JAN 2016: VOLUME I NO. 3. Harrow on Wechat Facilities. Meet the Harrow Staff Construction Photographs

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1 THE SHANGHAI HARROVIAN JAN 2016: VOLUME I NO. 3 IN THIS ISSUE 1. Welcome 5. Harrow on Wechat 2. Facilities 6. Meet the Harrow Staff 3. Construction Photographs 9. The Performing Arts at Harrow 4. The Harrow Pre-opening Office 5. Harrow s Air Quality Provision 10. Introducing the Harrow Shanghai Houses Leadership for a better world

2 WELCOME Happy New Year! And indeed Happy New Year of the Monkey. This is our first Harrow newsletter of the year 2016 and indeed, our first edition of the aptly-named The Shanghai Harrovian. I hope you enjoy what follows, which is primarily aimed at expanding your knowledge of Harrow School in Shanghai, in addition to letting you know in detail what to expect when we open our doors for the first time on Monday, 22nd August. So we have an introduction to the Performing Arts at Harrow, as we seek to emulate the extraordinarily high standards of Harrow UK, the unveiling of our first house name, with more to follow, and further staff for you to meet, including our Founding Head Master, Mr David Cook. We are also pleased to announce the opening of our WeChat account, as well as major revamps of our website and prospectus. There are details below of how to follow us on WeChat. We are in fact running out of copies of the prospectus, reflecting the current level of interest in Harrow amongst the Shanghai expat communities. We are also delighted to inform you that construction at the school remains firmly on course for an early completion and we are confident that we will be able to show you around the wonderful facilities that make up Harrow School in Shanghai in March. We know you will be more than impressed. What you have on your doorstep is a truly great school, as befits the name Harrow, as well as a unique educational opportunity for your children. Page 1

3 FACILITIES Most important of all, Harrow has sought to incorporate into the building and campus the most effective health and safety provision and safeguards. We have dealt with the air quality issues separately below, but other areas where we have been mindful of health and safety issues are, for instance, in the design of the car parks, bus drop-off and pick-up points, play areas, sports facilities and the laboratories and workshops. One of the undoubted strengths of the campus is the coherence and integrity of the various schools that make up Harrow in Shanghai. We have already been congratulated on the design of the Early Years classrooms, the children s play areas and general space, all in their own designated wing of the school, by our newly arrived Head of Early Years, as well as by everybody else who has been fortunate enough to visit the site or looked at the plans. We believe it is the best Early Years provision in Shanghai. But the rest of the school is just as impressive with state-of-the-art classrooms, science laboratories, ICT and DT suites, art and design studios, a wonderful splitlevel library, a double-sized sports hall, a lecture theatre, a roof-top running track, a 25-metre swimming pool, a modern drama complex, music practice rooms, abundant garden and play areas and not forgetting floodlit football pitches and basketball courts. Being in the Waigoaqiao area also gives us access to nearby faciltiies, such as a climbing wall, more pitches, an equestrian centre, a lake for water sports and, ten minutes away, our friends at the Shanghai Rugby Club, with rugby, tennis and golf, to name just a few. Please do come and see us in March, and do bring your friends. Page 2

4 CONSTRUCTION PHOTOGRAPHS To give you some idea of the Harrow that is emerging in the middle of Waigaoqiao, here are some very recent photographs to whet your appetite The Harrow name stands proudly at the front of the school The split-level library, which caters for all agegroups, dominates the front of the school The Cafeteria on the second floor, with the serving hatch on the right One of the art studios The school has several rooftop gardens and play areas, where the children can play and relax The main outdoor sports area, has an underground car park, as well as further amenities, including a climbing wall Page 3

5 THE HARROW PRE-OPENING OFFICE There will always be the warmest of welcomes from the Harrow team. You can also view the model of the school in the centre of the office or try on the iconic Harrow boaters. We hope to move into the school in April, while beginning parent visits a month earlier. Meanwhile, if you want to learn more about Harrow in Shanghai, or meet the team, please do come and see us at our current office. Address: Unit 601, Building B, Sunland International, no. 999 Zhouhai Road, Pudong, Shanghai, Tel: +86 (021) Page 4

6 HARROW S AIR QUALITY PROVISION There is no bigger issue about living in Shanghai than the quality of the air we all breathe. Here at Harrow we take the protection of all our community from adverse air quality very seriously indeed. We will adhere very strictly to the school polices and procedures on air quality levels, and those policies will reflect a very cautious approach to activities outside the school. This is an assurance we give to all our parents. We will always err on the side of caution and safety when it comes to the well-being of our students. The construction of the school has been undertaken fully in the knowledge of the need to incorporate an effective air filtration system. This is being installed as a key feature in the overall airconditioning system, which provides both cooling and heating to all the buildings. The air filtration system is specifically designed to protect two key areas of the school: the larger spaces, such as the entrance lobby, the cafeteria and the sports hall; and the smaller rooms, such as the classrooms, laboratories and offices. Both combine a series of highly efficient filters, including the high density filters, which extract the PM2.5 particles. The system is designed to reduce the AQI to a figure of under 25 in the school. HARROW ON WECHAT Scan the QR Code to follow Harrow Shanghai on Wechat! Page 5

7 MEET THE HARROW STAFF Mr David Cook (Head Master) At Westminster David was Head of History, a Housemaster and Head of Sport, Football and Cricket at various times. David has had a number of historical works published, predominantly on European history in the Later Middle Ages, and more recently collaborated with his wife, Debbie, on an acclaimed travel book on Malaysia and an as yet unpublished biography of Dr Mahathir, the former Malaysian prime minister. David has in his headship career set up international schools for Wellington College in China and Repton School in the Middle East. Before that he was Head at Dulwich International College in Thailand, Lewes Old Grammar School in England and Qatar Academy, another school he founded. David studied History at King s College, London and Lincoln College, Oxford, before embarking on his teaching career at Westminster School in London, one of the leading academic schools in Britain. David and Debbie have six children. All of them have attended schools where David has been the head. The eldest two, Becky and Katie, are due to go to Oxford University next October, while their four siblings, Jamie, Sophie, Ben and Emma, will be joining Harrow in Shanghai when the relevant year groups open. David is a lifelong supporter of Leicester City F.C. and is a member of Carnoustie Golf Club. He lists as his interests: history, politics, reading, photography, writing, wine, cooking and bringing up children! David writes: The editor of The Shanghai Harrovian posed me a couple of questions for this edition. So here goes. Q. When did you first become aware of Harrow School? A. Inevitably, given my educational background, I have to go back to my early days at Westminster. My first headmaster there, John Rae, was an Old Harrovian, and a great leader. He is listed amongst the school s leading alumni. It feels like a full circle for Page 6

8 me coming back to Harrow. The Wets (Westminster) also played the Harrovian in a wide range of sports. But, for me, it was always football. Harrow were tough, always physical and were used to winning. I hated the Harrow pitches, at the bottom of the hill, always wet and muddy, which tended to suit the Harrow long-ball game, against Westminster s more silky skills. Q. What is the best feeling you can get in school education? A. That s easy. As a head you should never lose sight of why you originally went into teaching. I have always adored teaching, still do, and the best feeling in education is to see your students succeeding in their chosen goals and ambitions. I probably enjoyed most being a housemaster, where you had the boys and girls in your house, as well as teaching most of them. The house system is at the very core of schools like Westminster and Harrow. Students develop a huge affinity for their house and, these loyalties can become more fiercely competitive than inter-school rivalries. But to give you an example of seeing your students succeed. I remember Tom Hooper as a very tall, likeable and extremely intelligent boy, as well as a member of my Westminster house. He was an excellent role model and good at sport, being the 1st XI wicketkeeper and a solid opening batsman, but none of this compared to his passion for film-making. One day he brought into school a short film, called Painted Faces, which he had written, produced and directed. I gasped at how a boy of eighteen years old could produce something of this quality and I was not alone in my view. The film was later broadcast on British television. Tom went on to Oxford to read English, before making a career directing in television, both in Britain and the United States. From there he progressed to films and a string of commercial and critical successes, such as Elizabeth I, The Damned United, The King s Speech, for which he won Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture, and Les Miserables. Such is what you can achieve if you go to a school like Harrow, where we introduce your children to the widest range of activities, and seek to develop their talents and interests to the greatest degree, whether for enjoyment or a possible future career. Tom Hooper has yet to direct Benedict Cumberbatch, our leading Old Harrovian thespian, but his latest film, The Danish Lady does star Eddie Redmayne, himself an Old Etonian. It s a small world! Page 7

9 MEET THE HARROW STAFF Ms Trisha Ferguson (Head of Early Years) Trisha Ferguson joined the Harrow Shanghai staff at the start of January as the Head of Early Years. Originally from the UK, the north-west of England to be precise, she has been teaching and leading in the Early Years for the past seven years. She has experience as a geography and ecology subject leader, alongside classroom teaching, as well as having served as a governor. Trisha writes: I am very excited about the opening of our school in August this year. Shanghai is one of the most vibrant and diverse cities in the world and I am lucky enough to be living here! Being a part of the first Harrow school here in Shanghai is incredible and I am proud to be part of creating Harrow history. That first day in August will be a truly memorable occasion and will set the precedent for the future of the school in Shanghai. Our Early Years building has incredible facilities, involving large classrooms, break-out areas and a green, outdoor space which I am sure the children will adore. Early Years will be a hive of activity, providing excellence in education and the best possible care for your child (ren). In this way we will ensure they all reach their full potential. My role at the school is to establish in Early Years those vital core values, which Harrow stands for, amongst all our students, and indeed staff. This is of course why you want to send your children here. As I see it, and believe wholeheartedly, the most important of these for the youngest in the school, is instilling in them a love of learning, which we know will last for a lifetime. The Harrow Early Years will emphasise the importance of our parents as partners, and I intend, indeed look forward, to getting to know all of you as individuals. Together I want us to give Early Years here the high profile it deserves in Shanghai. I would like to wish you all a Happy Year of the Monkey. I hope to meet you all in the weeks and months ahead and if not, see you in August! Trisha Ferguson Page 8

10 THE PERFORMING ARTS AT HARROW Being a great school is about providing the best possible education, one that creates an appetite for life and develops the talent to live it productively. It is about combining learning and scholarship with a breadth of experience through sport, creative and performing arts and many other character-forming activities. Every Harrovian is encouraged to pursue an interest in some aspect of the performing arts. Drama, dance and physical theatre encompass leadership attributes, whilst also equipping our students with key skills that will benefit them throughout their lives. All students at Harrow in Shanghai will have the opportunity to be involved with a drama production over the course of the year. This can be in acting, set design and construction, stage management, lighting or sound. We will also endeavor to build a vibrant and exciting Music programme, led by highly experienced musicians who will strive to create and maintain a balance between excellence and inclusivity. Our aim will be to raise the best musicians to a very high level of skill, whilst involving every student in enjoyable musical activity. Singing has always keen a key feature of life at Harrow, and unique to Harrow is the famous school song Forty Years On. Composed in 1872, the song will be performed at all ceremonial occasions at Harrow in Shanghai. An addition verse was added for Sir Winston Churchill s ninetieth birthday in Here it is Forty years on, when afar and asunder Parted are those who are singing today, When you look back, and forgetfully wonder What you were like in your work and your play, Then, it may be, there will often come o er you, Glimpses of notes like the catch of a song Visions of boyhood shall float them before you, Echoes of dreamland shall bear them along. Page 9

11 INTRODUCING THE HARROW SHANGHAI HOUSES Over the next few months we are going to introduce you to the Harrow houses. They are all named after Old Harrovians or figures with a close association to the school in the UK. Some of the names will be very familiar to you. Indeed it has not been easy to make a choice from the literally hundreds of Old Harrovians who have gone on to prominence in public life in an astonishingly wide variety of fields in Britain or overseas. These houses are the cornerstone of the Harrow pastoral system and all of our students will join one of them. So to begin, we present to you Shaftesbury House Crest Named after Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury ( ). Shaftesbury was an Old Harrovian and came to national and international prominence as possibly the leading social reformer of the 19th century. House motto: Humour is the only test of gravity and gravity of humour. Twin Harrow UK House: Newlands. House colours: Yellow, red and white. Shaftesbury once said in Parliament, The future hopes of a country must be laid in the character and condition of its children; however right it may be to attempt, it is almost fruitless to expect the reformation of its adults; as the sapling has been bent, so will it grow.my grand object is to bring [all the] children [of this country] within the reach of education. Applications open for 2 14 year olds Please contact us at admissions@harrowshanghai.cn / / Page 10