THE ENGLISH SCHOOLS FOUNDATION
REPORT TO THE BOARD
FOR THE MEETING ON 19 MARCH 2013
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S REPORT
1.
Introduction
1.1
The schools have had a busy term with many events and activities complementing
the work going on in classrooms. Chinese New Year is always a delight in schools
with an increasing number of Chinese music and dance performances and all the
primary children in Chinese dress. We were delighted that some of the schools
shared their celebrations with us by sending singers and dancers to ESF Centre to
perform for the staff.
1.2
We were pleased to see a number of Board members at the primary choral concert,
Gonna Rise Up Singing, on 6 March. Over 800 children participated in the choir,
singing in a variety of musical styles with enormous verve and enthusiasm. There
was barely a dry eye among the audience of over 1600.
1.3
On the business front a great deal has been going on, much of which will be covered
in the later part of this agenda. The Remuneration and Finance Committees have
met separately and in a joint meeting to put together recommendations on fees and
pay for your consideration. Discussions of the subvention seem to be drawing to a
conclusion and we shall provide an update on the latest state of play in the course of
the meeting. And after several weeks of interviewing carried out by the Principals,
the main teacher recruitment round is nearing completion though a few posts remain
to be filled and individual vacancies are still likely to occur owing to late departures.
2.
Education
2.1
Primary
2.1.1 Assessment for learning in an Inquiry based classroom
On the 6th of February over 70 staff from a range of ESF and non-ESF schools
attended a one day Assessment workshop facilitated by Kath Murdoch.
Kath is an experienced teacher, author and university lecturer from Australia who
consults in assessment and inquiry based learning throughout the world.
In this workshop, participants explored a range of assessment practices that can be
used within the context of inquiry-based learning. The workshop emphasised the
importance of assessment FOR and AS learning. The workshop not only
strengthened assessment practices but extended and refined participants’
understanding of inquiry itself. The feedback from the workshop was extremely
positive.
2.1.2 Language Adviser
Jason Boon (Quarry Bay School) has been appointed to the position of Primary
Language Adviser starting in August. The position is a 12 month secondment to the
Education Team and Jason will lead and support the development of language
teaching and learning within the PYP framework across all primary schools and
kindergartens.
2.1.3 Coaching Club
A regular Coaching Club has been established at ESFC to support colleagues who
have completed the Performance Coaching Course over the last two years. The Club
is facilitated by Graham Silverthorne (Principal, South Island School) and David
Fitzgerald (School Development Adviser) and involves a mixture of training, sharing
and practical coaching.
2.2
Chinese Language and Culture
2.2.1 Negotiation has started with HKEAA to design a public Chinese assessment in the
format of music exams, initiated by Secondary Development Adviser.
2.2.2 The regular Year 9 Chinese Exam with HKEAA will continue this June. The IGCSE
2nd Language Chinese with CIE will also take place in June. This exam, initiated by
ESF, will open to the world in 2014-15.
2.2.3 All ESF schools including PISs, kindergartens and Sarah Roe School held special
assemblies and week-long activities for some to celebrate the Chinese New Year in
February. This was the first time that every single school has done so in ESF history.
A collaborative effort started three years ago between schools and the Education
Department, with a very modest budget, to promote Chinese culture through various
activities, including instrumental music, dance, choir, Gongfu and fine arts. They are
offered to students after school but some have become an element of the
mainstream curriculum. A highlight of these programmes was a Chinese Folk Dance
Show at the ESF Centre by young dancers from BHS, GS, PS, SIS, STC and WIS,
including SEN children. It was “a gorgeous performance so full of colour and grace”
(Heather). The show is expected to begin a tradition to celebrate Chinese culture at
the Centre.
2.3
Therapy Centre
2.3.1 Team Teach Asia - Nick Burnett Director of Team Teach Asia, spent four days at the
ESF Centre refreshing the current ESF Team Teach Trainers in their understanding
of behaviour triggers and strategies on how to recognize and de-accelerate situations.
He also updated on approaches and techniques such as restorative practices.
Another 6 teachers underwent the full four days training to become new trainers
across the foundation. There are now currently 10 Team Teach trainers,
2
2.4
CPD
2.4.1 IBO hosting - ESF is to become the sole regional conference provider for Hong Kong
between 2013-2015 and partner in the new workshop delivery model (for example
Chinese and mathematics)
2.5
Information Technology
2.5.1 During this academic year Primary school and Kindergarten teachers have been
provided with a large selection of Learning Technology professional development at
ESF Centre. This has included training using mobile devices such as iPads both in
school and offsite, training in technology for mathematics and languages, movie
making, animating, digital painting and a two day intensive course teaching our
teachers how to create their own iPad and Android apps. These opportunities are
continuing through the year and the feedback from teachers has been excellent. In
addition to the workshops at ESF Centre all the workshops are available through the
ESF Teacher Hub.
2.6
Curriculum Continuum
2.6.1 The project has progressed in three ways :
• the audience and purpose has been defined as parents and teachers in the
community out of the phase they teach;
• there are three dimensions – domains of learning; priorities for learning and skills and
dispositions for learning;
• within these three dimensions, there will be illustrative examples of progression;
• statements of progression will describe learning across transitions from Kindergarten
to Primary, Lower to Upper Primary, Upper Primary to Middle Years, Middle to Senior
Years – this enables dialogue to happen across phases;
• the priorities for learning have been developed in more detail – these are active
global citizenship; improving sustainability; valuing local and regional culture; and
improving well-being. These are the means to develop values and attitudes in the
students who are educated in our schools;
• the domains for learning are being worked on by key people with specialist
knowledge in those areas;
• the next steps are to build a web based version to consult all teachers and the
community as well as continuing the writing of the continuum.
3.
Finance
3.1
Capital Fund Raising Strategy
3.1.1 Since the launch of the Individual Nomination Rights programme last October, we
have received more applications than there are places available. Children are still
going through the interview process.
3.1.2 Research on an ESF Corporate Nomination Rights programme as well as a Capital
Levy scheme continues after the initial discussion at Finance Committee in March.
3.2
2013-14 Budget
3.2.1 SMT continues to work closely with Finance on the annual budgeting process.
Departmental budgets were reviewed in detail to identify savings where feasible.
3
4.
Human Resources
4.1
ESF HR Recruitment Update
4.1.1 As of 1 March 2013, ESF HR received 91 resignations (ESF 62; PI Schools 22; and
ESL Kindergartens 7). The majority of interviews for Primary and Secondary schools
was completed by 21 February 2013. Additionally, ESF HR expects five vice principal
positions to be appointed during March. This year ESF HR received a record
number of over 3500 applications. The recruitment and selection process ran
smoothly with the exception of some technical problems experienced when using
Skype. Offers have been made to successful candidates, who are represented as
follows: 56% from overseas, 21% from Hong Kong, and 23% recruited from within
ESF. Throughout March, ESF HR will receive teachers’ confirmation of acceptance.
This is a busy time for contract issuance and subsequently for visa and teacher
registration applications for new teachers.
4.2
EA Pay Update
4.2.1 The new EA Pay Scale was officially introduced at the end of January. Full time EAs
were placed at the appropriate step on the pay scale during the implementation. The
pay changes were effective 1 January and paid into EAs’ payroll in February.
4.3
Support Staff 1% Reserve
4.3.1 The 1% reserve set aside by the Board of Governors in May 2012 was released to
schools in January 2013 to assist schools with moving into the recently updated
compensation policy. The amount of the reserve released was pro-rated to 1 January.
The majority of schools nominated small numbers of support staff for adjustments
during the implementation. Pay changes were effective 1 January and paid into
support staff payroll in February.
5.
Facilities Development Department
5.1
Projects
5.1.1 KGV
Despite some delays, progress continues on target for completion of the works by
early to mid-May 2013. Planning for the school move in to the new buildings is for
summer 2013.
5.1.2 KJS
Similarly to KGV, despite some delays progress continues on target for completion of
Occupation Permit works and practical completion by Mid-April 2013 and mid-June
2013 respectively. The school is planning to move in over the summer break and be
ready for classes to start in August 2013.
5.2
Health & Safety
5.2.1 The Facilities team has been visiting schools over the past month to continue work
on individual school handbook development. In tandem, preparation for workshops
and training is underway.
4
6.
ESF Educational Services Limited
6.1
Kindergartens
6.1.1 The visits for new K1 children went very well and places are being offered for next
year.
6.1.2 Following legal advice, the kindergartens will introduce a refundable debenture as an
entry requirement into the kindergarten. The debenture will be redeemed when the
child graduates as usual from kindergarten or on the provision of two months’ notice
of a child’s withdrawal so as to provide some protection for the kindergartens against
parents taking their children out with inadequate notice. This will replace the current
practice of collecting the last month’s fee up front as a deposit which EDB have
questioned. The refundable debenture will have a value of $7,000, slightly more than
an average month’s fee.
6.1.3 An Early Years Adviser has been appointed for the new academic year. The Adviser
will be a member of the Education team and will support the kindergartens as well as
working between primary schools and the kindergartens on transition and the
continuum in learning and teaching.
6.1.4 Wu Kai Sha kindergarten has brought forward its PYP authorization visit into term
three this year, so now three of the four kindergartens will be seeking PYP
authorisation this academic year, with the final kindergarten scheduled for term one
next year.
6.2
Sport
6.2.1 ESL sports coaches are supporting schools in a variety of ways in addition to regular
in-school sports coaching to help develop sport in schools. Coaches contributed to
some schools’ CAS programmes and are working with two secondary schools on
their Gifted and Talented programmes.
6.2.2 Professional development courses for PE staff have started to take place, with
football and swimming holding courses in February and early March. Further courses
are being planned for term 3.
6.2.3 ESF Lions Football Academy have received an invitation to join HK Junior Football
League. This fits well into the development plan for football and brings the Football
Academy into the top tier of club junior football in Hong Kong, which is a great
achievement as this is only the second full season the Academy has been in place.
6.2.4 The ESL Sharks swim squad are continuing to compete in HKASA swim meets and
have just completed the annual UK ASA postal swim event in which swimmers aim to
swim as far as possible in an hour. It was particularly pleasing to see some parents
join their children in this event.
6.2.5 The format for ESL Sports camps has been redesigned for Easter Camp, introducing
more variety and greater pace for participants as well as more choices to select
individual sports clinics.
5
6.3
Language
6.3.1 Lisa Byrne has been appointed as Director of Language and Educational
Services. In this position, she is responsible for leading a range of services including
the out-of-school English and Spanish language programme, ESL’s Cambridge
English examinations service and the Post 16 service, and she will be taking forward
the development of new and additional services to complement the existing
programme. Lisa was previously a Senior Teacher for ESL and has been with the
company seven years. She holds a CELTA qualification and has specialized in
teaching EAL for over eight years. This summer she will graduate from a PGDE
course focusing on language teaching.
6.3.2 A new drama course for pre-schoolers will be piloted at Hillside kindergarten next
term.
6.4
Examinations
6.4.1 Following ESL’s selection by Cambridge English to run the trial of a new computer
based exam for the Young Learners English suite of exams, ESL has been asked to
administer the world’s first computer based exam session for these
exams. Cambridge English has been developing this programme for years and has
high expectations for it in broadening the reach of the examinations across the
world. ESL is delighted at the opportunity to be a world pioneer for Cambridge
English!
6.4.2 ESL’s IB Finals Revision programme will run at Jockey Club Sarah Roe this Easter
holiday, offering final year IB diploma students short and intensive revision courses in
a range of subjects. Courses are taught by experienced IB teachers.
Heather Du Quesnay
8 March 2013
6