Horizon School Beijing Trip

In November 2019, Horizon School students and teachers will be speaking at an international conference in Beijing, China. The Future of Education Now Conference is described as “a truly immersive, global conference about dynamic educational change.” It will be host to a number of prominent international speakers, with its purpose to explore and chart out the possibilities for education both now and in the future.

A delegation from Horizon School, including teachers, students and parents will travel to Beijing on the 9th November. They will also have the opportunity to visit international schools and speak with teachers and students across diverse cultural spectrum's.

Our Principal Helen Pearson, Deputy Principal Tilda Rabey and Head Students (Boaz and Praise) have been invited to speak on 21st century learning and preparing our learners for the future. We have the unique opportunity to both learn at the forefront of educational technology and to bring the culture and perspective of Aotearoa New Zealand to the global stage!

Horizon School starts Year 9 in 2020 and our students are involved in designing the new college. We have the rare opportunity of not having to re-invent the wheels of an already established system. We have a blank canvas to create a completely new kind of College! While the curriculum would be the same, our methods of delivery and approach to learning could be completely different.

Attending this conference is an excellent opportunity for Horizon School to draw on knowledge from a global scale. We get to rub shoulders with educational leaders and thinkers from around the world!

Not only will this experience will be formative in the lives of the students attending the conference, but hugely beneficial to the wider Horizon learner community as they follow this journey and reap the benefits of their learning and insights.

Helen Pearson is the Lead Principal of the Mahurangi Kahui Ako (Community of Learners). The knowledge and insight that she gains from this trip will also be shared with the other schools of the district – and will be ultimately beneficial for Education in New Zealand as a whole!