Nurturing Reflective Learners
IGNATIAN PEDAGOGICAL PARADIGM
As a Jesuit school, we believe that the learning experience at school should move beyond rote learning to the development of the more complex learning skills of understanding, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
To bring the vision of Jesuit Education into practice, we apply the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm in our teaching and learning. We believe that the teacher’s primary role is to facilitate the growing relationship of the learner with truth, particularly in the matter of the subject being studied under the guiding influence of the teacher. The teacher creates the conditions, lays the foundations and provides the opportunities for the continual interplay of the student’s EXPERIENCE, REFLECTION and ACTION to occur.
A comprehensive Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm must consider the context of learning as well as the more explicitly pedagogical process. In addition, it should point to ways to encourage openness to growth even after the student has completed an individual learning cycle. Thus five steps are involved: CONTEXT; EXPERIENCE; REFLECTION; ACTION; EVALUATION.
Taking Ownership of Learning
CURRICULUM HIGHLIGHTS
Our curriculum is designed to nurture all-round leaders in every field. As an EMI school, we conduct all lessons in English, except for Chinese, Chinese History and Putonghua. We are dedicated to providing a challenging environment for our students, both academically and outside the classroom, to develop Self-Directed Learning (SDL) skills. Equally important is our emphasis on developing our students spiritually through reflections and mindful exercises, which are embedded in our Jesuit heritage.
Taking Ownership of Learning
CURRICULUM HIGHLIGHTS
Our curriculum is designed to nurture all-round leaders in every field. As an EMI school, we conduct all lessons in English, except for Chinese, Chinese History and Putonghua. We are dedicated to providing a challenging environment for our students, both academically and outside the classroom, to develop Self-Directed Learning (SDL) skills. Equally important is our emphasis on developing our students spiritually through reflections and mindful exercises, which are embedded in our Jesuit heritage.
Academic Excellence is an Essential Part of Our Holistic Curriculum
JUNIOR FORM CURRICULUM
Our junior curriculum is rigorous, but we encourage our students to meet the challenge by learning to learn. All students in Forms One to Three follow the same curriculum. Students with different academic abilities are allotted evenly to different classes, as we believe in an inclusive learning environment for all. For Chinese, English and Mathematics, we offer split classes to cater for high achievers as well as those who need an extra push, so that no one is left behind. Recently, we have initiated a new school-based curriculum, IDEEA (Innovation, Design, Engineering, Entrepreneurship, Algorithm), to provide chances for applying Project-based Learning and Design Thinking to learning.
Supporting Students in Striving towards Their Aspirations
SENIOR FORMS CURRICULUM
We celebrate the talents of each individual. To help all students pursue their passions and strive for their aspirations, we provide a wide range of options in the senior forms.
In Forms Four, Five and Six, students are sorted into different classes according to the electives they take. All students take the four core subjects of the HKDSE examination, English, Chinese, Mathematics and Liberal Studies. In addition, as an integral part of the holistic education we offer, they also take Ignatian Values Education, Physical Education and Life Education / Religious Formation. Visual Arts and Music are also taught in Forms Four & Five.
Additionally, all students are required to take 3 or 4 electives for the HKDSE examination. We offer a variety of electives spanning across multiple Key Learning Areas.
Magis, in the Footsteps of St. Ignatius
IGNATIAN VALUES EDUCATION (IVE)
We have developed a school-based curriculum of Ethics & Religious Studies called Ignatian Values Education (IVE). More than knowing ‘what’ values we should follow, we aim at nurturing students through the wisdom of the Scriptures to understand the ‘why’ behind these values: to be reflective and morally discerning persons. Throughout the 6-year journey of Spiritual Formation, we follow in the footsteps of St. Ignatius. Through learning to be more mindful towards our daily experience and more aware of our inner choices, we aspire to be Men For and With Others. A true Wahyanite is one who is always willing to strive for Magis (better, greater and more) in life.
ADVANCED CURRICULUM
We are committed to bringing out the best of every student to prepare them for the global era. For more gifted students, we provide advanced programmes to help unleash their potentials.
NEW INITIATIVES
The world is changing at an unprecedented speed. We believe that the next generation of leaders are the ones who embrace changes and take the lead in reinventing themselves.
Gifted Education
The aim of our Gifted Education programme, inspired by Cura Personalis (care for the entire person), a hallmark of Ignatian spirituality, is to bring out the best of gifted Wahyanites. Students with outstanding academic performance in individual subjects will be recommended to attend specialised courses offered by professional international academies. School-based pull-out programmes for Mathematics are also offered for gifted students in the junior forms.
Spanish Courses
We offer elementary to advanced Spanish courses to students of all forms during the weekends, taught by native Spanish teachers. Students may choose to take Spanish examinations locally (HKDSE) and/or overseas (IGCSE) in their senior years. Apart from learning inside the classrooms, school-organised exchange programmes to Spanish-speaking regions are regular fixtures in the summer.
International Examinations
We encourage Wahyanites to set their sights on the world beyond Hong Kong. In fact, many Wahyanites go on to study overseas after leaving Wah Yan. To facilitate that, we assist senior form students in taking part in international and professional examinations and assessments, including the International Advanced Level A/AS-level Examinations (IAL) and the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE). Learning materials are available in our school library.
IDEEA
We are developing an initiative called IDEEA (Innovation, Design, Engineering, Entrepreneurship, Arts). This involves cross-subject collaboration between Life & Society (L&S), Visual Arts (VA) and Computer Literacy (CL) in the junior forms. It aims to apply ideas of Design Thinking and Project-based Learning to the learning process. We look forward to seeing a mini showcase of products and projects from our Form 3 gentlemen at the end of the school year.
Project Zero
Wah Yan has been selected as one of the ten participating schools in Hong Kong for the Project Zero Study: Envisioning Innovation in Education programme since 2020. This is organised by Project Zero at Harvard Graduate School of Education, an internationally renowned educational research centre with the mission to understand and enhance learning, thinking and creativity, sponsored by Catalyst Education Lab. The programme will last for three years, during which a team of our faculty members will meet the Project Zero Team from Harvard at regular basis to explore innovative educational practices.
From Wah Yan to the World – A Global Perspective
FURTHER STUDIES & LIFE PLANNING
At Wah Yan, we prize a global perspective and a growth mindset. We fully support our students’ applications to esteemed universities in Hong Kong. The numbers of JUPAS offers we receive have been very consistent throughout the years, with the ‘Big Three’ (HKU, CUHK, HKUST) being prevalent destinations. As a testament to our commitment towards whole-person development, our graduates have been admitted to a wide variety of courses, including medicine, law, business, architecture, engineering, science, arts. Besides the leading universities in Hong Kong, many of our graduates have chosen to continue their studies in prestigious educational institutions around the world. Apart from the Ivy League Schools and Oxbridge, popular destinations include (but not limited to) Imperial College London, The University of Toronto, The University of Sydney and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), to name a few. Interestingly, three Wahyanites received their doctorates from MIT in the class of 1964 alone!
From Wah Yan to the World – A Global Perspective
FURTHER STUDIES & LIFE PLANNING
At Wah Yan, we prize a global perspective and a growth mindset. We fully support our students’ applications to esteemed universities in Hong Kong. The numbers of JUPAS offers we receive have been very consistent throughout the years, with the ‘Big Three’ (HKU, CUHK, HKUST) being prevalent destinations. As a testament to our commitment towards whole-person development, our graduates have been admitted to a wide variety of courses, including medicine, law, business, architecture, engineering, science, arts. Besides the leading universities in Hong Kong, many of our graduates have chosen to continue their studies in prestigious educational institutions around the world. Apart from the Ivy League Schools and Oxbridge, popular destinations include (but not limited to) Imperial College London, The University of Toronto, The University of Sydney and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), to name a few. Interestingly, three Wahyanites received their doctorates from MIT in the class of 1964 alone!
Our Life Planning and Further Studies Guidance Committee provides support through arranging personalised counselling sessions to help our students with further studies, university applications and life planning. In addition, we organise a wide array of programmes for senior students to raise their awareness towards different options for further studies, as well as to equip them with the skills required to take charge of their life planning. Programmes include: seminars on further education and careers, visits to universities, joint-school career expo and career day, the Mentorship Programme and various workshops.
For junior forms, our life planning programmes follow a progressive approach in helping students discover their own interests, strengths and aspirations. We believe that this is an essential step towards making informed and responsible choices in life, as well as integrating their goals with life-long learning.