This week has been busy, busy, busy……
Last week ended on an exceptional high with a bustling, fun-packed and festive Winter Market. Whilst it snowed inside the nursery, the weather outside was glorious and more akin to a spring day. However, the sunny weather didn’t spoil the festive atmosphere, and everyone had a wonderful day. With over 400 attendees relishing the occasion, there was something for everyone to enjoy. The nursery garden was packed full of activities and every inch of the space was used to full effect. Next year, the Winter Market will be hosted by Friends of Hiba who will carry forward our Hiba Nursery traditions.
We went to visit our sister school in Hangzhou
On Sunday, a group of teachers from Hiba Academy Shanghai visited their counterparts in Hangzhou to discuss early years practice and have a good look around the newly opened setting. The team were joined by colleagues form Wellington College Tianjin and Shanghai and were warmly welcomed by Jacqueline Speers, Head of Early Years and Sharon Wan, Deputy Head of Early Years and their team who provided lots of opportunities to share ideas, thoughts and theories on inspiring learning for Hiba pupils. A splendid brunch ensured that tummies were kept full and ice breaking activities ensured that any shyness was gently overcome. The team returned to Shanghai confident in the knowledge that the Hiba and Wellington families share a common vision, no matter where they are based.
We hosted guests from the Department of International Trade
The Department for International Trade (DIT) is a British government organisation that has a presence in China to foster opportunities to build high value collaboration between the two countries. Education is a prominent feature of the work of the DIT in China. Wellington College China and Hiba Education is recognised as the leading example of high-quality collaboration between education in China and that in Britain by the DIT. As such, our schools often used by the DIT as the leading example of best practice in bilingual and international school education in China.
A DIT delegation of 30 UK universities visited Hiba Academy Shanghai on Wednesday 5th December to understand more about the education model offered along with the high-quality initial teacher education programme (ITE) operated across our group of schools. This is a consequence of the partnership between the Hiba Education Institute of Education and Durham University for ITE and educational research. Durham University is the leading institution in the UK for education with the UK recognised as the leader for ITE. This means that the Hiba Education Institute of Learning offers world leading ITE programmes that prepare the worlds very best teachers for education in China. This is the template the 30 UK universities are seeking to follow.
The feedback from the university delegation visit to Hiba Academy Shanghai, including those from the education departments from University College London and Cambridge passionately indicated that the practice and standards at the nursery are truly ground breaking and represent international best practice. Indeed, their feedback is that they were “blown away” by the learning environment and standard of pupil learning. This represents high quality objective feedback and validation for the model of education that is offered at Hiba Academy Shanghai.
We held the last coffee morning of the year
Yuki and I were delighted to work alongside the superb admissions team in hosting the last coffee morning of 2018. These events are important in showing prospective families what we are about here at the nursery. Whilst we can provide lots of information on the website and during our presentation, nothing can compare to walking around the nursery and seeing pupils in their natural habitat, doing what they do, behaving how they always do, regardless of who is watching! Showing families who we are is extremely important to us – we can’t hide behind words when the doors are open, and 280 pupils are the empirical evidence of our values, identify, ethos and culture. We are proud of our pupils and teaching teams, therefore are delighted to share the experience with others.
Funky Friday returned
It returned……with a festive and shimmering BANG! Well done to all parents for your support with the funky Friday festive wardrobe – what a spectacular palette of colours!
EY2 went on a funky Friday bear hunt
We can’t go over it, we can’t go under it……oh no, we’ve got to go through it……the EY2 pupils had a fabulous time today as they headed off on a funky Friday bear hunt around the nursery. Using clues to help to guide them, our young explorers persevered until they found the furry ‘treasure’ in the form of a happy (and a little humid) bear.
