WASNJ | The PSA Is Officially Established!

??After much anticipation, on 26 September, Wycombe Abbey School Nanjing officially established its first Parent-School Association. Based on the principles of fairness and voluntary participation, fourteen parents were selected from dozens of applicants after interviews conducted by the Wycombe Abbey Schools Group, emerging as the inaugural members of the PSA.

"They are highly qualified overall and deeply passionate about education and school development," said Mrs Sun Ling, Chief Adviser of Wycombe Abbey Schools, who served as an interviewer. She shared her impressions of the Nanjing parents: "Among our parents, we have civil servants, senior intellectuals, executives from multinational companies, private business owners — all with high personal and academic credentials. Many took time out of their weekends or weekdays to come to our school in Tangshan for the interviews, demonstrating their eagerness to be involved in school management, which I greatly appreciate."

As partners in the education journey, the PSA will join hands with the broader Wycombe Abbey Nanjing community to support the school's mission of holistic education, helping every child excel.

At the ceremony, Mrs Sun Ling shared her expectations for the PSA. As the founding Chinese Headmistress of Wycombe Abbey School Hangzhou, she established the PSA there three years ago and has extensive experience with international school parent committees. She emphasised that the committee should serve as a bridge for communication between parents and the school, a cohesive link, a platform for offering suggestions, and a team that supports the school’s development. Together with more families, the PSA should foster a deeper understanding of international education, broaden resources, and enhance learning platforms for the students at WASNJ.

WASNJ’s Chinese Principal, Mr Tian Ning, further elaborated on parent-school communication. He mentioned that many parents are accustomed to the mindset of traditional education, wanting to monitor their children closely at all times. However, WASNJ does not use class-based WeChat groups for communication, preferring to maintain communication through emails. "This ensures fairness and prevents any ethical issues, but it can also lead to delayed or less smooth communication, sometimes resulting in misunderstandings due to differences in thinking between Chinese and international perspectives. Establishing the PSA aims to bridge this gap, helping parents and the school communicate more effectively."

Principal Tian shared a personal story to explain why WASNJ?prefers?email communication.?"A friend’s child transitioned smoothly from WASNJ to a school in Canada, who understood everything in class and was comfortable scheduling communication with teachers via email. Another child, who came from one of the top middle schools in Nanjing, struggled in class and found email communication challenging, while our student adapted with ease."

As the President of the Nanjing Private Education Association, Principal Tian has over forty years of teaching and management experience, giving him a deep understanding of primary and secondary education in Nanjing. He concluded by expressing his strong confidence in the future of WASNJ, believing that with the concerted efforts of everyone involved, the school will continue to thrive and offer the best education for its students.

Following this, Mr Christopher Chadwick, the Executive Head of WASNJ, presented each PSA member with an honorary certificate and invited them to the stage to introduce themselves. The parents openly shared their personal "Wycombe Abbey stories."

ELIZABETH'S FATHER

My grandfather studied in France in the 1930s and, upon returning to China, taught at Nanjing Normal University. His approach to education was quite hands-off. His eldest daughter studied chemistry, his second daughter learned piano, his third daughter became one of China's top ten female directors, and his fourth daughter worked in international exchange for the US Department of Education. I believe my grandfather’s open-mindedness contributed to the success of his four daughters in various fields. However, sometimes, a hands-off approach alone is not enough. Children also need some form of guidance, though the management must not be too strict. For example, my nephew attended an excellent school in Beijing, but by the second year of high school, he had developed severe myopia. He barely spoke to us, and during holidays, he would only come out briefly to greet us before retreating to his room to study or go online. Later, he went on a one-year exchange programme to Australia. When he returned, first, his glasses were gone, and second, he started talking non-stop about the friends he made, how he learned to surf, and how close he was with his teachers there. It was as if a switch had been flipped, and he had come alive. He eventually finished high school and university in Australia, where he stayed and started a family. Today, he is a happy father of two. This experience made me realise that our domestic education system still has much to learn and develop.

So, what I really want to talk about is the idea of choice. Why did I choose Wycombe Abbey School Nanjing? It’s because the headmaster and the form tutors are all foreign teachers, with an educational philosophy and approach that align more closely with traditional Western schools.

After three years, I’m generally satisfied. Of course, there have been some issues, but many of these stem from a lack of communication between the school and families. That’s why the PSA members need to engage more with our children,?like “spies,”?gathering information from them, sharing insights with one another, and providing the school with feedback on the children's real experiences. Together, we can help the school make progress.

LEO/LUIS/ALICE'S MOTHER

I’m probably the only parent here with three children attending Wycombe Abbey: one in kindergarten, one in primary school, and one in middle school. So, I think I have a special knack for being a “spy,”?as I can gather information across different age groups (laughs). I think many of us are learning as we go. This is my first time being a parent, my first time being a mother to two children, and my first time being a mother to three children. This is also my first time serving on a PSA, and today is especially meaningful because it’s my youngest child’s birthday. I look forward to learning from other parents and growing together.

KONDARK'S MOTHER

We transferred from one of the top public schools in the Gulou District. One day, my child asked me, 'Do you love me, or do you love the version of me that loves studying?' His philosophical question made me realise that he wasn’t relaxed. He told me, 'Mum, do you know that your hair volume is much thicker than all the girls in my class? Most of the girls are losing hair, and some boys already have grey hair.' When he said this, I was deeply shocked. I hadn’t even noticed that he had grey hair.?

The first time I visited Wycombe Abbey, I was struck by the sense of ease I saw on the students' faces—something I hadn’t felt in a long time because of the intense pressure in my own work environment. I hope my child can be healthy, both physically and mentally, and be a lifelong learner with passion.?

Since the start of this year, I’ve begun learning about family education and psychology because I realised that I’m not an ideal mother. I often try to control him, using my years of experience as a teacher and leader to command him. As part of the PSA, I hope?we can explore ways to help children grow healthily and happily during their school years.

VIC'S FATHER

Vic has been at this school since the middle class of kindergarten, and now he’s in the upper class. I had considered international schools abroad, including in Bangkok. I visited many cities, but due to family reasons, I couldn't move far. So, in Nanjing, I explored many international schools and attended many open days, eventually choosing Wycombe Abbey Nanjing. My son had attended a public kindergarten for two years, from nursery to junior kindergarten, and he never mentioned anything about it to me. Maybe he didn’t want to, or maybe I didn’t ask him.?

But on the first day at Wycombe Abbey Kindergarten, he came home and told me, 'Dad, I like kindergarten. I want to go back tomorrow.'

CARRY'S FATHER

We hope that our child will grow up to be a free thinker, not bound by too many external factors. We’ll do our best to ensure he develops a complete and well-rounded character. At the same time, I believe we parents also need to be educated, especially in a rapidly changing society. I hope the school can provide us with more resources to grow alongside our children.

ETHAN'S FATHER

We hope that our child will grow up to be a free thinker, not bound by too many external factors. We’ll do our best to ensure he develops a complete and well-rounded character. At the same time, I believe we parents also need to be educated, especially in a rapidly changing society. I hope the school can provide us with more resources to grow alongside our children.

MIKE'S FATHER

Our eldest child attended an international school and is now studying abroad, so naturally, we chose this path for our second child. When our second child was just a few months old, I took him abroad, and he stayed there until he was six. After returning to Shenzhen, we enrolled him in an international school there. Although it was an international school, I still felt there was a bit of pressure, unlike when my eldest was in middle and high school abroad. My wife said that before Year 12, we never saw him doing homework at home, and I remember he was already in high school when one of his assignments was to build a volcano model at home. Just as Kondrak’s mother mentioned the idea of 'relaxed learning,' I believe Wycombe Abbey’s more relaxed and free environment is something to be praised. I used to work in IT, and now I like to take old computers apart and have my son help me reassemble them. If a part breaks, I buy a replacement and let him figure it out. For us, the goal is simply for our child to be happy. Whether he achieves any particular success isn’t important, as long as he is happy and doing the right thing. I hope that the PSA can help create opportunities for students to communicate, play, and grow together, helping to enrich the overall educational experience at Wycombe Abbey.

JEREMY'S MOTHER

When I was pregnant, I started reading books on education—from China, Japan, the UK, France, and Germany. The one that left the deepest impression on me was?Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window?and its description of Tomoe Gakuen. The children from that school were all extraordinary. Why? Because the school always nurtured them in a confident environment. After coming to Wycombe Abbey, I truly fell in love with the school environment. I’ve noticed that every teacher I’ve met has high emotional intelligence, stable emotions, and fluency in both English and Chinese. I’ve carefully read the school's brochures, and their Chinese language is impeccable. Everything here has impressed me. So, why was I so eager to apply to join the PSA? Because I consider this place to be part of our shared mission. I want to collaborate with the school to create a brighter future for our children.

Those who share the same aspirations are never separated by mountains or seas. The establishment of the PSA marks another milestone in the development of the Wycombe Abbey School Nanjing community. It will encourage the school to better safeguard and treat every child with fairness and justice, enhancing communication and cooperation between the school and each family. By integrating the school's educational resources with the community resources of the parents, we aim to create an even better educational environment for the children. Though the path of holistic education is long and challenging, how fortunate we are to have such dedicated friends and partners accompanying us along the way. We are deeply grateful for the passion and commitment of every family in the WASNJ community towards education. United in our efforts, we firmly believe that together, we will nurture a brighter future for every child.