It has been a busy and exciting time across the Haileybury schools in Melbourne, Darwin and China.
Last week, Haileybury Melbourne was acknowledged by the Murdoch press for having the second-highest median Australian Tertiary Admissions Ranking (93.5) of any Victorian school in 2022. This is a remarkable achievement for an open-entry school with nearly 500 graduates each year.
This fabulous result for the graduating class of 2022 is the result of strong foundational academic work throughout the school, hard-working students, great support from families, and the brilliant work of Haileybury’s dedicated and diligent teachers.
Haileybury is proudly an academic school — but, of course, it is much more and the extensive co-curricular program was on full display with the fabulous performances from students in The SpongeBob Musical.
The show was chosen by the drama team as a great musical to showcase students’ singing, acting and dancing skills and as an opportunity to encourage young students to get an early taste of the performing arts. It was a thoroughly energetic and enjoyable show.
It was also only a couple of weeks ago that the classical singing of Haileybury students was on display at the Aria Night, demonstrating the great range of opportunities for Haileybury students in the performing arts arena.
For me, the week finished with a Friday evening cocktail party for more than 300 of the Haileybury Rendall School and Darwin community. HRS is thriving under the leadership of Andrew McGregor and has 950 students who make up a vibrant, dynamic student community.
I was pleased that Tuesday’s Federal Budget included ongoing support for the 90 Indigenous boarders from remote communities who are such an important part of the Haileybury Rendall School community. This year, it has been wonderful to restart various student exchanges between Melbourne and Darwin and we look forward to further developing these programs in the post-COVID-19 environment.
Similarly, I am looking forward to restarting student visits to Haileybury Tianjin, China next year. The school is bouncing back after long periods of lockdowns and I will make my second visit for the year to Haileybury Tianjin next week.
The Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Nicholas Reece, was kind enough to spend time at the school during his recent visit as part of a high-level business delegation to China. His account of his visit is included below.
Visit to Haileybury Tianjin
Written by Nicholas Reece is the Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne
Earlier this month I had the great pleasure to visit Haileybury Tianjin.
As a Melburnian and Australian, I felt a huge sense of pride from everything I saw. I already knew Haileybury was one of Australia’s most outstanding schools — what I did not realise is that Haileybury is doing something truly remarkable in China.
Upon arrival I was greeted with a performance by Haileybury’s student band and was warmly welcomed by representatives of the school student body along with the management team led by Executive Principal, Peter Rogerson.
Haileybury Tianjin is a big campus that boasts state-of-the-art classrooms, modern sports facilities, as well as a vast library and a dedicated performing arts centre. The campus’ architecture is striking, with a blend of traditional English architecture that you don’t see very often in China, along with modern design elements.
I had the great privilege of addressing the students at a School Assembly and Awards Event. I was honoured to present some Special Contribution Awards to creative arts students. I was very impressed by their efforts and I could see their passion and creativity, along with their excellent command of English. When I met with the students afterwards, I found they were confident, eager to talk and full of heart-warming smiles.
I also had the opportunity to meet with the School’s senior management. Peter Rogerson leads an outstanding group of educators that includes Yanni Galanis, Joy An, Vivian Jia and Cathy Qi. They are a seriously dedicated group who are proud of the school they have built in Tianjin. I really enjoyed our conversation comparing the teaching experience in China and Australia.
A few years ago, my daughter did a school visit to China. It broadened her horizons beyond anything she had ever imagined and she still talks about it to this day. I really think it gave her a deeper perspective on the world and her own life that has served her well. I would encourage everyone in the Haileybury community to learn more about your sister school in China.
Nicholas Reece is the Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne
Derek Scott
CEO | Principal
