What We Stand For

Our Vision

“Success for Every Child”

Our Mission

Our mission is to provide a joyful, supportive and stimulating learning environment where successful learners achieve through a wide range of learning opportunities and have positive wellbeing. They will learn with an attitude of respect for self, others and the environment and have increasing levels of agency to take action and make a positive difference in the world. Our children will be internationally-minded lifelong learners.

Our Commitment

To achieve our vision of ‘Success for Every Child’, staff at KJS will focus on Achievement, Agency, Respect, Opportunity and Wellbeing (the AAROW’s of Success) supporting and challenging each child to be successful. This means a team at KJS who:

Collaborate with one another, families and the community to achieve Success for Every Child
Are supported to be professional and exceptional in their respective roles
Regularly monitor and enhance each student’s achievement, agency and wellbeing
Have a passion for providing a broad range of learning opportunities within and beyond the class based curriculum
Model and promote positive wellbeing, growth mindset and respect for self, others and the environment
Understand and implement a quality PYP framework
Are a community of internationally minded lifelong learners

Our Values

We value the primary years programme, specifically the qualities and characteristics defined in the learner profile:

Knowledgeable – we look for and share ideas, information and experiences to understand how our world is changing
Caring – we are friendly, kind and thoughtful towards everyone and everything
Principled – we are responsible, respectful, honest and fair
Balanced – we take good care of our minds and bodies to be happy and healthy
Open-Minded – we understand and value differences , this helps us to learn
Courageous- we believe in ourselves and have the courage to look at and try new things with enthusiasm (PYP risk takers)
Inquirers – we ask questions find things out, and make connections
Thinkers – we think in different ways, ask questions, solve problems and make decisions
Communicators – we listen and talk to others, sharing clearly our ideas and feelings
Reflective – we understand our strengths and weaknesses reflect on our actions and plan next steps

International Mindedness

Within our mission statement, the qualities we recognize as key to being ‘internationally minded’ prevail. These qualities are outlined in the IB Learner Profile and are appropriate for all members of our school community. The Learner Profile underpins a curricular framework that provides access to global issues in particular through the concepts of responsibility, perspective and connection, enabling us to put our vision and mission into action. We are proud to be an international school within a Hong Kong setting and to have the opportunity to draw on the knowledge and experiences of our community and the rich culture of our host country to enhance learning in school and beyond

Safeguarding and Child Protection

ESF upholds every child’s right to learn and live in conditions that protect them from harm.

At ESF we prioritise Safeguarding and Child Protection. Through our actions, we promote the optimum development of our students' intellectual, physical, emotional, and social wellbeing. Wherever possible, we aim to prevent harm through our safeguarding actions, and if harm has occurred, we respond through our child protection procedures.

All ESF staff are trained in preventative and protective measures, with each school having at least two dedicated Child Protection Officers on site to lead on this critical aspect of student life.

Our policy and procedures are based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Hong Kong law, and additional guidance from international sources such as Keeping Children Safe, and the International Task Force on Child Protection.

Our policy is built on four core tenets:

We respond: All our actions are proactive and responsive, guided by strong policy to ensure we do all we can to safeguard and protect our students.
We support: We work in hope, towards a future without child maltreatment, in close collaboration with our students and their families. We understand the specific context they live in, and support them in a culturally sensitive manner.
We connect: We engage and partner with local and international support services, with our communities, and with each other through the ESF Child Protection Officers Network.
We develop: The field of Child Protection is always in motion; we constantly strive to improve our approach. We refine and review our actions, with the aim to constantly better ourselves.

ESF Kowloon Junior School - Child Protection Officers

Dawn Doucette, Vice Principal (dawn.doucette@kjs.edu.hk)
Ciarian Fay, Vice Principal (ciarian.fay@kjs.edu.hk)

By enrolling their children at ESF, parents agree to work in partnership with us and abide by the ESF Safeguarding and Child Protection policy and procedures.

Download ESF Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy

Diversity, equity and inclusion

Diversity, equity and inclusion are at the centre of who we are at ESF.

We are a community of over 18,000 students and staff from more than 70 nationalities and cultures, with a history stretching back over 50 years. We recognise the importance of creating an environment where everyone is treated equally, with dignity and respect, and appreciated for who they are.

This is integral to our vision, mission and values as a leading international school organisation, committed to developing and inspiring every student to be the best that they can be.

Each school within ESF holds a shared vision to create a welcoming learning and working environment, including online, where everyone is valued and supported, so that each and every person in our community can thrive. We believe this is a key driver of our excellence and empowers our students and our staff to reach their fullest potential.

We are aware of our critical role in shaping the future generation of global citizens and are committed to constantly assessing and challenging our own diversity, equity and inclusion practices to ensure we are doing our very best for our students, staff, parents and the wider community.

Our commitments:

To provide students with an equal opportunity to access education and the support they require to enable them to flourish and truly be the best that they can be.
To embrace diversity and celebrate the uniqueness of each student through our personalised learning approach in all ESF kindergartens, primary, secondary and all-through schools.
To educate students and staff on the importance and impact of positive diversity, equity and inclusion policies, practices and behaviours through normalising speaking up, identifying learning opportunities, and holding regular training, awareness events and campaigns.
To promote equitable practices in all of our operations and be fair in the way we deal with all aspects of recruitment and employment.
Not to tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind, including online, against any student or member of staff such as in relation to gender, pregnancy, breastfeeding, adoption, marital status, age, family status, belief, race, disability or sexuality.
To constantly work on improving our focus and accountability in relation to diversity, equity and inclusion; to have personal responsibility and commitment to learning and growth in these areas; to provide regular training and professional development opportunities across all levels of the organisation; to be transparent about our efforts and our progress in reaching our goals; and to highlight and challenge our unconscious biases and be open to ideas for change and improvement.