eNews
Contents:

INTRODUCTION
1. Message from the Founder
ETONHOUSE INTERNATIONALEDUCATION GROUP - NEWS & EVENTS
2. Collaboration with Singapore ChineseHigh School to launch“Hwa Chong EtonHouse Institution”
New Campuses in Singapore Robertson and Bukit Timah
3.

EtonHouse nominated as One ofSingapore’s Most Influential Brands 2014
EtonHouse Annual Staff Night

4.

EtonHouse Pre-School Vanda Receives“Outstanding Centre for Teaching and
Learning Award”, “SPARK” Certificationand the “Community in Bloom Award”
EtonHouse Pre-Schools at 223
and 717 Mountbatten Received
Awards for Health Promotion

5.

REACH Study Tour to Reggio Emilia,
17th – 26th October 2014

SINGAPORE
6. Reflective Practice - Thomson
7.

Professional Development
Strategic Plan - Broadrick
Professional Development:
Reflective Practice - Outram

8.

How Professional Development Connects
to Best Practice at EtonHouse Claymore
The Spirit of Sharing: Professional
Development @ Hampton Bishan

9.

Professional Development for Educators:
Growing through Networking
Professional Development
at Mountbatten 718
10. Our Journey on SPARK(Singapore Pre-school Accreditation
Framework) - Vanda
Tomorrow’s Educators - Newton
CHINA
11. Home-School Partnership Times Square, Chengdu
Professional Development andProfessional Learning Communities
12. The China Context
The Changing Role of the Music“Specialist” - Hong Kong
JAPAN/MALAYSIA
13. Commitment to Reflective PracticeProfessional Development –‘Essential Agreements’
INDONESIA
14. Making Connections – Pedagogy
and Andragogy - Surabaya
The Children, the Teachers
and the School - Jakarta
INDIA/VIETNAM
15. A Commitment to Best Practice
Establishing the EtonHouse
Standards of PracticeNewsletter • 3 - 2014

A Teacher Affects Eternity, You Can Never Tell
When Their Influence Stops – Henry Adams
As parents and educators, we may have different ideas
and views about education, but we are united in our belief
that teachers are a critical and vital component of theeducation system. A good teacher inspires, instills joy inlearning and changes lives. To be an agent of change,
educators have to continually reflect, innovate and create,
upgrade their skills andknowledge, collaborate
with their colleagues andbe motivated by what
their role as teachers has
to offer.

quality staff who add significant value to the EtonHouse
education across countries.
Recently, EtonHouse also signed an agreement with theReggio Children International Network to start REACH(Reggio Emilia in Asia for Children). It is indeed a privilege
to be the first organisation in the region to establish thisrelationship with Reggio Children
to support, uphold, sustain anddisseminate the values, culture
and heritage of the Reggio Emilia
approach in Asia.

Our educators have done us
These key aspirations
proud; setting standards ofof our teachers drive
excellence and leadership in
the EtonHouse Group to
Asia and in the world. The
lay specific importancearticles in this newsletter are ato the development
testament to their commitment toof a dynamic,
the intensive, multi-dimensional
challenging andand thought provoking
rewarding professional At the REACH conference in Singapore, March 2014
professional development
development programme
initiatives that take place
for all our teaching staff. Quite simply put, if a teacher
in EtonHouse in different parts of the world, as theis not motivated and struggles to get to work every day,teachers unite in their passion to provide a truly inspiring
the effect this would have on the group of children in his
international programme for your children.
or her care is far from desirable. I have therefore always
been personally involved in the training and professional
I am also especially proud to share with you that we havedevelopment of teachers in all EtonHouse campuses
opened a brand new campus on Thomson Road spanningwherever that may be. I remember coming back from a
day in school when I was doing a course to be an assistantteacher. I was exhausted, physically and mentally drainedby the demands of the job. That made me think about
our teachers and the need to give them adequate leave
to recoup and recover from their frenetic schedule. I
therefore decided to increase the teachers’ annual leavein EtonHouse from 21 to 35 days in a year.
In early 2000, when EtonHouse was expanding within
Singapore and internationally, we realized the need to set
up a separate team of pedagogists to focus exclusively
on the training and development of the teaching staff toensure that our teachers are offering consistent and highquality programmes in all our schools. The EtonHouse
Education Centre (EEC) was thus born and has over
the years trained and supported teachers in acquiring,furthering and strengthening their qualifications, skills andknowledge in education. The EEC also facilitates research
papers, training videos and teacher qualifications like the
CACHE, UK’s only specialist awarding organization forchildren, adults and healthcare sectors.
Our career progression and advancement pathway offers
teachers opportunities in different countries where weare located. This has helped us to recruit and retain high-1-

EtonHouse International Pre-School, Thomson

200,000 square feet, a beautifully designed learning
environment that has established new standards in earlychildhood education. Our next new campus in Singapore
on Robertson Walk is another stunning campus in theheart of town that offers the unique EtonHouse pedagogy
in a thoughtfully planned set-up. You can read more about
these developments in the ‘news and events’ section ofthis publication.
I hope you enjoy this edition of the corporate newsletter.
Ng Gim Choo
Group Managing Director
EtonHouse International Education GroupE t on Hous e I n ter n a tional Ed u c at ion Grou p - News & Event s

Collaboration with Singapore Chinese High School to launch“Hwa Chong EtonHouse Institution”
The Singapore Chinese High School and EtonHouse International Education
Group will launch “Hwa Chong EtonHouse Institution” in Singapore, catering
to students from kindergarten to primary levels. This joint venture is envisaged
to expand overseas when the opportunity arises.
Chinese High School has a distinguished history of 96 years and is regarded
as one of the finest educational institutions in Singapore, having nurtured
leaders of society in research, industry and government.
This collaboration is a momentous milestone that will bring a high quality,international baccalaureate (IB) education with a strong bilingual and bicultural
focus to students across different countries. Leveraging on the strengths ofboth founding schools, the new institution is set to establish new standards of
excellence in international education.
Left to Right: Mrs. Ng Gim Choo, Founder and Managing Director of EtonHouse,
Mr. Jimmy Oh, Chairman of EtonHouse, Mr. Jonathan Lee, Chairman, Board of Singapore
Chinese High Board, Mr. Choong Buat Ken, Advisor and Immediate Past Chairman,
Board of Singapore Chinese High School

New Campuses in Singapore Robertson and Bukit Timah
offering children countless opportunities to engage and learn acrossmultiple disciplines. The schools will offer the renowned EtonHouse Inquire
Think Learn pedagogy delivered by highly qualified international and local
educators. Children will be immersed in an integrated bilingual environment
and will be exposed to both English and Mandarin at all times, allowing
them to pick up both languages spontaneously and effectively in a naturalenvironment.

Robertson Walk

EtonHouse will be opening new campuses at Robertson Walk #02-20 and
215 Upper Bukit Timah Road. The new pre-schools are scheduled to open
their doors in early 2015 and will feature innovative learning environments
specially designed to stimulate the learning and development of young
children between 18 months to 6 years of age.
Facilities will include an indoor playground equipped with unique open-ended
learning materials, dedicated ateliers for Art, Light, Music and Movement,

215 Upper Bukit Timah Road – Artist Impression-2-

E t on Hous e I n ter n a tional Ed u c at ion Grou p - News & Event s

EtonHouse Nominated as One of Singapore’s
Most Influential Brands 2014
EtonHouse has been nominated by consumers
as one of Singapore’s Most Influential Brands.
Consumers picked EtonHouse as one of theirmost preferred pre-school brands, according
to an independent consumer insights researchc o n ducted by Bran d Al lia nc e on G en X
Singaporeans.

over the past two decades, and is a reflection thatparents and consumers value the high quality
early years programme and inquiry based InquireThink-Learn curriculum offered by EtonHouse.
EtonHouse is delighted and encouraged by thisacknowledgment and looks forward to bringing
meaningful and innovative best practice in earlyyears education to more families in Singapore
and beyond.

This is an affirmation of the goodwill and trust that
the EtonHouse brand has built within Singapore

EtonHouse Annual Staff Night
The EtonHouse Singapore family celebrated its annual Staff Night at theConcorde Hotel in Singapore on the 26th of September 2014. The party
was attended by 430 staff, partners and friends. To celebrate our vibrantmulticultural community, guests were invited to be dressed in international
outfits that represented a country or culture.
The evening was a joyous celebration of our achievements, learningjourney and camaraderie, and an occasion to give recognition to dedicatedstaff members who had been with the EtonHouse family for 5, 10 and 15
years. The occasion was made even more memorable by the performances
put together by our talented colleagues and our valued sponsors for theirgenerous contributions to the lucky draw prizes.

-3-

E t on Hous e I n ter n a tional Ed u c at ion Grou p - News & Event s

EtonHouse Pre-School Vanda Receives “Outstanding Centre for
Teaching and Learning Award”, “SPARK” Certification and the“Community in Bloom Award”
Singapore’s Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) has presented
EtonHouse Vanda with the Outstanding Centre for Teaching and Learning
Award. This award recognises child care centres and kindergartens which haveexcellent processes and learning environments that support high quality
programme activities to promote children’s holistic development. In addition,
the centre also received the SPARK (Singapore Pre-Schools Accreditation
Framework) re-certification which recognises the pre-school’s excellenceacross Leadership, Planning and Administration, Staff Management,
Resources, Curriculum, Pedagogy, and Health, Hygiene and Safety. The
centre was recognised and commended for progress in teaching and learningsince their first SPARK accreditation in 2011. It was awarded a mastery level(the highest level possible) in its general principles for pedagogy, teaching
and learning as well as curriculum.
In August 2014, the Vanda campus was awarded the Silver band of theCommunity in Bloom (CIB) Awards organised by the National Parks Board
to recognise and reward gardening efforts by community groups in housing
estates, schools and organisations.
Ms. Ng Shu Ping, Principal of EtonHouse Pre-School, Vanda represented the campus toreceive the “Outstanding Centre for Teaching and Learning” Award 2014 from Mr Chan
Chun Sing, Singapore’s Minister for Social and Family Development

At EtonHouse, we continuously strive to excel and work collaboratively
towards the common goal of excellence and leadership in educational
practice. The teaching team, parents and children at EtonHouse Vanda
exemplify this spirit of collaboration, and these achievements reinforce theGroup’s commitment to offer holistic, meaningful and high quality programmes
based on best practice.

EtonHouse Pre-Schools at 223 and 717 Mountbatten Received
Awards for Health Promotion
EtonHouse Pre-School 223 Mountbatten wasawarded the CHERISH (Championing Efforts
Resulting in Improved School Health) Junior Award
by Singapore’s Health Promotion Board (HPB)
and Ministry of Education ( MOE ). This award
recognises the pre-school’s efforts and initiatives ingood health promotion for children and staff.

Programme (HECCP)” Award introducedby the Singapore Health Promotion Board
to encourage and acknowledge child care
centres for providing healthier food andpromoting healthy eating in their centres.
These awards are testimony to thestandards of excellence established in our
campuses.

EtonHouse Pre-School 717 Mountbatten received
the “Healthy Eating in Child Care Centres-4-

E t on Hous e I n ter n a tional Ed u c at ion Grou p - News & Event s

REACH Study Tour to Reggio Emilia, 17th – 26th October 2014
The abode of Bambini
by Dr. Arun Arora, Chairman of Edvance Pre-Schools and participant of REACH study trip to Reggio Emilia• AtelierAtelier is central to the Reggio philosophy. It is present
both within and outside the classroom. It could beunderstood as a place of what is possible, creative
thinking and discovery. It is a physical manifestation of
the value of visual expression and language.

• Atelierista

Emanuela (left) with Rakhi(From left to right) Claudia Giudici, Paola Ricco, Ivana Soncini with Team
India

Teachers and educators are continually challenged to
upgrade their skills to better understand the hundred
languages of children. Our recent study tour to Reggio
Emilia with participants from Singapore, India, Tokyo,
Indonesia and Hong Kong was one such effort. It wasenvisioned by Gim Choo Ng, detailed by Heather
Conroy and executed by Tina and her colleaguesof REACH (Reggio Emilia in Asia for Children) and
EtonHouse Singapore with guidance from Paola Ricco
and Emanuela Vercalli from Reggio Children.
Carla Rinaldi said in an interview “you can only see
what you know”. I shall try to elaborate some of theobservations based on what we saw as a group andinterpreted after due reflection.

• Bambini

Reggio is organic, alive, breathing and hopelessly in lovewith Bambini, the word for children in Italian. Bambini
is an intense passion and exclusive preoccupation of
every Reggio individual irrespective of his/her being the
Atlierista, Padagogista, Teacher, Cook or Helper. Our
entire group got infected with this passion by the time
we were two days old at the programme.

• Importance of Reflection

Reggio does not teach you “how to” as we generally
understand the term. Instead it emphasizes on theprocess of reflection and adaptation. It can best be
experienced as a way of life.

Atelierista (Practicing Artist) plays a crucial role instimulating and nurturing the curiosity and creativityof Bambini besides being the enabler of development
projects.

• Ideas• Light is Magical

Look for ideas that open doors and not close them.
Bambini have theories about the world based on theirindividual intuition. They have to be encouraged toshare them with other children who in turn will also
have their own intuitive theories. Bambini constructtheir own concepts to organize the world.

• Problem Solvers

Listening intently to Bambini is an ongoing processthat nurtures reflection, creativity, thinking, exploration,amazement, theory and a sense of extra-ordinary
behind verbal and non-verbal communication.
Listening and reflecting on your own ideas is equallyimportant to understand how the Bambini build andconstruct their thoughts.

Bambini do not believe in singular alternatives. Thereare endless possibilities in their mind, which could all
be present at once without being in conflict with one
another.
Every space must get infused with light. Most spaces
open into each other to create an open and well lit
environment. Light gets reflected and refracted in
the classrooms through materials like mirrors, lighttables, jars, overhead projectors and shadow play.
Metaphorically, it opens minds and creates transparency
for Bambini, teachers, parents and visitors.
Bambini have powerful minds. They could often interpretcomplex issues through simple solutions. The projecton drawing music in the Piazzas was almost surreal.

• Environment is a third teacher

Schools must create an environment where Bambini
are taken seriously. They should not be afraid ofmaking mistakes or reconstructing their own ideas.
It should encourage a dialogue between pedagogy
and architecture. It has to be aesthetic, liberating,stimulating and interesting.

Incongruent is also Congruent

Bambini’s mind is unfettered, pure, creative andpowerful. It does not use separate buckets for what
appears to be logical and illogical to the adult mind.
The facilitating adult must learn to interpret the child’s
work with a belief that what appears incongruent often
coexists with what is congruent. She must facilitatechildren in finding expression to their feelings ofwonder.

• Endless Possibilities“This and That” is more powerful than “This or That”.

-5-• Listening• Reciprocal Relationships

Respectful reciprocal relationships are the backboneof its system. Education of young children is a shared
responsibility with active participation of Bambini,
Teachers, Parents and the Community.
As all good things end this study tour also ended but
not before igniting a desire to initiate a deep dialogue
of reflection to understand what Reggio meant to ourpractices in Asia. We returned inspired to motivate ourcolleagues, infect them with our passion for Bambini andinspire our children to reach their individual excellence.

Eton Hou se in Singap ore

Reflective Practice
EtonHouse @ Thomson“Teacher development has moved beyond simple in-service workshops and has expanded into a more robust system of continuing education. In order to advance intheir careers, teachers should seek out professional development opportunities which
are ongoing and aligned with standards and assessments.” (Quattlebaum,S., 2014)
Thomson’s Senior Teachers Reflect on
Professional Development:

As a member of the Thomson Community
Mike Carrigan

As a member of a Learning Community
Lynne Steele

As a member of the EtonHouse Group
Rajani Patel

Since joining EtonHouse Orchard and now
Thomson I have found we are encouraged asteachers to create a culture of professional
learning on a day-to-day basis. We do this throughour dialogues with colleagues, our listening towhat the children have said and our discussions
with parents. By reflecting on our interactions withall of these stakeholders I think we further our
understanding of the people we work with and theway children learn.

Quality Professional Development provides
teachers with the opportunity to explore
collaboratively, pedagogy and best pedagogicalpractices in our own setting. Critical and reflective
dialogue with colleagues provides opportunities
to investigate relevant and meaningful issues,challenge assumptions, listen to multiple
viewpoints as a means to change pedagogicalpractices, knowledge, conceptual understandings
and beliefs. As all teachers are involved in theprofessional learning it enables us to build
common understandings and work together toimprove the quality of teaching and learning in our
setting.

Educators at EtonHouse are lifelong learners
and critical thinkers who are encouraged todevelop a culture of constant dialogue, planningcollaboratively and sharing knowledge. This ethos
is reflected in the financial support for higher
education and the regular workshops and PD’s
that become our way of life.

-6-

Eton Hou se in Singap ore

Professional Development Strategic Plan
EtonHouse @ Broadrick
by Rob Stewart, Principal and Director Strategic Planning (Education Services)
At EtonHouse, we value the need for consistent,high quality and relevant professional
development to ensure that our schools are led
by knowledgeable, competent and inspiring
educators. To this end, a five year strategicplan has been developed to provide purposeful
direction in the successful provision of professional
development to EtonHouse staff.
Key Target Functions

Big Ideas of ‘Image of the Child’, ‘Environment as
the Third teacher’, and ‘Pedogogy of Listening’.
Under the mentorship of Emelia Prayogo (Directorof Pedagogy), the group of “teacher consultants”
went through facilitator training. This initiative iscurrently under review as to how to progress inorder to support all EtonHouse Schools as well
as develop capacity within EtonHouse Teachers

Key Target Areas• Facilitator Program Development

1. The Big Ideas• Quality Assurance and Moderation

3. Leadership and building organisational
capacity• School based capacity building

2. Effective Teaching and Learning

Key Target Groups• School Leadership groups• School Teaching Groups

4. Research and Innovative practice

5. Accreditation related standards andpractices

Two initiatives that have commenced are;Teacher Consultancy Programme:
We commenced a trail teacher Consultancy
Group comprising of selected teachers to be
trained to help deliver the ‘Welcome to Etonhouse
Induction Module’ which focuses primarily on theto deliver similar worthwhile professional
development to their colleagues.
Leadership Aspirant Programme:
We recognise Leadership as the most criticalelement in building successful schools. Effective
Leadership results in our organisation reducing

risks, building community confidence, attracting andretaining good teachers and staff as well as ensuring
our students access invigorating and challenging
learning programmes. Part of a strong leadershipdevelopment programme is to build capacity
within the organisation with succession planning.
Identifying aspiring leaders within our schools andorganisation also enhances stability, continuity of
our culture and offers exciting pathways in careerdevelopment for people within the group.
The Aspirant programme has been developed toinitiate insight into what it takes to be an effective leader
as well as giving participants opportunities to reflect on
their leadership capacity and future aspirations.
The programme looks at research and issues
relating to Self as Leader, Instructional Leadership,
Challenging People and Community Leadership.
The first training programme will begin in Singapore
over the months of November – January.
Further development of the Professional
Development Strategic Plan will continue and rollout to members of the EtonHouse group.

Professional Development: Reflective Practice
EtonHouse @ Outramby Emelia Prayogo, Acting Principal
and suggesting practical strategies (Kilgallon,
Malloney, and Lock, 2008).

The habit of discussing one’s practice withcolleagues becomes part of the regular conversationthat teachers engage in as a community of learners.
Listening to different perspectives gives educators
an opportunity to reflect upon one’s own practice.
In other words, different points of view are used
to challenge one’s thinking further. Grushka,
McLeod, & Reynolds, 2005; Hill, 2005; Parsons &Stephenson, 2005 inform us that verbal reflection
encourages and supports the cognitive growth andaffective development of educators and was foundto facilitate deeper thinking about field experiences.

Thinking back over the process of learning andteaching stimulates educators to address any
identified gaps or inconsistencies – a process
driven by intrinsic motivation (Ausabel, 2000). A
greater complexity in teaching strategies may begained through the support of others. Teaching isbased on a wider range of evidence, reading andresearch. Engaging in dialogue with like-minded
professionals provide a further
form of support, strengthening
one’s resolve and ability tocope with the change process(Kilgallon, Malloney, and Lock,2008).

Furthermore,as a communityof learners, theteachers value
reflective skills.
Professional
colleagues act
as a sourceof clarificationof proposedchanges, sharing
their knowledge

Dialogue among colleagues,
initiated by various focus interests,
encourages us to reflect on our teaching
and learning style, and to enrich our
teaching portfolio with diverse teaching
and learning tools (Schmidt, 2002)-7-

Eton Hou se in Singap ore

How Professional Development Connects to Best Practice
at EtonHouse Claymore
EtonHouse @ Claymore
by Lisamarie Hughes, Principal
In Reggio Emilia, professional development ischaracterized as a process aimed at building
understanding and awareness of the meanings
and methods of education (2010. P.13)
As a community of learners, we consider the
many different learning styles within our teachingcommunity. We also continue to reflect on thebest ‘conditions for learning’ within a potential
professional development experience. This may
include the choice of setting, materials, social
context and the design/flow of the session as we
aim for professional development to be relevant,interactive and meaningful. Therefore, a variedand diverse approach to professional development
needs to be undertaken as we build understandings
and make meaning with best practice in Early

Childhood Education. Formal and informal
opportunities are planned throughout the year
as we connect and reflect. Informal professional
development takes the form of collaborative
year level meetings, daily conversation amongc o l l e a g u e s , o ff s i t eteacher led researchgroups, curriculum
meetings and visitsfrom other educatorsand inspirational guests
such as the Pedagogue
and Atelierista from
Reggio. We thenengage in formal
opportunities via on site
workshops, seminars,

conferences and external workshops. The
professional learning opportunities provide time
to pause, think, celebrate and identify where wewould like to move to at a team and individual level.
We then see traces of learning and development
woven through theprogramme leading toquality practice. Thismay be trying a new
idea in the classroom,
sharing a finding with afellow colleague, feelingconfident to articulate
key ideas to families andmaking best practicevisible through highquality documentation.

The Spirit of Sharing: Professional Development
Hampton @ Bishan
by Fish Kok Ziyu, Teacher

The spirit of sharing is very much alive at
Hampton@Bishan this year. We were delighted
to be able to host practicum teachers and shareprofessional development sessions with in-service
teachers from Hampton@Tanjong Pagar andour new colleagues from the E-Bridge centres.
During these sessions, we shared our belief

and teaching practice, as well as our current
challenges. Together we bounced off ideas andbrainstormed possibilities to overcome them.
The shared experience provided opportunities toreflect on our professional growth and progress
not just as an individual but also as a team. The
beginning of friendship forged through these-8-exchanges provided a platform for future collegial
collaboration, exchange and support in improving
the provision of quality early childhood education.
The teachers look forward to strengthen thisaffiliation with colleagues and educators in thefield.

Eton Hou se in Singap ore

Professional Development for Educators:
Growing through Networking
EtonHouse @ 223 Mountbatten
by Joy Tan, Vice Principal“Singapore’s Little Treasures”, where they worked
together to tailor heritage lessons and museum
visits aligned to the learning needs and interests ofyoung children. During the annual Early Childhood
Conference (2014) recently, they also set up an
exhibition booth to share and exchange learning
experiences with other educators.

As the world continues to progress at a rapid
pace, teaching practice and learning approaches
are evolving too. Good teachers form a criticalcomponent of a good school, thus improving one’s
skills and knowledge is one of the most importantinvestment educators have to make consciously.
In Mountbatten 223, we recognize the significanceof teachers having ongoing and regular
opportunities to learn from fellow educators, bothin-school and outside. This year, our teachers
participated in a clay workshop hosted by our own
EtonHouse colleagues, as well as others courses
and workshops hosted by the Early Childhood
Development Agency (ECDA). Our K2 teachers
also worked with Singapore’s National Heritage
Board and ECDA in their pilot programme

The ongoing professional development andnetworking opportunities serve as an important
platform to attract, retain and develop earlychildhood professionals as the individuals
continue to make meaningful contributions to thelearning journey of young children.
Mrs Ng and the K2 team leader at the Early Childhood
Conference 2014

Professional Development at Mountbatten 718
EtonHouse @ 718 Mountbatten
by Germaine Chow, Teacher and Susannah McGuire, Principal
Our work with children is underpinned by ourimage of the child and the advocacy of children’s
rights. We respect children by giving them thetime, space and ownership to be who they are.
This in turn places emphasis on the ongoingprofessional development of our teachers so that
we can honour the rights of the children.

Teachers reflecting on ‘child protection’in dialogue with other educators through Network
Focus Groups and visits to other IB schools.
These experiences offer different perspectives
for teachers to reflect, question, research and be
critical thinkers of their practice so that we cantruly see ‘the competent child’.

“The image of the competent child shifts
emphasis to the image of the competent adultwho is capable of seeing the competent child.”– Maddalena Tedeschi
The school invited the representatives from Family
and Child Protection and Welfare Services to shareabout child protection within Singapore as well as
discuss the role of teachers in supporting the wellbeing of children and their rights to protection.

Off-site professional development with other EtonHouse
schools

As an IB candidate school, the teachers arealso offered opportunities to attend a range of IB
workshops to further develop their understandingof the PYP and inquiry-based learning. The
teachers are a part of a wider PYP professional
network in Singapore, within which they engage-9-In-school training for Child First Aid

Eton Hou se in Singap ore

Our Journey on SPARK(Singapore Pre-school Accreditation Framework)
EtonHouse @ Vanda
by Munia Ahmed, Senior Teacher and Ng Shu Ping, Principal
In 2011, EtonHouse Vanda received its SPARK
accreditation. Subsequently, the school was
re-certified process, EtonHouse Vanda wasrecognised for the progress made in teaching andlearning. The campus was rated at mastery levelin areas such as curriculum leadership, integrated
curriculum and holistic development as well as
general principles for pedagogy. Senior Teacher,
Ms Munia Ahmed, shares her reflection on theSPARK process:“Striving for excellence is a continuous andcollaborative effort among the teaching team in
EtonHouse Vanda. Achieving SPARK certification
has added value in inspiring and encouraging us
to continue to provide high quality programs forchildren. In reflecting on the SPARK accreditation
process, I would divide it into two parts: (1)Classroom observation and (2) Interview by theassessors. I can understand that classroom
observations can sometimes be overwhelming,

but in a professional environment like
Vanda, and being under a strong anda dedicated leader, it has become
part of our regular practice. During theclassroom observations by SPARK,
the assessors commented on how thecommunity of learners in my class (bothchildren and adults) were meaningfully
engaged in the learning experiences. I
was pleased of the opportunity of being
interviewed as I could advocate thehard work and good practices that we
pursue in Vanda.
The process of accreditation as awhole gave me an incentive to challenge myself
and work even harder to better the pedagogicalquality in our pre-school.”This continual drive towards improvement andquality assurance is also the reason behind

EtonHouse Vanda receiving the “Outstanding
Centre for Teaching and Learning”, award by
Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA –Singapore), the highest national award.

Tomorrow’s Educators
EtonHouse @ Newton
by Gabrielle Macdonald, Principal
Continuing professional development is possibly
the most important requirement of a modern
educator. It is our values, beliefs and experiencesthat shape who we are as teachers, and since welive in a changing world, we need to continually
update and refine our teaching methods.

To ask the question, why, is often the best place
to start. Is there a better way? For example, why
is my intentional teaching taking place in theclassroom? Where else, how else, can education
take place?
Currently there is a huge focus on
digital education. And it is here tostay! More and more schools are
implementing the change. Even
traditional computer rooms are now‘outdated.’ iPad learning, smart board
teaching is occurring in all classes
and is interwoven into the daily
curriculum.
It is incumbent upon today’s
educators to actually inspire
tomorrow’s leaders. No longer, can- 10 -

we only just teach facts, to children. We need toequip children with the motivation and knowledgeof not only knowing how to think, but also knowing
how to think big!
It is through professional development that
educators themselves, become inspired, learn
new ideas and share findings. Professional
development is run within the school and outside
the school. Conferences, especially thosetargeted towards the future of education are not
only desirable but also essential.
It’s hard to imagine a more important andnecessary profession than teaching. Our country
and our world, depends on the quality of education
children receive. Education is our future.

E tonH ou se in China

Home-School Partnership
EtonHouse @ Times Square, Chengdu
by Georgina Iraheta, Vice Principal

Home and school have a partnership and a common
interest in the well-being and development of achild. To strengthen this partnership and enhance
understanding of our philosophy and curriculum,
EtonHouse Times Residence has prepared
three workshops for parents and have two moreprogrammes for the rest of the school year. During
these workshops, teachers and parents discuss
big ideas about education and best practice andthe development of children in a global context.
The first workshop was to introduce parents to the

IB Learner Profile and to talk about ways in which
it can be developed both in home and at school.
Parents responded positively and fully supported
the vision of the school.
The second workshop that came from a suggestion
made by parents was on “Learning Languages”.
The EAL and Mandarin teachers participated in
the workshop and shared their knowledge andexperience with parents.
The most recent workshop “Lifelong learners”

had as a starting point the EtonHouse mission
statement. In it we explored the “image of thechild” from the parents’ perspective and talked
about educating and developing skills thatchildren need in the future: independence,
adaptability, communication, etc. With such arange of collaborative professional development
opportunities, both teachers and parents gainmuch through enhanced standards of practice andgreater continuity between home and school, thus
benefitting the child in particular.

Professional Development and Professional Learning Communities
EtonHouse @ Suzhou
by Cheryl Kelly, Executive Principal EtonHouse China and Principal EtonHouse Suzhou
Professional learning or professional development(PD) is vitally important in our schools as weembrace a constructivist approach to learning.
Professional development is not just about
attending externally conducted workshops.
Professional development, or more accurately
professional learning, is most effectively basedin collaborative learning environments within theschool. In Professional Learning Communities(PLCs), colleagues reflect in practice and reflect“on practice”, generating relevant, practical,
sensitive questioning about what works, what
doesn’t work and why, and seeking strategies for
improving student learning. Collaborative reflection
is a very powerful staff development approach.

purpose, in a safe collegial environment, withdefined outcomes; they have access to research
and we provide skilled leadership to guide theircollaboration. Collaborative PD is essential forcontinuous school improvement. Collaborative
learning environments need to be supported byprofessional and informed leadership, and to thatend we also invite IB workshop leaders, colleagues
and instructional leaders from our networks, toconduct sessions with our staff.
As teachers manage many tasks from planning,
evaluations and accreditation visits, assessment andreporting, policy development and implementationand the daily general communication practices,

EtonHouse IB World schools in China work
together with their staff in professional learning
communities, using the benefits of purposefulcollaboration for school improvement. Professional
learning takes place continuously - weekly
sessions, in formal 2-3 day workshops, throughmentoring and coaching with experienced trainers.
In weekly exchange meetings, staff are able toshare their expertise, problem-solve and plan
together. Teachers collaborate around a shared- 11 -

the value of PLCs can easily be diminished orcompromised. We purposefully build in planningdays on Saturdays, allow two weeks before ourstudents return at the beginning of the year andplan for at least a single two day workshop per
year, to ensure that quality time is available. As
Tom Lehmann suggested in, “Reflection, Action,
Research and Purposeful Collaboration: Elementof Effective School Improvement, “As with alllearners, when teachers have the chance to explore
questions in depth, and test new ideas in practice,they enjoy a deeper, more connected, meaningful
and sustainable learning experience”.

E tonH ou se in China

The China Context
by Debra Liu, Director of Pedagogy, China
China , and use other means of communication to
discuss pertinent issues. Pedagogical support is thus
tailored to current concerns. Along with meetings with
the Curriculum Coordinators as a team, we regularly
communicate with individual centres in order tosupport each centre to develop “best practice”. We
visit many schools and make observations of theteaching environment and teaching practice in orderto facilitate improvements.

The China Pedagogy team is tasked with theprovision of Professional Development (PD) across
EtonHouse Pre-Schools in China. Our role isto support teachers and principals deepen theirunderstandings of the EtonHouse Inquire.Think.
Learn Curriculum Framework.
New centres all receive an introduction to ourCurriculum Framework and an overview of importantconcepts such as Inquiry learning and observationbased planning. We then provide ongoing pedagogicalsupport to the centres in numerous ways. China
has many regional differences and each centre has
specific needs, so the challenges of providing quality
Professional Development across such a large country
are met by constant liaison with our various centres
and developing PD material that it is relevant andmeaningful to those participating. It is crucial that our
teaching teams develop theoretical understandingsof our curriculum framework; consequently our PD
sessions aim to deepen this pedagogical knowledge.
However supporting teachers in pedagogical
implementation is also important. Thus we ensure our

Debra Liu, Director of Pedagogy, China, with teachers from
EtonHouse Jinan during a PD session.

sessions also have a practical component.
To monitor and improve curriculum delivery, wedevelop close relations with the leadership teamsof our various preschools. We have regular Skype
meetings with our Curriculum Coordinators acrossWe also engage in research and translations in orderto support the deepening of pedagogical knowledge
amongst our teams, contribute to policy development
and review, and liaise closely with our Pedagogy
team in Singapore. One of our current major projects
is to translate the EtonHouse Inquire.Think.Learn
Curriculum Framework into Chinese, and to this end
we have been ably supported by many volunteers.
The China Pedagogy team aims to continue to build
close relations with all of our centres across China
in order to continue to develop ‘best practice’ in our
Early Years centres.

The Changing Role of the Music “Specialist”
EtonHouse @ Hong Kong
by Isla Hughes, Playgroup Teacher

At EtonHouse Hong Kong, teachers and parents
believe that musical play should be no less important
than any other kind of play. The staff however wereconcerned that they did not have the expertise toensure this was the case. They therefore embarked
on a course of professional development withthe school’s music specialist to address this. At
EtonHouse Hong Kong, it is more important that themusic specialist supports and teaches the staff so
as to support them in their musical interactions withchildren. This is a new evolution in music teachingsupported by latest educational research.
Studies into infant musicality have shown what manyof us have believed for a long time: that all people areborn musical. Music is an innate part of human nature.
This means that, if, as we grow up, we lose this innate
musicality, then something is going wrong with how it
was nurtured. At EtonHouse Hong Kong, parents andstaff are keen to support musical experiences from avery early stage, so that all children grow up musical.
We have known for a long time that often the best
way to teach something is to model it. So when we
say everyone is musical, we mean all members ofstaff and not just the music ‘specialist’. We model theidea that “everyone is musical”.
Secondly, music education research tells us thatchildren are more likely to make music for longer
with an adult they are familiar with. The ‘music
specialist’ is rarely the adult the children are mostfamiliar with in their classrooms. So it makes sensethat the class teacher makes music with them, justlike supporting any other area of development.
For this to work well, music specialists need tobe passing on their musical knowledge to theirstaff, and supporting generalist class teachers
so that music can be integrated into all elementsof the curriculum. At EtonHouse Hong Kong, theteachers are learning to play the ukulele, and themusic specialist keeps up-to-date with what the- 12 -

children are doing in class to make music sessions
fit within everything else they are doing. But music
doesn’t just happen in intentional music sessions,
it can happen during an art experience, or atplaytime, snack time or when children are writingor counting. The role of the music specialist has tochange, how we conceive of music ‘classes’ hasto change, because if it does not, the message wesend to the children we teach is: Music is only forthe special few and that music only happens incertain places and at certain times. We now know
this is not true. Everyone is musical. At EtonHouse
Hong Kong we don’t just believe this, we try very
hard to live it.

Eton House in J ap an/ Malaysia

Commitment to Reflective Practice
EtonHouse @ Japanby Angela Fitzpatrick, Principal
This year the teaching team at
EtonHouse Tokyo are making
a commitment to reflective
practice.
What is reflective practice?
“ Reflective practice in practice isa cycle of on-going learning that
occurs when we take time to stopand think and change” (OConnor
and Diggins 2002 P.9)
We a r e i n t h e p r o c e s s o festablishing personal reflective
dairies which contain a reflective
system that is practical in ourdaily teaching and learning.
We will be looking at all areasof the curriculum, including
managerial practice.

• become more open-minded and enjoy
challenging our teaching practice.

For some teachers this practiceis new and for others this isexciting as they are able to sharepersonal knowledge on their pastreflections.

• become adaptable and flexible in their planningand assessment of children’s learning.

Most of the reflective practicewill be conducted within our daily
conversations, staff meetingsand personal thoughts.
The educators believe that whenteachers participate in reflective
practice they;• are more likely to increaseknowledge and gain skills.

As a group, the teachers are discovering thebenefits of collaborative group reflection. They
are becoming more confident in exchanging
ideas, sharing decision making and being positive
about collaborative relationships alongside theircolleagues, making a strong teaching team.
From a director’s perspective, this ensures that
all the educators are consistently learning new
ideas and skills. The school strongly believes that
establishing reflective practice in turn will lead
to better outcomes for children, families and thecommunity.

Professional Development – ‘Essential Agreements’
EtonHouse @ Malaysia
by Ms. Claire Elizabeth Blake, Ms. Jo Lowis, Ms Tan Chyn Fong, Ms Chai Xiao Fang and the entire teaching team at EtonHouse Malaysia
The EtonHouse round table discussions andprofessional development sessions develop peer
networks and give teachers the opportunity toshare ideas with the educational community.
What would or could be the success criteria forthis? What would it look like? As part of an ongoingprofessional development process, EtonHouse
Malaysia decided to look at what the school reallyvalues. As the educators collaborate to write themdown for the children as a ‘Declaration of Intent’,the entire teaching team felt that they should
develop an essential agreement for themselves at staff meetings.
The essential agreement for staff-meetings at
EtonHouse Malaysia is as follows:· We value the opportunity to develop as
professionals and share experiences so
we share good-practice and act upon new

information that we learn from others for thegood of our students.
· We value participation and open-mindedness
so we are actively involved in all discussions
and listen to and share opinions and ideas withothers freely.
· We value our time so we are always punctual,professional and productive in meetings.

- 13 -· We value the skills, attributes and opinions ofeach team member so we respect others andwork as a team.
· We value our school ethos and mission so
we keep the well-being and education of ourstudents in mind and meet to plan for our goals.

E ton Hou se in Ind onesia

Making Connections – Pedagogy and Andragogy
EtonHouse @ Surabaya
by Allison Potter, Principal
Inquiry, Thinking and Learning to realise their fullpotential. Learning never stops.
This applies to the new team of professionals here
in Surabaya. Recently, the school celebrated the
Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as “Mooncake
Festival” or “Lantern Festival”, one of the mostimportant Chinese festivals of the year dating backto over 3,500 years. Moon Cake celebration is amost fitting, inclusive and unifying celebration where
our children, parents and teaching team cometogether as a community to promote cooperationand development in the learning processes.
As we know pedagogy is professional practicerelating to learning and growth of children,
andragogy is the professional practice relating tolearning and development in adults.

As the very first term at EtonHouse International
Pre-School Surabaya commences, these twoconcepts are very relevant. Children and adults
need to experience the processes of Exploration,

Together we learn and develop as a team,celebrating and gaining valuable insights that
foster respect and diversity and acknowledges
individual cultures and tradition in a truly
international environment.

The Children, the Teachers and the School
EtonHouse @ Jakarta
by Chris Hartman, K2 Teacher/Vice Pre-school Director
This dynamic process aims for children learning in
more natural ways, as their individual interests areat the center of the learning process.
The physical changes our school is undergoingare broad and necessary. Some rooms have been
merged to create larger learning centers andnew structures are being built to accommodate
more students. Continual development throughenvironmental enhancements, reflective practiceand professional development ensures thatthe school supports a bustling and dynamic
community of learners.
K2 class; bright and sunny
Renovations behind the scenes

These are busy times at EtonHouse Jakarta.
The school is undergoing major renovations toaccommodate more students in an enhanced
learning environment. The teachers have also
had their bi-annual professional development
sessions.
PD activities and discussions

For a full week, the teachers learnt more about
the process of cultivating inquiry on a daily basis.

- 14 -

EtonHouse Director of Pedagogy in Jakarta

E ton House in Ind ia/ V iet nam

A Commitment to Best Practice
EtonHouse @ India“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken
joy in creative expression and knowledge.”- Albert Einstein
At Vivero, this is brought to life by our teachers
who are supported by research and best teachingpractice from around the world through regular andexpansive training and professional development
sessions.

Poonam Warthy, Principal, Vivero Kalyani Nagar,
Pune says “The success of a school depends on
the quality of teachers you have. At Vivero Pune,
we begin our academic year with generic trainingthat is developed by our academic team after
inputs from teachers and heads of other schools.”
She further adds “We also infuse a fun element
to the training to make it interesting. As a part ofthis year’s induction we conducted a workshop on‘creating best out of waste’ for our teachers. Thisin turn helped our teachers encourage recycling
amongst children as well.”
It is a constant endeavor to build a team ofteachers who are passionate and committed
about what they do. Sharayu Thampi, Principal,
Vivero Whitefield, Bengaluru talks about honing
this passion further by conducting various
professional development workshops throughout
the year and teacher exchange programmes
among the schools.
She elaborates “The workshops include
instructional mentoring and integrate a teacher
model along with a researcher model, wherein theteachers are encouraged to find new evidence,
make new discoveries in connection witheducation or develop new methods of teaching
and learning.”
The teachers work diligently to instill joy in theprocess of learning and inspire creative expression
amongst children, supported by a strong andintensive professional development programme.

Establishing the EtonHouse standards of practice
EtonHouse @ Hanoi
by Leean Woodland, Principal
Although EtonHouse Hanoi is relatively new, there
are some very established quality assurance
systems in place to make sure that the students
are getting a very high quality provision. The
systems are for both quality assurance and quality
maintenance. There is induction training at thestart of the year and two in-house training weeks
for each of the teachers. These often include a visit
from the Director of Pedagogy Singapore, as wellas quality assurance visits throughout the year.
Students initial assessments linked into the
EtonHouse curriculum framework are carriedout in the first month and tracked throughout
the year so that the teacher can keep a close
eye on a child’s progress. The progress profiles
are shared with both parents and students withnegotiated ‘next steps.’ Teachers make plans for
short, medium and long term goals that match thestudents’ individual needs and interests. There areteaching observations to ensure that the teachers
reach an outstanding Grade 1 status, and areamongst many other processes such as teachers’

appraisals and professional development plans.
EtonHouse Hanoi also aims to keep a high levelof happiness and satisfaction through its’ Student,
Parent and Staff Satisfaction Surveys etc. which
are given out on a regular basis through a warm
and professional ‘Open Door’ policy. Here,

Student progress tracking- 15 -

teachers and staff work in constructive partnershipwith parents. Eton House Hanoi is always looking
for recommendations of best practice, throughlatest research in early childhood education as
well as working on a continuous cycle of selfimprovement.

Supportive Teaching and Learning Observations