No city is as success-driven as Hong Kong.  The belief that one either succeeds or fails penetrates every level of the society, including families with young children.  It is normal nowadays for Hong Kong parents to go to any length to get their children into the top-notch schools, even if it means quitting their day jobs to train their kids for the admission interviews.  The reason is simple: parents want children to be successful by receiving the best ever education available.  But what is the “best” education for kids?

We have recently interviewed Allison Banbury, Principal for EtonHouse Interschool Pre-school which opened in Tai Tam last February.  This year, the school is celebrating the opening of its second Hong Kong campus in Pak Shek Kok.   Established in Singapore in 1995, EtonHouse International Pre-school builds its philosophy upon the research-based Inquire-Think-Learn curriculum.  Based on this approach, children are regarded as communicators, thinkers, physical children and agents of change in class.   They are invited to construct their understanding and meaning of the world by authentic inquiry in a highly interactive and responsive learning environment. 

Banbury believes that the environment, being children’s “third teacher”, is one of the most important factors for the best and most effective education for kids. Therefore, classroom set-up design is one of the biggest tasks for teachers when preparing for the class. A typical EtonHouse International Pre-School classroom consists of various interactive learning stations that together offer a comprehensive learning experience for children. Based on observation of each child’s interaction with the environment, teachers would make sense of their respective thinking, interests, needs and learning stages and make adjustments to the classroom set-up accordingly.  Banbury describes this as a “cyclical process” where teachers balance between what they would like the children to learn and what children are interested to explore.

In Banbury’s1-2 year old class, for example, there is a station where kids makes sense of water using different props such as tubing; a station where kids can put objects into different containers and combine the objects in different ways; a station by the window where children build connections with the nature; an art station where children can express themselves in paint; a cooking station where students can engage in pretend play; a story-reading corner where children get to develop the love for literature; as well as a circle time area in the middle. These classroom activities are designed with the aim to help children construct knowledge about the world, develop motor abilities and express themselves through different media.

Many parents believe that daily or regular quizzes are good to track children’s progress in class, but at Eton House, children are not tested using traditional means.  This has to do with the school’s philosophy, specifically the “image of child”, which sees children as capable and competent.  Rather than testing children, Eton House teachers diligently prepare a “learning stories” journal for each child that tracks their learning process.  After each class, teachers write down what they observe in class, as well as document interests of children that are reflected in their interaction with the environment.  This helps to formulate and facilitate the short, medium and long term goals for each individual child. Teachers devise plans to make improvements or adjustments in the classroom set-up with the aim to help children enter or scaffold to the next stage of learning.   While the learning stories are usually shared with parentsat the end of a term, parents can also look them up at any point during a term.  In addition to learning stories, teachers also keep a close communication with parents by sending out a newsletter every fortnight, sharing the joy and fruits of children’s learning at Eton House.

All classes at EtonHouse are bilingual, with one English-speaking teacher and one Mandarin-speaking teacher in each class. The class teacher is highly qualified with a degree in early childhood. The student body is mixed, with children from many different nationalities and home language environment. There are no grueling admission interviews or tests to Eton House International Pre-school.  Instead of testing children, Banbury would arrange meetings with parents to ensure that they align with the school’s pedagogy and curriculum. 

This summer, EtonHouse will be bringing a unique summer experience to all Hong Kong families.   Themed around Hong Kong’s natural wonders, the 4-week program will engage children in explorations of natural materials and the world they live in.  Sessions will include learning experiences in science, music, art and creative expression with a language rich, bilingual environment.  The program welcomes applications from kids aged 2 -5 years old. 

Tel:    2353 5223

Email:  enquiry@etonhouse.com.hk