Celebrating 50 years of a Love of Learning and Confidence for Life

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Kellett, the British International School in Hong Kong, turns 50 this year and they have much to celebrate. Half a century from their humble beginnings as two primary classes in Wan Chai, they are now a through school across three campuses, with over 1600 students and a global reputation for excellence. This growth in itself is remarkable, but what is more remarkable is how true the school has stayed to the values on which it was founded in 1976. 

As part of their celebrations, they have interviewed staff, parents and students from the past five decades and they have been surprised by the consistency of two staples of the school – the community spirit and an unwavering commitment to their values. Paul Tough, Principal & CEO remarked, ‘It has been astonishing to hear from those individuals who set up the school fifty years ago and how in tune they are with the school as it is today. The priorities and values on which they established the school ring true and loud to this day.’

Five decades on and Kellett remains not-for-profit, parent-governed, with a strong community spirit, and a commitment to give students a love of learning and confidence for life. As their longest serving former Chair, David Kidd, reflected, ‘The community that is created through Kellett is special. I think because we’ve always been aware of our limitations. We don’t have a government or franchise behind us. We don’t have corporate or other interests that provide us with a safety net. It’s a bit scary at times, but Kellett has held its own because of all of the things that it held dear and didn’t waver on.’

To celebrate the 50th anniversary every Kellett student helped create a tapestry, called Noodles, that weaves together the narratives of both the school and Hong Kong, through iconic images of Hong Kong food, flora and animals. The huge tapestry takes pride of place in the school’s Kowloon Bay campus lobby, and the artwork was shared with the wider community on the sides of an iconic Hong Kong tram throughout much of March and April!

Kellett’s celebrations have included reaching a milestone set in 2019 to raise $26m by 2026 to fund Outreach and bursaries, as part of their commitment to make a difference in Hong Kong. Kellett Outreach provides children living below the poverty line with academic and enrichment sessions. Kellett’s older students volunteer, including offering individual music lessons on donated instruments, and their staff and partner organisations run sessions. Funds are also used to provide two bursary places each year to Outreach students to attend Kellett full-time.  

To continue the ambition of their founders, Kellett also launched Kellett Vision in their anniversary year, a ten-year strategic plan which aims to Inspire Minds and Enrich Lives. Remarkably, under the leadership of Paul Tough, Principal & CEO and the support of Kellett’s parent Board, they have moved the needle on a great many of their priorities in year one of the plan. 

As part of their commitment to dynamic learning spaces, they have commenced a refurbishment of their Pok Fu Lam campus, adding a dining hall, barrier free access for those with mobility issues along with classroom enhancements. In addition, the school has recently opened a new university-style Sixth Form Centre over the road from their Kowloon Bay campus, carefully designed to nurture the independence students need to transition to tertiary education. 

The Kellett Vision also prioritises empowering students to become confident, creative problem-solvers through high-quality teaching and learning. Building on the success of their bespoke sustainability course, part Oceanography and part Innovation, designed to help students feel empowered to be part of the solution to climate change, they are expanding their bespoke Kellett courses. The courses, which aim to develop skills universities and employers value most – resilience, flexibility, critical thinking, leadership and collaboration – will include; Sports Science, Nutrition & Psychology, Media, Communication & Culture and Design (Industrial & Technology or Creative Textiles).

Much has been achieved in the first year of Kellett Vision 2035, but the school shows no sign of slowing down its ambition. Kellett was recently awarded the first Green Flag by EcoSchools in the territory and now aims to set challenging sustainability targets to play its part in Hong Kong becoming NetZero by 2050. The school, already a founding member of FOBISIA and accredited by COBIS, is seeking CIS accreditation where self-evaluation and reflection is encouraged, and schools are held accountable for responses to areas for improvement. 

As Kellett enters its second half century, it remains firmly committed to its founding values. The drive to give every student (including Outreach students) a love of learning and confidence for life means it is a school that does not sit still, continually seeking to improve and develop to deliver on that promise.