by Andrรฉ Double
The Hanoi International School is a seriously proud Intentionally Small School.
Last week, LYIS continued our travels around Hanoi and in doing so meeting a number of outstanding leaders and their schools, including Daun Yorke – Head of School, at Hanoi International School.
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I’d become aware of the term ‘Intentionally Small School’ through the work of the renowned Stuart Grauer and Dr. Jeremy J. Majeski who has championed it. In a world that is increasingly fixated on ‘growth’ it is uniquely refreshing to visit a school that is happy with who they are, what they do and the path they take to do it. What this school may not have in terms of trajectory, it more than makes up for it with its sense of community, focus on the individual and desire to do what it does with excellence.
The benefits are obvious and “tie in with our mission of Community, Excellence and Inclusion” notes Daun and I can visually see for myself.
The school’s philosophy and core values are steeped in diversity and inclusivity, and the ongoing pursuit of excellence has seen the school score “well above average in its International Baccalaureate results for the past twenty-seven years” shared Daun – a remarkable statistic given the rigour of the IB, Covid and everything else a school faces.
Built into the culture of the school is a huge level of reciprocal respect that underpins every aspect of the school day. Children honour their teachers and the work they do – gratitude is routinely practised. Daun talks to me about the end-of-year ceremony in which students honour every single teacher.
Daun and I also talk about the school’s personalised learning journey. “Purposeful” and “Intentional” are two words that come up and “This is who we are”.
When I ask Daun what the school does well, the emotion and commitment in her voice was palpable “Gratitude, dedication, caring about the whole child and preparing children for academic excellence”. Being central and small see the school turn challenges into opportunities. They collaborate with and use external providers for PE. Children get to become part of a wider and deeper community.
Daun could not be prouder of her school, the students who represent it and the staff who dedicate their time and service to the students and wider community.
Leading Your International School would like to thank Daun Yorke for such an incredibly exhilarating and educational conversation. We wish everyone at the school a wonderful end to the school year and we hope to be back again one day.
LYIS is proud to partner with WildChina Education
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