SCHOOL PROSPECTUS
"Personalised learning and an innovative enquiry based approach is central to the DBIS ethos as is establishing and maintaining caring and respectful personal relationships - everyone is known at DBIS."
Table of Contents Our shared Core Values, Mission and Aims
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Welcome and Introduction
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Approach to Learning
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Curriculum
• Early Years
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• Primary
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• Secondary
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• Sixth Form
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Student Progress
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A Level Results
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University Destinations
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Student Support
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Extra Curricular Opportunities Campuses and Facilities Admissions
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Our Core Values We respect the needs and rights of each member of our community. We show care, kindness and compassion to others. We are supportive of each other. We embrace diversity and celebrate individuality. We are responsible and honest in our actions.
Our Mission We provide an outstanding education to students in an inclusive and nurturing learning environment. We seek to inspire and empower students to succeed in fulfilling their individual potential in a rapidly changing world.
Our Aims • To promote a culture of excellence in teaching and learning. • To provide an individualised and personalised approach to learning together with small class sizes and flexible teaching methods. • To provide a broad and balanced curriculum that reflects the international nature of the DBIS student community. • T o e n s u r e a s u p p o r t i v e , h a p p y a n d s e c u r e environment for learning. • To develop leadership skills and a sense of service to others through a range of extra curricular opportunities locally and internationally. • To encourage the physical and emotional wellbeing of each individual. • To use innovative pedagogy and technology to enrich learning. • To work in partnership with parents, alumni, the local and wider community in the ongoing development of the school. • To foster a learning community where every student, teacher, staff member, parent and DBIS alumni has an ongoing passion for learning. The DBIS community
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Welcome and Introduction
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t is my great pleasure to welcome you to Discovery Bay International School. An education at DBIS is about inspiring students to reach their potential and actively make a positive difference to the lives of others. We expect our students to explore the extraordinary number of enriching opportunities on offer and reach for their highest levels of attainment in all that they do. We are immensely proud of their achievements and in equal measure, we celebrate their excellent exam results, world class University destinations, excellence in the performing arts, sporting endeavour and service to others. There is a strong belief in the good of young people and that there is no limit to what they can achieve. We embrace diversity and celebrate individuality. Key to the DBIS ethos is establishing and maintaining strong, caring, respectful and supportive personal relationships - everyone is known at DBIS. As an international community school we draw immense strength from our tranquil location, engaged and aspirational parents and active local community. Our teachers are our greatest asset and DBIS students benefit immensely from small class sizes and outstanding relationships with staff they know, trust and who go the extra mile to put students first. Students enjoy being at school. It is a happy, supportive and vibrant environment, full of challenge, opportunity and spirit! To get a real feel for DBIS you must come and visit us. I’m glad I did! Stuart Bridge Head of the School
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“We encourage DBIS students to be confident communicators, to be creative, resourceful and inquisitive.�
Approach to Learning
H
igh expectations and the pursuit of excellence are fundamental to our approach to learning at DBIS. From the Early Years, through Primary and into Secondary we are focused on developing independent learners who are curious about the world around them and have the desire to explore and enquire. Students at DBIS thrive when faced with a challenge and are increasingly exposed to dynamic, active and engaging opportunities and experiences both inside and outside the classroom. A range of extra support exists for all students to pursue their strengths and interests in addition to developing their curiosity, independence, confidence and resilience when meeting new challenges. We encourage DBIS students to be confident communicators, creative thinkers and committed learners. DBIS students collaborate effectively by sharing ideas and opinions and work together in teams. DBIS learners work hard and are proud of their achievements. Small class sizes allow teachers time to truly understand every child and develop strong home school links. Fundamentally, at DBIS, we prioritise personalised learning. We look at each student’s individual needs, tracking their progress and identifying next steps for each of them. Through this we aim to ensure that all students make good progress and are supported in reaching their full potential. At the heart of our broad and balanced curriculum are a number of areas that we feel are essential for students to experience throughout their learning journey at DBIS. These include problem solving through mathematics and computing, proficiency in English, development of an additional language, creativity and performance in Music, Art and Drama, plus health and wellbeing through learning for life lessons, sporting opportunities and physical education. Equally, as an international school in Hong Kong, we passionately believe that it is essential for our students to develop an understanding of, and appreciation for, different nationalities and cultures. Internationalism permeates every subject at DBIS and underpins all discussions, actions and views enabling our school community to interact with and learn from our host country. Mandarin Chinese is taught in every year group throughout the school while French and Spanish are optional subjects at Secondary level. Increasingly, the school is also using the world around us as a context for learning, our students engage in various environmental issues that help them to become socially and internationally aware. Opportunities for enhanced student voice and student service is a developing feature of school life, thus enabling all students to take action and gain a deeper and more compassionate understanding of the world around them.
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Curriculum
Early Years
“Early years teachers inspire children to learn through individual care and attention, and a happy and caring atmosphere.�
Early Years (Nursery - Early Years 2)
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Early Years Motto - We play, learn and grow together iscovery Bay International School’s Early Years (DBIS EY) phase of the school consists of Nursery, Reception (at the Early Years campus) and Early Years 1 (EY1) and Early Years 2 (EY2) (up at the main campus). We offer a curriculum and experience that starts in the Nursery in the Early Year's campus and finishes at the end of EY2 at the main campus. This experience is underpinned by our child-centred, personalised learning approach that supports the development of the whole child.
Here at the Early Years section of the school, we plan play-based opportunities which are guided by the EYFS curriculum from the UK and the Primary National Curriculum for England yet follow a tailored curriculum that meets the needs of our unique international community (DBIS EY curriculum). We complement this by our specialist teaching in Music, Library, Mandarin, PE and Learning Technologies. Our Forest and Beach Schools programs, alongside our Woodwork opportunities, help to provide authentic learning experiences for our children and compliment our DBIS EY curriculum across all seven areas of learning and development. DBIS Early Years (Nursery, Reception, EY1 and EY2) have adopted the overarching principles taken from a Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education. The Reggio Emilia approach derives its name from its place of origin, Reggio Emilia, a city located in Northern Italy. Shortly after the Second World War, the parents of this region collaborated with Loris Malaguzzi, a lifelong educator, innovator and creative philosopher to find a unique system of childcare education. The Reggio Emilia approach is based on the principles of respect, responsibility and community. The EY Leadership Team works closely with the Early Years teachers to understand about each student’s needs and interests. We assess learning and development through frequent observation and evidence of student’s work. Each student has an electronic learning journal that is used to evidence and reflect upon his or her progress. Crucially, the Early Years team ensures that parents are welcomed and encouraged to be part of their child’s educational experience. The Early Years facilities are spacious and welcoming. They include an engaging outside play area with delightful grounds, purpose-built classrooms, a library, a music room and much more. We aim to provide the best learning opportunities in a stimulating and nurturing environment.
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Curriculum “It is an approach that helps to prepare students for the future by ensuring that they develop critical thinking skills, leadership skills, personal skills, ICT skills and environmental awareness through a rigorous curriculum.�
Primary
Primary (Years 3-6) “Our personalised and holistic approach helps to prepare all students for the future. Our engaging primary curriculum ensures that they develop as committed learners, balanced individuals, mindful leaders, responsible citizens, effective collaborators, confident communicators, problem solvers and creative thinkers.” We are extremely proud of the innovative curriculum we offer Primary students. Whilst our curriculum is guided by the rigorous requirements of the English National Curriculum, it also reflects our unique international setting and celebrates our community’s diversity. We are particularly proud of the breadth of our provision and the many opportunities we provide for children to achieve. Primary students learn about Hong Kong’s unique culture and heritage and we have ensured that both local and global dimensions are included throughout our crosscurricular, concept based Discovery Units across the school. The DBIS Primary Curriculum places significant focus on the holistic development of our students through the development of their key learner skills and through our Learning to Learn and Learning for Life programmes. Our bespoke Discovery Units are concept driven units of learning that create links between curriculum subjects and the real world. Learning is initiated through student questions which are answered as the students are supported in their lines of guided and independent enquiry. Through experiential and motivating learning activities and experiences, including our residential camps in Hong Kong and abroad, the students are supported in developing their learner skills as they encounter real life problems to solve. As our students take more ownership of their learning and deepen their conceptual understanding in purposeful contexts, they become better able to make connections to previous learning and can actively apply their learning and skills in different contexts. The opening of our Discovery Lab has given real momentum to the development of a STEAM based approach to learning through our Discovery Units, focussing specifically on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics. English and Maths remain at the centre of our curriculum. Our Primary Curriculum sets out in some detail what must be taught in each of these subjects, and they will continue to take up a significant part of your child’s learning week. Alongside the core subjects, we provide exceptional learning opportunities across our Mandarin, Music, Learning Technology and Physical Education curricula, all of which are taught by specialist teachers.
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Curriculum
Secondary
“The curriculum and our approach to teaching and learning seeks to ensure that students develop a range of essential thinking skills, knowledge of key concepts, and crucially, an aptitude for continuous learning.�
Secondary School (Years 7-11)
T
he Secondary school’s distinction lies in the emphasis placed upon small class sizes, a personalised approach to student learning, and the pursuit of creativity and innovation. Secondary school teachers know their students well and are able to tailor their support and programmes according to the needs of the individual student.
The Secondary school provides a broad and balanced curriculum based on the English National Curriculum and is tailored to meet the needs of international students based in Hong Kong. The curriculum and our approach to teaching and learning seeks to ensure that students develop a range of essential thinking skills, knowledge of key concepts, and crucially, an aptitude for continuous learning. Secondary school students in all year groups are also challenged to investigate and respond to complex questions, problems or themes through interdisciplinary Project Based Learning (PBL) tasks. Students in years 7, 8 and 9 access a range of subjects which include English, Mathematics, languages (Mandarin Chinese, Spanish and French), Science, Humanities, Technology, Creative Arts, Computing and Physical Education. In Year 10 and 11, DBIS students study for their externally accredited and internationally recognised qualifications in a range of subjects. Typically, at the end of Year 11, the students at DBIS will gain highly respected qualifications in 7 or 8 subject areas. Most of these qualifications are International General Certificates of Secondary Education (IGCSE), although we also offer a Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) Level 2 qualification in Business Studies.
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Curriculum
Sixth Form
Sixth Form
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ur Sixth Form offers a wide range of academic subjects for our Year 12 and 13 students, who are able to study a combination of A Level and BTEC Level 3 courses. Students choose three or four subjects to study in the Sixth Form, and after completing their AS qualifications in Year 12, most students continue with three of these A Levels subjects into Year 13. Our small class sizes are particularly valuable at this stage of our students’ learning journey, as they allow a significant amount of personalised guidance and support that many schools are unable to offer. The DBIS tailored curriculum and learning experience prepares our graduates to be academically, socially and emotionally very well prepared for their next steps. Our Sixth form pastoral team work alongside our Careers and University Guidance counsellor to provide information and support to our students whilst they choose their future careers and further education paths. Most of our Sixth Form move onto higher education and the team help the students decide what courses and higher education institutions will suit them best and guide them through each step of the application process through to results day.
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Student Progress
S
tudent progress in the Early Years, Primary school and Secondary school is monitored closely in a number of different ways. Commonly this will involve formal assessments that are given at a point in time to establish students’ levels of understanding and knowledge and proficiency in skills. It will also involve informal and ongoing assessment of student performance. At DBIS, we passionately believe that formative assessment underpins effective learning and teaching. Teachers aim to ensure that students of all ages understand the learning intentions and criteria for success, receive constructive feedback on their learning, and are active learners who evaluate their own progress. Students self assess their work, peer assess each other's work and discuss their learning with their teachers daily. These three forms of ongoing assessment feed into target setting. The school uses assessment data in order to track student progress, modify teaching approaches and set individualised student targets. This information and ongoing qualitative information is shared with parents in a number of ways. A combination of written reports, parent/ teacher/student meetings, electronic learning journals, open mornings and academic review mornings are used to update parents on their child’s progress.
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A Level Results Summer 2020 A level Grades Grades A*
32.1%
Grades A* - A
54.7%
Grades A* - B
79.2%
Grades A* - C
90.6%
Grades A* - D
94.3%
Grades A* - E
100.0%
• 12% of students achieved 4 A* grades at A level • 17% of students achieved 3 or more A* grades at A level • 33% of students achieved 3 or more A* - A grades at A level
Summer 2019 A level Grades Grades A*
10.5%
Grades A*- A
23.7%
Grades A*- B
57.9%
Grades A* - C
68.4%
Grades A* - D
89.5%
Grades A* - E
97.4%
• 16% of students achieved 3 or more A* - A grades at A level • 38% of students achieved 3 or more A* - B grades at A level
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University Destinations 2020 UNIVERSITY
COURSE
University of Warwick University of Cardiff University of Bristol University of Cardiff University of Nottingham Trent University of Bath University of Chichester University of Lancaster University of Brighton University of Exeter University of Stirling University of Brighton University of Maastricht Academy of Art, San Francisco University of Ryerson, Toronto
Computer Science Dentistry Law Medicine Mechanical Engineering Psychology Esports Theoretical Physics with Maths Illustration Business and Management Early Years Education Law with Business International Business Art Business
2019 UNIVERSITY
COURSE
Aberystwyth University University of Sussex University of Liverpool University of Warwick University of Brighton University of Bristol Oxford Brookes University LSE Anglia Ruskin University SCAD
Psychology and Criminology English and Media Studies International Politics and Policy Psychology Critical History Economics and Finance International Business Management Politics, Philosophy and Economics Sports Science Illustration
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“The school encourages a strong partnership with parents. We value open and ongoing communication between school and home.�
Student Support
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BIS is a safe, caring, friendly and supportive environment. We value every member of the school community and look to ensure that all students develop self-confidence, self-respect and resilience. Our school’s values, mission and vision, guide our approach when dealing with pastoral issues. Our school’s values also provide a reference for helping students develop and maintain positive relationships. Class teachers (Early Years and Primary) and form tutors (Secondary) play a crucial pastoral role with each student in their care. Class teachers and form tutors are the first points of contact for teachers, students and parents if there are issues of concern. The school encourages a strong partnership with parents. We value open and ongoing communication between school and home. Students achieve when teachers and parents work in unison. The school is also very aware that some students may require modified programmes of study or additional support in a given area of learning. The school’s individual needs department provides a range of support structures and programmes for a variety of different learners. Primarily these include: • • •
Targeted support designed to cater for students who need extra help in order to understand the curriculum and make progress. Intensive English as an additional language programme designed to develop and consolidate the language proficiency of some students. Gifted and talented programmes for some students who benefit from a level of extra challenge and extension in specific areas of their learning such as mathematics, languages, reading and writing.
Above all, DBIS is an inclusive school in which students with a range of additional needs are fully and actively welcomed into all aspects of our educational provision.
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“Students have the ability to pursue their individual passions and interests or challenge themselves with something new.�
Extracurricular Opportunities
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tudents are encouraged to take part in the wider life of the school through participation in an extensive extracurricular activities programme. We offer over 50 different activities throughout the academic year. Students have the ability to pursue their individual passions and interests or challenge themselves with something new.
Sport and the creative arts are strong features of the extracurricular activities programme. Students have the opportunity to represent the school in competitive sport, join an orchestra, choir or band, participate in a drama production or in a school show. The school’s sports and creative arts programmes provide opportunities for broad participation and enjoyment coupled with a distinct programme of competitive sport and performance opportunities. Our dedicated staff can be seen running activities before and after school or on the weekends. We also provide external specialist coaching as and when necessary in some areas. Students can develop their leadership skills by becoming a house representative, joining the School Council or as a member of the prefect team in the Sixth Form. There are also other opportunities for leadership and service through membership of our environmental groups, peer support opportunities and by taking part in one of the school’s service learning or charity projects. Students are also encouraged to propose and develop school projects or initiatives of their own. A number of academic extracurricular opportunities also exist for students wishing to further their interest in Mathematics, Technology, computing, Art, languages, Science, Humanities and critical thinking. DBIS is dedicated to providing a holistic education for its students. We are a school that develops individuals and our extracurricular programme plays a significant part in providing dynamic and personalised opportunities for our students.
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Campuses and Facilities Discovery Bay International School is spread across three campuses. Our Early Years campus, main campus and Sixth Form campus are extremely well equipped. We strive to create formal and informal learning environments that encourage students to be inquisitive, active and creative. The key facilities available for our students include: • • • • • • • • • • •
Extensive outdoor space for active play Extensive play equipment for Early Years and Primary students An artificial turfed sports pitch Well equipped classrooms A state of the art auditorium A gymnasium An open-air swimming pool Drama and music suites Science laboratories A Design Technology suite The Discovery Centre which accommodates the whole school library, 2 Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Mathematics (STEAM) suites, language classrooms and instrumental practice rooms • A cafe - The Boardwalk Café The school is also very well resourced with learning technologies in the classrooms. This allows DBIS teachers to use learning technology judiciously in their lessons. All students from Year 3 and older are provided with their own devices. The school uses a range of iPads, laptops, desktops and Chromebooks. The school has full wireless connectivity and teachers, students and parents use our online learning platforms extensively.
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Admissions
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BIS is a unique school. There isn’t another international school like it in Hong Kong. We do encourage you and your child to visit us to experience the school in action before making an application. We are a very welcoming and friendly school. Tours and visits hosted by a member of the Senior Leadership Team can also be arranged on request. Please visit the school website or contact the admissions team for more information at admissions@dbis.edu.hk Please note that all students applying to DBIS in Primary and Secondary attend an interview with a member of the school’s Senior Leadership Team. Prior to places being offered to applicants, parents will also be required to meet a member of the Senior Leadership Team.
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www.dbis.edu.hk
Contact Head of School Stuart Bridge
Address: Discovery Bay International School Discovery Bay, Lantau Island Hong Kong
Telephone: Early Years campus: (+852) 2914 2142 Primary / Secondary campus: (+852) 2987 7331 Sixth Form: (+852) 3962 1500
Email: sbridge@dbis.edu.hk admissions@dbis.edu.hk dbis@dbis.edu.hk