee and giving everyone the opportunity to contribute, shine, and succeed "
OK 2014-19
OK 2012-19
For fifty years, the tree has grown, Raising leaders of its own, With every year that’s come and passed, There were new leaves to be amassed.
Our school: a sturdy tree In our hearts, we’ll never flee, Sheltering seedlings of the future Feeling supported by every tutor
Its weathered bark tells stories of a time long gone, With five decades of students who have shone, While the seasons pass, the leaves remain green, Fresh with new memories, yet rooted in routine
To honour all that shaped our way, We celebrate our school’s special day, Qi Lin: a fiery dragon, Our journey rolls forward, like a steady wagon
Through perfect weather and skies grey, And winds that have nearly blown it away, All of us were sheltered by the tree, And now it’s having its Golden Jubilee
For fifty years the tree has grown, Raising leaders of its own, With every year that’s yet to come, New seeds will sprout and become.
per week
When Icarus fell, He laughed.
He faced it, With a heavy heart
Most cowards would bow their head, And bend apart
He laughed,
And he smiled.
It was not that he had failed, It was not that he had fallen, Or wept, Or had been swept into the sea, Moments before he could even blink.
It was the wings
It was the fact that his fingers were not so far from touching the sky And that his body felt so light, And his eyes felt so bright,
He could fly
The oceans parted, Under his thin shadow, And he flickered past each cloud, Like a flame to water,
He was home
For the first time, In the times that we were here, He told the story, Everyone else was too afraid to tell.
He tasted the suns,
And laughed as he fell
He was gentle, And will forever be bound to sky,
Do not be afraid to fall,
Because you might just fly
The English Society is proud to share the fantastic works of creativity that students have been cultivating at Kellett since the beginning I hope you enjoy reading them as much as we all did creating them! And if you like what you see, do consider submitting to Utopia - it’s our literary magazine featuring creativity all across the school, from writing to artwork and beyond. Students, please contact me, my Deputy Editor, Iris Ridgers, or Mr Barton for more information.
Allegra Wong, Year 10, Editor-in-Chief of Utopia
As we celebrate Kellett’s 50th Anniversary, we wanted to reflect and remember the journey we have been on to get here This milestone is an opportunity to celebrate the founders of the school, those initial 51 students, our first graduating class, and all past students, teachers and parents The Kellett archive is a celebration of our rich history, which is what has made Kellett the school it is today!
Compiling the archive has been a collective effort and would not have been possible without all the wonderful contributions from the Kellett community, as well as the hard work of Simon Giddings (OK 2007 – 2018), who over the past few months has been organising the archive.
Scan the QR Code and visit the Archive on the Old Kellettonian website
We hope you enjoy taking a trip down memory lane and please do continue to add to the Kellett archive with any pictures or documents you may have
Y9 Students riding the rapids at Ocean Park - 2011
“A few years ago during a visit to Hong Kong, I popped into school and when chatting with Director of Communications, Laura Tyson, we started talking about a Kellett Digital Archive. At this time, I was already helping my old University by leading a Digital Archive project called 'Mansfield Lives' and so was able to share my experience of that project with her. This led to my involvement with the Kellett Digital Archive project. My role; very simple I am helping by uploading media into the Digital Archive Currently this media is sitting in school google drives or is being submitted by Old Kellettonians The enjoyment for me in being involved in the project is to help the school move its history into a searchable, useful digital platform, and hence making it more accessible and 'permanent'. It's also fun to reminisce when I see certain pictures which are meaningful to me. The challenges of the project for me; the slow internet connection where I live can be a frustration. I am looking forward to seeing how the project continues over the next few years - it is a big undertaking and it feels good to get some momentum behind the project and to be making progress ”
- Simon Giddings
he annual Governors’ Cocktails have a strong tradition at Kellett. Held over a quarter of a century the event provides an important opportunity for the Board, on behalf of all our parents and students, to thank Kellett staff for their commitment, passion, skills and energy
Kellett is a unique and amazing school, and a tremendous success; achieved by the combined efforts of our exceptional staff From a child winning a first trophy, landing a role in a sports team, a play or musical performance, or getting their results in GCSE and A-levels
In our 50th year we toasted all our staff, former and current, for their incredible contribution and commitment to Kellett Each and every former staff member has played a role in making Kellett the internationally renowned school it is, and importantly a school that liv i l h d d y.
Chair of the Board of Governors Nick Marsh
o celebrate Kellett’s Golden Anniversary, the whole community came together to create the Kellett Jubilee Tapestry, ‘Noodles’ There is a rich history of storytelling through tapestries, enabling stories to be shared across generations Our tapestry serves as a lasting celebration of Kellett and how our story is woven into our home, Hong Kong
Thanks to the support of K², textile artists Becky & Lucy Gilmore of ‘Make & Do’ guided students across all three schools to embroider a collection of beautiful motifs inspired by Kellett,
Hong Kong and our shared culture Students, together with staff and other members of our community contributed their stitching skills to the final piece. “It’s been a true representation of Kellett as a school, the community and everyone coming together to work on this beautiful project,” commented Becky
To celebrate 50 years of Kellett the project, from the outset, was designed to involve the entire community, as Becky explains, “We asked all students to submit drawings to show what is important to them about Kellett, Hong Kong and daily life ”
Once all the drawings had been submitted, Becky began to group them together under four main themes, local cuisine, Hong Kong animals, the Chinese Zodiac and Hong Kong transportation and buildings The final motifs are a mixture of student illustrations and Becky’s student-inspired graphic drawings
For two months in early 2025 Becky and Lucy were based at Kellett teaching a wide range of stitches and overseeing the creation of Noodles “It has been so incredible to be allowed that
length of time, not just because the project needs time, but also to create relationships with the students,” reflected Becky.
For most Prep students, this was their first interaction with embroidery, and the first few sessions were spent learning how to thread a needle and tie a knot. Before long though they were stitching on the tapestry table; a huge achievement for our students! Meanwhile, our youngest students were taught how to weave on standing table looms to create a border for the tapestry using wool and recycled school uniform. Becky loved engaging with our Prep students, “It was wonderful, everyone was just so enthusiastic It was impressive how quickly they all improved in such a short time ”
Aware of how challenging it would be to teach hundreds of Senior students how to embroider, Becky shared a stitch sampler project in advance This was a way for students to master the 50 different types of embroidery stitches to be used on the tapestry. Quickly grasping the fundamentals, students' favourite stitches were the back stitch, chain stitch and one of the hardest stitches, the French knot More than a classbased project, the tapestry brought our community together at moments outside of lessons, stitching together and chatting. Before school, breaktimes, after school and even moments between lessons became times of calm creativity and togetherness As Lucy explains, one of the favourite phrases at Make and Do is ‘Happy Hands, Happy Heart, Happy Head’. “By the students using their hands, away from a screen and noise, embroidery becomes a mindful activity that brings calm to the day,” she elaborates
“It’s been a true representation of Kellett as a school, the community and everyone coming together to work on this beautiful project.”
(Left) PFL students working with Lucy
add their contribution to the piece
Learn more about The 50 Anniversary Tapestry on our website, where you can find a short video interview with artist Becky Gilmore, access to our catalogue showcasing each of the 100+ individual motifs, a look at our Kellett Tram, and tapestry related merchandise available for sale Scan the QR Code to check out more information
We thank K² for funding this workshops for this project We feel incrediblylucky to have such awonderfulcommunity keepsake to celebrate fifty years of our vibrant community in Hong Kong.The original tapestry hangs at the Kowloon Bay campus.
Follow our Kellett School Instagram account and see each morning what the Kellett Community is learning today!
An homage to the English Heritage blue plaques across Greater London that honour notable men and women who have lived or worked in the buildings they adorn, The Kellett Blue Plaque proudly honours 50 years of The British International School in Hong Kong Displayed on the wall of the Ocean Wing of the school’s original Pok Fu Lam campus, the plaque was commissioned from Ned Heywood of Heritage Ceramics Ned began producing ceramics in the U K just 3 years before Kellett began our journey and has been making blue plaques for the past 10 years. He even managed to capture our special Kellett Fire Dragon for posterity!
Scan the QR Code to learn more about the making of the Blue Plaque
OKs, if you are interested in sharing an update with the community reach out to us at alumni@kellettschool com and we’ll be happy to include you in a future postcard!
When Starters opened in 1976, it was a small homegrown school for Reception students. With a vision to provide a notfor-profit education with a balance of academic rigour and pastoral care, alongside a strong partnership with parents, it grew into a not-for-profit primary school named Kellett. It is thanks to our founders and their successors that it has now become a successful through-school set across three campuses in Hong Kong
Having grown the school from 44 to over 200 students Head Teacher Vivienne Steer retired in 1996 and Ann Mc Donald took the helm as principal With Hong Kong’s Handover looming, she prepared the school for the future by aligning with curriculum changes happening in the U.K., including implementing the English National Curriculum at Primary level, while maintaining Kellett’s child-centred ethos and adaptions for the local context
As student numbers increased, the Board, under David Kidd’s chairmanship, began to consider an extension to the Pok Fu Lam site Parents began a fundraising drive and set up a project management committee made up of skilled parent volunteers.
In 2007, the Mountain Wing opened A demand for the school to expand beyond Primary increased and the first Year 7 class started at Pok Fu Lam with 14 students Shortly afterwards, Simon Giddings and Jacquie Hills were employed as head and deputy head of this small middle school.
Yet more space was needed and the Board led the charge to find funding, while a new location was sought In the meantime, Kellett was offered a temporary site at Carmel School in Shau Kei Wan and classes up to Year 10 began there in 2009.
At this time a shortage of schools across Hong Kong meant the government had begun releasing sites to be swiftly converted for use Competition was fierce, and after a few missed opportunities, the Kowloon Bay site came up and Kellett’s bid was successful.
David Kidd and Ann Mc Donald excelled themselves in wooing corporate supporters, raising the money needed for the project in just six weeks instead of the allotted six months! The creation of a tier of preferential debentures, effectively giving priority to about 60 children, helped to build and open the award-winning Kowloon Bay campus in 2013.
