FAQs from Students about Decant
How will we interact with students from other year groups that are not on my site?
We have space in the timetable throughout the year when we can bring the whole student body together or Houses together. During this time we have also built in some House events, sporting competitions and other community occasions which will require students from different Year groups and sites to work together.
How will we get to the new school?
We have two ways that we anticipate most students will travel to the school – by school bus and the MTR. The proposed bus routes have been planned and are now available to view on our website. We are still finalising the departure times and prices and these will be released shortly.
Both sites are no more than a 5 minute walk from an MTR station. For Year 9 – 11 this is Tai Wai, for those in Year 7, 8, 12 & 13 it is Sha Tin Wai. We will organise walking buses for younger students for the first few weeks after the move.
We are also working on other public transport information, now on the school’s website.
Will the teaching resources be as good as on Borrett Road?
Much better. The total budget for the redevelopment is $150 million HKD. This means that we will have a superb school that effectively is brand new. We will also have new teaching spaces such as creative hubs, multi-purpose rooms, sports performance suites and food technology suites. Science labs, technology rooms and standard classrooms will all be first class.
Do the new times of the day mean that my learning time decreases?
No. All lessons remain at 1.05 long. Any shortening of time was taken from lesson changeovers and break.
Will the refurbishment be delayed?
The main contractor (Hong Fun Engineering) have completed many projects for ESF before, these include extensive work at South Island, Tung Chung, Quarry Bay and Sha Tin. They have extensive experience of ESF and working to tight summer deadlines.
Presently, after 5 weeks, work is on schedule and no major hiccups have been found.
How will I carry my heavy bag to school?
Like at Island school lockers will be provided in the new school. However we are aware that some work still needs to be done and will consult with the student decant group and teachers to address this issue.
How will after school activities and sports teams be affected?
We have carefully looked at the facilities currently used by Island School in order to decide when and where to book new facilities and pitches. We have already bid to book facilities close to each of the new campuses and we are awaiting confirmation from the Leisure, Culture and Service Department. For some activities it will be better to remain at the current location, so buses will obviously be arranged as necessary. The activities will continue as normal and buses after sports events will make a stop off at a central point in Kowloon before Admiralty and Pier 3.
Will I be able to get to school in time for the beginning of our exams?
We do have some flexibility in timetabling of exams and will endeavor not to start exams before 9am.
What will the food be like in the canteens?
We have a range of options available to us and we are just about to begin the process of appointing a new catering contractor. We will work with the student decant group to identify the types of food that students like.
For some year groups it will be possible to get lunch out of school at the many Dai Pai Dong that surround the schools.
What outdoor space is available on site?
Outdoor space directly on site is a challenge. However both sites do have sporting facilities close by. These include astroturf pitches (Tsang Tai playground, Hin Tin playground) and hard basketball courts (Sha Tin Wai Sports Ground, Chui Tin soccer pitch). All within walking distance – we have already submitted applications to book these facilities and are awaiting confirmation. The proximity of the schools to the main highway allows us to be back on the Island in around 20 minutes and so some facilities (e.g Sun Yat Sen sports ground) do still remain a better option for our use.
How will the move affect the spirit of Island School?
This has been, and will continue to be at the forefront of our thinking throughout the decant time. We have promoted 6 Heads of House for the transition in order to help maintain the House spirit and ensure that pastoral care remains at a superb level.
We have also introduced 1 period of curriculum time each week. We have specifically set aside time for the school and Houses to come together. This time will also allow us to run various competitions in order to bolster a competitive aspect of the school.
Will any of my teachers change at Christmas?
The curriculum and timetable now in place has been written based on us moving at Christmas. This means that your teachers will remain the same in most cases. Like any other year we may have very small staff changes for various reasons, but the move to Sha Tin will not be one of them.
Will my timetable remain the same?
Yes, all classes that are currently taught will continue to be delivered when we move.
If you have any further questions please contact the email address below:
student.feedback@online.island.edu.hk
