UWC South east asia
Annual Report
2010-2011
UWC Mission
The UWC movement makes education
a force to unite people, nations and
cultures for peace and a sustainable
future.
UWCSEA Educational Goal
The UWCSEA goal is to educate
individuals to embrace challenge
and take responsibility for shaping
a better world.
UWCSEA ambition
UWCSEA will be a leader in
international education. We will have
a worldwide reputation for providing
a challenging, holistic, values-based
education with an emphasis upon
academic achievement, service to
others, environmental stewardship,
teamwork and leadership.
Contents
Letter from Charles Ormiston, Chair of the Board of Governors �����������������������������������������2
Letter from Julian Whiteley, Head of College............................................................................3
UWCSEA Governance and Leadership........................................................................................5
Board of Governors................................................................................................................... 6
Organisational Structure......................................................................................................... 8
UWC Movement...................................................................................................................... 10
Student Achievement....................................................................................................................13
Academic..................................................................................................................................14
Activities..................................................................................................................................20
Outdoor Education................................................................................................................25
Pastoral Care...........................................................................................................................28
Service.......................................................................................................................................31
Our Community............................................................................................................................ 37
Boarding ..................................................................................................................................40
Scholars ...................................................................................................................................42
Parents’ Associations............................................................................................................44
Strategic Plan ................................................................................................................................ 47
Business Report..............................................................................................................................51
HR Report................................................................................................................................ 52
Admissions Report.................................................................................................................54
Financial Report.....................................................................................................................56
College Advancement..................................................................................................................59
The Foundation.......................................................................................................................61
Letter from Charles Ormiston
Chair of the Board of Governors
Letter from Julian Whiteley
Head of College
Welcome to the inaugural UWC South
East Asia Annual Report, intended to
enhance our communications with
all members of our community. The
report provides an overview of the
many achievements of our students,
developments across both campuses
and details of our operations.
If I was to describe the 2010/11
academic year as an unusual one
it would presuppose that I could
somehow define what a ‘usual’ year
would look like at UWCSEA. In recent
years, the College has gone undergone
substantial change and that process
has continued, as we strive to provide
the students with a rich educational
experience. UWCSEA is a ‘learning’
organisation in the truest sense of
the word, and visitors to the College
often comment on the desire within
the community to seek continuous
improvement in all aspects of our
provision.
During the 2010/11 year, we worked
on a number of significant projects.
The Dover Campus embarked upon
the process of receiving accreditation
from the Council of International
Schools (CIS) and the Western
Association of Schools and Colleges
(WASC); the construction of the
East Campus facility at Tampines
was completed – it achieved the
Greenmark Platinum Award for energy
efficiency; the necessary preparation
was undertaken for the introduction
of the iLearn programme in August
2011; the staff on the East Campus
continued to develop and expand the
scope of the educational provision
for the students; the Dover Campus
Master Plan was updated and work
began on the new 55 classroom block;
we commenced the articulation of
the UWCSEA learning programme
from K1 to Grade 12; the design
and creation of a new management
information system which will
enhance our communications began;
we identified a site for an additional
Outdoor Education Centre on Sibu
Island to complement the facility
on Tioman; the College satisfied the
requirements for Foreign System
Schools in Singapore prescribed in
the Private Education Act 2009; the
alumni reunion programme expanded
– events are now taking place in 12
countries spread around the world; and
the Foundation established an annual
fund.
Aside from the above, in order to cope
with the expansion of the College,
we undertook a re-organisation of
the management structure. James
Dalziel, formerly the Middle School
Principal at the Dover Campus, took
up his position as Head of the Campus
(East) at the beginning of the year and
after a twelve month search we were
fortunate to recruit Frazer Cairns, the
Head of the Campus des Nations at
the International School of Geneva,
to be the Head of Campus (Dover),
starting in August 2011. We also
recruited 77 highly qualified faculty,
49 of them to staff the expansion at
the East Campus.
Given the scope and scale of these
we were concerned that they would
impact negatively upon the students.
It was therefore gratifying that the IB
results achieved by the Class of 2011
were the best the College has ever
achieved. It was the fifth year in a row
that we witnessed an improvement
in results while maintaining the same
admissions criteria. Alongside this,
and reflecting our commitment to
providing an holistic education, we
reached our initial target of 10% of the
graduating students participating in
the College GAP Year Programme.
I would like to finish by taking the
opportunity to thank the many
people—students, parents, Board
members, staff, alumni and other
friends of UWCSEA—who have
contributed so much to creating such a
special community. It is both humbling
and a privilege to be working here.
Julian Whiteley
UWC South East Asia benefits
from a highly experienced Board of
Governors whose shared vision is to
establish our school as a leader in
international education. Their role is to
Governance and Leadership
set direction, establish policies, ensure
accountability and provide leadership
to improve the learning environment
for the students of the College. The
Board is made up of both elected and
selected members. Board members
also serve on one of the Board
Committees as well as occasionally
assisting with matters on an ad hoc
basis.
Charles
Ormiston
(Chair, Board
of Governors)
Kevin Bennett
Katie Day
Declan
MacFadden
Please note that all who served on the Board of Governors during the 2010/11 academic year are included here, including those who
only served for part of the year.
Elected members
Driek Desmet
(Chair,
Education
Committee)
Will Kennedy-
Cooke (Chair,
Facilities
Committee)
Wayne Yang
(Chair, Finance
Committee)
David Chong
(Chair,
Governance
Committee)
Miles Beasley
Elizabeth Bray
David Burks
Barry Daniels
Alexandra De
Mello
Dale Fisher
Andrew Gaze
Yvonne
Krishnan
Ravi Raju
Steve Riley
Julian
Whiteley
Chegne
How Poon
Co-opted Members
Douglas J Farber
Doris Sohmen-Pao
Yap Meen Sheng
Thierry Brezac
David Maxwell
Nilanjan Sen
Eric Sandlund
Davy Lau
Alexander Krefft
Ho Seng Chee
Board of
Governors
2010/2011
Education Committee
The role of the Education Committee
is to ensure that the UWCSEA
learning programme is aligned
with the College’s philosophy and
the UWC values. The Education
Committee also monitors trends in
(international) education and oversees
major initiatives in the learning
programme, for example iLearn and
CIS accreditation.
Driek Desmet, Chair
Alexandra de Mello
Dale Fisher
Douglas J Farber
Doris Sohmen-Pao
Yap Meen Sheng
Julian Whiteley
Katie Day
Governance Committee
The role of the Governance Committee
is to ensure the effectiveness of the
full Board and the work it does for the
College. The Governance Committee
also recommends the Board’s annual
objectives, oversees the annual
review of the Board’s structure and
composition and is responsible for
new Board member nominations and
induction.
Declan MacFadden (Aug ‘10 to Jan ‘11)/
David Chong (Jan ’11 to July ’11), Chair
David Burks (to Jan ’11)
Driek Desmet (to Jan ’11)
Davy Lau
Alexander Krefft
Ho Seng Chee
Julian Whiteley
Chegne How Poon
Lizzie Bray (Aug ‘10 to Jan ‘11)/Barry
Daniels (Jan ’11 to July ’11)
Finance Committee
The role of the Finance Committee
is to ensure the longterm financial
stability of the College and
recommend the yearly operational
budget to the Board.
Wayne Yang, Chair
Ravi Raju
David Burks
Kevin Bennett
Andrew Gaze
Nilanjan Sen
Eric Sandlund
Julian Whiteley
James Dazliel
Chegne How Poon
Cecilia Teo
Facilities Committee
The role of the Facilities Committee
is to ensure the effective delivery of
the College’s Dover and East Campus
building master plans.
Steve Riley, Chair
Kevin Bennett
Will Kennedy-Cooke
David Burks
Thierry Brezac
David Maxwell
Julian Whiteley
Simon Thomas
Chegne How Poon
Miles Beasley
Management Committee
The Management Committee is
made up of the Chairs of each of the
other committees. The role of this
committee is to ensure that each
committee is united in a common
purpose.
Charles Ormiston (Chair)
David Burks
Driek Desmet
David Chong
Wayne Yang
Will Kennedy-Cooke
The College is a complex organization,
requiring a large network of individuals
and teams, working together to ensure
that students are receiving the best
possible educational experience every
day. This network of individuals and
teams is led by the Head of College
and the Heads of Campus, under the
direction of the Board of Governors.
During the 2010/11 academic year
a new organizational structure was
devised and put in place that would
better reflect the increased complexity
of the College, a result of significant
growth and expansion over the
previous three years. At the same time,
the key roles of Head of College and
Heads of Campus were defined.
UWCSEA
Board of Governors
Head of College
UWC
International Board
UWCSEA
Foundation Board
Director of
IT
Director of
Admissions
Director of
Administration
Director of
College
Advancement
Head of
Dover Campus
Head of
East Campus
Deputy Head
Deputy Head
Director of
College Staffing
and Development
Director of
Facilities and
Operations
Director of
Communications
and Marketing
Director of
Boarding
Infant School
Principal
Junior School
Principal
Middle School
Principal
High School
Principal
Primary School
Principal
Middle School
Principal
High School
Principal
Director of
Boarding
Organisational
Structure
The Role of the
Head of College
The Head of College is responsible
to the Board of Governors for all
aspects of UWCSEA’s provision and in
particular for providing guidance and
vision for the future of the College. He
works closely with, and is supported
by, the Board of Governors, the Board
Committees and the College Executive
Board (CEB).
The primary role of the Head of
College is as the educational leader
of the College. The Head of College
maintains the College’s reputation for
excellence in learning and provides
guidance and direction to the five
elements of the learning programme,
while supporting innovation and
development to ensure that UWCSEA
achieves its ambition of being a world
leader in international education.
In addition, with more than 500
employees, including 330 teachers,
an annual turnover of S$90m and
property assets worth several S$100
million, the College has significant
business operations, and the Head of
College is responsible for the year-
to-year operations, including finance,
recruitment, admissions, facilities,
communications and marketing
strategy, development of IT systems
and ensuring that the College
satisfies the legal requirements for
Foreign System Schools in Singapore.
The Head of College also sits on
the College Foundation Board and
oversees the newly created Centre for
International Education.
Finally, the Head of College is
responsible for external relations,
including working with the UWC
International Office and the broader
UWC movement and fostering close
relationships with bodies such as the
Economic Development Board, the
Ministry of Education, the Council for
Private Education, the Immigration
Control Authorities and the
International Baccalaureate.
The Role of the
Heads of Campus
The Heads of Campus support the
work of the Head of College and
provide valuable input to College
strategy and policy. However, their
main focus is on leadership and
management within their respective
campuses. As educational leaders they
must develop the UWC ethos; ensure
that students are provided with an
exceptional experience across all five
elements of the UWCSEA Learning
Programme; inspire staff through the
setting of aspirational and achievable
goals; and oversee improvements in
the quality of teaching and learning.
Alongside this, they too have
significant organizational
responsibilities including the selection
of teaching staff; the preparation
and delivery of the campus budgets
within the parameters of the global
budgets; liaising with the Director of
Facilities and Operations to ensure
that all aspects of the functioning
of the campus such as catering,
transport, housekeeping, maintenance,
security, health and safety and so on,
are operating effectively; and working
closely with the Directors of the other
cross-campus functions to ensure that
their needs are met.
The Head of College and Heads
of Campus are supported in their
educational leadership by Deputy
Heads of Campus, Principals, Vice
Principals, Heads of Grade, Heads
of Subject, Heads of Departments,
Counselors, directors of activities,
outdoor education and service, people
in positions of responsibility, teachers
and support and administrative staff.
For further information on the staff at
the College, please see the HR section
of this report.
10
“The striking thing about
the United World Colleges is
that they embrace the entire
world across all divides of
race, history, culture, wealth,
religion, economic status and
political belief.”
Nelson Mandela, Honorary
President, UWC International
UWC South East Asia is a member of
the UWC movement. UWC schools,
colleges and programmes deliver
a challenging and transformative
educational experience to a diverse
range of students, inspiring them to
create a more peaceful and sustainable
future.
UWC has 13 schools and colleges
across five continents. UWC South
East Asia was the second member of
the UWC movement, opened by Lee
Kuan Yew as Singapore International
School in 1971. SIS became UWC
South East Asia in 1975 and gradually
expanded to become the K–12
international school of 4,400 students
across two campuses that it is today.
The schools and colleges of the
UWC movement are united by their
common mission to make education
a force to unite people, nations and
cultures for peace and a sustainable
future.
UWC Pearson College
Victoria, Canada
UWC-USA
Montezuma, New Mexico, USA
UWC Costa Rica
Santa Ana, Costa Rica
Simón Bolívar
UWC of Agriculture
Barinas, Venezuela
UWC Atlantic College
Llantwit Major, UK
UWC Maastricht
Maastricht, Netherlands
UWC Adriatic
Duino, Italy
UWC in Mostar
Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Waterford Kamhlaba UWC
Mbabane, Swaziland
UWC South East Asia
Singapore
UWC Mahindra College
Pune, India
Li Po Chun UWC
Hong Kong SAR, China
UWC Red Cross Nordic
Flekke, Norway
UWC Movement
11
12
13
Student Achievement
The learning programme at UWCSEA
consists of five interlinking elements:
academics, activities, outdoor
education, pastoral care and service.
These elements combine to provide
our students with a values-based
education that develops them as
individuals and as members of a
global society. Our goal is to educate
individuals to embrace challenge and
take responsibility for shaping a better
world. We define learning as a life long
process, in which the learner engages
with and reflects upon information
and experiences to construct new, or
modify existing, understanding, as
well as develop and apply skills and
attitudes. Learners at UWCSEA are
committed to being aware, able and
active and, through their influence and
leadership, to inspiring others to work
towards a common goal for the greater
good.
Each of the five elements of the
programme is developed to ensure
that the students are gaining
experience and knowledge that will
help them to develop as independent
learners and global citizens.
This section of the annual report is
an overview of the main highlights of
the 2010/2011 year in each area of the
programme.
14
Learning
Programme:
Academic
The academic element of the UWCSEA
learning programme provides students
with a stimulating and challenging
experience that supports their learning
and develops the skills and dispositions
that will support them in becoming
independent learners and global
citizens.
Students follow the IB Primary
Years Programme in K1 to Grade 5, a
dedicated Middle School programme
in Grades 6 to 8 and the (I)GCSE
programme in Grades 9 and 10, with
students who enter in Grade 10 taking
a Foundation IB course. Grade 11 and
12 students follow the IB Diploma
programme.
The 2010/2011
Academic Year
IB Diploma
For the final two years of High School,
students at UWC South East Asia
follow the IB Diploma programme,
which is regarded as one of the best
pre-university courses in the world. It
is an academically rigorous programme
that also places a strong emphasis
on a core curriculum that aligns with
the mission and values of the College.
Designed for students of different
linguistic, cultural and educational
background, the IB Diploma
programme prepares students with the
intellectual and social skills necessary
for the adult world that lies ahead.
Statements of
Eligibility
In total, 300 members of the class of
2011 took a full IB Diploma and sat
for the examinations in May 2011. The
eight students (2.6% of the class) who
did not take a full IB Diploma took a
series of IB certificates.
The class of 2011 returned an average
of 36.8 points in the IB Diploma, the
highest that the College has ever
received.
The table below outlines IB Diploma
results at UWCSEA for the last 5
years. They indicate that the College
has consistently had a pass rate and
average score that is significantly
higher than the worldwide average.
Year
No. of IB
Diploma
candidates
No. of IB
Certificate
candidates
Percent
passed
(Diploma)
Worldwide
average
UWCSEA
average
Diploma
score
Worldwide
average
Diploma
score
2011
300
100
77.92
36.8
29.61
2010
295
98.98
78.06
36
29.55
2009
286
97.6
78.7
35.7
29.51
2008
308
98.05
79.02
34.2
29.57
2007
286
97.2
78.8
34
29.56
15
IB Diploma
May 2011
in Numbers
833
300
52,345
Number of students worldwide
taking IB Diploma in May 2011
Number of students in
Singapore taking the IB
Diploma in May 2011
Number of UWCSEA
students taking IB
Diploma in May 2011
100%
0.23%
5.8 4.65
36.8 29.61
77.92%
4%
UWCSEA pass rate
Percentage of diploma candidates
worldwide scoring 45 points
worldwide pass rate
Percentage of UWCSEA diploma
candidates scoring 45 points
Average grade achieved
by UWCSEA students
Average grade
achieved worldwide
Average UWCSEA
diploma score
Average worldwide
diploma score
24%
candidates receiving
a bilingual diploma
33.1%
UWCSEA students
achieving 40+ points
16
Destinations of
Class of 2011
On average, 99% of UWCSEA students
enroll at post-secondary educational
institutions around the world, with
our international student body
attending universities across the world.
A number of students go on to do
national service or complete a gap year
before continuing their studies (further
information about the gap year
programme at UWCSEA can be found
in the service element in the student
achievement section of this report).
University acceptances
Class of 2011
In 2011, 100% of the graduating class
received an offer of a place in one or
more of the universities listed below.
The universities our young men and
women choose to attend reflect their
hope for further extension of their
academic ability, and the opportunity
to sustain their values and support
their growth as global citizens and
independent learners.
American University
Amherst College
Amsterdam University College
Ateneo de Manila University
Australian National University
Babson College
Bard College
Barnard College
Bentley University
Blue Mountains Hotel School
Bond University
Boston College
Boston University
Brandeis University
Brown University
Brunel University
Bryn Mawr College
Bucknell University
California College of the Arts
California Institute of the Arts
California State Polytechnic University,
Pomona
California State University, Northridge
Cardiff University
Carleton College
Carnegie Mellon University
Case Western Reserve University
Central Saint Martins College of Art &
Design
Chapman University
City University
Claremont McKenna College
Clark University
Colby College
Colgate University
Colorado College
Columbia University
Cornell University
Dartmouth College
Design Academy Eindhoven
Dickinson College
Drexel University
Duke University
Durham University
Earlham College
Emerson College
Emory University
Ewha Woman’s University
Franklin and Marshall College
Georgetown University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Gettysburg College
Harvard University
Harvey Mudd College
Haverford College
Heriot-Watt University
Hofstra University
Hood College
IE University
Imperial College of Science,
Technology, and Medicine
Indiana University at Bloomington
International Christian University
Jacobs University
Johns Hopkins University
Juniata College
Kalamazoo College
Keele University
Keio University
Kenyon College
King’s College London
Kingston University
Korea Advanced Institute of Science
and Technology
Kwansei Gakuin University
Lafayette College
Lancaster University
LASALLE College of the Arts (Not a
Active College)
Leeds Metropolitan University
LES ROCHES, Swiss Hotel Association,
School of Hotel Management
Lewis & Clark College
UK
22%
National Service
8%
North America
46%
Gap year
9%
Australia
7%
Europe
2%
Asia
6%
Destinations of Class of 2011
17
London Metropolitan University
London School of Economics
Loughborough University
Loyola University Chicago
Luther College
Macalester College
Manchester Metropolitan University
Manipal University
McGill University
McMaster University
Methodist University
Middlebury College
Middlesex University
Monash University
National University of Singapore
New York University
Newcastle University
Northeastern University
Northwestern University
Nottingham Trent University
Oberlin College
Occidental College
Oxford Brookes University
Parsons The New School for Design
Pennsylvania State University,
University Park
Pitzer College
Pratt Institute
Princeton University
Purdue University
Queen Mary, University of London
Queen’s University
Queensland University of Technology
Reed College
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rhode Island School of Design
Ringling College of Art and Design
Royal Holloway, University of London
Rutgers, The State University of New
Jersey at New Brunswick
San Diego State University
Savannah College of Art and Design
School of Oriental and African Studies,
University of London
School of Pharmacy, University of
London
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
School of the Museum of Fine Arts
Seoul National University
Sheffield Hallam University
Simon Fraser University
Singapore Institute of Management
Singapore Management University
Skidmore College
Smith College
Sogang University
Sophia University
St. Olaf College
St. Olaf College
Stanford University
Swarthmore College
Syracuse University
The George Washington University
The Hong Kong University of Science
& Technology
The Ohio State University
The Royal Veterinary College
The University of Queensland
The University of Texas, Austin
Trent University
Trinity College
Tufts University
University College Chichester
University College London
University of Aberdeen
University of Auckland
University of Bath
University of Birmingham
University of Brighton
University of Bristol
University of British Columbia
University of Buckingham
University of California at Berkeley
University of California at Davis
University of California at Irvine
University of California at Los Angeles
University of California at San Diego
University of California at Santa
Barbara
University of California at Santa Cruz
University of Cambridge
University of Central Florida
University of Chicago
University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Dundee
University of East Anglia
University of Edinburgh
University of Essex
University of Exeter
University of Glasgow
University of Gloucestershire
University of Greenwich
University of Hong Kong
University of Hull
University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign
University of Kent
University of King’s College
University of Leeds
University of Leicester
University of Manchester
University of Maryland, College Park
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
University of Melbourne
University of Miami
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
University of New South Wales
University of Nottingham
University of Oxford
University of Pennsylvania
University of Plymouth
University of Reading
University of Richmond
University of Rochester
University of San Francisco
University of Sheffield
University of Southampton
University of Southern California
University of Southern California
School of Cinematic Arts
University of St. Andrews (Scotland)
University of Stirling
University of Strathclyde
University of Surrey
University of Sussex
University of Sydney
University of Tasmania
University of the Arts London
University of the West of England,
Bristol
University of Toronto
University of Vermont
University of Victoria
University of Virginia
University of Wales Institute, Cardiff
University of Warwick
University of Washington
University of Waterloo
University of Western Australia
University of Western Ontario
University of Westminster
University of Wisconsin, Madison
University of York
Vassar College
Villanova University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
University
Waseda University
Washington University in St. Louis
Wellesley College
Westminster College
Wheaton College MA
Whitman College
Williams College
Yale University
Yonsei University- Underwood
York University
18
Other Academic
Highlights of the
2010/2011 Year
Achievement in the academic element
of the programme is consistently
high through each of the school
sections. Every day, students
challenge themselves to extend their
understanding and achievement
levels in each of the subject
areas, and, crucially in each of the
transdisciplinary skills that will ensure
they are life-long learners.
All schools across the College saw an
increased focus on technology in the
2010/2011 academic year, as ground
was prepared for the introduction of
the iLearn programme in August 2011.
Teachers were issued with laptops
and began to use iPads, iPods, video
and audio recording for learning,
assessment, registration and video
feedback. At the same time, the
process of completing the self-study
for the CIS/WASC accreditation was
an area of strong academic focus
for students and staff on the Dover
Campus. More information on both
these strategic initiatives can be found
the Strategic Plan section of this
report.
Infant and Junior Schools
In the Infant Schools on both Dover
and East, a re-emphasis on the
importance of play in learning made
the 2010/2011 year in K1, K2 and
Grade 1 particularly vibrant. The
central pod space continued to be an
extension of the K1 classroom, so that
stimulating, collaborative play with
extended elements could become
everyday practice. At the same time,
planning began for the introduction
of wordless picture books in the
2011/2012 year, in order to foster
students’ imagination, creativity,
observation and story-telling skills,
with less emphasis on being able to
recognize words.
Planning also began for the
introduction in the 2011/2012 year of
Reading Workshop (on East Campus)
and Writing Workshop (on Dover
Campus) throughout the Infant
and Junior Schools. This planning
throughout 2010/2011 involved a
shared commitment to the importance
of the social and collaborative nature
of learning, and to teaching reading
and writing as an active process that
gives students, individually and in
groups, much of the responsibility
for making decisions about what
will be studied and why. While
implementation was not set to begin
until August 2011, the academic year
2010/2011 laid the groundwork for this
exciting initiative.
While the Dover Campus Junior School
continued with the Grade 5 Exhibition,
East Campus had their first official
year of doing the exhibition, with a
focus on service action. Not only did
the exhibition celebrate the whole
of primary learning, they created an
awareness of just what students had
learned in the area of service, and what
their next steps might be as they move
into the middle and high schools.
Middle and High Schools
On East Campus, the first Grade 6
students began the establishment
of Middle School traditions for the
campus. The Middle School on Dover
continued its traditions and developed
new ones, as plans were made to use
part of the new building as Middle
School. At the same time, students
continued to grow in the academic
area. 423 Middle School students
participated in the Gauss Mathematics
competition, the largest number of
participants yet, while all Middle
School students took part in the
UWCSEA Maths Challenge during the
last week of school in June. In English,
a new MS Creative Writing Group
and a new MS Book Club further
energized the students’ commitment
to excellence in this area. Several
‘Super Scientist’ awards were given
to Middle School students for their
scientific investigations. A series of
guest speakers, including d’Arcy Lunn
from the Global Poverty Project, and
field trips to the Museum of Asian
Civilizations and the Bukit Batok war
memorial brought the humanities
programme to life. In languages, the
emphasis on the cultural aspects of
learning a language saw students
involved in cultural days, trips to
restaurants, cinema clubs and, for
some Spanish language students, a
trip to Spain with their High School
colleagues. There was also a trial and
implementation of Webswami, an
online language lab for speaking and
listening.
A number of new academic initiatives
began in the High School on Dover
Campus during 2010/11. The Java
Maths Club was set up by students,
where they use programming to
solve maths challenges. The Theory
of Knowledge (TOK) Mini Week
on Ethics was also held, featuring
international diplomat and academic
(and former Chair of the UWCSEA
Board of Governors) Kishore
Mahbubani speaking on ‘Is the world
becoming more ethical?’ Five more
teachers took the ‘Teaching ESL in
Mainstream Classes’ course, bringing
the number of teachers completing
the course since it was offered on
campus to 30. A new multimedia,
fully-resourced, Design Technology
department was planned, to be
introduced in 2011/2012, while the
new GCSE DT curriculum for Resistant
Materials and Graphic Products was
successfully implemented. 2011 was
the International Year of Chemistry
and the Chemistry Department
celebrated with demonstrations to MS
students, encouraging enthusiasm for
their subject.*
*Please note that during this reporting year (2010/2011), East Campus only offered to Grade 6.