Hong Kong Academy

Hong Kong Academy (Chinese: 香港學堂) is a non-profit independent co-educational day school for students ages 3 – 18 in Hong Kong. The school was founded in 2000 by Teresa Richman and Ben Frankel.[1] The middle school was added in September 2006 and in 2007 the board approved the inclusion of a high school programme that began in 2008/9 academic year. HKA graduated its first IB Diploma cohort in May 2012.

Hong Kong Academy
Logo of the school
Location33 Wai Man Road, Sai Kung, Hong Kong
TypePrivate international (non-profit)
Established2000
Head of SchoolStephen Dare
Primary School PrincipalVirginia Hunt
Secondary School PrincipalTeresa Tung
GradesPre-K1 to G12
Curriculum frameworkInternational Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO)
GenderCo-educational
Current enrollment/number of students530+
Accreditation and affiliations
  • International Baccalaureate Organisation(IBO)
  • Council of International Schools (CIS)
  • Western Association of Schools and Colleges(WASC)
  • Global Citizen Diploma(GCD)
  • International Schools Theatre Association(ISTA)
  • Association of China and Mongolia International Schools(ACAMIS)
  • East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools(EARCOS)
  • Next Frontier Inclusion(NFI)
Websitewww.hkacademy.edu.hk
Hong Kong Academy
Traditional Chinese香港學堂
Simplified Chinese香港学堂

Curriculum

Early childhood

The Hong Kong Academy Early Childhood program consists of grades Pre-K1-G1. Students study four International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) units of inquiry, integrating Art, Music, Physical Education and Mandarin. Throughout primary school the classes have a lead teacher and a co-teacher in every classroom. In Pre-Kindergarten the co-teacher is a qualified Mandarin language teacher.

Primary school

HKA was accredited for the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme in 2004. The school chose the PYP intentionally because the curriculum provides a flexible framework which connects the school to a global community whilst allowing the inclusion of locally relevant content. The PYP's transdisciplinary approach to learning promotes creative questioning and meaningful exploration of themes and focuses on personal development. Using “Units of Inquiry”, students develop core competencies in mathematics and language arts within and across themes in a context that promotes learning for understanding.

The primary school is led by a principal, an assistant principal and PYP coordinator, and a counsellor. For students receiving learner support, the Learner Support Team works closely with teachers and with the primary school leadership.

Secondary school

Students in grades 6-10 follow the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme. The full full IB Diploma Programme is available to grade 11 and 12 students.[1]

Diploma Options

Students at HKA are given the opportunity to qualify for the HKA Diploma and/or a mix of Diploma Certificates or the full IB Diploma. Qualification for the HKA High School Diploma is determined by credits awarded in the final four years of school.

Option 1: HKA Diploma

Students must earn 26 credits over four years (Grades 9-12) in order to obtain their HKA Diploma. A credit is earned by earning a year-end mark of 3 (out of a possible 7) or higher.

Option 2: HKA Diploma and the IB DP

Students that choose to pursue the IB DP must complete all of the requirements of the IB DP during Grades 11 and 12. This includes scoring a minimum of 24 points on their 6 IB exams, and successful completion of the extended essay, CAS, and the Theory of Knowledge. Students successful in this option will have earned BOTH the HKA Diploma and IB DP.

Option 3: HKA Diploma and IB Certificates

Students that do not choose the IB DP will sit for external IB examinations in May of their grade 12 year in SOME IB classes and SOME HKA classes. They will earn IB certificates for subjects in which they sit for the IB examination.

Learner support

Children needing learning support are admitted upon the same criteria as other students. They must be able to succeed in the mainstream classroom with support services. HKA learning support includes children with special educational needs and physical disabilities as well as those performing beyond grade level expectations.

Campus

The campus was located in Wan Chai and Kennedy Town. In August 2013 the school moved to its new permanent site in Sai Kung.

2019 college admissions bribery scandal

A New York Times report connected Hong Kong Academy to the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal.[2] The Times reports that Gamal Abdelaziz’s daughter was portrayed as a standout basketball player at Hong Kong Academy. A coach at the University of Southern California named Laura Janke created a profile of a girl who starred for a Hong Kong Academy's basketball team, earning such awards as “Asia Pacific Activities Conference All-Star Team,” “2016 China Cup Champions,” “Hong Kong Academy team M.V.P.,” and “team captain”. Hong Kong Academy does not play in either of these leagues and does not have MVP awards. Players of the 2018 Hong Kong Academy basketball team say Abdelaziz’s daughter never attended the school, let alone led the basketball team. The Times does not implicate or accuse Hong Kong Academy or any of its staff of falsifying records and there is no record of this student having attended the school. An investigation by the "Owlia's Opinions" podcast, however, cleared the school of any wrong-doing, identifying the student as attending Hong Kong International School, rather than Hong Kong Academy.

References
  1. "School Profile" (PDF). hkacademy.edu.hk. Hong Kong Academy. 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  2. "The 145-Pound Long Snapper and Other Tales of College Admissions Puffery". New York Times. Retrieved 2019-12-12.

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