The ultimate authority on a school’s performance is its parents. So, we asked two parents to share stories about their children’s experiences at our sister school Hiba Academy Shanghai. Here they are in their own words.
Inspired, Intellectual, Independent, Individual and Inclusive
Chelsea returned to China when she was in grade 4 and joined the international department of another private school. Despite the preparations her parents made, Chelsea struggled to readjust. This prompted Chelsea's mother to find a school that placed more emphasis on helping pupils develop.
She had learned about Hiba Academy Shanghai and was attracted to the Hiba Identity of being Inspired, Intellectual, Independent, Individual and Inclusive as well as its mission to educate the whole child. “It was clear to me that Hiba does not see children as products on a conveyor belt”, said Chelsea’s mother, “I could tell they wanted my daughter to be kind and resilient; a person with a strong heart who can think critically and has a passion for learning.”
Self-directed learning
The mother of another Hiba pupil named Mike shared an illustrative story with us. Mike had written a short poem and sent it to his teacher. The teacher was impressed with Mike's creativity and helped him revise it and shared it with the whole class.
Mike's mother did not know about any of this until after it happened. She was struck by just the level of initiative that her son had taken. He did not need to wait for instruction. He took responsibility for his own education and sought help from his teacher when he needed it.
Mike’s mother was also impressed by how approachable his teacher was. He felt comfortable enough to share something like this with his teacher, and his teacher offered support and encouragement.
Personalised academic support
Chelsea's mother also shared another interesting story: Chelsea’s foundations in mathematics were weak. She struggled to keep up with her peers, and it was a source of immense anxiety for her. However, Chelsea’s teacher explained it to her this way, saying, “We are now binge-watching a TV drama. You might have missed some seasons and are not familiar with the plot, so whenever you have questions, you can always come to me. I can get you up to speed on all the characters and the plot, so you will be able to understand what is going on in the latest season."
It was an apt analogy, and it put a smile on Chelsea’s face. She felt comfortable enough to communicate her concerns with her teacher, who encouraged her to take challenges in her stride. Then they worked together, identified the problem areas and developed a clear plan for addressing them. She was up to speed and performing on par with her classmates in no time.
A trusting and caring community
Hiba is more than a school. It is a caring and trusting community of pupils, parents and teachers. Recent Covid-related mandates have demonstrated just how strong this community is.
In March, Hiba Academy Shanghai received a lockdown mandate and all pupils were required to remain on campus overnight. Mike's mother recalled how confident she was that her child was in safe hands.
This trust was built on Hiba’s transparency in its communications. The following day, she was surprised to learn that Mike wanted to spend another night at Hiba. “I was deeply touched,” she said.
Mike and Chelsea may be pupils at our sister school in Shanghai, but their testimonials speak to our wider mission across all Hiba schools. We are confident that Hiba Academy Nantong parents will soon be sharing similar stories about their children. We look forward to welcoming our founding class of pupils and their parents this coming September.
(Sharing from parents of Hiba School Shanghai)
Contact Us
Contacts:Sammi Gu
Hotline:0513-8919 0666
Telephone:177 1485 5368
Contacts:Jennifer Gu
Hotline:0513-8919 0661
Telephone:177 1485 4369
Email:admissions.hsn@huilieducation.cn
Website:nantong.hibaacademy.org.cn
Founding Office Address:
China-Austria Eco-Park, Su-Xi-Tong Science and Technology Industrial Park, Nantong
School Address:
66 Haide Road, Su-Xi-Tong Science and Technology Industrial Park, Nantong, Jiangsu