King George V School, Hong Kong

King George V School 英皇佐治五世學校
Location
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
2 Tin Kwong Rd., Ho Man Tin, Hong Kong
Information
Type	International secondary Independent school co-educational
Motto	Honestas Ante Honores(Honesty Before Glory)
Established	1894 (as Kowloon College)
School district	Kowloon City
Principal	Mark Blackshaw (2017-)
Grades	Years 7 – 13
Enrollment	1900 (approx.)
Campus size	10.2 acres (4.1 ha)
Colour(s)	Gold, navy blue, black
Mascot	Lion
Publication	The Lion (annual yearbook)
Website	kgv.edu.hk
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	英皇佐治五世學校
Simplified Chinese	英皇佐治五世学校
showTranscriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Yīnghuáng Zuǒzhì Wǔshì Xuéxiào Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Yīng wòhng jo jih ńgh sai hohk haauh Jyutping Jing1 wong4 zo3 zi6 ng5 sai3 hok6 haau6

King George V School (KGV, pronounced "K-G-Five"; (note: V is the Roman numeral) is a co-educational international secondary independent school of the English Schools Foundation (ESF), located in Ho Man Tin, Hong Kong. The school has 1740 students and is one of the oldest schools in Hong Kong. Students take IGCSEs/GCSEs followed by the International Baccalaureate Diploma or the British BTEC programme. There is a Learning Support Centre (LSC) for students with learning difficulties. The campus has an area of 10.2 acres (4.1 ha). The school is one of three ESF secondary schools in Kowloon and the New Territories, the others being Sha Tin College and Renaissance College.

History[]

Pre-WWII period[]

KGV is the oldest of all the schools in the English Schools Foundation. It first opened in 1894 on Nathan Road, and originally catered for the children of British people living in Kowloon. At the time, the school occupied just one small building. It was destroyed in a typhoon in 1896, and Kowloon College opened in its place in 1902. A major opening ceremony took place and was attended by many of Hong Kong's elite, including Major General Gascoigne, the Apostolic Vicar of Hong Kong Louis Piazzoli, and the Colony Secretary J.H. Stewart Lockhart. The school was built using donations from Hong Kong businessman Sir Robert Hotung.^[1] The school was subsequently renamed the Kowloon British School, then the Central British School, and later King George V School.

By 1930, the number of students in the school had grown to 300. Wooden huts were built at the back of the school to create extra classrooms. The playground was only 7 m² (75 sq ft). The then-headmaster, Mr. Nightingale, asked for a new and bigger school site, which was acquired, and the site plan was designed by a teacher surnamed Rowell. Classes at the new site began on 14 September 1936. The first headmaster of the new school was the Reverend Upsdell. The present school is still on the same site. The foundation stone for the new building was laid by Sir William Peel, the then governor of Hong Kong, and the building was subsequently named the Peel Block in his honour.

WWII period[]

In 1937, the Japanese army invaded China and many European women and children were evacuated from Shanghai to Hong Kong. They needed a place to stay in the summer and the school was used as a refugee camp. As World War II developed past 1939, the government started to worry about the safety of the children and in August 1940 the government ordered the evacuation of European women and children from Hong Kong. Thereafter, the school site was used by British forces as a hospital. When Hong Kong surrendered in the Battle of Hong Kong, the school site was taken over by the Japanese and used as a hospital for prisoners of war. It is rumoured that the Pavilion was once used as a torture chamber under the Japanese occupation and that ghosts of tortured victims inhabit the clock tower and room P14 which is currently used as a Media Room. Dead bodies were also said^{[weasel words]} to be buried under the school field although when this was extensively excavated in preparation for the construction of an artificial playing surface in 2002/3, no such evidence was found. When classes at KGV resumed after WW2, the back of the stage still had the Japanese military's Rising Sun Flag painted on its back wall.

When the news was received^{[weasel words]} that Japan had surrendered, the Japanese general commanding the school left holding his sword high. As soon as he left, the school raised the British Union flag, probably the first to be raised in Hong Kong following the Japanese surrender.

Post-WWII period[]

The school re-opened in the summer of 1946 and in 1947 children of all nationalities were able to join the school. Since it was no longer exclusive for British pupils only, the school's name was changed on the school's speech day of 1948 to 'King George V School,' as George V was king when the foundation stone of the Peel Block was laid.

In 1979, principal Angela Smith decided that KGV should join the English Schools Foundation, and the transfer was complete by 1981. KGV is currently the oldest still active school in the ESF.^[2]

Additional Information[]

In 2006, KGV was the first school in Asia to perform the musical, Les Misérables: School Edition.

In 2009, musician Mika visited King George V School. He viewed the artwork based on his music (created by Advanced Diploma students) and helped finish a mural on the B-block wall, painting "I am not what you think I am / I am made of gold." He followed by performing 'Grace Kelly' for the students.

A truncated body of a Spitfire fighter-aircraft was present in the lower south east corner classroom of KGV School up until the late fifties. There was also a cut-away R.R. Merlin engine on display with it. It was eventually stored in the basement of the "sports" pavilion, until the Air Commodore had it removed, restored and one year later it was placed at the Cenotaph in Central for remembrance day painted in the 'colours' of the air commodore's fighter plane during the war. The story of the Spitfire aircraft at KGV was once a major "legend" that no one had too much detail about, although this story is now largely forgotten by the current student body.

Students and the House System[]

There are approximately 1,740 students of some 28 different nationalities enrolled in the school. Students are accepted from many ESF feeder primary schools in the English Schools Foundation including Kowloon Junior School, Beacon Hill School, and Clearwater Bay School.

The students are placed randomly in either of the four houses unless the students have lineage in the school. If the student has or had family members enrolled in KGV, they are automatically placed in the same house as those family members.

The house system is the basis for school competitions (excluding inter-school events). Houses are named after prominent former faculty members.

The houses, and their associated colours, are as follows:

• Crozier (green) – named after Douglas James Smyth Crozier, a KGV teacher who fought to defend Hong Kong in WWII, and whom went on to serve as the Director of Education of Hong Kong, served on the Executive Council of Hong Kong, and was an official member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong; during the 50's and 60's.
• Nightingale (yellow) – headmaster who first asked for a new school building, which is now the current school site.
• Rowell (blue) – a teacher who designed part of the current site of the school.
• Upsdell (red) – the first headmaster to serve in the school building located at the current school site.^[3]

Uniform[]

KGV has always had an extremely strict and traditional uniform policy, owing to its British Colonial roots. With students having to wear ties during winter, black leather shoes, and leather belts. Despite relaxations to the uniform rules in all other ESF schools and most other Hong Kong international schools, such as allowing casual wear for seniors; KGV has refused to follow those trends as a matter of honour. Instead, old rules such as minimum skirt/short length and mandatory wearing of school-issued socks, have been reinstated. Enforcement of uniform rules which had been only slightly relaxed in recent years has also been made stricter. KGV maintains that such rules help to instil discipline amongst students, helps build a sense of belonging and community, removes social/economic barriers between students, as well as helping with campus security by allowing staff to easily observe who is and isn't a student.

	Boys	Girls
Summer	Blue (Y7-11) or Khaki (Y12-13) trousers or shorts; white short/long-sleeved shirt with the blue KGV logo on the breast pocket; black leather belt; black leather shoes and a pair of black socks with trousers or a pair of white socks with shorts.	Blue (Y7-11) or Khaki (Y12-13) skirt or trousers; White short-sleeved blouse with triangular slits at the sleeves with the blue KGV logo on the breast pocket; black leather shoes and a pair of white socks.
Winter	Same as summer, but the shirt could be a long-sleeved, v-neck pullover, navy fleece jacket or a navy blue blazer.	Same as summer, with blouse substituted with a long or short-sleeved shirt; optional navy blue or black tights, v-neck pullover, navy fleece jacket or a navy blue blazer.

Tie: In the winter, students in years 7-11 must wear a navy blue tie with the school crest in a pattern covering the entire tie; and students in Years 12-13 must wear a navy blue tie with gold diagonal stripes and a single school crest at the bottom.

Curriculum[]

The curriculum adopted by KGV, as an international school, is significantly different from the system commonly practised in Hong Kong.^{[citation needed]}

Middle School Curriculum[]

The Middle School curriculum is designed for Years 7 to 9. All subjects (Art, Drama, English, History, ICT, Mathematics, Music, Physical Education, Religious Studies, Geography, Science and Design Technology) are compulsory, and students must learn Mandarin and a European language (French, German or Spanish). In year 9, students can choose to drop either language they are studying for Global Perspectives, or take double Chinese if the European language is dropped. A coherent skills based curriculum is being introduced in 2014.

In year 7, students are not put into academically levelled sets apart from Maths and Chinese classes because it is considered as a "transition" year, offering a wide variety of "inquiry" opportunities, transitioning from the "PYP" inquiry format learning to KGV's Middle School Curriculum.

IGCSE[]

In Years 10 and 11 all students follow a course leading to IGCSE examinations (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) in their chosen subjects. Some subjects are compulsory, but there is a choice to suit the aptitude and interest of students. All students are required to study the core subjects of English, Mathematics, Science (split into Biology, Chemistry and Physics), PE and PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education). Students must choose four further subjects by choosing one of the subjects from each of the boxes. Students cannot choose more than one Design Technology subject, choose more than one European language, and study both Business and Economics.

Box 1 (languages)	Chinese as a First/Second/Foreign Language IGCSE, French, German, Spanish, Japanese (Mother Tongue), Korean (Mother Tongue)
Box 2 (individuals and societies)	Geography, History, Economics, Business Studies, Psychology, Religious Studies, ICT
Box 3 (creative)	Art, Music, Sports Science, Drama, Media (A BTEC course as of 2017), Computer Science, DT Electronics, DT Resistant Materials, DT Graphics, DT Food, DT Textiles
Box 4 (open option)	Another subject from Boxes 1, 2 or 3.

The boxes are designed to be balanced and to ensure that students can build on their strengths whilst keeping their options open for the future.

iGCSE Grade Allocution at KGV for the 2020 Exam Series

Grade	Percentage
A*	27.7
A	27.8
B	28.9
C	12.9
D	2.3
E	0.4
F	0
9	29.8
8	22.3
7	17.4
6	12.6
5	9.1
4	6.6
3	2.0
2	0.3
1	0

IB Diploma[]

Starting from September 2007, KGV replaced the existing British A-Level Program with the International Baccalaureate diploma, offering the Diploma Programme. All students have to complete the core syllabus, consisting of an Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge and Creativity, Activity, Service.^[4] as well as 6 subjects, wherein a subjects in First Language, Second Language, Individuals and Societies, Science and Mathematics are required. Artistic or creative subjects are also offered, though these are optional.

BTEC[]

From September 2011 the school replaced the A-Level Programme (which was an option for students who did not want to take IB) with the BTEC International Diploma, a vocational course.

Governance[]

Student Council[]

The Student Council is the student government of KGV. It consists of 12 to 15 students (determined by the popularity of the candidates) in Years 11 to 13. All of them are elected through student voting from years 10 to 13, with a two to three-week process where the candidates run campaigns, give speeches about their ideas for the school, ands make campaign videos and websites. SC members are elected for a period of one year, from the 1st of January to the 31st of December of that year. If elected to the council, year 12 students can then run for president of the council in another round of SC elections. SC presidential candidates run in a pair with a vice-presidential candidate, who can either be from year 11 or year 12.

The Student Council listens to the students' opinions through form representatives and assists the school's development and improvement. It has a powerful and respected voice on all facets of school administration. Many of its achievements in the past include input on the school Healthy Eating policy, smart card system, vertical tutoring, ICT usage, environment, assembly structure, physical education (PE) kits, site redevelopment, and the implementation of a PE equipment borrowing system during breaks.

In recent elections, issues of concern for KGV students have included the lack of means through which students can voice their concerns, the relaxation of the mobile phone policy, more vending machines, keeping the back gate open for late arrivals, taster lessons, uniform changes, amending the LPS/PHSE course, the preservation of student tradition such as the school pantomime, and more SAT/ACT exam guidance.

Principals[]

Some of the actions taken by the current principal Mark Blackshaw include a no phone policy in school to promote greater student interaction and stricter changes to the school uniform rules.

Year	Principal
2017 – Present	Mark Blackshaw
2015 – 2017	Judy Cooper
2004 – 2014	Ed Wickins
1999 – 2004	D Cocks
1989 – 1999	M Behennah
1978 – 1989	A Smith
1975 – 1977	J Hackling
1969 – 1975	A Reeve
1963 – 1969	E Gore
1962 – 1963	F Findlay
1960 – 1962	C Watson
1956 – 1960	C Lowe
1954 – 1956	C Sargison
1951 – 1954	A Potter
1950 – 1951	W Mulchay
1946 – 1950	G Ferguson
1938 – 1940	Rev G Upsdell
1937 – 1938	Rev D Richards
1935 – 1936	Rev G Upsdell
1933 – 1935	J Raltson
1919 – 1933	G Nightingale
1916 - 1919	G Hamilton
1914 – 1916	E Edwards
1910 – 1913	M Mains
1902 – 1910	B James

School motto and song[]

• School Motto

The motto of KGV is Honestas Ante Honores, which means "Honesty Before Glory" in Latin.

• School Song

The school song is sung at school events and assemblies such as Speech Day and End of Year Assembly. In recent years the school song has been sung in assemblies more frequently.

• Lyrics

Here are we gathered from many a nation,

Arts to acquire that our peoples may serve.

Characters moulded by strict regulation,

Honour demands we this motto observe:

Chorus

Honestas ante Honores,

Honesty first then glories.

Loud raise the echoing chorus,

Honestas ante Honores.

Bold as the Lion Crest,

Blazoned on every breast.

Loud let resound the chorus,

Honestas ante Honores

Chivalry's courtesies claim cultivation.

Honour depends on such disciplined rule.

Honour acquiring a good reputation,

Honour the name of King George the Fifth School.

The motto, 'Honestas Ante Honores' forms the core theme of the School Song.

Sports[]

KGV is known for its sports from athletics to volleyball; games often take place within the school campus as the school is one of the few in Hong Kong equipped with an on-site AstroTurf playing field. In 2008 and 2009, KGV were back-to-back winners of the Bauhinia Bowl, marking it as the best co-educational sporting school in Hong Kong for that academic year.^[5] Overall, KGV holds the record for the most Bauhinia Bowls won by a co-educational school in Hong Kong, with its 21 wins placing it two clear of Island School's 19 wins. 25 male and 20 female alumni from KGV have been prior winners of the Bauhinia Bowl sportsboy/sportsgirl of the year award. KGV's many sporting trophies are displayed in a trophy cabinet outside the assembly hall and records of individual and team accomplishments are preserved in a section of the school library.

BOCHK Bauhinia Bowl Sportsboy/Sportsgirl of the Year Winners

Sportsboy of the Year	Year	Sportsgirl of the Year	Year
Danie Hooloy	1965–1966	Carol Nelson	1965–1966
R. Barros	1966–1967	Niv Metrevelli	1966–1967
John Drake	1967–1968	Diana Walsh	1967–1968
Tierry Newbert	1968–1969	Cathy McCausland	1968–1969
Grant Osborne	1969–1970	L. Migo	1971–1972
A. Ainsworth	1970–1971	Cathy Ross	1972–1973
Michael Bentley	1972–1973	Vanessa Neal	1973–1974
Jeremy Ozorio	1974–1975	Vanessa Neal	1974-1975
Philip Reeve	1976–1977	Evelyn Buckley	1977–1978
Dermot Reeve	1979–1980	Evelyn Buckley	1979–1980
David Evans	1980–1981	Crystine Lee	1987–1988
David Hall	1981–1982	Amanda Noble	1989–1990
Pat Clunie	1982–1983	Shelley Reid	1994–1995
Simon Myles	1983��1984	Lorea Solabarrieta	1995–1996
Johnathan Cannon	1984–1985	Georgina McFetridge	1996–1997
Robin Bredbury	1985–1986	Diana Ong	1997–1998
Brian Neir	1986–1987	Erin Joy	1998–1999
Ian Billingham	1987–1988	Sandra Frankland	2000–2001
Julian Hart	1988–1989	Christine Joy Bailey	2005–2006
Mark Thompson	1989–1990	Vanessa Ng	2013–2014
Simon Billingham	1990–1991
Jeremy Carter	1991–1992
James Hartwright	1993–1994
Rowan Varty	2002–2003
Dev Dillon	2009–2010
Nobody	2019–2020

Rugby[]

Rugby has been a traditional sport at KGV for a very long time. In the 2007–2008 term, the A-grade rugby team won the 15s, 10s and 7s tournament; this had not been achieved before in the history of the school. This team includes many Hong Kong rugby representatives and the 2010 Larry Abel award winner; Aiden Bradley. A single word, "MANA" (meaning 'pride'), is shouted out at every practice and match to build up confidence in team members.

The school has recently embraced female rugby. The women's team includes many Hong Kong Bauhinia U16 rugby representatives, as well as players for the Hong Kong U18 Development and U18 Nationals for XVs and VIIs. In 2013 the women's team won the cup against the Hong Kong Standard Charter Select team in the first Bill Williams 7s tournament with a women's section.

Cricket[]

Cricket has been a popular sport with KGV students for many years, with strong Junior and Senior teams. The KGV Junior Boys won the Hong Kong Schools league in May 2018.

Football[]

Football has been a traditional sport at KGV for a long time.

The school often takes part in the Jing Ying Inter- School Football Tournament which is regarded as the elite football tournament within Hong Kong with the best school teams participating. The B-grade boys KGV team won the HKSSF championship in the 2018–2019 season.

Girls' Lacrosse[]

Girls' Lacrosse was introduced in 2011. In May 2012, the KGV Girls' Lacrosse Team joined the Hong Kong Lacrosse League, which was between 2 adult teams and HKIS.

Basketball[]

The season of 2011–2012, KGV A-grade boys' basketball team had won the HKSSF Division 3 basketball championship, it was first time for KGV basketball to win a championship.

Netball[]

The netball team at KGV has been one of the school's best performing athletic teams. The teams are divided according to A, B, C grade depending on the player's age.

Swimming[]

The girls and boys swimming teams compete separately in the annual Hong Kong Schools Sports Foundation (HKSSF) interschool competition, with the girls team achieving a promotion to the Division 1 competition in 2018 and the boys team continuing to perform strongly in Division 2. KGV has produced many swimmers who have won podium places in their events at the HKSSF swimming competitions.^[6] Additionally, KGV swimmers regularly represent the English Schools Foundation at the annual organised by the community chest. 2015 marked KGV's best showing in the competition with the boys opens team winning the school relay and the overall competition while the staff team came 3rd in the corporate relay. ^[7]

Facilities[]

Buildings[]

Peel Block[]

Completed in 1937, this block is named after Sir William Peel, the Governor of Hong Kong from 1930 to 1935. His name can be found on the foundation stone at the north-east corner of the building, it was personally laid there by the governor himself. This is the first block built on the present school site. It is protected under Hong Kong law because of its age and historical significance. The building's plan view is shaped like the letter E and has two storeys. The Peel Block is the administrative centre of KGV, it currently houses the School Hall, a gym, an archive room, equipment storage rooms, the Middle School Office, a reprographics room, the Learning Resource Centre, SSC rooms, the school's PSAT shop, the staff room and offices on the ground floor, and only one media classroom.

Since the KGV site was used as a hospital and a dungeon by the Japanese in World War II, there are many rumours about this block. Many have said that the former computer room is haunted and was a torture chamber during the Japanese Occupation, while others say that footsteps can be heard on the Peel Block's roof (or along the upper floor) at night. These rumours entertain the students in the school and make KGV a very unique place for both students and teachers.

The Hall, located in the centre of this block, has hardwood flooring in the centre and marble flooring on the side walkways and up halfway along the wall. At the front of the hall is the stage, and to the rear, there is a second balcony level. The hall is outfitted with advanced sound and lighting equipment, and used for events ranging from weekly Assembly to Speech Day (a award ceremony for Year 9s and above) to music and dance competitions. Before the 2013 construction of the Science Block and the Performing Arts Block, the building mainly housed science classrooms.

Hall[]

The Hall, located in the centre of the Peel Block, has hardwood flooring in the centre and marble flooring on the side walkways and up halfway along the wall. It is used for events ranging from assemblies, Speech Day, to music and dance competitions. The large hall is 2 storeys tall, and includes a terraced balcony at the rear, for additional seating. Traditionally, manned theatrical (projection) lighting was staged at either end of the balcony's front rail/wall, often with a central "spotlight", for theatrical and/or orchestral recital performance evenings; video cameras on tripods were also set up here during the 80s and 90s, for filming many of KGVs traditional and other events.

Annex Block (AN)[]

Completed: 1982

Relocated: 2011

Demolished: 2013

The Annex Block housed two classrooms on the ground floor and two on the second floor. These classrooms were used exclusively for teaching Chinese and Spanish. However, this building has now been demolished and in its place stands the new science block. A second Annex block was situated next to the field on the current cricket field. That block was also demolished in late 2013 as rooms dedicated for modern languages are now available in the New Block, the space is used as basketball courts and cricket fields.

New Block (DT & Language Block)[]

Situated on the south side of the campus, the New Block, completed in 1964, is three stories tall and is currently home to classrooms used for Language Subjects and DT, a computer help centre, and a nurse's office. The block is incorrectly referred to as the language block by most KGV students and staff.

Activities Centre[]

Completed in 1983, the Activities Centre formerly consisted of two Drama Studios, Drama Office and P.E. changing rooms. The Activities Centre now houses one of three Art Studios on campus and three P.E. rooms.

Link Block[]

Built in 1984, this five-storey building links the New Block, the Peel Block and the Activities Centre, with covered walkways on connecting floors. This building houses Design and Technology, Mathematics, English classrooms, art studios, pastoral offices, and computer labs.

Jockey Club Sarah Roe Centre[]

The Jockey Club Sarah Roe Centre (JCSRC) was built in 1986 with funds donated from the then Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club and named after Mrs. Sarah Roe, an occupational therapist, who was a founder of the Child Development Centre at the Matilda Hospital. The first floor of the building used to house the Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) store. The Jockey Club Sarah Roe School, originally on the ground floor, later relocated into the Senior Student Centre. Currently, the Garden Rooms are being used as a Learning Support Centre, and the second floor as six classrooms that are used mainly for language oral exams and separate exam supervision; and two of them are occupied by the student support team.

Sarah Roe School / Senior Student Centre / Vertical Extension / IS Block[]

Completed in 1996, the original building was erected on the footprint of KGV's two tennis courts, which were re-homed atop the building's roof. The Hong Kong Jockey Club Sarah Roe School (JCSRS) is housed on the KGV site, and occupies the ground, as well as most of the first floor of the building. This facility educates students with special needs across the English Schools Foundation, and is the only such unit in the entire foundation. KGV occupies the remaining floors. The remaining two floors are fully occupied by KGV and provide classroom spaces for humanities subjects, as well as staff offices.

Previously the 1st storey was used by KGV, and it housed BTEC Art Rooms, while the second storey of the building formally housed the Senior Student Centre. In 2001, a vertical extension to the building was completed. This added a third floor to the building, providing ten more classrooms as well as one of the four new computer labs on campus at the time.

Now called the IS block for storeys 2-3, it holds one multi-purpose room and classrooms for Individual Societies

B-block[]

Completed: 1999

Demolished: 2014

These six ground-floor classrooms were meant as "temporary" classrooms, but as KGV grew, these classrooms became necessary and thus became a permanent fixture. Modern Languages were predominantly taught in these six rooms which occupy the "piazza" area encased inside the square formed by the Peel, New, and Link blocks. In 2014, rooms dedicated for modern languages opened in the New Block, meaning that there was no longer a specified use for the B-block. Thus, the B-block was being used for temporary Humanities classrooms, due to the Vertical Extension renovation. B-block classrooms were demolished in October 2014, making way for the expansion and renovation of the piazza area.

Science Block[]

Built in 2013 the Science Block is a five-story building with a roof garden. This building mainly houses science laboratories, but other facilities are also found on the block, such as media classrooms. The Guilford Lecture Theatre covers the ground level of the building. There is a link between the second floor Science Block that allows students to access the third floor of the New Block. There were also two balconies on the second and fourth floors, where students can look over the field. In Summer 2019, these two balconies were turned into Classrooms, where they were called Breakout rooms, with numbers BR4 on fourth floor and BR2 on the second floor respectively. They are used as media and multipurpose rooms. Other non-science related rooms located there is ME1/ME2 which are both media rooms.

Performing Arts Block[]

Built in 2013, the Performing Arts Block is a five-story building built on the former canteen area and PTSA store, behind the Peel Block and beside the Swimming Pool. The building hosts a canteen, the Music Department, drama studios and changing rooms. Similar to the Science Block, the Performing Arts Centre also features a rooftop centre, the rooftop garden includes a small amphitheater for any performing uses.

Pavilion[]

Built in 1940, this block occupies the south-west corner of the school field. Originally equipped with two changing rooms with showers (through the rest of the 20th century), they were converted into two classrooms (X1 and X2), leaving the storage and maintenance sheds on the ground floor. The classrooms have now been converted back into changing rooms. Although there is no conclusive evidence, it is believed by some students and teachers that the Pavilion was used as a torture chamber during World War II when the Japanese occupied the school, and traditional belief was that it was haunted.

Other facilities[]

School Field[]

KGV's artificially turfed field is ESF's multipurpose sports facility. It has markings for various sports, such as rugby, football (soccer), hockey, and also has a long & triple jump track running the perimeter of the field. The field itself is 100 metres long, and is flanked on its school side by a 100-metre-long sprint track and seating facilities for students. Prior to the AstroTurfing, there was opposition to the use of artificial turf. However, huge amounts of money spent on maintaining the natural grass on the field's base of hard clay was uneconomic and impractical, and the field would become a large dust bowl after a month or two of use and students would often get injured playing on the field.

The field was reopened on 29 April 2014 after a HK$34 million renovation.^[8] On the opening day, 575 students broke the Guinness World Record of 'Most Participants in a Beep Test', previously held by a college in Australia.^[9][10] This is the second world record broken by the school, the other being 'Most People Planking Simultaneously' with 1,549 students on 16 December 2011.^[11] In 2014, the field was rebuilt and to celebrate, the school went for the world record of Most People Participating in the Multi-Stage Fitness Test. A then-record of 575 beep test participants out of the 587 participants who started successfully completed the required number of intervals. This record was ratified by the Guinness World Records until it was broken by AFC Harrogate in 2017.^[12]

Swimming Pool[]

Built-in 1979 the school's swimming pool is located behind the Peel Block. It is a 22-metre swimming pool with six lanes, normally in operation from April to November. As well as for sports, it used to play host to a variety of activities such as D-Day emulations by the history department and re-enactments of the Red Sea Crossing by the Religious Studies department; however these have now been cancelled. Also, Swim Heats in the school are normally held there. In 2016 some of the swim heats for the Swimming Gala were held in the pool a few days after the main event due to a thunderstorm on the main day.

Tennis Courts[]

The two tennis courts are located on the roof of the SSC (Senior School Centre). They are sometimes used during PE lessons and during events involving Tennis. The KGV Tennis team practices there. However changes to the PE curriculum has meant that the two tennis courts are virtually never used.

Canteen[]

The Canteen is the first two floors, Ground Floor and the First Floor of the Performing Arts Block. On the first floor are the main dishes, such as big bowls of pasta and fish and chips, all supplied by Sodexo. On the second floor are mainly big cupcakes, small side dishes, and salad. Food is also available from locations such as Leo's Cafe next to the Learning Resources Centre (LRC), Bowl, a small shop selling noodles, rice, chicken teriyaki and other options, and since 2019 a new Pizza selling stall was installed outside the link block.

Although the school has entered an agreement which guarantees the canteen a monopoly to food provisions on campus, a variety of food options are nonetheless available for senior students who are willing to violate school rules. Many senior students use take-away delivery services to order McDonald's and Kebabs from Ebeneezers. This has become the unofficial norm and a major rite of passage for members of the senior school. In recent years, tougher security measures, such as security guards around campus, has meant that senior students often forge early leave cards to exit school.

Future site development[]

There were plans to amalgamate King George V School, Jockey Club Sarah Roe School and Kowloon Junior School to allow the three schools to grow further and work more closely given the close proximity of the three schools. This project was known as the Kowloon Learning Campus (KLC). This caused over 100 parents to sign a petition against the KLC in 2015.^{[citation needed]} The then-KGV Principal Dr. Edward Wickins was appointed as the executive principal of the KLC who often informed the students of KGV of the progress of the KLC. However, in 2017 the ESF Board announced that the same goals the KLC would work to achieve would have also worked with three separate schools. Therefore, the project was scrapped. That same year Dr. Edward Wickins retired after 12 years at KGV.

Traditions[]

KGV has many traditions in place, many of which have developed from the school's British colonial roots.

Assembly[]

Formerly held Monday and Friday mornings, they are now held on Tuesday or Wednesday or Monday mornings. Assemblies are where announcements are made to the whole of middle or senior school and performances are given. However, due to the growth in student numbers since 2003, the hall can no longer be held with all students under one roof. Currently, whole school assemblies are broadcast live to other various locations on campus, including the Guilford Lecture Theatre (GLT) and the gymnasium.

Pantomime[]

The Pantomime, otherwise known as the "panto", is performed by Year 13 students on the final day of the first term, prior to the start of the Christmas Break. Generally making fun of the school or its teachers, this event is invariably a great comedy show for all students. Unfortunately, in 2017, the cross-dressing was deemed sensitive content which led to Year 12s being the only year group that could watch the show. One of the highlights of the production is the male students' cross-dressing show, as well as the traditional 'Brown Boys' segment.

Speech Day[]

Speech Day is an annual formal occasion for students from Years 9–12 who have achieved academic excellence in KGV. It is reportedly the oldest school tradition still performed, the first Speech Day having been in 1924. Each subject comes with a subject prize and only one student from each year is awarded. Other awards are for community service, the Lion Yearbook, school public spirit, art, acting, music, and many more things. Students are nominated for awards through a form posted on the school bulletin or by heads of departments directly. The Speech Day Committee then selects the students to receive a prize. The committee is composed of a teacher supervisor and appointed students and votes on the awards. Teachers and alumni frequently attend, and the KGV orchestra and choir plays music. From 2015 onwards, Speech Day has been held in the school hall. The president of ESF and a distinguished guest are often invited each year to take part in the ceremony.

Christmas Carol Concert[]

The Carol Concert is a concert, given by the KGV Orchestra, Choir, and Jazz band, which is open to the general public. White Christmas has been a staple of every KGV Christmas since the late 1980s, originally instituted by then head music teacher, Mr. Thompson, and sung by the School Choir at the Carol Concert evenings. In later years, it was performed by the Staff Choir during the Christmas Final Assembly (pictured).

Christmas Refugee Party[]

Organised by the charity committee, the Christmas Refugee Party has been held to help Refugees in Hong Kong. This involves giving clothes and having a Christmas lunch in the canteen. Students can sign up to be volunteers.

KGV Karnival[]

Known as the "Beach@KGV" in 2008, "KGViva" in 2007 and "Spring Fair" prior to 2003, this event is held annually in March or April where KGV is set up to be like a bazaar. Students set up games stalls and merchants set up small shops, with raffle ticket sales contributed to the PTSA to cover its general expenses. There are also performances by student groups, the Orchestras (Junior Orchestra and Senior Orchestra) and the Jazz Band. This tradition was discontinued in recent years.

KGV Survivor[]

An elimination game, which is held on the last day of each school year, is held on the school field or in the hall where a series of questions are asked, different houses are separated and joined up at the finale. The winner of the game will get a prize that is different every year. However, it has been cancelled since 2016 due to various reasons.

Year 13 final assembly[]

A final assembly on Year 13's final day before exam leave in the summer. Usually, a performance is given by Year 13 students, and final goodbyes are said. There is a recital of Rudyard Kipling's poem If— by the Head Boy, and Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou by the Head Girl. At the end, a band of teachers play Summer Holiday by Cliff Richard while the rest of staff (on stage) and school sing along. Prior to 2002 (but some time after 1992), students would spend the night at the school as well; this tradition was scrapped due to safety concerns.

Extracurricular Activities[]

KGV had long offered a wide range of extracurricular activities, called CAS within the school, which have become a deeply rooted school tradition. A yearly CAS fair is organised where representatives from different clubs and organisations install stalls inside the school hall to encourage people to sign up to their respective activities. Students are allowed to skip half a class during the fair to visit the exhibitions. The CAS sign up is done online through the school's Lionel 2 system. Many students and the majority of seniors take part in at least one CAS activity, with clubs like Model United Nations being popular. CAS clubs are either directly controlled by a member of staff or are student-led, with a teacher supervisor.

Notable alumni[]

See also Category:Alumni of King George V School, Hong Kong

• Anders Nelsson – singer, songwriter, music producer, and director of music company
• Kim Gordon – American musician, songwriter, and visual artist.
• Michael Hutchence – lead singer of Australian band INXS.
• Martin Booth – author of over 70 books and poems, including , Music on the Bamboo Radio, and Gweilo: Memoirs of a Hong Kong childhood.
• Dermot Reeve – England cricketer, known as an unorthodox all-rounder.
• Tim Bredbury – Professional Footballer. Former clubs include Liverpool, Seiko, South China A.A., Sydney Olympic, Selangor and the Hong Kong National Team.
• Kemal Bokhary – former Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal^[13]
• David Millar – professional cyclist on the Garmin-Chipotle Team & Tour de France Stage Winner
• Jason Tobin – British-Chinese actor known for his role as Virgil Hu in Justin Lin's Better Luck Tomorrow.
• Victor Fung, GBS – Chairman of the Airport Authority Hong Kong, Li & Fung Group, the Hong Kong-Japan Business Co-operation Committee and Co-Chair of the Evian Group.
• Loletta Chu – winner of Miss Hong Kong Pageant 1977, Hong Kong socialite.
• Aarif Lee, Toby Leung, Charles Ying, and Shiga Lin – Cantopop singers and actors from Hong Kong.^[14]
• Rowan Varty – Hong Kong rugby player.^[15]
• Jaimes McKee – Hong Kong football player.
• Brigadier Mike Stone – former chief information officer of the British Ministry of Defence
• Perry So - former assistant and associate conductor of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to King George V School (Hong Kong).

• King George V School

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