EDUCATION

Invictus School Hong Kong

Cheyelene Fontanilla takes a trip to Invictus in Chai Wan to get an inside scoop on the new secondary school

Established in 2019, Invictus School was founded with the purpose of providing quality, affordable education that caters to both local and expatriate children. What they promise is a no-hiddencosts education for families in Hong Kong, or as they put it, “accessible secondary education at $120,000 per year.”

Despite being new to the scene, the school already has two campuses. The Tseung Kwan O campus is a kindergarten and primary school, while the Chai Wan campus is for Year 7 to Year 13 students. Though Invictus is new to Hong Kong, it’s a part of the Invictus umbrella of schools that originally began in Singapore in 2015.

Cambridge curriculum

Test: Fourth Edition (CAT4) to gauge their ability to reason across four fields: verbal, non-verbal, mathematical and spatial reasoning. Once your child is accepted, they will be under one of the following curricula: Cambridge Lower Secondary curriculum, International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) or Cambridge International Advanced Levels (A-Levels). It all depends on their age, recent qualifications and their CAT4 results.

A holistic learning environment

Eager to get a firsthand look at the ins and outs of Invictus Secondary School, we took a trip to meet with Principal Lee Harvey. He is the man who, since he started working for the school in April 2020, is dedicated to fine tuning every element of Invictus Secondary School’s learning experience.

As he gave us a tour around campus, we popped into a few of the classes that were taking place. One was a French class, another was an art class. Each time Principal Harvey was met by a teacher or student, it was apparent that the learning environment he is working to build is one that is open, fun and effortlessly curious and inquisitive.

It was easy to see that Principal Harvey’s first priority is the wellbeing of his students – not just academically, but holistically. “We got some furniture from IKEA for our library. So, I’m putting the furniture together when one of my Year 8 students comes in and asks ‘How can I be a librarian?’” says Harvey, beaming proudly as he speaks of his students like members of a flourishing community. “Shortly after, she sent me a list of jobs and things she wanted to do for our library. She wants to implement loyalty cards and games in the library to encourage students to spend time there. She’s even putting a survey together to ask students what books they want. This initiative is something I can’t teach in the classroom. She knows that she can come to me and say, ‘I’ve got this idea. Do you think it can work? Can I try it?’ And that’s what we encourage.”

Learning support for students

While Invictus is in its early stages, Harvey is adamant about taking a more personal approach to each student’s educational needs. Though standardised testing is in place, it’s used as a starting point. “We don’t really use the CAT4 Assessment as a pass or fail test. What we

do look at is the student’s strengths and weaknesses, and whether we’re able to help with those weaknesses,” explains Principal Harvey. “For example, I’m currently in contact with one student who is desperate to get out of IB and into A-Levels. He wants to do A-Level Physical Education and has been doing IB Sports Science. So, we’re looking at what he’s done and going through our syllabus with him and assessing which parts he has covered in IB and which parts have not been covered. We look at every student individually to make sure that we can help them within a realistic timeframe. It’s a caseby-case basis.”

Campus and facilities

One of the most striking and fitting features of the Invictus campus in Chai Wan is the giant tree that sits smack-dab in the middle of school when you enter through its main doors. According to Principal Harvey, classes are sometimes held beneath the tree, offering students a chance to learn in a space that doesn’t feel as confining as a classroom.

Their science laboratories are equipped with high-tech mechanisms that ensure that any gasses or chemicals used in the classroom don’t end up harming the environment. Beyond that, students at Invictus are taught to be held accountable for their actions. From sourcing secondhand books for their library to choosing A-Levels to self-study (should they choose to undertake a discipline beyond the school’s standard A-Level courses of English, Math and various Sciences), Invictus prides itself on being a school that prepares its students for life, not just exams. A perfect example of this is the A-Level students’ break room, a space that Principal Harvey has decked out with beanbags, a kettle and a toaster. A-Level students even have their own private entrance onto campus.

On the top floor, there is table tennis, chairs and benches, as well as a running area with a stellar view for kids to enjoy. Just around the corner from that, there is a music/activity room with a small sound studio.

If you’re wondering about their sports facilities, Invictus makes use of Hong Kong’s fantastic government sports grounds, where many schools host their annual Sports Days. ”It just seemed to be a no brainer. Why spend money on building something and having to maintain something, when you’ve got government facilities that really are quite close and reasonably priced?” argues Harvey. “For us, it’s about giving students and parents value for money, which we can do without the added costs of building and maintaining things like a badminton court, swimming pool or football field.”

Invictus School Hong Kong

Address: Level 4, 5, & 6, 188 Tai Tam Road, Hing Man Shopping Complex, Chai Wan, Hong Kong invictus.edu.hk