Site vist-BIK Hannam

Describe the Program/Site visited

I met a head teacher, Ms. Morris at British International Kindergarten in Hannam, Seoul, Korea. That school offers a child the opportunity of being educated not only in the medium of English but also in the British manner. They prepare their children to the highest of academic standards and, in addition to that, they instill courtesy, confidence, respect, dignity and high self-esteem.
They believe the British and Korean Cultures share many positive qualities and that school will prepare a child for an understanding and appreciation of the world at large and how to be successful within it.
Good manners, an understanding of appropriate behaviour and familiarity with the expectations of the international world can only be truly inculcated if a child is fortunate enough to embark upon this learning whilst he or she is young. They take care of children from 4-7 years old in Korean age. The school is located in Hannam-dong, Seoul, Korea and there are many various foreign people from all over the world in Hannam area
Ms. Ellie Moatt is a qualified teacher for teaching young learner and her major English and English literature. She seems to enjoy working with kids and be proud of providing British education program to international students.

English-Language Development Level of Students

Their procedure for admission is quite straightforward. The first point of contract for parents who are interested in a place at BIK Hannam for their child is their admissions office. Their admissions officer will guide students parents through the application process.

All prospective families are required to complete an application form. When the application is completed, if a child meets their admission criteria, They invite him/her in to school to meet their admissions officer and to have a school tour.
Once the school tour is complete parents child and their child will be interviewed by the Headmistress. Following this interview, if a place is available for their child they will be notified immediately of their offer.
If a place is not immediately available then a candidate child may be placed on a waiting list for a short time, in this case they will be contacted should there be a place for their child. A candidate child then be invited in to school to spend a “Visiting Morning” with their new class and teachers.
The applications process is open to all international families currently living in Seoul or planning to re-locate. They also offer a number of places to Korean families; in order to be considered qualified for these places the applicant (child) must possess either an international passport or Permanent Residency of a foreign country. In addition to this, foreign passport and / or Residency held by one or both parents is preferable. Documentary evidence is requested at all interviews. They don’t have a placement test or entrance exam for kindergarteners.

From Placement to Instruction

Although there is no placement test, they provide extra academic program for the students who can’t catch up with the curriculum. Most of Korean kids in BIK entered this school in order to learn English so some of Korean students have a hard time to communicate with teachers and their classmates. School provide extra academic program as like ESL course to beginners.

Curriculum and Instruction
Their five years of study develop the children through six interconnecting areas of learning.


Each academic year is divided into six sections or half terms and the teachers plan all areas of study around a chosen topic.
The British National Curriculum is prescriptive with regard to the standards that must be achieved at the end of each stage but they are privileged in being able to decide their own use of texts and resources depending on the needs of each school, class and child respectively. This school uses the ‘Jolly Phonics’ scheme in its approach to spoken, written, and reading preparation in English and their core reading scheme is the "‘Oxford Reading Tree’.They use a wide range of schemes, texts, and resources, in Math, Science, and other areas of learning all of which are ordered from the UK. In addition to the British National Curriculum, they are teaching a modern foreign language. Acquisition of an additional language for bi-lingual children is of tremendous importance and benefit to them. Due to the location they have chosen, at this time, to introduce Chinese.

Program Critique
Frankly speaking, this school seemed to be one of the most successful English language institute because they have some foreign students as a marketing tool in order to gather much more Korean students easily. Also the facility is so nice and the school location is perfect to gather students in rich families.
In my opinion, BIK provides a quality day care service and has a nice facility for young children. When I asked the head teacher, Ms. Morris, about curriculum and program, she answered that all of teachers were licensed teachers and made their own curriculum for their classes by themselves. That means every each classes for same ages might have different quality of curriculum and program. Also it depends on teachers’ abilities. I don’t think that that kind of system is not appropriate to maintain quality education service of entire school.
For more information… BIK Hannam date : January 25th, 2010.