Get Your Child Closer to Their Dreams with Shrewsbury International School Phnom Penh's Scholarship Program
PHNOM PENH: Shrewsbury International School Phnom Penh has developed a scholarship program to cover three curriculum areas; Academics, Performing Arts and Sports. The School's latest offer includes three full scholarships awarded to gifted and talented children in any of these areas. The school also wants to give children in Cambodia genuine opportunities to access a Shrewsbury education.
Shrewsbury International School Phnom Penh has developed its scholarship program and will offer three full scholarships to gifted and talented children between the ages of 4-12 years old in any of the areas of Academics, Performing Arts, which includes Music, Drama or Dance, and Sports, including Swimming.
“For May this year we are going to be looking for talents in three areas, including academic,” said Founding Principle, Toby Waterson. “We are also looking at P.E. sports and swimming, and in the third area of performing arts, which covers music, dance and drama.”
The Founding Principle also explained the criteria for student applicants.
“Essentially, we need children who are ready to take advantage of the education that we offer here at the Shrewsbury school in Phnom Penh,” he said. “They need to have really a lust for life, love of learning, and, as I say, some perceptible and proven potential in each, or in one of, those three areas. We’re not looking for absolute scores or particular prizes that have been won that might help, what we are really looking for is seeing children who have got potential to succeed and thrive in those areas.”
On why parents should choose Shrewsbury over other international schools in Cambodia, Waterson elaborated further on the quality education they offer.
“Shrewsbury will be offering a quality education, quality boarding provision, quality pastoral care for all children,” he said. “What I don’t want to do is suggest that Shrewsbury will be better than any other school in the market for every child… As educators we always know that there is no one size fits all, or perfect curriculum or perfect school for every child.”
“The other thing is, [our current early year’s students’] parents say they love the fact the school has a family feel at the moment, and they [feel] welcome here and part of the community, like [they are] spending time at a modern purpose built and fitted center [when they visit the school],” Waterson added.
EAC News also spoke with two parents who have children attending Shrewsbury to get their insight on the school and how their children seem to be benefiting.
“I got the chance to join the scholarship event last year, [my son] got a scholarship so that’s why I decided to enter [him into] this school,” said Mrs Midori Nakao. “Here the teachers will develop his critical thinking and also try to improve [the students’] interest’s or skills.”
“This is an international school that is really on an international level, [it is like your child is going to another country to study],” added Mrs Nakao. “Sometimes parents stay in Cambodia and [send] their kids to study in other countries [considering] their kids’ future, but this is maybe the best [alternative] choice [located right here] in Phnom Penh.”
Another parent also remarked on the new campus Shrewsbury is currently building.
“Actually, I am really looking forward to [my son’s] experience with Shrewsbury in the future… because I saw the plan for Shrewsbury's main campus, and I'm really excited,” said Mr Thou Tham. “My wife and I are actually a fan of the education system in the UK, so we've heard of Shrewsbury before.”
“What we can do for [our son] at the moment is give him the best,” added Mr Thou Tham. “We let him join a school that we believe is of very good quality, so he has more opportunities to choose where to go, or what he wants to do later [in the future].”
Parents also mentioned the positive differences they have noticed since their children began attending Shrewsbury.
“[I have noticed a difference in my child’s] English pronunciation, because I’m not a native English speaker,” said Mrs Nakao. “At home I speak Japanese with him, and sometimes, when I say something in English, he corrects my pronunciation, and he also taught me how to sing an English song, this is a first for me!”
“He used to be not very outgoing, but after he started taking classes at Shrewsbury, he started to make more friends who are similar in age, and he has been playing with the teachers, so he has become very active at the moment, and he's not scared of experiencing new things,” said Mr Thou Tham.
Parents also spoke of improvements they had noticed in their children’s self-confidence and motivation to learn. They credit these improvements to positive teacher/student interactions and the field trips the school organizes.
“The last time [the students] visited a clinic and he met a real doctor and interviewed him, asking how the doctor works every day, and afterwards that [my son] and his friends made their own play clinic in the classroom,” shared Mrs Nakao.
“Parents need to attend class [for the smart baby club], so I come here every week, and we join in on the activities together with the teachers,” shared Mr Thou Tham. “It's really a happy time, every time I come here, I feel like so happy... Especially seeing [my son’s] improvement and development, [it makes me] so happy!”
Speaking with parents makes it clear how happy they are with Shrewsbury International School Phnom Penh and the positive changes they have noticed in their children, especially in how they interact with their parents.
Shrewsbury will hold its next registration event on Saturday, 6 May 2023, from 9 am to 1 pm at Raffles Hotel Le Royal. Additionally, parents can check out Shrewsbury’s Facebook page for more information (https://web.facebook.com/ShrewsburyPhnomPenh) and fill out a registration form to apply for the scholarship.
2) English application form: https://forms.gle/Wy2Czwb2HTA9KHSX7 (https://forms.gle/Wy2Czwb2HTA9KHSX7?fbclid=IwAR2BJthHdZQr4bjKsf34GuCrLpiHgj5pOFs4ue5D0knC-EMnrSDYRJdNyEU)
3) Chinese application form: https://forms.gle/mZMTidjqbei7eM3z6 (https://forms.gle/mZMTidjqbei7eM3z6?fbclid=IwAR3XkokQvZtAeCfp9t9TNV9JXn8Z0_D4skoSV-wtT9LW7KD3LWcP2WqE6sQ)
