Invictus School Hong Kong is an inclusive, private, co-educational school, offering high quality and affordable through-train international education from Nursery to Year 13. Established in 2019, and open to both local and expatriate families, the bilingual kindergarten and primary school in Tseung Kwan O offer the IEYC and IPC curricula through English and Mandarin (using traditional characters), whilst the English medium secondary school in Chai Wan offers the Cambridge Lower Secondary, IGCSE and A-level curricula.

 

By Matthew Hicks, Editor

 

We sat down with Principal Christopher Jackson who was gracious enough to answer a few of our questions about Invictus. 

 

EL: What would you tell somebody who didn't know anything about Invictus?

CJ: I think I would say that there are more international schools than you think in Hong Kong and there's more to international education than IB. Excellence in bilingual education in Hong Kong is not the exclusive domain of those extremely expensive international schools. Invictus offers a flexible and globally-oriented approach to International Schooling--with a uniquely immersive bilingual programme. 

 

We are also one of the few international schools in Hong Kong to offer IGCSE and A-Level programmes which allow smooth transition for students planning to study in the UK or coming back from the UK.

 

 

EL: What sets Invictus apart in the preparation of young learners. 

CJ:  The fact that we've got a totally immersive bilingual program. It's not just your usual combination of classic subjects with bilingual education on the side. Students have two homeroom teachers: one is English-speaking and one is Chinese-speaking so even the social and emotional PSHE programmes are done in the two languages. For young children, the social and emotional side is just as important as the curriculum side. "Immersion" is a very easy word for lots of schools to say but I think that the way we do it is to truly live that immersive experience all the way through. For example, we have weekly assemblies--to celebrate achievements in the school, to talk about what's new, or tell a little story with a moral--and one week I will give it in English and the following week the vice-principal will do it, in Chinese. That's a genuinely immersive approach. Young learners don't necessarily have to be bilingual when they join us in K1 but this approach helps them become well-rounded, bilingual speakers by the time they leave primary school. 

 

 

EL: Where do your graduates go after Invictus?

CJ:  To be honest, it's too early to say. We have a small number of year 13's now. But when we talk to our current year 12 and 13 students and their parents, they are all aiming for selective colleges and universities in places such as the UK, Australia, the United States, as well as here, in HK. 

 

 

EL: What about the student body? Where do they come from?

CJ:  A good slice is made up of local children but on the whole we have a very broad range of backgrounds. I can tell you that if we did a passport count it would add up to a nice big number of nationalities: Turkish, Russian, Canadian, Mainland Chinese, Indian, UK, American, Taiwanese, French, Korean. Conversations I've had with some of the Korean families have been quite interesting on this point. I asked them why they chose Invictus, knowing that there is a Korean International School here in Hong Kong. One family said that they wanted a more community or neighborhood-centered school for their daughter and another said simply that they had been very impressed by what they'd heard about Invictus in talking with other people. And then we have a lot of "third-culture" kids whose parents are from two different backgrounds. When Mum is from Hong Kong and Dad is from Australia, for example, the totally bilingual and immersive nature of Invictus is particularly appealing. 

 

EL: What kind of student mindset makes a good fit at Invictus?

CJ:  A flexible and global one. For example, parents who come to us from local schools like that we are trying to make curriculum and education fit their kids and not make the kids fit the educational program. And that's why they've moved away from local schools and turned towards international schools. And they've obviously looked at loads of schools before choosing us. They want an education for their children that is always outward-looking and will prepare them to live and thrive in foreign settings, with ease. 

 

EL: What sort of students does Invictus attract?

CJ:  It really varies according to age. In secondary, we have a lot of students who have decided that they don't want an IB programme, which drastically reduces the pool of schools they have to choose from. Then there is the attraction of bilingual immersion. But ultimately I hope that when parents come and visit the school, or they read about us in an article like this one, or perhaps watch one of my monthly online seminar, which provides a good opportunity for parents to understand how we teach and deliver those A-Levels, those GCSE's, with an approach that's up-to-date, flexible, effective, and enjoyable. If I had to summarize I'd say: primary school students tend to be more attracted to the bilingual immersion and secondary students tend to focus more on the qualifications. 

 

EL: What advice do you have for children who are applying for admission?

CJ:  Our admissions process is not some exam you can revise for. It's not some sort of bar that you can train to jump over. I tell the parents of the youngest ones to send them to bed early after a good meal. We're not trying to trick you or make anything difficult: we're trying to find out all about you so that we can make you benefit from everything we have to offer.

 

EL: What are the most under-looked or under-encouraged qualities of young learners and how does Invictus encourage the development of these talents and characteristics in ways that, perhaps, other schools don't?

CJ:  Well, Hong Kong is a very academically-focused city: English, Maths, Science, and all of the classically University-oriented things. Those are all very important things. However, there are many children who have skills in other domains, such as Art, Music, Drama, etc. I think that all of the international schools in Hong Kong talk about offering those things to all of their students. We believe in "walking the talk," so to speak, and actually following through with those promises.

 

EL: What is something that surprises people about Invictus? Something that can't be conveyed through a glance at a brochure or a website?

CJ:  I don't think people understood how far along, especially the primary school, has come. With the kindergarten included, we total about 300 students, so it's rapidly become a quite well-attended, busy, and thriving place--considering we only opened in 2019! If you were to take a stroll around our neighborhood in the Tseung Kwan O area, you'd see quite a number of children walking around in our little blue polo shirts. It's really become a little community hub. Whereas our secondary school is with students coming from different parts of Hong Kong.

We have six values on our website and one of them is resilience: you have a first go at something and you might fail. But you keep on going. That's something we try to instill. If you have resilience in life, you'll thrive. 

 

EL: And what about the campus and facilities?

CJ:  One thing that always surprises visitors is our unusually large classrooms. During the pandemic, when schools were forced to obey certain rules of social distancing, this was never a problem for us. Years 12 and 13 have their own student room, which is a kind of study lounge where they can meet and work together. Of course, we encourage them to study and revise there, but the social aspect of student life, at that age, is very important too. 

If you would like to inquire about the school or would like us to assist for the application and/or consultation service, please do not hesitate to call us at 3182 6925 or WhatsApp at 5486 4753 to set up an appointment.

 

 

.