Secondary Campus Weekly Update 9 Nov 2026

Dear Parents,

It has been a vibrant and celebratory fortnight, filled with creativity, achievement and opportunities for our community to come together. Our Diwali celebrations were a wonderful highlight, with students exploring the meaning of the Festival of Lights, dressing in colourful attire and enjoying the Rangoli competition, quiz and henna tattoos. Thank you to the Community and Events Committee, PTA and everyone who contributed to such a memorable celebration. We also enjoyed an outstanding Young Musician of the Year Final, with more than 70 parents, students and staff supporting our talented performers. Congratulations to Eason, Aurora, Melody, Linus and Liam on their category wins, and to every finalist for their courage, dedication and musicality.

It was also fantastic to see so many parents attend Ryan Parke’s How to Help Him parent workshop. The session offered valuable insights into coaching and supporting young men, and I personally took a great deal from it, both as an educator and as a parent.

Thank you to the many families who attended our first round of Parent Teacher Conferences. A follow-up session takes place on Wednesday, and we welcome your feedback to help us continue improving these important events. Finally, please look out for the Year 11 Sixth Form and Year 9 IGCSE Pathways webinars this week, which will support families as students begin making important decisions about their next steps.

Fiona Thorndike
Head of Secondary

Diwali Reflection – Dr. Lisa Curley

What a vibrant Diwali celebration we had, led by our Community and Events Committee! Students began by exploring the meaning of Diwali, the Festival of Lights, and discovering why it is celebrated. On Wednesday, our school came alive with a dazzling sea of colour as students arrived in traditional attire, House T-shirts and bright outfits.

Creativity shone in the Rangoli Window Design Competition, while the Diwali Quiz gave students a chance to put their knowledge to the test. The henna tattoos were another highlight, made possible with the wonderful support of our PTA.

A heartfelt thank you to the Community and Events Committee, the PTA and everyone who joined in, your enthusiasm helped make this Diwali celebration truly special!

Young Musician of the Year Reflection – Ryan Sayce

The Young Musician of the Year Final was a truly memorable evening, celebrating the exceptional talent, dedication, and passion for music demonstrated by students across the secondary school. With more than 70 parents, students, and staff in attendance, the event was filled with excitement, encouragement, and a shared appreciation for the hard work of all our performers.

Throughout the evening, finalists from each category took to the stage and delivered performances of an outstanding standard. Audiences were treated to a wide variety of musical styles and instruments, with every student showcasing not only impressive technical proficiency but also confidence, creativity, and genuine musical expression. The level of musicianship on display reflected the many hours of preparation and commitment invested by the students, as well as the support of their families and teachers.

After much deliberation, our judges selected the following category winners:

• Beginner Category: Eason (Year 7)
• Intermediate Category: Aurora (Year 9)
• Advanced Category: Melody (Year 10)
• Virtuoso Category (Joint Winners): Linus (Year 10) and Liam (Year 7)

We extend our warmest congratulations to all of our winners on this well-deserved achievement. Their performances demonstrated remarkable skill, poise, and artistry, making them worthy champions of their respective categories.

At the same time, we would like to recognise every finalist who took part in the competition. Reaching the final is a significant accomplishment in itself, and each performer contributed to an evening that highlighted the depth and breadth of musical talent within our school community. The courage to perform at such a high level in front of a large audience is something of which every student should be immensely proud.

Thank you to all the parents, students, and staff who came along to support our young musicians. Your encouragement helped create a warm and celebratory atmosphere that made the event so special. We look forward to seeing these talented performers continue to develop and share their love of music in the years ahead.

Parent Teacher Conferences – Follow Up Event and Feedback

It was wonderful to have the opportunity to meet with so many families as we held our first round of parent teacher conferences at the end of last week. Across two days, our teachers held thousands of individual appointments with parents and students as we continue to build and strengthen our home school partnerships. For those who couldn’t attend events last week, there will be a further opportunity to meet with teachers on Wednesday evening between 15.00 – 18.00. Once again, please log in to School Cloud to make appointments. We recommend using the manual appointment selection method to select individual teachers who you may not have had the opportunity to speak with last week.

We would also welcome your feedback on our Parental Teacher Conferences, particularly given the updated approach we have used for our most recent events. Please click below to provide us with your feedback as we look to review and refine our approach to meet the needs of all stakeholders at future events.

NAISHK Secondary Event Feedback: November Parent Teacher Conferences – Fill in form

Mr. Cross

Year 9 & 11 Pathways Webinars

Year 11 – Sixth Form Pathways Webinar Tuesday 9th November @4.00pm. Ms. Campbell & Mr. Roscoe.

Our Year 11 students are working hard in preparation for their final IGCSE exams this summer. Whilst doing so, our attention now begins to shift towards their next exciting steps as we consider pathway choices and subject selection as we approach Sixth Form. As such, we invite Year 11 parents to join our forthcoming Sixth Form Pathways Webinar on Tuesday 10th November from 4-5pm. This session is designed to provide an overview of the and help families make informed decisions about the next stage of their child's educational journey, at our Sixth Form Campus in Hung Hom.

Sign up for this event has now closed. Please contact james.roscoe@nais.hk if you did not quite make the sign up but would like to attend. The session will be recorded and shared with all Year 11 families later this week.

Year 9 Pathways Webinar – Thursday 11th November @ 4pm. Ms. Pollard & Mr. Cross

As our Year 11 students near the end of their (I)GCSE journey, our Year 9 students will shortly begin the IGCSE Pathways process as they make decisions for the first time on the elective subjects they will like to study at IGCSE level in Year 10 & 11. Our Year 9 families are invited to attend the forthcoming IGCSE Pathways webinar on Thursday 12th November from 4-5pm. This session will introduce the IGCSE Pathways process to parents and provide an overview of the timeline of events that will support our Year 9 students in making these important decisions as this year progresses.

Sign up for this event remains open until Noon on Wednesday 11th November. Year 9 parents may click here to sign up for the event.

Looking Ahead – Key Dates

• Wednesday 11th November – Hung Hom Open Evening
• Wednesday 11th November - Parent Teacher Conference Follow Up Appointments (school open to students as normal)
• Friday 13th November – Staff CPD Day (school closed to students)
• Wednesday 18th November – Battle of the Bands Final
• Wednesday 2nd December – Secondary School Winter Concert
• Friday 11th December – School Closes for Winter Break – 12:00pm
• Monday 4th January – School Re-Opens