In 2009, the Kowloon Tong Church of the Chinese Christian and Missionary Alliance (KTAC) was awarded a land grant by the HKSAR Government for the construction of an innovative school campus in Butterfly Valley, Lai Chi Kok. The land grant was the largest greenfield site provided to any school in the process.
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A Christian-centered education
In August 2017, Phase I of the campus was unveiled and the school was officially named as Christian Alliance International School (CAIS). Since then, the CAIS community has been expanding its horizons through the continuous development of the school campus.
Established by Reverend John Bechtel in the 1940s, KTAC has a long and distinguished heritage in missionary work and education. KTAC started its first school in Hong Kong in 1955, and the vision of the church then was for a Christian school having a Christ-centered curriculum, and empowering students to fulfill their potential as Christian leaders and global citizens. From then to present, it is the same vision CAIS holds fast to today. Located in Butterfly Valley, the school takes inspiration from the butterfly’s metamorphosis. CAIS is about transformation, and the growth of a caterpillar into a butterfly is a beautiful analogy of what is at the heart of the school.
Grand opening: from dream to reality
A grand opening ceremony was held on Saturday, March 25, to mark the celebration of the official completion of CAIS Phase IIA, the Amenities Building. Guests of honor included Dr. Choi Yuk-lin, JP, Secretary for Education, and representing the Consulate General of Canada in Hong Kong & Macao, Mr. Hugues Alexandre Moniz, Consul, Director, Management and Consular Affairs.
The school orchestra and choir showcased their music virtuosity in the Alliance Hall and distinguished guests officiated a light-up ceremony onstage. In his welcome remarks, Head of CAIS, Mr. Richard Vanderpyl said, “At CAIS, learning, whether it be in the Arts, STEM or sports becomes most meaningful when we refine that gold that is buried just below the surface, to train and to prepare confident young men and women to have an influence on society for good and for God’s glory. So that our students are the best for Hong Kong, for the world and for Christ.”
Since its establishment in 2017, CAIS has evolved from humble beginnings to a place that now has multiplied not only in size but also in student body. Today, CAIS has an enrollment of 1,500+ students representing more than 25 nationalities, offering a through-train education for children aged from 5 to 17 at its preparatory, lower and upper primary and secondary sections. The school continues to prepare students of integrity and discernment to make a positive impact on the community and in the world.
Diverse education pathways
CAIS is uniquely positioned as the only international school in Hong Kong that offers three education pathways for its students. The International Baccalaureate® Diploma Programme (IBDP) is offered as an alternative pathway in addition to the Alberta (Canada) Curriculum and Advanced Placement courses. An accredited IB World School, CAIS offers the IBDP for students in Grades 11 and 12. The programme is built on the school’s Christian-based education and connects students to leading universities worldwide. The Alberta curriculum is globally recognized as one of the best learning systems in the world. With the Alberta Diploma, CAIS graduates have gained admission to the world’s renowned institutions, including Berklee College of Music, Imperial College London, and the University of Toronto, among others.
World-class facilities
A key venue in the Amenities Building is the Alliance Hall, a performing hall with exceptional acoustics that has a seating capacity of 611 where audiences can enjoy orchestral, dance and choral performances. Students interested in stage, light and sound technology will gain hands-on experience in the operations of a world-class performance venue. This is an extremely valuable creative space which can be transformative to students’ personal growth and creative journeys.
With the completion of the campus development project, the school’s sports program has been greatly enhanced. Inter-school tournaments are held in a court built to FIBA (The International Basketball Federation) regulations for basketball competitions. The gymnasium also includes an indoor rock-climbing wall with an auto-belay system, making this sport easily accessible to students in a safe environment.
A roof-top 7-a-side soccer pitch that meets FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) standard offers crucial outdoor sports facilities to nurture children’s sporting development. There are also multi-purpose studios designed for focused sessions and training in basketball, judo practice, and dance classes.
Phase IIB of the campus is the highly anticipated Aquatic Centre, which will house a 25-metre indoor heated pool with eight lanes, built to World Aquatics (FINA) standard. The Aquatic Centre is the final phase of the school’s campus development project, which will be completed in 2023. It will significantly expand the school’s aquatic activities program to encourage students to explore water sports beyond the academic curriculum.
Learning beyond the classroom
As one of the city’s largest urban international schools by footprint, CAIS enables students to enjoy spacious, technology-rich facilities designed for experiential learning. The Drama Studio intends to be a place to inspire budding performers, scriptwriters, producers, and future directors, while the Recording Studio allows aspiring musicians to explore the world of vocal and digital music in a professional recording environment.
Treble and Bass is a designated space in the Amenities Building for music learning and training. Through the school’s regular music curriculum and the after-school Music Academy program, CAIS hopes to nurture and instill in students an appreciation for music, and cultivate attributes that will help them flourish in different aspects throughout their journey in school and beyond. Treble and Bass houses a full-size orchestra rehearsal room and a unique marimba classroom. There are eight music practice rooms and an examination room with acoustically-treated furnishings built to meet ABRSM standard, suitable for external exams.
The Centre for Innovation is dedicated to encouraging and empowering students to develop future-focus skills that can equip them for academia and careers in the field of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). This purpose-built laboratory and makerspace for teaching STEM will enhance and strengthen students’ creativity, problem-solving and design skills as we prepare them to be global innovators.
CAIS is committed to holistic development through academics, spiritual life, athletics, and the arts. The opening of the Amenities Building reflects the mission and values of the school, and provides a hospitable environment, serving the needs of students and the wider community. As a Christian school, CAIS is recognized for cultivating godly graduates of the highest caliber, and who are a blessing to the society they live in. The school continues to develop its culture of Kaizen – a growth mindset to change for the better, and continuous improvement.
Reaching one milestone at a time: -2009: KTAC was awarded a land grant by the HKSAR Government in a competitive application process against a total of 31 local and overseas applicants -2014: Construction commencement ceremony of what would become the CAIS campus in Butterfly Valley -2017: Completion of Academic Building (Phase I) and official opening of CAIS -2018: Grand opening ceremony of Academic Building -2019: Ground-breaking of Phase II campus development -2020: CAIS is accredited by the International Baccalaureate® Organization as an IB World School to offer the IB Diploma Programme -2021: Indoor Aquatic Centre (Phase IIB) foundation work contract signing ceremony -2022: Completion of Amenities Building (Phase IIA) and Aquatic Centre superstructure work officially begins -2023: Grand opening ceremony of Amenities Building and anticipated opening of the Aquatic Centre
