Welcome Back！

Harrow Beijing kicked off the new school year! The 2024-25 school year has officially begun!

New Academic Year Address by 

Mr. Philip Akerman, Headmaster

It is a pleasure to welcome new and returning parents at the start of an exciting year at Harrow Beijing.

When students join Harrow, they sign up to an exciting learning journey that ensures academic success and personal growth in line with our Harrow values of Courage, Honour, Humility and Fellowship. Ultimately this is a journey summed up by our mission of ‘Educational Excellence for Life and Leadership.’

‘Educational Excellence’ fosters an appetite for learning, curiosity and disciplines of study that students take with them for the rest of their lives. The ‘Life and Leadership’ element of our mission talks about the cultivation of character and confidence which enables students to engage and thrive in a complex world whilst stepping out into it, making a unique contribution and doing something wonderful with their unique talents.

This mission is one our Harrow Beijing community holds dear with both parents and school staff guiding students who remain very much at the centre of all we do.

Of course, as a community, it is right to celebrate the successes of our students along this lifelong journey at key milestones.

I am delighted to inform you that students completing GCSE and A levels this year have excelled. Our Year 11 students as a group outperformed the grades expected of them when reviewing their prior attainment. As a result, not only did they as a group exceed their own target grades but they also achieved higher results than students taking the same qualifications in the UK.

Likewise, our A level students smashed UK averages, achieved better results than the previous year’s highly successful cohort who had already secured some of the best University places the school had seen to date.

A levels represent a Gold Standard for international education qualifications and are extremely challenging examinations which is why they are so highly valued by top Universities in America, UK and around the world. This makes the exceptional achievement of our students even more impressive. We congratulate all our students, including the large group of students who achieved straight As/A*s in 3 or more subjects. As our students embark on their leadership journeys to exciting universities; we note that over 50% of students securing places at “Russell Group” universities, the most prestigious Universities in the UK.

Whilst these results demonstrate the rigour of Harrow Beijing’s Educational Standards, we know that great academic results on their own are not enough to lead a successful and fruitful life. That’s why we place such an important emphasis on our holistic, values-based education and encourage students to make the most of their education and opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom.

This message is clearly resonating with the community as our school continues to grow in size.

I would like to encourage all new and returning students to be bold in seizing all the opportunities available to them this year so they can emulate and even improve upon the successes of former students.

I look forward to seeing all our students and parents in person over the coming year and to boasting about the successes of your children in the very near future!

On the first day of school, students waved goodbye to their parents at the school gate and politely greeted the school leadership with smiles as they walked into campus, full of energy, ready to begin their new semester journey. In the Early Years and Lower School, students were guided by their teachers, seamlessly transitioning from getting to know each other to engaging in classroom learning. The smiles on their faces lit up the entire Harrow campus. Meanwhile, the Upper School reflected on the achievements of the past year and introduced the new student leaders, emphasizing to all secondary students the importance of leadership at Harrow Beijing.

In the new academic year, we are not only welcoming back returning students but also celebrating the arrival of many new students into the Harrow Beijing family. We are honored to see that Harrow Beijing’s educational values are gaining broad recognition from more families. On the first day of school, the school held a grand welcome event. The Harrow Beijing staff, with great enthusiasm and thorough preparation, welcomed the new students. Through a series of informative presentations and engaging activities, new students and their parents were able to quickly familiarize themselves with all aspects of the school and establish a close connection with it, facilitating a smooth transition into their new academic life.

Harrow Beijing has continuously sent successive generations of outstanding graduates to pursue advanced studies at the world’s top universities. We are immensely proud to see them achieve remarkable success around the globe. However, no matter where they are, Harrow Beijing’s warm and supportive family always keeps its arms open for them. Our extensive alumni network also closely connects generations of Harrow individuals, helping them gain wisdom and continue growing.

On the first day of this school year, Michael Z, Class of 2023, AISL Harrow Scholarship recipient, and full scholarship awardee at New York University, returned to Harrow Beijing. He shared his educational journey and valuable experiences with current students and their parents, while also expressing his gratitude to Harrow Beijing.

Wishing all students a happy start to the school year and the opportunity to become the best version of themselves in the new academic year!