West Island School Newsletter

We are committed to implementing our new school vision: Find your purpose, realise your potential. This guiding principle now shapes every decision and experience. It empowers students to explore, discover passions, and grow—strengthening our values.

Read this letter from our leadership team to know more.

Find your purpose, realise your potential through the upcoming opportunities:

ESF invites aspiring young musicians to showcase their creativity and talent through two exciting competitions. Please find the details in the following links:

ESF Composition Competition

ESF Piano Concerto Composition

Disco Diwali will take place on Friday, 17 October 2025. Whether you will be shining on stage or helping behind the scenes, save the date and be part of this exciting celebration. Students, please sign up via this link for this wonderful opportunity.

Please note that during our campus maintenance from Friday, 29 August 2025 at 3.30pm to Saturday, 30 August 2025 at 6pm, WISDOM and the ESF App will be suspended. However, Gmail and other Google services for students will remain accessible, provided they are logged in before the power suspension begins on Saturday, 30 August 2025.

Discover the highlights of the week below

Mural at School Entrance

GCSE Results

HE: Exploring Global Pathway

Visual Arts: Duo Awards

Young Geographers of the Year

Alumni Stories: Scholarship

Upcoming Events

Post 16 Parent Session: 27 August

Diwali Ball: 17 October

ESF Explore: Term 1 Programme

Mural at School Entrance

A splash of colour now greets our students every morning. This vibrant mural, designed by Year 12 student Jennifer, celebrates the diverse and dynamic spirit of our school. Inspired by Hong Kong’s bustling port and global energy, Jennifer’s creation is a joyful celebration of movement, creativity and learning.

Well done to Jennifer for winning first place in our Wall Mural Competition. We can't wait to see where her creativity takes her next.

GCSE Results

Our GCSE results have been released, with approximately 60% of our students achieving the highest grades of A* and A. Well done to our 2024–2025 Year 11 cohort for their dedication and resilience.

Congratulations to our GCSE high performers who achieved the highest possible grade (A*/9/Distinction*) in nine or more of their GCSE or BTEC subjects: Aastha, Aryendra, Ching, Chloe, Emily F, Emily K, Jeffrey, Leda, Lok Yee, Martha, Rochelle, Sophia, Talia.

HE: Exploring Global Pathway

This summer, our Higher Education (HE) team visited 25 universities across the United States to explore exciting opportunities for our students. The team also attended international counsellor conferences to share our parent outreach programmes in New York.

Our HE Department's commitment to providing world-class guidance continues, and we are thrilled that our Higher Education counsellors will be taking 40 students to the UK for university visits during Horizons Week in November.

If you would like to be updated on the higher education opportunities, please subscribe to our Higher Education & Careers Department's YouTube channel here.

Visual Arts: Duo Awards

Year 13 IB Visual Arts student Charlotte has been recognised by the Hong Kong Academy of Contemporary Art for her oil painting Drenched in Blue and charcoal drawing Within the Grid. Her painting uses layered shades of blue to convey the emotional weight of feeling overwhelmed, while the closed eyes and parted lips of the subject suggest a quiet moment of release. In contrast, her charcoal drawing presents a shelf of cubby holes with stark light and shadow, creating a haunting, textured atmosphere that evokes mystery and introspection.

Young Geographers of the Year

Our talented student captured and drew beautiful images around the themes of Nature, People & Culture and Urbanscape, and were recognised as Young Geographers of the Year in the competition organised by the Royal Geographical Society Hong Kong.

Lower Secondary: Danica (Year 9), Daniel (Year 8), Yuvi (Year 10)
Upper Secondary: Emily (Year 12)
People’s Choice: Reet (Year 9)
Commended: Jasmine (Year 9), James (Year 10), Abbie (Year 10), Scarlett (Year 8), Phoebe (Year 8), Starra (Year 12), Jayden (Year 12), Lucinda (Year 11)

Sports Achievements

Fencing

Over the summer, Year 12 student Haidi achieved remarkable milestones in her fencing journey. She won double championships (Junior and Cadet) at the Bank of China Hong Kong Junior Open.

Prior to that, Haidi earned First Runner-Up in the President's Cup Senior Championship, securing her spot in this year’s National Games. Haidi will represent Hong Kong in team fencing—her second senior-level appearance, having competed in the World Championship in Georgia this July.

Basketball

Year 12 student Kai represented the Hong Kong Invitation team at the Shanghai Future Star Basketball Championship in July. As an elite athlete in the HK U16 team, Kai has trained with a wider squad and competed at a high level. He was also honoured with the WIS Sports Award last academic year.

Artistic Swimming

Year 8 student Lily achieved outstanding results in two artistic swimming competitions over the summer. She placed 3rd Runner-up in the Age 11–12 Free Duet at the Hong Kong Artistic Swimming Routine Competition, and earned 1st Runner-up in the Age 12 Free Team at the Pan Asia Artistic Swimming Championships.

CAS Corner

As we prepare for the start of Term 1 Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS), let’s revisit how our Year 7 students explored new passions and developed valuable skills through their CAS experiences in school year 2024-2025. Watch the video to hear Year 7 students share their favourite 2024-2025 CAS moments and discover how CAS has inspired them.

Alumni Stories: Scholarship

James and Lila, Class of 2024, are attending the University of Hong Kong on the Striding On Scholarship from the Hong Kong Jockey Club. This scholarship recognises students who have achieved excellence while demonstrating resilience and strength of mind in overcoming adversities and challenges in life.

Currently, James and Lila are representing HKU at a fully funded leadership conference at Oxford University, where they are gaining global insights and building connections with future leaders from around the world.

We wish them every success in their university journey.

Upcoming Events

Post 16 Parent Session: 27 August

We warmly invite our Year 12 and Year 13 parents to join us for our upcoming parent session: Thriving in Post-16: A Guide for Parents.

Date: Wednesday, 27 August 2025
Time: 5.30pm
Location: Auditorium, West Island School

If you would like to attend, please complete this registration form.

We look forward to welcoming you to our campus and offering guidance to support your child’s journey through Post-16 education.

Diwali Ball: 17 October

Save the date for an event you’ll never forget — a night of glitz, glamour and groove at our disco-themed Diwali Ball!

It’s just eight weeks away, and trust us, this is one celebration you won’t want to miss. Get ready for dazzling performances, vibrant energy, and unforgettable moments.

Date: Friday, 17 October

More details will be announced soon.

ESF Explore: Term 1 Programme

Whether your child is passionate about sports, eager to master a new language, looking to take their English skills to the next level, or curious about STEM, ESF Explore's expert educators provide a supportive and stimulating environment. All classes are delivered in English, helping students boost their language skills while exploring new interests and building confidence for a global future. Join the programmes offer this term and watch your child grow physically, mentally and creatively.

Term Time Catalogue | District-based Programmes

Notes:

Exclusive 10% discounts for ESF students — Promo code: ESFAPP10
*Classroom Success Bundle discount — An additional 5% off when enrolling in two or more non-sports programmes in a single transaction

*Please note: This offer is valid only when the programmes are purchased together in one transaction for the same student. (The discount will be applied automatically at checkout)

We hope you enjoy exploring the highlights in this week's newsletter. Please feel free to share your feedback through this link.

Report abuse