"THEY’RE YOUNG ADULTS, AND I WANT TO UTILISE THEIR IDEAS IN THE SCHOOL, AND GIVE THEM OPPORTUNITIES

To Run

Things Alongside

Other Adults In The Main School

- Nick Moore

and as such has made six scholarships available to Year 12 students this year. “The scholarships show that the direction we’re heading is towards an even greater focus on academic rigour,” Nick explains.

“In addition to our outstanding pastoral care and the opportunities we provide around the curriculum, we’re all about getting students into university. In my time here I’ve never seen a student not get to where they wanted to go next,” states Nick. He admits DBIS has the image of a community school, one that’s welcoming to a diverse range of students, but it’s as committed to scholastics as any other school in Hong Kong. DB families and the ones eventually moving into its four new developments need to know that.

The Sixth Form focus was less a response to demand from parents as it was to Sixth Form students’ suggestions, many of whom expressed a wish to strengthen the connection between Years 12 and 13 and the rest of the DBIS community, given that many Sixth Form classes take place in a separate building to the main campus. Nick and the new Sixth Form Leadership Team want students to feel involved and connected to school life, even while travelling back and forth. “The idea is to look after the students and try and improve every element of Sixth Form and make it an exciting place to be,” he says.

True to DBIS’ forward-thinking ethos, the plan is to start actioning student voice and offering students more agency. “They’re young adults, and I want to utilise their ideas in the school, and give them opportunities to run things alongside other adults in the main school,” says Nick, who sees value in this encompassing every corner of the school – from marketing to janitorial services.

Beyond that Nick and the team will be helping students with realistic experiences and achieving tangible goals, taking advantage of leadership opportunities, embracing their autonomy, learning to respect deadlines, and getting a grasp on how the world actually works, all while maintaining a focus on transitioning to university. From this year, Sixth Form students will have a dedicated guidance counsellor for post-secondary advice.

Nick clearly has his work cut out for him, so it’s a good thing he’s heading back to school in fine form. He spent the summer in the UK visiting family, with a stop in Portugal for some surfing. There was time to ponder how he’s going to engage his Sixth Formers, and step beyond just his Head of Year 12 role. Advising future leaders is a serious business, as Nick says: “It never ceases to amaze me just how influential your words can be.”