International Christian School

ICS had humble beginnings, but through its twenty years it has been blessed with faithful families and amazing teachers. ICS has grown to over 1,000 students and now has a beautiful campus in Shek Mun, Shatin. ICS is thankful for what the Lord has done and give thanks for all His provision – in times of scarcity and in times of plenty.

International Christian School was first established in 1991 by a consortium of six missionary agencies and three independent members. In 1992, the school opened its doors for Grades 6-11 with a population of only 56 students, 11 teachers, and 1 principal. The school had rented a small, run-down campus inside Bethel Seminary, Kowloon City. Only professing Christians were hired as full-time faculty members and most students were the children of missionaries and Christian workers.

In 1997, the Hong Kong Government granted ICS the use of an existing primary school building in Lai Yiu. With the opening of that campus, total enrolment at ICS numbered approximately 400. For the first time, the school enrolled two classes of students for elementary and middle school– one group at Bethel, the other at Lai Yiu. The structure of two parallel elementary and middle school campuses feeding into one high school program at Bethel continued until August 2001.

In early 2001, the Board searched for new classroom space, settling on a retail location in Jubilee Garden, Fo Tan that would serve as a single elementary location. The two elementary programs were combined into a single program at the new Hung Hom location and the satellite middle school program at Lai Yiu merged into the secondary program at the Bethel campus.

From an early point in the school's history, ICS sought outside endorsement, receiving its first six-year accreditation with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) in 1995. The 2001-2002 academic year proved to be pivotal in ICS history. In March 2001, the WASC Visiting Committee recommended a three-year term of accreditation. This result gave impetus to wide-ranging restructuring of the school. A new administrative team set an ambitious agenda of designing new structures or approaches to administration, budgeting, human resources, public relations, school development, facilities management, and governance. In order to clarify school purposes, the school involved all stakeholders in collaboratively developing a mission statement and setting Expected School-wide Learning Results (ESLRs) for students. Teachers worked on committees to identify academic standards and record the taught curriculum through standardized course overviews and unit plans.

As the school grew, the larger student body allowed a broadening of the curriculum, with new courses being offered each year. The range of Advanced Placement courses consistently increased and honors level courses were introduced. With graduates’ university admission rates approaching 100% each year, the school earned favor with parents, many who work at tertiary institutions. ICS students have gained a reputation for excellent SAT and AP scores and acceptance into top universities.

As ICS continued to rapidly grow, finding an adequate facility became a focal point for the school. There was constant pressure on the school’s waiting list and with students spread over various campuses, there was mounting pressure to find a campus that exclusively belonged to ICS. In anticipation of continued growth, ICS submitted an application for a land grant to the Hong Kong Government which was granted in July 2002. ICS was then established as a Private Independent School (PIS) in 2007 and absorbed the student populations from two campuses. The Hong Kong Government granted a 6,300 square meter site in Shek Mun, Shatin and a HK$100 million grant for capital construction costs of a Grade P1 – 12 facility. ICS embarked on a building and fundraising campaign which culminated in moving into the new facility in 2008 and the establishment of the new PIS.

International Christian School seeks to be centered upon Christ. We are committed to building God's Kingdom and integrating faith, learning and action. We are an evangelical[1] Christian school that uses academic and extra-curricular programs to develop the whole student – intellectually, physically, socially and spiritually[2].

We affirm the authority of the Bible over all matters of faith, the exclusive Lordship of Christ and a life of discipleship leading to holiness, witness and service. There is no contradiction between the truth of revelation and scholarly investigation. The intersection of Christian belief, the liberal arts and sciences, and an ethic of service provide an educational perspective that unites theory with practice, leading to an increased understanding of God, self and the world.

International Christian School recognizes the importance of the interpersonal dimension of the learning process. We believe that community grows out of common commitments and that learning is the result of interaction between people, ideas and experience. As students’ accountability and responsibility to others is increased, they are better able to understand themselves, respect others and serve as compassionate disciples of Christ and as constructive members of society.

ICS believes that the Gospel transcends all cultures and ideologies and we welcome students of different backgrounds to participate in our community. We affirm that Christian community is formed as individuals personally relate to God. We do not discriminate against students who cannot freely and honestly make a commitment to Christ and also recognize that those who have not made a commitment to Jesus Christ can still learn from and contribute positively to the school.