Annual Report 2022

ANNUAL REPORT 2022
www.hkacademy.edu.hk

A YEAR IN REVIEW 2
CONTENTS
The Hong Kong Academy Annual Report
provides an overview of the past year.
Information regarding our financial audit,
culture of philanthropy, alumni stories and
global citizenship initiatives is featured
alongside statements from our Head of
School and Board Chair. Visit our website
at www.hkacademy.edu.hk to find out more
about what makes HKA special.
LOOKING FORWARD 3
SUSTAINABLE BY DESIGN 5
A YEAR OF GIVING 7
WHY ASSESSMENT MATTERS 9
ALUMNI STORIES 11
FINANCIALS 13
Dynamic Learning
Community
Rigorous
International
Education
Educational
Leader
Pathways to
Individual
Excellence
CORE VALUES OF
HONG KONG ACADEMY
Engage in
Responsible
Action
Captivating
Learning
Environment
Sustainable
Future
1 HONG KONG ACADEMY

Stephen Dare
Head of School
A YEAR
IN REVIEW
For over 20 years, Hong Kong Academy has provided a holistic
international education in alignment with its mission and core
values. We are an IB World school, and we use the PYP, MYP and DP
frameworks to elevate and promote global citizenship and intercultural
learning for our students from Pre-Kindergarten through to Grade 12.
In my 13 years as Head of School at HKA, it has been evident that
the beliefs and values reflected in our mission are shared across our
dynamic and passionate community. After spending over three months
completely online in the first half of 2022, the return to face-to-face
learning and on-campus events this semester has been energising. It
has reminded us of the importance we place on relationships and how
essential strong home-school partnerships are to delivering the worldclass
education that our students deserve.
As a team of educators, our teachers and leaders refer to the HKA
mission in our decision making processes and are inspired by how it
brings us together in pursuit of our common goals. We finish 2022 with
optimism and excitement for what lies ahead for the HKA community
and invite you to visit us in Sai Kung to experience our exceptional
programmes and learning spaces in action.
Annual Report 2022
2

Adrian Valenzuela
Board Chair
LOOKING
FORWARD
Hong Kong Academy is an active and engaged
community of learners who advocate for a better
future as they continuously connect, inquire and
impact. As the Board Chair, I work with our committed
group of volunteer board members who think and
act strategically to ensure mission integrity, financial
sustainability and nurture the Head of School as the
educational leader of HKA.
Now at the halfway point of implementing our 2020-
2025 Strategy, our board and broader leadership
team are exploring a range of data to reflect on where
we are and where we aspire to go in the short and
medium term. The educational landscape of Hong
Kong has changed in recent years, and in response
we have prioritised initiatives to help us connect with
and engage current and prospective mission-aligned
families as members of our dynamic community.
Last year, we conducted Project Saturn to generate
a large-scale dataset about what HKA is doing well
and where the school can strengthen its messaging
and outreach around educational and operational
programmes. Coupled with the completion of our
preparatory Council of International Schools (CIS)
and Western Association of Schools and Colleges
(WASC) reaccreditation process, the school prepares
to enter 2023 by conducting a deep dive exploration
and self-study of global citizenship and intercultural
learning at HKA. This will provide an opportunity
for representatives from all stakeholder groups to
collaboratively design and implement projects related
to how HKA is embedding language and intercultural
communication, diversity, equity and inclusion,
environmental sustainability and stewardship and
global understanding for today and tomorrow into its
programmes and practices.
As a board, we remain optimistic about what the
future holds and will support HKA in maintaining
its commitment to providing pathways to individual
excellence for students and educational leadership in
the international school community.
3 HONG KONG ACADEMY

“Hong Kong Academy was a great choice for us as an internationally
mobile family. Our children attended HKA for two years. During
that time my son’s confidence and communication skills improved
greatly whilst my daughter made huge improvement with her
Mandarin, thrived in Science and Individuals & Societies classes
and made strong connections with her classmates. We love how the
school is run, and appreciate how everyone involved works hard
and is highly invested in the students and the school. ”
Bon Yuen, Secondary School Parent
“As a student learning in Hong Kong Academy,
I believe that our school’s mission statement
influences the environment we learn in, which
is dynamic, open and friendly. The community
within it also reflects in the statement in how
we are all helping and learning from each other.
While our school may be small in numbers, it
really emphasises our connections and it also
makes it so everyone can understand each
other on a deeper level. The students and
teachers let the mission statement help them
when facing challenges and learn from them. “
Yuvin, Grade 9 Student
Annual Report 2022
4

SUSTAINABLE
BY DESIGN
As a globally-minded international school, Hong Kong
Academy places sustainability at the core of who we are
and how we operate. We are proud to be part of a wider
community of schools and organisations that are fostering
environmental stewardship and engaging in responsible
action. By embedding the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals into our curriculum, we provide
opportunities for students to understand and find innovative
solutions to local and global challenges.
HKA’s purpose-built campus promotes sustainability and was
designed on healthy-building principles. It is the only wholeschool
campus to have been awarded Gold BEAM Plus status
by the Green Buildings Council of Hong Kong. Full marks in
the categories of Innovations and Additions recognise the
school’s rigorous operating principles and commitment to
sound environmental practices.
Inspired by our mission, we continuously look for ways
to elevate the practical application of principles that can
promote and expand environmental stewardship and help us
to reduce our carbon footprint, engage students as agents
of change and promote curiosity and action across the
community. Some notable examples of these initiatives are
detailed in the graphic opposite.
5 HONG KONG ACADEMY

Solar Panel Installation
A 10kw photovoltaic solar array
generates power which feeds into the
local grid and boosts the amount of
clean energy available to the community.
Data collection from the installation
provides a learning tool for future
student projects, and HKA also benefits
from a 10 year electricity subsidy tariff
which will be allocated to maintenance
and sustainability initiatives that further
promote carbon reduction.
Early Childhood Playscape
Early Childhood students connect to nature
in the organic gardens and enjoy play-based
learning through the eco-pond system and
rain water harvesting project, both of which
save water and promote water reuse.
Building Management and
Control Centre
HKA’s procurement, consumption and
waste management systems help us manage
resources responsibly as we work towards
carbon neutrality. The security office is the
nerve centre for HKA’s Building Management
System (BMS) and Internet of Things (IoT).
These systems help the school monitor, control
and reduce energy and water consumption
throughout the campus by adjusting air
conditioning and lighting remotely.
Sustainable Food Service
hkaEATS is the school’s in-house catering
operation which prepares fresh and
nutritionally balanced food onsite daily.
Menus feature seasonally appropriate
dishes and promote plant-based choices
to minimise our carbon footprint. Single
use plastics were eliminated in 2015,
flexible portion sizes and an optional
second serving reduce food waste, and
kitchen scraps are composted to feed
the organic gardens.
Annual Report 2022
6

Hong Kong Academy’s Culture of Philanthropy celebrates all gifts to the school,
through the years community donations have helped to advance our vision and m
mentoring student-led initiatives and making financial donations, HKA parents
community and friends of HKA, whose contributions enrich the learning experie
A YEAR OF
GIVING
As a non-profit school, all donations to the Hong
Kong Academy Annual Fund help elevate the learning
experiences of students and support the wide range of
educational programmes on offer across both Primary
and Secondary School. In the last 10 years, HKA has
benefited from just over HK$43million in donations,
with HK$3.3million being contributed in the 2021-22
financial year.
This incredible support for the Annual Fund over the
years has given the school flexibility in managing its
operating budgets, supported the building of our
amazing campus in Sai Kung, helped us complete
capital projects including the renewal of educational
equipment and facilities, subvented the Learner Support
programme and enabled the school to offer financial
assistance to families facing extenuating circumstances.
We recognise and appreciate the value that this fund
brings to all of our community members, as it ensures
we can provide outstanding learning experiences for
our students today and well into the future.
In 2021-22 we benefited from generous major donor
giving, 100% board and leadership giving and wide
community participation. Multiple families made leaving
gifts in the form of cash and debenture donations,
enabling us to establish the HKA Legacy Club through
which leaving families can support the school and make
an impact long into the future. We were successful in
winning multiple grant applications to support initiatives
like the solar panel installation and after school sports
activities series that encouraged students to make
healthy choices. Our captivating learning environment
was enriched by equipment donations and the ‘The Big
Picture’ community mural project came to fruition in
partnership with Team Building Asia.
We also saw members of our community make a
difference across Hong Kong and beyond. A number
of NGO collaborations and social enterprise projects
have sprung from classroom-based units of inquiry and
student passion projects. Annual events such as the
R.I.S.E. Festival have continued to be well supported,
7 HONG KONG ACADEMY

whether of time, talent or financial support. The school’s founders were the first to personally contribute to HKA, and
ission and support our strategic goals. Through volunteering in the arts, sports and classrooms, serving on committees,
help our programmes thrive and grow. We also greatly appreciate the support extended by members of our alumni
nces we provide to our students each day.
and students have taken on leadership roles as they
have partnered with sporting organisations, community
groups and international providers to take responsible
action that has had a meaningful impact for others.
Donate to the Annual Fund
In February 2022, summer holidays for local schools
were changed, and suddenly thousands of Hong Kong
children found themselves confined to their homes with
no access to teachers or learning resources. Galvanised
by this situation, we came together to support
impacted families and @HOMEwithHKA was born. This
programme of teacher-curated digital playlists and daily
live online sessions was led by HKA teachers, Secondary
School students and guest speakers. The project was an
overwhelming success, providing meaningful activities
and a sense of connection for hundreds of children
logging in to the daily livestream and thousands of
viewers of the digital playlists. This demonstrated the
power of our students, staff and parents giving back
to the wider Hong Kong community as we shared our
resources and showcased our educational leadership.
Annual Report 2022
8

WHY
ASSESSMENT
MATTERS
A school’s definition of learning should align with its mission and core values and reflect the types of experiences
educators and students engage in on a daily basis. Over the last 18 months, Hong Kong Academy set out to
update its definition of learning by gathering input from members of the leadership team, teachers and students
on what learning is and how someone knows when it has taken place. The goal was to produce a definition that
was inclusive of all learners across Primary and Secondary School and could support teachers and students in
developing learning experiences, monitoring progress and reflecting on growth.
HKA’s Definition of Learning
Learning is an active process of building
on prior experiences to discover new or
further develop ideas, character and/or
competencies, resulting in the ability to
apply what’s learned in different contexts.
With this definition in place, it was important
to consider how to make it accessible to
learners in all grade levels and across various
subject areas. Our learning and teaching
framework helps teachers and students
deconstruct aspects of high quality learning
as they bring learning to life in and beyond
the classroom. As we continue to implement
and embed this framework, it will serve to
shape conversations around the learning that
take place throughout the school.
In these conversations about learning, educators are also thinking about how to measure when and how learning
has taken place. A robust approach to assessment helps gauge student progress, refine instruction and identify
areas for further development. HKA has a comprehensive assessment policy which helps us to consider assessment
through three lenses.
Assessment as learning is often informal, with a student
having a chance to think about their learning journey
through teacher-student conferences and during peerand
self-reflections within a lesson or after a short amount
of input. This type of assessment is sometimes captured
through platforms such as Seesaw or noted in a reflective
journal or learning portfolio. Assessment as learning can
be powerful in helping a student identify and maintain a
focus on their incremental growth over time.
Assessment AS learning
When students reflect on and
monitor their progress to inform
future learning goals.
9 HONG KONG ACADEMY

Assessment FOR learning
When teachers use inferences
about student progress to adapt
and modify their teaching.
Assessment for learning might also take place within a lesson
or over a defined period of time, such as within a unit of study.
A teacher might make observations during instructional time
or note key ideas that surfaced in a learning conference that
they then use to adjust their instruction in the coming days.
Sometimes a tool like an exit ticket, which is a brief end-oflesson
reflection completed by each student, can help a teacher
identify what was clear, what remains cloudy and where the
focus might need to be in the next lesson. Assessment for
learning helps teachers remain responsive to the different
learners in the class, ensuring that instruction is personalised in
meaningful and intentional ways.
Assessment of learning is the most formal type of assessment,
and can be conducted internally or externally. In a classroom,
a teacher creates assessment tasks that students complete
throughout or at the end of a chunk of learning to measure
how each student is progressing towards grade level
expectations or standards. Examples of internal assessments
include exhibitions of learning, essays and written tasks, tests,
presentations, long-term projects and experiments. These
tasks provide teachers, students and parents with an insight
into where a child is in their learning, what progress they have
made since a previous assessment and what learning targets
they might continue to work towards in future units of study.
Assessment OF learning
When teachers use evidence
of student learning at specific
points in the school year to
make judgements on student
achievement against goals and
standards.
Internal assessment is complemented by a range of external assessments that provide international benchmarks
of student achievement and growth. At HKA, we use standardised assessments such as the MAP (Measures of
Academic Progress) to provide feedback in the areas of mathematics and reading. These data, in conjunction with
what teachers and students generate in the classroom each day, provide a comprehensive picture of student learning
within and across the academic year. Examination
programmes like the International Baccalaureate
Diploma Programme (IBDP) are terminal external
assessments, with the data being used to determine
post-secondary pathways and inform curriculum
revisions for subsequent cohorts. The HKA Profile
for University Applications available through the
QR Code to the right provides a detailed overview
of IBDP results and university acceptances.
As we think about how we nurture global citizenship
at HKA, our definition of learning and approaches
to assessment help us articulate and deliver a
holistic education at every grade level. From early
childhood through to graduation, students come to
see the many ways that they can connect, inquire
and impact through intercultural communication,
global understanding, community engagement and
academic rigour.
Read our Profile for
University Applications
Annual Report 2022
10

ALUMNI
STORIES
Suhail Bindra
Class of 2013 Graduate
I loved being an HKA student, commencing my studies in Grade 1 and graduating from the IB
Diploma Programme in 2013 with a perfect score of 45 points. I obtained my LL.B. and PCLL from
the University of Hong Kong as an HKSAR Government Scholar, and was fortunate to receive
over HK$400,000 in merit scholarships. After setting up my own consulting social enterprise
and working in a startup, I was part of numerous not-for-profit organisations in the UK, Australia
and Hong Kong, and also had a brief stint in a private practice. I went on to obtain a Master
of Public and International Law from the Melbourne Law School, graduating with First Class
Honours. After returning to Hong Kong I spent a year working as a Legal Case Manager for a
not-for-profit community impact initiative that helps underserved people anticipate, prevent and
solve legal problems, and currently I teach business law, company law and social responsibility
at the HKU Business School. In my free time, I run legal education courses for ethnically diverse
school children with an NGO called EmpowerU. I am also very happy to have been invited to join
HKA’s Institutional Advancement board sub-committee and be able to contribute to the ongoing
development of the school that gave me so many opportunities.
Nearly a decade after graduating from HKA, I treasure the skills, values, and ideas that my
education gave me. HKA taught me to be organized. To be a leader. To speak up. To take initiative.
To drive change. To volunteer. To live with integrity. To pursue what I wanted to pursue because
I wanted to pursue it. To live authentically. To network. To create and build. To innovate. To
imagine. To write concisely. To listen, not to what people say, but what people mean. To be
curious. Read widely (and wildly). To take risks. Fail. Handle difficult situations. Adjust. Try again.
Try differently.
HKA is defined by its inclusiveness, its willingness to put people first, and teaches students to
prioritize their education over their studies. This is a critical distinction, a point largely missed by
many educational institutions. I learned this very early on. I’m so glad I did. It’s made a difference.
Looking back, I wish I could do it all over again, exactly the same way, with all of the same people.
11
HONG KONG ACADEMY

Valeria Riquelme
Class of 2019 Graduate
I joined HKA in Grade 8 and graduated in 2019 with an IB Diploma score
of 40. Having a passion for performing arts, and with a view to developing
my production skillset, I was thrilled to take an internship at HKA during
which time I created and performed my first full theatre production, a one
woman show “So I Went”.
I am currently studying for a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in
comparative literature and history at Hong Kong University. Whilst
studying for my degree, I also founded a media and arts company, Tinta
Ltd, and wrote, directed and produced the short film ‘For Her’ in 2021. My
most recent production is a full-length, experimental physical theatre play
which I produced and co-edited. At the same time, I developed a business
plan and built a team of 40 people to bring the show to life.
As a student and intern at HKA, I learned that team building is at the heart
of any successful enterprise. I was given multiple opportunities to build
teams and produce content for events such as the Refugee Race and GIN
Conference. Faculty mentors gave me the space to ideate and coached me
on goal setting and building common understanding; they also modelled
strong work ethic, positive and timely communication, and helped me
develop my professional persona.
My medium term goal is to make Tinta Ltd a leading force in the Hong Kong
media and arts landscape. As part of that aspiration, I am continuously
looking for ways to create mutually beneficial internships and meaningful
opportunities for young people, so they can be exposed to a professional
environment and become the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Annual Report 2022 12

Hong Kong Academy is an independent, non-profit foundation
and almost entirely self-funded except for the land and capital
loan provided by the Hong Kong government. We are not part of
an international network, and the school has no private equity
ties nor international government affiliation. HKA is proud of
being a diverse and inclusive community and offers a range of
scholarship and financial assistance options.
FINANCIALS
HKA is registered by and operates within the terms of Hong
Kong’s Education Ordinance. Within the legal framework
required to construct and operate a school in Sai Kung, HKA
committed to the terms of three agreements with the Hong
Kong government, namely: A Private Treaty Land Grant; a
Service Agreement; and a Loan Deed. The HKA Board and
Leadership collaborate to ensure the school fully complies with
all terms and conditions pertaining to these agreements and all
relevant sections of Hong Kong’s Education Ordinance.
Each year, HKA is subject to an external audit of all financial
statements, management frameworks and operating practices.
Information from the audited accounts done by KPMG for the
year ended 31 July 2022 are extracted below. All figures are
expressed in HK$millions. The full audit is available for member
review; please contact our Finance Director for more details.
Academic Operations Fund 2021-22 2020-21
INCOME
Tuition and Fees 102.7 91.9% 107.5 87.7%
Other Income 5.7 5.1% 7.1 5.8%
Fundraising and Donations 3.4 3.0% 7.9 6.5%
EXPENSES
111.8 100.0% 122.5 100.0%
Salaries 98.0 83.6% 99.7 84.2%
Other Expenses 19.2 16.3% 18.7 15.8%
117.2 100% 118.4 100.0%
Net Surplus/Deficit -5.4 4.1
+ Transfer from Diversity Fund 0.1 0.0
Year-end Fund Balance -0.7 4.6
Diversity Fund 2021-22 2020-21
INCOME
Income 0.1 0.2
- Expense 0.0 0.0
- Transfer to Operations and
Financial Assistance Fund -0.1 -0.2
Net Surplus 0.0 0.0
Year-end Fund Balance 24.4 24.4
Facilities Fund 2021-22 2020-21
Income -2.5 -3.4
- Expense -17.6 -17.5
Net Deficit -20.1 -20.9
Year-end Fund Balance 368.9 389.0
Balance Sheet 31 JULY 2022 31 JULY 2021
ASSETS
Cash 79.7 15.7% 104.8 19.1%
Receivables 11.4 2.3% 11.8 2.2%
Deposits and Inventories 7.5 1.5% 8.1 1.5%
Fixed Assets 407.8 80.5% 421.8 77.2%
506.4 100.0% 546.5 100.0%
LIABILITIES AND RESERVES
Fees Received in Advance 42.6 8.4% 57.6 10.5%
Accrued Expenses and Payables 5.4 1.1% 5.1 0.9%
Government Loan 65.7 13.0% 65.7 12.0%
Funds and Reserves 392.7 77.5% 418.1 76.6%
506.4 100.0% 546.5 100.0%
Extracts from the audited accounts of Hong Kong Academy Educational Foundation Limited for the year ended 31 July 2022.
All figures expressed in HK$millions.
13
HONG KONG ACADEMY

HKA’s finances are managed in three separate funds*:
Academic Operations Fund which includes tuition, fees and expenses related to the school’s academic
operations.
Facilities Fund which includes debenture income, capital levy income, interest and expenses. Accumulated
fund amounts are designated for capital expenditures and capital loan repayment.
Diversity Fund which includes diversity debenture and interest income. This fund is intended for expenditure
to develop and maintain diversity at HKA.
* The Financial Assistance Fund was merged and operated within the Academic Operations Fund since 1 August 2021.
Cash Balances at 31 July 2022
Diversity Fund
30.6%
Academic Operations Fund
36.8%
Facilities Fund
32.6%
Annual Fundraising
In the last 10 years Hong Kong
Academy has benefited from just
over HK$43million in donations, with
HK$3.3million being contributed
in the 2021-22 financial year.
Contributing to the the Annual Fund
is a powerful way to support creative
ideas and initiatives that help bring
HKA’s mission to life.
HK$ 8m
HK$ 6m
HK$ 4m
HK$ 2m
HK$ 0
2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22
Annual Report 2022 14

33 Wai Man Road, Sai Kung,
New Territories, Hong Kong SAR
+852 2655 1111
office@hkacademy.edu.hk
www.hkacademy.edu.hk
The wood-based raw material used to produce the paper for this publication originates from sustainably managed forests, and soy inks were used for printing.