Ms Sarah Mann's connection with Harrow Haikou began when she wrote to the school to express her congratulations at the AISL Harrow Haikou Seal Conferment Ceremony held in October this year. In her letter, she genuinely addressed the children at Harrow Haikou, “It is very important to build bridges and foster understanding between nations. Each one of you represents an invaluable link in the chain that strengthens the ties between China and the United Kingdom. As future leaders or professionals, you have the power to shape the world around you, cultivating a future of collaboration, respect, and shared prosperity. ”
On this visit, Ms Sarah Mann honoured her promise to Harrow Haikou by coming to the school for a cordial and enjoyable exchange with parents, pupils and staff.
Friends of Harrow displaying diversified community culture
Harrow's parents made a welcome cake at the Friends of Harrow space with great care and showed the Consul General how Harrow Haikou, as an international community, actively promotes cultural integration and home-school cooperation. After listening to the parent representative's sharing, Ms Sarah Mann said: “Thank you for the warm welcome, this is my first visit to Hainan and as the British Consul-General in Guangzhou, it is very important for me to understand how this British style school has developed and how it interacts with its community.
Having moved overseas from a very young age, I have a lot of feelings about coming to live in a new place. I am so impressed with the human touch that you, Friends of Harrow, show to the expatriate teachers who come here and make them feel at home. As a parents' group, I have always heard that you do an excellent job in home-school communication.
As someone from the UK, this is my community too. I am delighted to see the passion with which you look after expatriate teachers from the UK and help them learn about all aspects of living in China. I am so inspired by what you are doing. ”
Campus tour guided by proud Harrow pupils
After the meeting with parents, the Consul General was taken on a tour of the campus by Emma Deng, the House Leader of Upper School, and student representative Annia Wan and Charlie Cooper.
From the student-centred architectural design to the chamber orchestra practising after school, the student representatives confidently introduced the Consul General to the campus where they live and study.
When they arrived at the library, the pupils there were doing the reading required by the Accelerated Reader programme. The Library Ambassadors introduced the Ms Sarah Mann to the library collection and the unique Harrow reading culture, and had a short exchange with her on the books they had read recently.
At Harrow's boarding house, Emma introduces Ms Sarah Mann to the evening activities for boarders when they return to their boarding house after school. Boarders can use all the school's facilities in the evening for their favourite activities, including swimming, badminton, baking, English drama, or prep time, all in the company of their Chinese and English boarding staff.
At the last stop, a photo of a white Harrow sailboat in the blue sea on the display screen caught Ms Sarah Mann's eye. Sailing is also a signature sport at Harrow Haikou. Michael Chen, one of the sailing team members, shared with her the good news that two sailing teams represented Harrow Haikou won the first and second place trophies, as well as the interesting stories of daily training.
In addition to water sports, the charity team is also a project that Harrow pupils are proud to be a part of. Elaine Pang, Charity Ambassador, told Ms Sarah Mann: “Since last year, Harrow Haikou has been working with local organisations in Hainan on projects to save sea turtles and conserve endangered species of horseshoe crabs. In addition, we have a series of craft activities where we make and sell artefacts, with the proceeds donated to animal rescue organisations. In the future, we will be working with bigger NGOs and I believe we can serve more people and give back to the community in a positive way.”
Friendly exchanges between British teachers
During a teatime exchange with British teachers and those with experience of studying in the UK, the Consul General discussed many issues about education and life with the teachers, and she mentioned in particular that “Harrow’s pupils are confident and generous, and I am impressed by their ability to express themselves in English.”
What is Harrow Haikou's secret to teaching English? Mr Mark Darlington and Ms Silvia Hewett, two of our Pre-Prep school teachers, say, “In the Pre-Prep, our expatriate teachers bring pupils into a different cultural context and the Chinese teaching assistants use their bilingual backgrounds to help the pupils cross the cultural gap. We work closely with the TAs to help the pupils progress quickly. So, a strong teaching team is really helpful.”
Mr Craig Cooper, Head of Upper School, said “At the Upper School, this year we have introduced the Accelerated Reader programme, which motivates pupils to read in English as a fun challenge, and is well placed to help pupils improve their reading skills and indeed their ability to use English as an academic language.”
The British teachers also shared their lives in Hainan with the Consul General. In Hainan, they can drive around the island on weekends and enjoy the island life. This is especially thanks to the Hainan government's driving policy for foreigners. When family members of British teachers come to visit Hainan, they can also enjoy the visa-free policy, and many of them will invite their families to share the reunion time during the National Day and Christmas holidays. Overall, the support from the government has made life convenient and enriching for British teachers living in Hainan.
Harrow Haikou has been inextricably linked with the UK since its inception, and the exchange with the British Consul General in Guangzhou was a valuable experience for the school's staff and pupils. Ms Sarah Mann fully recognised the holistic education implemented by Harrow Haikou and looked forward to more cooperation and exchanges in the future.
Providing a more diversified international education for the families of global talents in the Hainan Free Trade Port has been the constant pursuit of Harrow Haikou. Adhering to Harrow’s values, Harrow Haikou hopes to continue to strengthen cultural exchanges with international organisations in the future, and to explore the possibilities of collaborating with multi-cultural organisations. We also hope that each and every guest will experience the charm of our vibrant campus on this tropical island.
