Hong Kong Academy is an independent co-educational day school for students ages 3 – 18 in Hong Kong. The school was founded in 2001 by Teresa Richman and Ben Frankel. 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.
Student and Staff
Staff Feedback
Glassdoor.com
Hong Kong Academy received a 3.9/5 from its staff on Glassdoor.
InternationalSchoolReviews.com
International School Reviews is an established source for international educates to keep each other informed. Hong Kong Academy has earned an 8/10 on faculty International School Reviews.
Student/ Parent Reviews
Google reviews by students and parents rate Hong Kong Academy a 3.8/5 and its facebook reviews have been deleted.
Curriculum
Early childhood
The Hong Kong Academy Early Childhood program consists of grades PK1-G1. Students study four International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme units of inquiry, integrating Art, Music, Physical Education and Mandarin. The school claims there are at least two full-time teachers in each class, however, it does not specify whether the second teacher is in fact a qualified full-time instructor. Stating that in PK1 and PK2, there is one English-speaking and one Mandarin-speaking teacher.
Primary school
HKA has adopted the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme. The school chose the PYP intentionally because of its curriculum and its focus on personal development. The PYP's transdisciplinary approach to learning promotes creative questioning and meaningful exploration of themes. 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.
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 in order to obtain their HKA Diploma. A credit is earned by earning a year-end mark of 3 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 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 who are performing beyond grade level expectations, those with physical disabilities, or intellectual challenges, etc.
Campus
The campus was located in and . In August 2013 the school moved to its new permanent site in .
2019 College Admissions Bribery Scandal
A New York Times report connected Hong Kong Academy to the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal. The Times reports that Gamal Abdelaziz’s daughter was portrayed as a standout basketball player at Hong Kong Academy. A coach at U.S.C. 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 is part of neither of the two said leagues, only participating in ACAMIS and ISSFHK non-competitive leagues. Hong Kong Academy does not have team MVP awards for reasons of inclusivity. Players of the 2018 Hong Kong Academy basketball team say Abdelaziz’s daughter never attended the school, let alone lead the basketball team. The Times does not implicate or accuse Hong Kong Academy or any of its staff of falsifying records. It is still unclear whether the international school played a role in the scandal.
