Victoria Shanghai Academy

Victoria Shanghai Academy (Chinese: 滬江維多利亞學校, abbreviated as VSA) is a private independent bilingual international school in Aberdeen, Hong Kong. VSA is the first through-train International Baccalaureate (IB) school^[a] in Hong Kong^[3][6] and has been described as a leading bilingual IB school in Hong Kong.^[2]

Victoria Shanghai Academy 滬江維多利亞學校
Campus facade
Address
19 Shum Wan Road Aberdeen Hong Kong China
Coordinates	22°14′30.1″N 114°9′59.4″E
Information
Other name	VSA
Former names	C.S. Victoria English Primary School Victoria English Primary School (Causeway Bay)[1]
School type	Private bilingual, day, independent, international, non-denominational[1][2]
Mottoes	Value, Strive, Act[2] 明善、奮進、力行[3]
Established	1984 (as C.S. Victoria English Primary School) 2004 (as VSA)[1]
Founders	Victoria Educational Organisation[1] University of Shanghai Alumni Association [4]
Status	Open
Sister school	Victoria Park Academy (Chinese: 深圳丽林维育学校)[5][6]
School district	Southern
Board Chairman	William Doo[3]
Supervisor	Peggy Lam[7]
Head of Academy	Vacant
Secondary Principal	Shirla Sum[8]
Primary Principal	Ross Dawson[9]
Teaching staff	205-210[1]
Years taught	1-12[1]
Gender	Mixed[1]
Age range	6-18[10]
Enrollment	2,050-2,150[1] (2024-25)
Classes	88
Average class size	21-29[1]
Student to teacher ratio	1:10[10]
Education system	International Baccalaureate[2]
Language	English, Standard Chinese[1]
Hours in school day	~7[1]
Houses	Amazon Danube Nile Yangtze
Color(s)	Blue, red, white
Song	VSA School Song[11]
Athletics conference	HKSSF ISSFHK[12]
Sports	Association football athletics badminton ball hockey basketball bowling fencing futsal golf netball sailing swimming table tennis tennis volleyball
Mascot	Finn the Shark (current) DANY the Dog (former)
Nickname	VSA Sharks[10]
Accreditation	ACAMIS[13] CIS[1] EARCOS[14] IB[2] NEASC[15] TASS[16]
IBDP average	38.3
Publication	Yearbook
Newspaper	The Victorian[17]
Annual tuition	$169,400-238,860[18]
Feeder schools	Victoria Kindergartens[19]
Graduates (2024)	99
Website	https://vsa.edu.hk

VSA was founded in 2004^[1] by Maggie Koong [zh].^[20]

History

In 1984, the Victoria Educational Organisation (VEO) established C.S. Victoria English Primary School in School Street, and then Victoria English Primary School (Taikoo Shing) in Taikoo Shing in 1996. In 1999, C.S. Victoria English Primary School moved to Eastern Hospital Road, Causeway Bay and was renamed Victoria English Primary School (Causeway Bay).^[1]

In 2001, the Education Bureau granted a construction cost subsidy for a new campus at Shum Wan Road.^[3]

In 2003, Victoria English Primary School started implementing the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum on a trial basis.^[21] The following year, it received preliminary IB certification.^[1] Victoria English Primary School officially became an IB World School in 2005. In the same year, the upper primary school of Victoria English Primary School moved to a temporary campus in Wan Chai and opened a secondary school to provide IB secondary school and preparatory courses.

In 2006 and 2007, the secondary school passed the IB certification for the secondary school curriculum and preparatory curriculum respectively, becoming the first IB World School in Hong Kong to offer all 3 courses. In 2007, the primary school buildings were merged and moved to the Sham Wan campus together with the secondary school.^[1][3] An opening ceremony and open day were held at the school building in May 2008.

In 2012, VSA joined the Council of International Schools.^[1]

In 2022, a HK$420,000,000 campus expansion project that commenced in 2020 was completed, adding 9,000 square metres to the campus. Secretary for Education Christine Choi attended the opening ceremony on 2 December.^[2][3] An affiliated school called Victoria Park Academy (Chinese: 深圳丽林维育学校) was opened in Nanshan, Shenzhen^[5] with Maggie Koong [zh] as the Head of Academy.^[6]

School administration

Heads of Academy

• 2004–07 (as Head of School): Sherrill Shiu (邵麗紅)
• 2007–13: Maggie Koong [zh] (孔美琪)
• 2013–15 (acting): Diana Wong (黃葉慧瑩)
• 2015–18: Judith Guy
• 2018–25: Maggie Koong (孔美琪)

Primary Principals

• 2001–07: Ying Cheuk Yung (容英焯)
• 2007–09: Diane Fisk
• 2009–16: Susan Smith (冼蘇珊)
• 2016–: Ross Dawson^[9]

Secondary Principals

• 2010–15: Richard Parker (柏奕康)
• 2015–18: Judith Guy
• 2018–22: Christopher Coates
• 2022–: Shirla Sum (岑雅韻)^[8]

Notable board members

• Adrian Cheng
• Christina Ting [zh]
• Henry Cheng^[4]
• Ng Ching-fai

Accreditation

VSA is accredited by the Association of China and Mongolia International Schools,^[13] the Council of International Schools,^[1] the East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools,^[14] the International Baccalaureate Organization,^[2] the New England Association of Schools and Colleges,^[15] and the Alliance for Sustainable Schools.^[16]

Curriculum

VSA is an International Baccalaureate (IB) authorized school offering 3 IB courses: Primary Years Programme (PYP) for primary school, Middle Years Programme (MYP) for secondary school, and Diploma Programme (DP) for the last 2 years of secondary school. The school is bilingual and classes are taught in Traditional Chinese and English, while students may also choose to study French or Spanish.^[1] VSA also offers its own VSA Diploma for students who do not choose to study or do not meet the requirements for the DP.

Campus

The 2022 expansion project added "world-class" facilities to the VSA campus, including:

• an Innovation Hub with virtual reality headsets for robotics, artificial intelligence and STEAM education, computer programming, VEX Robotics, and hackathons^[2]
• a performing arts center^[3] with a black box theater and a room for drama^[2]
• new primary and secondary libraries^[3] with study rooms^[2]
• a Sports Hall for physical education and extracurricular activities, including a fencing center^[2]
• leisure and learning spaces including a student lounge for DP students, "The Quay" and the "Cloud Café"^[2][3]

Sustainable design was adopted in the new campus buildings,^[3] including floor-to-ceiling glass, rainwater irrigation^[3] and solar photovoltaic systems, and green infrastructure.^[2]

Extracurricular

VSA's guiding statement is "Value, Strive, Act"^[2] (Chinese: 明善、奮進、力行^[3]). At VSA, the Response to Intervention approach is used to support students with special learning needs. VSA offers school bus services.^[1]

VSA has four houses, each named after a major river: Amazon, Danube, Nile, and Yangtze. The former school mascot is DANY the dog, an acronym formed by the first letter of the four houses. The current school mascot is Finn the Shark. The school colors are blue, red, and white.

Activities

VSA publishes a yearbook. The student publication is named The Victorian.^[17] Students can learn to perform Chinese martial arts and traditional Chinese dances, including dragon dance, and play Chinese drums.^[2] School clubs also include huaju, an orchestra, AI For Good (AFG), Western dance, education on Napoleonic military tactics, naval warfare and maneuver warfare.

Sports

The VSA Sharks^[10] participate in the Hong Kong Schools Sports Federation and the International Schools Sports Federation Hong Kong.^[12] Sports at VSA include association football, athletics, badminton, ball hockey, basketball, bowling, fencing, futsal, golf, netball, sailing, swimming, table tennis, tennis, and volleyball.

Student achievements

As of the 33rd Hong Kong Outstanding Students Awards in 2018, VSA has produced a total of 3 winners.

Notable alumni

• Kaylin Hsieh, épée fencer^[22]
• Johnny Ku [zh], singer and YouTuber^[23]
• Katii Tang, swimmer^[24]
• YaLocalOffgod (Andrew Mok), fashion designer and entrepreneur^[25]

Victoria Kindergartens

Victoria Educational Organisation, one of the founding organizations of VSA, runs several kindergartens in Hong Kong and Mainland China.^[6][19]

Campuses in Hong Kong include:

• Belcher (Pok Fu Lam)
• Harbour Green
• Harbour Heights (North Point)
• Ho Man Tin
• Lower Kornhill
• Middle Kornhill
• Ocean Pride (Tsuen Wan West)
• South Horizons
• Upper Kornhill

Campuses in Mainland China include:

• Hangzhou (2)
• Shanghai (4)
• Shenzhen (4)
• Suzhou (1)

Notes

1. VSA uses the IB's Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme and Diploma Programme.