PRIMARY School AT HKA
We believe that all children should have choice, voice and ownership for their own learning.
We have designed our Primary School programmes to discover, cultivate and celebrate the individuality of every child. From Playgroup to Grade 5, we create captivating learning environments in which HKA students have a wealth of opportunities to learn from and with one another. We recognise the mutual benefit that comes from authentic relationships and support students in learning how to effectively and successfully collaborate within and beyond the classroom. Every child is a valued member of our Primary School community.
THE IB PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME AT HKA
The IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) forms the foundation of our approach to teaching and learning at HKA. Built around the principles of agency and action, the IB PYP invites learners to inquire about themselves, others and the world around them. It provides a common language for teachers, students and parents to understand the learning journey through the Early and Primary Years, framing the contexts through which children make meaning as learners.
The IB Learner Profile is an integral part of our Primary School programme. We use these behaviours and attitudes to build a shared understanding about what it means to be a dynamic and engaged learner, and we celebrate the many ways that students demonstrate these attributes both within and beyond the classroom.
Our teachers use IB PYP concepts, skills and knowledge in creative ways to craft challenging and stimulating units of inquiry. The curriculum builds from year to year, with student learning goals mapped and measured through multiple sources of data. Specialist teachers partner with classroom teachers to integrate key learning objectives
and outcomes across subject areas, meaning that students connect what they do in visual arts, physical education, music, literacy information technology (library) and Mandarin to their homeroom learning experiences.
Our approach to implementing the IB PYP is innovative, adaptive and responsive. New challenges and opportunities continue to arise in our rapidly changing world, and we use the PYP to frame a future-focussed approach to education. We seek to integrate opportunities for real-world application in every unit, helping our students see the ways that they can impact and influence their world. Students go through a process of asking questions, gathering information, and drawing conclusions about global issues, which culminates in taking action. Through exhibitions, assemblies and other celebrations of learning, Primary School students share what they have learned with the wider community. Often, these celebrations also provide students with the opportunity to extend their action further and invite peers and adults to act as well.
LEARN MORe About
Our EaRly YEARS Programme Our PRIMARY Years Programme Sustainability at HKA
OUR INCLUSIVE APPROACH TO TEACHING & LEARNING
Since our founding, we have remained committed to nurturing a diverse community of learners. Cultivating and celebrating an inclusive environment is an essential part of our identity as a school, and we provide a range of programmes, interventions and resources to ensure that every learner can pursue their pathway to individual excellence. Find out more about Learner Support, Occupational and Speech Therapies, and English Language Learning by visiting our Student Support Services page.
A CULTURE OF LANGUAGE LEARNING
We recognise the central role that communication plays in building student identity, community and understanding, and language learning is foundational to our Primary School programme. Our language of instruction is English, and in every classroom, interaction with English language and literature provides opportunities for students to connect with and ask questions about the wider world. Our Primary School teacher librarian actively collaborates with teachers at every grade level to ensure that units of study are brimming with rich and engrossing text resources. Every classroom has its own library, and students visit the Primary School library at least once a week to explore, research and collaborate.
LEARNING ABOUT, THROUGH AND FROM SERVICE
From an early age, Primary School students at HKA learn about their rights and responsibilities as citizens of the world. Our programme of inquiry is designed to provide developmentally appropriate opportunities for every learner to take meaningful action towards real world issues. Through these curricular explorations, students start to develop their identities as global citizens and advocate for change through responsible action. Our students learn to think flexibly and consider various perspectives and are able to speak to the impact that their actions have on the planet, on other people and on themselves.
HKA’s Primary School programme provides a multitude of opportunities for students to grow, thrive and excel. Our Primary School highlight features a monthly example of how HKA’s IB PYP curriculum brings critical thinking, student agency and responsible action to life.
As an authorised three programme IB World School, we offer a continuum of learning which supports students as they complete the IB PYP and prepare to embark upon the IB Middle Years Programme (IB MYP). Please visit our Secondary School page to learn more about the IB MYP at HKA.
LIFE AT HKA: PRIMARY SCHOOL STORIES
Big Adventures for Our Grade 3 Explorers! 🌿🛶🐢
From day-campers to overnight adventurers! Last week, our Grade 3 students took a giant leap in independence during their outdoor learning experience at Hoi Ha.
In partnership with Asia Pacific Adventure (APA)—whom we have proudly worked with for nearly two decades—our students transitioned from a day of local exploration to their very first school overnight stay in the beautiful Sai Kung Country Park.
It was a week of "firsts": first time sleeping in a dorm with classmates, first time navigating the ecosystems of Hoi Ha Wan, and a first-hand look at the beauty of our own backyard.
We are so proud of our young explorers for stepping out of their comfort zones and making memories that will last a lifetime. Way to go, Grade 3! ✨
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