An Interview with Mr. Derek Pinchbeck, Head of School at ICHK Kindergarten and Primary .
Today, we had an absolute pleasure of talking with Mr Derek on early childhood education and ICHK school
Before we start our conversion, let me share little background of Derek Pinchbeck: He is the Head of School at ICHK Kindergarten and Primary School. He has been teaching since 1990 and leading schools since 2008. His career encompasses a range of schools in the UK, Dominican Republic, Papua New Guinea, Brunei, Italy, China, and Singapore. He has over 20 years of involvement with the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) as a teacher, Head of School, and consultant. Since joining ICHK Kindergarten and Primary five years ago from his previous role as Kindergarten and Primary School Advisor at ESF, Mr. Pinchbeck has proudly led the school to win the prestigious International School of the Year Award in 2023 and has established it as the first Bilingual and Multilingual (BML) Smart School in Hong Kong, recognizing the quality of teaching for BML students within the school.
Priti (from International Desi): Could you please provide a brief bio that highlights your experiences at ICHK Kindergarten and Primary and the creative learning outcomes you’ve successfully achieved?
Mr. Pinchbeck: At ICHK Kindergarten and Primary Hong Lok Yuen, our mission is for all community members to thrive. This means we empower our children to:
– Be Great: Acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and understandings needed to continually improve and grow cognitively, socially, emotionally, and physically.
– Do Great: Engage in actions that bring joy to themselves while enriching others’ lives. We encourage them to act authentically as responsible and informed global citizens, taking individual and collective action at personal, local, national, or global levels for a more peaceful, sustainable, and happier world. This instils a sense of responsibility for both the present and the future.
– Feel Great: Develop a positive sense of self and a feeling of belonging to a shared humanity, fostering values of empathy, solidarity, and respect for differences and diversity. This nurtures a lasting sense of fulfilment and satisfaction from living a meaningful and purposeful life.
Priti (from International Desi): How do you implement your mission?
Mr. Pinchbeck: We have thoughtfully designed our early years learning space to facilitate seamless movement between indoor and outdoor environments. This encourages our children to grow up with a love for and engagement with nature. Every day, opportunities arise for children to plant, run, climb, and interact with the natural world. Additionally, our specially designed Kindergarten spaces, along with our highly qualified and experienced staff, ensure that all children receive the best possible start to their educational journey, which continues smoothly as they transition into Primary School.
Priti (from International Desi): How does the community perceive you?
Mr. Pinchbeck: We take pride in the fact that our school is frequently described as a “happy school.” Research indicates that children learn best when they are happy and engaged in the joy of learning and discovery. By ensuring that children thrive socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively, we provide them with the best possible foundation for lifelong learning.
Priti (from International Desi): What unique offerings does your school provide that others in Hong Kong do not?
Mr. Pinchbeck: A key aspect of learning at ICHK Kindergarten and Primary is the opportunity for children to connect with nature. As Canadian broadcaster and environmentalist David Suzuki said, “Unless we are willing to encourage our children to reconnect with and appreciate the natural world, we can’t expect them to help protect and care for it.” We are proud that our commitment to sustainability earned us the prestigious International School of the Year Award in 2023.
We embrace an innovative, educational approach to outdoor play in our beautiful environment. Our teachers leverage our grounds whenever possible to give students greater space and freedom. Outdoor learning is a cornerstone of our curriculum, drawing inspiration from play-based, Forest School, and holistic learning approaches.
In Kindergarten, students learn through daily outdoor play in our front and back gardens. This holistic approach helps children develop essential physical, social, and emotional skills in a hands-on environment. From an early age, students are encouraged to connect with nature, embrace getting muddy, and enjoy play in all weather conditions.
In Primary, students participate in lessons led by our Outdoor Learning team. These sessions utilize our outdoor learning facilities to provide unique educational experiences aligned with different curriculum areas. Activities such as shelter building, gardening, outdoor science, fire lighting, and woodworking are just a few of the valuable skills children acquire during their outdoor learning sessions. These activities are thoughtfully integrated with each year level’s units of inquiry, allowing students to make meaningful connections with their in-class learning.
Priti (from International Desi): That’s impressive.
Mr. Pinchbeck: Thank you! Another distinctive aspect of our outdoor learning program is the care of our mini forest. Established in 2021, this area behind the school field features over 350 local trees planted by students using the Miyawaki method, which enables forests to grow up to ten times faster than normal. By nurturing this forest, students learn about sustainable living and cultivate an attitude of care and concern for the environment.
If you want your child to thrive academically, socially, emotionally, and physically in a nurturing and supportive environment with regular engagement with nature, we invite you to book a tour of our unique award-winning school.
Priti (from International Desi): Wow, creating a mini forest… that is an extraordinary achievement.
Mr. Pinchbeck: Thank you! It reflects our commitment to teaching children about sustainable living.
Priti (from International Desi): Thank you for inspiring us and emphasizing the value of sustainability, along with the successful beginnings of life through your holistic learning approach.
Mr. Pinchbeck: The pleasure is all mine.
To know more about ICHK Kindergarten and Primary school admission process, please visit ICHK site