Less than eighty days are left before we welcome our first pupils for the opening day of Hiba Academy Shanghai. All
preparations are nearly complete and the whole team cannot wait to greet the founding pupils and their families on
Tuesday 28 August 2018.
Campus and teaching resources
The construction work has been finished; the building has been handed over; the electrical and mechanical
systems have been tested and adjusted; all furniture and teaching equipment is in place; and a thorough deep clean of
the school is currently in progress. As the first phase of an ongoing development project, our new campus will have a
construction area of 26,000 square metres, comprising state-of-the-art facilities. Apart from its 50 spacious
classrooms, the school features two computer labs, a music technology room, music rooms, practice rooms, rehearsal
rooms, visual art rooms, design and technology workshops, a dance studio, an indoor sports hall, dedicated science labs,
two libraries, two pupil canteens, a V&A café, and a competition-length swimming pool, as well as outdoor sports
pitches and courts. Every part of the campus has been built with world-class teaching and learning facilities in mind,
as it supports high-end interactive whiteboards, projectors, a multimedia central controller, a broadcasting system and
a high-tech security system.
New librarians have also joined the team to create a vibrant reading space with abundant resources for all
Hiba pupils. Early in July, a reliable engineering institution will be hired to carry out a comprehensive air quality
test. Afterwards, a designated property management company will take over the campus, ensuring that our staff members
moving into the building in late July will have every kind of support that they need to get things ready before
welcoming the founding pupils to the start of their new learning journey.
Recruiting
In addition to all Chinese and expatriate teachers, all our teaching assistants have now been successfully recruited as
well. It is worth mentioning that a consistently high standard has been applied and maintained throughout the
recruitment campaign. Most of our teaching assistants have graduated from well-known universities in China and abroad,
bringing with them strong teaching skills and an extremely high standard of professionalism. Some of them have had
several years’ experience of teaching but still value the opportunity to support classes at Hiba, because they aspire
to join a team with whom they can explore the best educational model for bilingual learners, develop a broader
perspective, and improve their own teaching skills.
Our training programme for new staff members begins before they actually take up their position. Since last December,
they have been working on the school’s cultural environment, curriculum, preparations and teaching methods, and have
become heavily involved in the final stage of curriculum development, wishing to ensure a solid and efficient
curriculum. Three days ago, all members of the team who are in Shanghai visited the new campus and were amazed at its
superb environment and facilities. Coming from diverse cultural backgrounds, they utilised the occasion to get to know
with each other, discussed their understanding of bilingual education and expressed great confidence and excitement
about jointly writing the opening chapter of Hiba Academy Shanghai.
Our training programme for new staff members begins before they actually take up their position. Since last December,
they have been working on the school’s cultural environment, curriculum, preparations and teaching methods, and have
become heavily involved in the final stage of curriculum development, wishing to ensure a solid and efficient
curriculum. Three days ago, all members of the team who are in Shanghai visited the new campus and were amazed at its
superb environment and facilities. Coming from diverse cultural backgrounds, they utilised the occasion to get to know
with each other, discussed their understanding of bilingual education and expressed great confidence and excitement
about jointly writing the opening chapter of Hiba Academy Shanghai.
Teaching preparation
Sufficient teaching preparations have been made: the annual development plan for the school has been agreed,
teaching and learning policies completed, timetables for each year group finalised and the communication system
installed. Primary pupils in lower grades will be divided into groups of around 12 according to their current English
level and will receive regular assessments to help them quickly move forward. Fourteen subjects and a wide range of
co-curricular activities will be offered to promote the holistic development of each child. Starting from grade 1,
pupils will have performing arts classes and a swimming class every week. When they move up to the higher grades, ICT
and design and technology classes will be added to their curriculum. These learning opportunities are designed to
stimulate every pupil’s potential, build their characters, equip them with the Hiba Values, and help them develop a
deep sense of being Chinese while keeping a global perspective of the world around them.
We have also carefully planned various workshops, gatherings and sessions for Hiba parents, as we value you as a very
important part of our community. Our hope is that an engaging and interactive platform can be built not only to enhance
communication and cooperation between us, but also to support you in dealing with problems you may encounter as your
children grow older. On 27th June, we look forward to seeing all new parents in a pre-opening information session, where
our Executive Master and Bursar will give an update about the school lunch, bus, uniform, induction day and the channels
we use to communicate with you. We would also like to take this session as an opportunity to encourage you to learn
about the heritage and culture of the school, as well as our shared values. We hope that you will feel the same pride
that we have for being part of the Hiba community.
At Hiba Academy Shanghai, we feel confident that we are ready to provide Chinese parents a new option of education that
combines the strength of Eastern and Western educational worlds. This option offers both the fish and the bear’s paw;
where you do not have to choose one over the other. We are counting down the days until Hiba opens its gates to its
very first group of pupils and parents. We are excited, we are hopeful and we are getting ready: are you?
