Principal's Message

Dear KGV Families,

I hope you have enjoyed a good week. Throughout this term our teams have been preparing for the transition to the ESF Hub, our new online system which we will use from the beginning of next academic year. This work has included moving our curriculum unit plans to the ESF Hub to ensure consistent approaches in our classrooms, as well as reflecting and refining on our approaches to assessment and reporting. As well as involving all staff in this process, we have engaged student focus groups to gain their input on how we ensure the best possible experience for our community.

As you may have seen from earlier communications this week, we also want to engage parents with the ESF Hub to build awareness and understanding of the benefits this system will bring to our community. This starts with a KGV specific online webinar on Thursday 21st May from 6.30 pm to 7.30 pm. Please register here if you would like to attend. There will also be further communication in June and at the start of next academic year.

We have also been focusing on Mental Health Awareness Week, with our wellbeing staff and student ambassadors running a range of activities. Keeping with our theme of ‘Sleep, Steps, Social’ , there have been a range of mini-workshops on healthy sleep routines, a week long ‘walk, hike, or run’ challenge, a student-led introduction to journalling, and a variety of arts and crafts and games for students to enjoy and connect with one another.

By developing positive approaches to mental health, this supports our commitment to ensuring students lead healthy, balanced lifestyles that enables them to be successful in their studies and in life. A good conversation at home could be linked to healthy sleep routines or how you might have a family  ‘walk, hike, or run’ challenge.

Have a great weekend ahead.

Best regards,

Mark Poulsum

Dear Families,

Please find below important updates regarding Mental Health Awareness Week, subject selections for Year 7, and important reminders for our Year 9 families.

Mental Health Awareness Week: Sleep, Steps and Social

This week, our school community marked Mental Health Awareness Week. Our activities focused on managing emotions through the core themes of ‘sleep, steps and social’.

Nurturing young people involves much more than academic focus; we know our students will be most successful when they take care of the elements that keep them well, happy, connected and progressing. We hope these discussions continue at home as students reflect on their personal wellbeing routines.

Healthy House Competition: Inter-house Chess

In addition to our wellbeing focus, students engaged in a vibrant Healthy House competition this week with our inter-house Chess games. It was wonderful to see students from all houses demonstrating strategic thinking and positive sportsmanship.

Year 7: Creative Arts Subject Selection

The Creative Arts subject selection process on LIONeL will begin this coming Wednesday, May 20th. During the week, students will receive specific guidance during their tutor time to help them navigate their options.

We encourage parents to discuss these choices with their children at home to ensure they select the creative pathways that best suit their interests.

Year 9: Ocean Park Trip Payment

Following our previous updates regarding the Year 9 trip to Ocean Park, please be on the look out for the payment invoice which is being distributed. We encourage parents to make timely payments to secure their child’s participation in this year-end event.

Reminder: Community Project Assessment and MYP Graduation

A reminder that the Year 9 Community Project Assessment/Exhibition and the MYP Graduation ceremony will take place on Monday, June 15th.

Detailed information has been sent directly to parents via email, including the registration link required for attendance. We are excited to welcome you to campus to celebrate the positive impacts our students have made through their projects and to mark their successful completion of the Middle Years Programme.

Thank you for your continued support of our school community and the learning journeys of our students.

This week was Mental Health Awareness Week. Activities focused on managing emotions and a theme of ‘sleep, steps and social. Nurturing young people is about more than academics, and we know they will be successful when they take care of all things that keep them well, happy, connected and progressing. Students also engaged in a healthy house competition this week with inter-house Chess games.

We have concerns over the language some students choose to use at school. Please discuss this with your child. Language used on Instagram reels and YouTube videos is not necessarily suitable for a family or school context.

Year 10 students continue to engage in 1:1 conversations with their tutors. Some are involved in the drama trip to Macau to see the House of Dancing Water next Friday. 

Year 11 students presented promptly and were well-prepared for their big week of exams. I am concerned to see some students leaving their belongings unattended while in their exams. Please check that your child has a locker and is locking away their valuables during exams. We remind them over and over.

Exams next week are:
Monday: Business, Chemistry (double and triple)
Tuesday: Further Pure Maths (approximately 30 students)
Wednesday: Computer Science, French
Thursday: Music
Friday: PE, Economics

The detailed exam timetable is available here.
All exam regulations are here.
In the event of severe rain or weather, e.g. Red or Black rain, advise your child to monitor their email. We will communicate any changes to the routine asap.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Amidst the high-pressure environment of the ongoing exam period, this week marks a vital occasion: Mental Health Awareness Week 2026. Moving beyond mere awareness, our theme "Take ACTION!" encourages students to build proactive habits through the "Sleep, Steps, and Social" trifecta.

A series of activities were held throughout the week, including mini-workshops on healthy sleep routines, a week-long ‘walk, hike, or run’ challenge, a student-led introduction to journalling, and a variety of arts and crafts and games for students to enjoy and connect with one another. 

You can support your child's mental health by helping them develop consistent daily habits that build lasting emotional strength. Prioritizing a regular sleep schedule and limiting evening phone use is essential, as adequate rest is more effective for academic performance than late-night studying. You can also help by discussing specific daily objectives instead of general academic pressure, assisting them in setting limits to avoid exhaustion, and ensuring they have regular time to connect with family members. 

Wishing you a lovely weekend

Dear Parents,

We are excited to invite you to an upcoming webinar dedicated to the ESF Hub, our new parent app designed to streamline your school communications.

Following our recent app notifications, we encourage those who haven't yet registered to join us for this introductory session.

• Date: Thursday, 21 May 2026
• Time: 6.30 PM
• Registration: Click here to register via Zoom

We look forward to seeing you online and helping you make the most of the ESF Hub.

Dear KGV Families,

We are writing to provide an update regarding the ongoing field resurfacing and drainage work. Please be advised that the temporary traffic arrangements on Sheung Kin Street have been extended until mid-June.

The current lane closures will remain in effect. We kindly remind parents to:

Avoid prolonged parking or U-turns on Sheung Kin Street.

Exit via the back gate onto Sheung Shing Street immediately after morning drop-off.

Allow extra travel time, as afternoon bus lineups may continue to experience slight adjustments.

We appreciate your continued patience and cooperation as we work with the contractors and authorities to complete these essential improvements.

With the new KGV field nearing completion, we are reviewing our current CAS Sport and KGV Lions sport (competitive teams) programmes in preparation for the new academic year.

Physical activity plays a vital role in the physical and emotional development of students, and as such we highly value our programme and what it offers. However, we are always looking to improve the programme and experience for our students and increase the numbers of those participating.

Below are the links to two surveys (one for students and one for parents) requesting feedback on our current programme. The survey should take around 5 minutes to complete.

We invite all students and parents at KGV to complete the survey to provide us with quality feedback which will help shape our programme moving forward. Your voices are important to us.

The surveys are anonymous, so we ask for honesty in your feedback.

Student Survey: https://forms.gle/aKYri4svTo66259o7

Parent Survey: https://forms.gle/mkwBwQ6txXkLkkRQA

Many thanks for your time and feedback as we look forward to the new pitch and improved programme for all students.

Due to student privacy protocols, we require parental consent before releasing student information to external organisations. Please complete this form to make a formal request. Requests will only be processed upon receipt of parental permission.

KGV’s standard lead time for teachers to prepare references is four working weeks from the date parental permission is received.

This process does not apply to references needed for higher education applications (i.e. university admissions) which are coordinated in a separate process.

Gifted & Talented Programmes
Students interested in external extension programmes for specifically designed for gifted & talented students outside of KGV should refer to this website for guidance: https://sites.google.com/kgv.hk/kgv-extension-opportunities.

Higher Education & Careers

KGV Higher Education & Careers website. This site, managed and constantly updated by our H.E. Team, hosts a wealth of information on higher education resources, events, enrichment/summer programmes, scholarships, and other opportunities. This can serve as a first step for research. Check it out.

Sign-up for higher education events coordinated by the KGV Higher Education & Careers Team. Kindly note that students’ safety and security, we only accept sign-up submitted by parent email addresses that are registered in the school record. Parents are also required to give parental consent for their children to participant in events coordinated by the H.E. Team. For these reasons, all submissions by a KGV student account or unregistered email address will be automatically rejected without further notice. Thank you for your attention.

Year 13. To our students taking IB exams: Keep up the focus and determination. To our BTEC & IBCP students: Stay steady and finish strong in the final stretch of your coursework.

YEAR 12 – Link of the week: Common App - Checklist for Grade 11 (Year 12) for U.S. applications

Individual Student-led Meetings. The meetings kicked off at the start of this week. Students are required to upload their completed plans and intentions to their Unifrog account before the meeting with tutor, H.E. Counsellor and parent. We highly encourage parents to communicate with their child about meeting date and time. Please refer to earlier correspondence from Mr. Pritchard for further details on meeting arrangements.

H.E. Presentation Series. Topics covered so far: Introduction to Higher Education; Personal Statement: Session 1; Introduction to Unifrog; UK applications; Hong Kong applications; Higher education research; Oxbridge; Medicine, Dentistry & Veterinary Meds; USA applications; USA Personal Essay; and Canada applications. Other topics to be covered: Non-mainstream applications, UCAS setup, Summer Action Plan.

H.E. EVENTS shared via KGV Higher Education Events Calendar
KGV is not responsible for the quality of external events. All information is subject to change by event organisers.

Details and registration to join the session is available here.

2 Jun – University of Cambridge Undergraduate Admissions Webinar for ESF Schools. Please refer to details announced on Student Bulletin.

Hong Kong
23 May & 6 Jun – “Unboxing HKUST Admissions” District Talks

U.K.
Various dates in May – University of Bath – Personal Statement Webinar Series
Various dates in May & Jun – UCL Taster & Info Sessions Series
20 May – Northumbria University: International Student Info Webinar

U.S.A.
21 May – University of Washington Info Session
21 May – EducationUSA Pre-Departure Orientation 2026

JAPAN
16 May – Study in Japan, Discover 4 Top Universities
30 May – Ritsumeikan University Webinar: Navigating 2027 Applications for Prospective Students

KGV Higher Education & Careers Team

The annual 24-Hour Hebe Haven Charity Dinghy Race event is coming up next weekend on 23–24 May 2026 and the KGV Sailing team will be racing to help raise money. 

You can find out more about this community event here on the website - https://www.hebehaven24hour.com/ 

Please come along to support KGV at the pontoon (Hebe Haven Yacht Club, Sai Kung), and find out more about our CAS Sailing Activity. 

To help our fund-raising efforts you can even donate directly to our KGV Sailing link here, supporting local charities. 

18 - 22 May 2026