MINUTES
39th MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE OF PARENTS
of the English Schools Foundation
on Tuesday, 2 December 2014, at 6.00 pm
at the ESF Centre, 25/F, 1063 King’s Road, Quarry Bay, HK
Present:
Dr Andy Lowe
Ms Marisa Flores
Ms Susan Finder
Mrs Shareen Hollen
Ms Fahima Ahmad
Ms Sonali Laul
Mr John Greene
Mrs Elke Wiedemann
Mr Brian Schroeder
Mrs Angela Schael
Mrs Michelle Saad
Mr Yip Cham Por
Ms Fiona Bishop
Ms Kim Anderson
Ms Japneet Chahal
In Attendance: Ms Belinda Greer
Mr Jonathan Straker
Mr David Kirby
Mr Wang Xiaoping
Mr Chris Durbin
Mr Marc Dunn
CoP39-1
(AL)
(MF)
(SF)
(SH)
(FA)
(SL)
(JG)
(EW)
(BS)
(AS)
(MS)
(CY)
(FB)
(KA)
(JC)
ESF Board (Acting Chairman)
Clearwater Bay School
Island School
King George V School
Discovery College
Island School
JC Sarah Roe School
King George V School
Peak School
Quarry Bay School
Quarry Bay School
Renaissance College
South Island School
ESF Board
Kennedy School
(BG)
(JOS)
(DK)
(XP)
(CD)
(MD)
Chief Executive Officer
Head of Student Support
ESFC
ESFC
School Development Advisor
Minutes Secretary
Apologies
Action by
Apologies were received from:
Ms Karina Aswani, Mr Nick Phillips, Mr Stewart Aldcroft, Ms
Angie Chu, Ms Christine Brendle, Ms Christine Meaney, Ms
Scarlett Mattoli, Ms Sheila Gridley, Ms Rowena Chow.
The Chair reiterated the importance of members informing
ComPar prior to the meeting whether or not they were are able
to attend so that cancellation could be made if necessary.
CoP39-2
Declarations of Interests
There were no declarations of interest.
CoP39-3
Minutes and Action List of the Meeting held on 28 October
2014
The minutes of the previous meeting were taken as read.
The CEO invited members to provide updates on Action List
items.
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CoP29-4—Range of activities in schools and explanation of
IBO examination structure—This area is currently being
addressed and it was agreed that after this evening’s meeting
this item could be taken off the Action List.
CoP31-10—Details and function of PTAs—This item was left
as a delayed item due to the absence of Mr Stewart Aldcroft,
who is responsible for it.
CoP34-6—Lighter school bags—It was agreed that this had
already been discussed at a previous meeting, and suggested
that all PTAs email Stuart Aldcroft with details of measures
taken in their respective schools, so that a summary could be
produced.
CoP36-6—Guidance to parents on study leave support—
This is currently being addressed with the aim of producing the
guidelines before the examination period for this academic year.
These guidelines would be circulated to committee members,
and it was understood that this would not need to be included as
an agenda item. Chris Durbin will organise distribution of the
guidelines through the relevant school Principals. It was agreed
that progress on this matter will be discussed further in the next
committee meeting.
CoP38-5—Distribution of Higher Education presentation
materials—It was agreed to discuss this item in the next
committee meeting.
Strategic Issues
CoP39-4
Strategic Planning
The Strategic Task Force are working to formulate a strategic
plan for 2015 to 2020, the current plan expires in summer 2015.
ComPar are to be updated by the CEO on progress made by
the Strategic Task Force, following on from the information
presented at the previous meeting on the various work streams
set up. Since September, meeting on a monthly basis the Task
Force has been working on creating the Vision statement,
Mission statement, Core Values and strategic objectives of ESF.
The Vision statement was presented, which represents the longterm objective of the organisation. This statement has come
about through lengthy consultation with advisory groups and the
Board. Emphasis was put on the importance of individual
students achieving their fullest potential, set within the context of
ESF being an inclusive organisation. It was also highlighted that
ESF should equip students with the necessary skills to
contribute to society as responsible citizens further into the
future, as well as enabling them to get into reputable higher
education institutions. The CEO highlighted that this is an
aspirational statement.
The draft Mission statement was presented, which represents
why ESF exists. The Strategic Task Force and the Board
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PTAs
members are still in the process of agreeing on the specific
wording of the statement:
To provide a world-class inclusive education in English medium:
 through a personalised approach that cultivates
strengths;
 through high quality teaching;
 by nurturing creativity and entrepreneurial skills; and
 (family1).
Inclusive education has been a strong underlying theme in
discussions on the Mission statement, to help ensure that the
learning needs of all ESF students are met. It was also
highlighted that ESF should provide a high-quality education in
the global context, with reference to the IB System in place. The
first bullet point incorporates the idea of nurturing students who
are more than simply good exam-takers, but will also have the
skills to lead them to success in life after education. The Board
emphasised the important and prominent role the family also
played in the whole educational process, particularly in Hong
Kong and China. The wording of this fourth point is still being
developed.
One member asked whether ESF should reflect Hong Kong’s
multicultural nature in its Mission statement. The CEO pointed
out that these discussions are being had, by way of example:
the inclusion of the term ‘international-mindedness’ is being
considered in the Core Values of the organisation. It was
explained that it is a challenge to include everything necessary
in the Vision, Mission statement and Core Values in a succinct,
memorable way.
The CEO presented the strategic areas identified for 2015 to
2020, which will be the next area of focus after the Mission
statement has been agreed:
Education
A prominent area within the strategic objectives of ESF. The key
question is: ‘What should a parent or child expect of the learning
experience when progressing through an ESF school?’ The
strategy for this needs to be further discussed and developed.
Financial stability and investment—Best Value Model
An important area for consideration, particularly with the
phasing out of government subvention in 2016. This strategic
area focuses on providing quality education—within a culture of
‘Best-value’, rather than simply cost-cutting. The challenge is to
ensure that due consideration is given to the impact on
classroom practice before any funding is approved. The
question we all need to ask is: ‘What is the benefit to the
students in the classroom?’
Growth and expansion / ESF-ESL relationship / global
profile & international recognition
This strategic area includes looking at how ESF can grow and
generate income as a business, particularly with reference to
1
The exact wording of the last bullet is still under discussion
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the role played by ESL. Also what strategy the organisation will
form to maintain its image and standing not only in Hong Kong
but on an international level. This will include work on the ESF
brand and how PR and communications can be utilised to this
end.
Strategic Performance Management System
It was stated that it is necessary to monitor progress in
achieving the strategic objectives, and therefore to create a
framework with KPIs to measure progress in each strategic
area. These are then reported back to the Board on a quarterly
basis.
Each month different areas of the Plan are being worked on with
the Board and the Strategic Task Force. Input from a range of
Advisory groups, particularly ComPar, is helpful in ensuring that
everyone in ESF feels ownership towards the Strategic Plan. 16
April 2015 has been set as the deadline for completing the work
on the Strategic Plan—when there will be a special Board
meeting to approve the Plan.
Another member suggested the inclusion of the word
‘cosmopolitan’ in the Mission statement, as this would ensure
that ESF communicates its commitment to providing
international education, which represents the nature of Hong
Kong, and not an education taken directly from the UK. A
member responded that wording to this effect, ‘internationalmindedness’, has in fact been included under the area of
‘Inclusivity’ in the Core Values of ESF.
The CEO confirmed that the Strategic Task Force will discuss
how to reflect Hong Kong’s cosmopolitan nature in ESF’s
Mission statement.
It was suggested that ESF could do more to highlight the
inclusive philosophy of the organisation and the variety of
nationalities its schools now represent.
A member later suggested adding ‘Ethnicity’ to the examples of
diversity and inclusion given, as perhaps the range of examples
might not be broad enough.
One member asked for clarification on the use of language in
the third bullet point in the draft Mission statement. The CEO
responded that the Strategic Task Force will look into this to
help ensure a clear message.
With reference to the final point in the draft Mission statement,
one member asked the committee for any input regarding the
importance of ‘family’ to ESF and the Mission statement.
A member contributed with the idea that families in Hong Kong
are typically diverse in nationality and background. Also they
said that there shouldn’t be too much pressure on families to
provide additional educational support to their children at home,
and that the responsibility lies with the school.
Another member said that a comment she often receives from
ESF parents is that there is not enough homework set
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compared with other non-ESF schools, and that many parents
believe that large amounts of homework is a good thing.
The CEO underlined the importance of getting the parentteacher partnership right in this respect, and that ESF, in
consultation with parents, must ensure the academic pressure
put on students and families, particularly in the early years, is
appropriate and beneficial.
Two members responded that they believe ESF provides the
right balance between academic pressure and enjoyment of
school for the students. It was added that ESF nurtures children
who enjoy the learning experience and by Year 13 achieve good
results in the IB or BTEC.
The Chair acknowledged the views expressed and confirmed
that parents differ on how much academic pressure should be
put on students at home.
The importance of exploring further how the partnership
between schools and families can be strengthened was
highlighted.
Operational Issues
CoP39-5
Secondary Examination Results
David Kirby, Student Attainment Manager, shared important
points from the Secondary Examination Results and Higher
Education Destinations 2014 Report.
It was noted that Year 13 was the biggest cohort ever for ESF—
with over 1,000 students graduating—this also included the first
graduating cohort of students from Discovery College. Over
90% of students followed the IB Diploma Pathway, 9% followed
the Applied Learning Pathway and 1% followed the highly
personalised Work and Lifeskills Pathway.
A comparison was given between IB Diploma results of ESF
schools and the worldwide benchmark. 98% of students at ESF
schools who entered the IB Diploma, achieved the Diploma,
exceeding the worldwide rate of 79%.
The distribution of IB points was presented with 13 students at
ESF schools achieving the 45-point maximum, out of a total of
146 students worldwide.
In terms of average points scored in the IB Diploma, ESF
students scored an average of 35 compared to 29.9 worldwide
average.
In order to look at ‘Value-added’, ESF is enrolled in a
programme from the University of Durham to measure progress
made between GCSE & IB diploma results. This is compared
with other schools involved in the same programme. The data
from ESF schools is positive in that for the last four years,
students are doing better in their IB Diploma than would be
expected from their GCSE results. This contrasts with the first
year of the IB Diploma at ESF, 2009, in which students did
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worse than would be expected.
The average grade in 2014 by group of subjects was presented
at ESF schools and compared with the worldwide averages,
with grades at ESF schools higher than worldwide averages
across the curriculum.
100 Students followed the Applied Learning Pathway. This was
the last year in which this programme will run in Sha Tin
College. All students on this pathway do a BTEC qualification,
plus other combinations of courses to personalise the Pathway
to their needs.
A member asked what students at Sha Tin College would do in
future if they required a course of this nature. A member
answered that there are two options for these students: King
George V School will incorporate them, or Renaissance College
have a new course called the ‘International Baccalaureate
Career Related Programme’. The member asked if this meant
Sha Tin College was becoming elitist. The member responded
that this was probably not the case, as students at Sha Tin
College are likely choosing the IB Pathway due to where they
intend to go to University—Institutions in Canada and Australia
are taking students with low IB results. Another member added
that there was not much demand from students at Sha Tin
College to take the Applied Learning Pathway.
BTEC Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma results were presented. The
pass rate was 100%, with 58% of students achieving a
Distinction or above.
BTEC Level 3 Diploma and the BTEC Level 3 Extended
Diploma results were shown which also showed a high level of
achievement.
A member asked if the statistics are available for those students
doing less than the Level 3 Diploma. The Student Attainment
Manager responded that the students who took the Level 2
BTEC in the Learning Support Centres and some schools would
be covered later.
It was stated that students at Learning Support Centres are best
looked at individually, as their courses are highly personalised
according to their learning needs.
Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network
(ASDAN) certificates are taken at the JCSR school—there are
many types of courses that are personalised to individual
students.
The results of qualifications earned in various secondary
schools’ Learning Support Centres were presented and this
highlighted the diversity of courses taken to meet individual
students’ needs.
The positive IGCSE/GCSE results were presented. It was noted
that 29.2% of students achieved A* grade in 2014. When
compared with UK, ESF’s results are considerably higher.
There was discussion over lower than anticipated grades in
‘practical’ subjects such as Design and Technology in particular
ESF schools, and whether such grades were reflected across
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the Foundation. It was pointed out that there is a difference
between the IB Programme—which has one examining body;
and GCSEs—which have numerous examination boards. This
may make it challenging to compare GCSE results across
different schools and subjects—as they may not be using the
same examination boards.
A member commented on the decision by ESF to move subjects
over to IGCSE, with the exception of practical subjects such as
Design & Technology—which may still require syllabus
augmentation. The School Development Advisor and the CEO
have met with the head of Cambridge International
Examinations to discuss this issue.
The results for the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) were
shown. This is the sixth year that students at Renaissance
College have completed this programme, and the third year for
Discovery College students. This has been the strongest year
ever for these results. The mean grade per MYP subject for
ESF in 2014 was 5.48, compared to the worldwide mean grade
of 4.99 (out of a maximum of 7).
It was emphasised that these were an excellent set of
examination results that reflected extremely well on the students
and the professionalism of the teachers.
The Chair suggested that some highlights of the analyses—
prepared by schools for their school councils on how they intend
to improve their examination results—be shared with the
Committee when they become available. It was agreed that the
Student Attainment Manager will ask the school councils for
some highlights of measures they are taking to further improve
their examination results, so that the Committee can be made
aware of the steps being taken across the Foundation in this
area.
With reference to discussions on Higher Education destinations,
the School Development Advisor will report back at the next
ComPar meeting after the next Principals meeting which is
taking place on 4 December.
There were 1,067 students graduating in 2014, the vast majority
(870) of students’ post-school plans are known in terms of
course and institution. 105 students are taking a gap year—the
highest number ever. 36 students’ plans are unknown—the
lowest number ever.
Country destinations for ESF students were presented. Almost
40% of students are going to the UK, followed by a mix of 18
different countries across the World.
Destinations according to nationality were presented. It was
noted that, generally, students of a particular nationality were
more likely to go to that country for Higher Education.
Destinations in terms of institution were presented, with the
University of Hong Kong being the most popular. In total, ESF
students went on to study in 251 different institutions across the
world.
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DK
In 2014 10% of ESF students went on to study at an institution
ranked among the top 30 in the world.
The diverse range of courses studied by ESF students in higher
education was emphasised. Studying medicine in Hong Kong
was particularly popular this year. Looking at the data over the
past five years, a broad range of subjects was again seen with
medicine being a popular choice.
Destinations of Learning Support Centre students were
presented—with most staying on in Hong Kong. A member
highlighted the importance of knowing this, and ensuring
thorough higher education counselling is provided for these
students so that they have sufficient options to choose from. It
was noted that a large proportion of the students from the
Learning Support Centre went on to the Nesbitt Centre in Hong
Kong. The member responded that ESF would benefit from
doing more work on the area of tracking students post-school.
A member asked if ESF obtains information on what gap year
students go on to do the year after their break. It was noted that
this information, along with the reason why they are taking a
gap year, was not collected, but should be. Various possible
reasons for taking a gap year were discussed including: the
price of higher education for parents, students not knowing what
they want to do, wanting to wait for concrete results before
applying, personal reasons, age (students must be 18 to stay in
UK halls of residence) and taking internships in Hong Kong.
The Chair asked if there had been any effect on the higher
education offers given to students as a result of UCAS having
conducted some formal benchmarking of IB grades to A-levels.
It was noted that, despite the UCAS conversions having been
created, offers had remained relatively unchanged from
previous years, and that students were receiving offers from UK
institutions based on IB, and BTEC points.
A member added that certain universities are more ‘IB-friendly’
than others, in terms of recognising the level of difficulty of some
IB courses, particularly Mathematics, and also in terms of not
penalising students for small variations in their higher-level
subjects—instead asking for a total point score. The member
added that ESF counsellors know which universities are better
adapted to the IB system. It was also mentioned that generally
IB students get more offers than A-level students and that the
ESF is working with IB to make sure all universities understand
these points.
The School Development Advisor confirmed that, after the
meeting with Principals on 4 December 2014, he will be
reporting back to ComPar on higher education.
CoP39-6
Progress Report on Chinese
Wang Xiaoping, Chinese Adviser, raised the important issue of
whether courses students take affect their university
placements. The short answer is: largely no, but sometimes yes.
He elaborated that some universities have not been recognising
certain qualifications achieved when ‘perceived’ native Chinese
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CD
speakers have taken ‘non-native’ Chinese courses. Also, some
institutions are not distinguishing between ‘native-speaking’ and
‘non-native-speaking’ Chinese courses—and are of the opinion
that if you are a native speaker then you should not take a
Chinese language course. He noted the difficulty facing parents
who often place their children in ‘native-speaking’ Chinese
courses at primary level, and then change them to ‘non-nativespeaking’ courses later at secondary school to help maximise
grades. This also creates an unfair situation for those students
in the class who actually are non-native speakers.
ESF have worked with the IBO and universities on this issue,
and some ESF schools have also spoken with universities in
Hong Kong—who have said they may consider recognising the
achievement of studying two languages at a native level. It was
noted, however, that the IBO does not sufficiently promote the
bilingual diploma, which only 17% of ESF students are currently
enrolled in.
The Committee was urged to encourage students to take the
most challenging Chinese course that they are capable of
studying—so as to help maximise their personal development,
rather than simply their grades.
A further issue is the disparity between the global average for
most subjects (4 or 5), and for Chinese (~6) which may be a
further catalyst for parents to place their children in the easiest
course possible—in order to maximise the grade.
ESF have raised the issue with the IBO, but without a response.
The IBO see no need for change currently, as they believe the
system is working well. It was thought that the average grade for
Chinese should be brought down—to be more in line with other
courses. The importance of trying to get this message through
to the IBO was highlighted.
Data from examination results and student surveys in Chinese
from the last seven or eight years have been collected. The first
observation was that schools that have been emphasising Basic
Skills have enjoyed more satisfactory performance in Chinese.
The second observation is that the 2,100 Year 9 and 10
students have collectively taken around one million language
lessons outside of school, just under half of which are in
Chinese. The Chinese Advisor is grateful for the support in
language learning, but also concerned about the pressure put
on students outside school.
A member asked about the role of Chinese departments and
heads of houses, in students moving from native-Chinesespeaker courses to non-native-speaker courses. It was noted
that ESF has implemented a system in which all Year 11
students studying Chinese at ESF now take a benchmark in
Chinese, which dictates which Chinese IB course they should
study in future. Most of the recommendations made as a result
of this benchmark test are implemented. It was also noted that
in Chinese departments most teachers try to place students on
the right course, but some are relatively ‘mark conscious’ and
may move students to a more suitable lower-level course if they
are struggling to achieve a grade 6 or 7 in the native-Chinesespeaker courses. It was suggested that the high global average
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grade for Chinese might encourage teachers to behave in this
way—even though receiving a grade 5 in Chinese should be
seen as a very good achievement. The Chinese Advisor stated
that this issue can only be resolved if the IBO promote the
Bilingual Diploma in a much stronger way.
CoP39-7
ESF Calendar 2015-2016
A draft ESF primary and secondary school calendar was
distributed to members, as the Government will not formally
confirm dates for public holidays for 2016 until April or May
2015. The shape of the calendar has remained the same for a
long period of time. The only change to have taken place was
the inclusion of Continuous Professional Development days
within the school year—without a reduction in the number of
contact days. This resulted in the school year being lengthened
by five days. The first term now begins in August rather than
September, as a driving force behind the shape of the calendar
is that Term 3 finishes in June.
The Head of Student Support, Jonathan Straker, reported that a
lot of thought was being given to whether this is the best shape
to support students with their learning throughout the school
year, with the length of term one being the key point. Both
students and teachers are more likely to be absent towards the
end of Term 1 due to tiredness and possible resultant sickness.
It has also been noted that some children are taken out of
school to extend holiday time over the Christmas period. In
relation to this, one member later suggested having all five CPD
days in the last week of Term 1 in December—so that term
would finish one week earlier. Another member responded with
the view that mid-term CPD days are beneficial as they are, as
they provide small breaks during the term which students enjoy.
The Head of Student Support asked that Committee members
give some thought to this issue. He will return to a meeting in
the near future to take views on board and perhaps develop
something to address the above issues. The Chair also
reminded the Committee that at present it is only necessary to
think about this issue and bring any thoughts or suggestions to
the next meeting.
All PTAs
The CEO added that there have been discussions with the
Principals on this matter, but consultation with ComPar is an
important element deciding:
 first of all—if a change is needed; and
 secondly—what that change might be.
The Committee were reminded that any change to the calendar
would have to include both primary and secondary schools in
order to avoid inconveniencing families.
A member suggested looking at other countries’ school
calendars, such as Australia and the USA, as potential
examples to follow. It was agreed that the member, Kim
Anderson, ESF Board, would circulate some other calendar
models to members for discussion at the next meeting.
KA
It was also noted that it would be useful to see the attendance
data for the end of Term 1 in relation to this issue.
JS
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CoP39-8
Items raised by members
Information Item
The Committee was reminded by Mr John Greene, JC Sarah
Roe School, of the fund-raising taking place in the form of two
events: ‘The Hong Kong Jazz Family Fest 2015’ and ‘ESF’s Got
Musical Talent’. Posters and leaflets were made available and
members were encouraged to take as many as they could for
distribution to their friends and colleagues.
CoP39-10
Date of Next Meetings
The next meetings will be held on:
Wednesday 11 February 2015
Tuesday 24 March 2015
Wednesday 13 May 2015
Tuesday 16 June 2015
The meeting finished at 8.05pm.
Signed
--------------------Stewart Aldcroft
Chairman
--------------------Andy Lowe
(Acting Chairman)
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