At AISL Harrow Shenzhen, each student is penning a unique chapter of their life story, defining excellence with passion. In this third article in our Harrow educational excellence series, we spoke to Ingrid, one of our founding students at Harrow International School Shenzhen Qianhai, as well as her parents, to learn more about their experience at the school.
If I stayed at my old school, I would not have developed the critical thinking skills that have led me to such remarkable achievements.
In the fourth grade, I transitioned from a Chinese school to Harrow, starting with only intermediate English skills. Thanks to the dedicated guidance of my English teachers, I developed a profound interest in reading, which greatly enhanced my language abilities. Remarkably, within just two years, I achieved an impressive IELTS score of 8 at the age of 11.
I channeled my passion for English into various pursuits: competing in the John Locke Essay Competition to sharpen my critical thinking, engaging in English debates to refine my expression, and serving as president to cultivate my leadership skills. These experiences provided me not only with language proficiency, but also with a newfound confidence today, English is more than just an academic subject for me; it is my medium for communication, a bridge for sharing ideas, and a powerful tool for effecting change.
At Harrow, Ingrid has crafted her own definition of “excellence” —it lies in being heard, becoming a source of influence. This is not a story of a “linguistic genius”, but rather a journey from “average” to “top-notch”, where she has identified her passions and potential. With language as her vessel, she embarks on a transformative journey to shape her identity and unlock the world!
By extensive reading, I learned a tonne of vocabulary far beyond my expected English level.
Ingrid scored an 8.0 in IELTS at the age of 11 and was admitted to the Open University UK at the age of 12, becoming the youngest student in the entire course. Behind these little miracles was the guidance of Ingrid’s teachers at Harrow, who had nurtured her passion and helped her to reach her full potential.
It’ s all down to the support of my teachers,’ said Ingrid. ‘When I was in Year 5, my class teacher encouraged me to read many books. One series I adored was the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan. I read all the books in the series and was completely addicted to them. From that point on, I developed this lasting love of reading.’
From developing a passion for reading at Pre-Prep to being inspired by her History and English teachers at Prep School, Ingrid found her interest in political science, classics, and creative thinking and writing. Tapping into her linguistic and expressive talents, she wrote an award-winning John Locke essay while pursuing debating and public speaking, broadening her horizons about the world and making constant breakthroughs in her studies.
By extensive reading, I learned a tonne of vocabulary, far beyond my expected English level, which enabled me to take classes specifically for academic and creative writing. My English teacher encouraged me to think critically and gave me detailed feedback on my creative writing.’
Such interest-driven, comprehensive, and in-depth academic support laid a solid foundation for Ingrid’s tertiary studies in the future.
Harrow has allowed me to grow as a leader and develop the courage to express myself.
The school has given me many opportunities to develop my leadership skills, whether for my class or my whole house. It has allowed me to find my voice and speak out on issues. As a member of house leadership now in my fourth year, I have found the courage to speak in public, sometimes in Upper School assembly, and have gained the respect of my peers.’
“At Harrow, we never get too fixated on winning and losing. Instead, we simply enjoy our time growing up together.”
In such an inclusive school environment of fellowship, Ingrid was able to broaden her perspective and develop empathy for others, enhancing her understanding the world and herself while expressing her views and solving problems.
Not only was she a speaker at TEDx Harrow Shenzhen, she was also awarded the NEA Distinction Certificate of Public Speaking. In addition, she won the World Scholar’s Cup (China) Writing Champions Junior Gold Medal, Debate Champions Junior Silver Medal, and Champion Scholars Junior Trophies. In the Junior Poetry & Spoken Word category of the world’s largest environmental youth programme for the creative arts, her poem ‘An Arctic Ballad’ stood out from over 5,200 entries from around the world, earning her a prestigious award. Ingrid showcased her creative thinking and writing talent while exemplifying the humility of International Harrovians and their spirit of giving back to society through their abilities. Check out Ingrid’s creative writing — a judges’ favourite!
This is not defined as a traditional school that merely focuses on academic grades.
From her first day at school, Ingrid has been on a transformative journey of growth. As one of the founding students at Harrow Shenzhen, she has grown from a shy child into a confident, adventurous learner.
Her parents have witnessed such a transformation: ‘Harrow Shenzhen is not just about tradition, coping with exams, and academic grades. More importantly, they focus on the holistic development of the student.’ Her mother also credited the school’s inclusive environment and the support in developing her confidence and concentration over these five years.
Harrow’s unique teaching approach provided Ingrid with key support for her growth: teachers do not give standard answers but instead encourage students to think for themselves. This allowed her to form her own opinions and judgements, to recognise her own passion and potential, and to work towards her dreams with a deliberate focus.
As Ingrid said, ‘My goal is to study PPE at university, then work in international relations and contribute to the world.’
Such a clear plan for her future studies and career is testament to the outstanding outcome of Harrow’s personalised education.
Ingrid is one of the many stories of our educational excellence. Let your child be the star featured in our next success story.
Scan the code now to reserve your place for a unique opportunity to meet with education experts from AISL Harrow Shenzhen.
Harrow Shenzhen extends the warmest of welcomes to all prospective parents and pupils at its Open Events. You will have the chance to meet key staff, visit our outstanding facilities, interact with current pupils and see for yourselves just what makes our School so different.
Please find the upcoming dates of our events below:
Event : Early Years Centre Open Events
Date : 9:30am – 11:00am, Wednesday
Event : Pre-prep & Upper School Open events
Date : 9:30am – 11:00am, Friday
