Teacher Profile Sep 2018 – Nick Bourne

For each newsletter this year, we will interview a BSB Teacher so that parents and students can get to know interesting facts about our teachers.

Mr. Bourne is our History and Geography Teacher, Exams Officer, the International Award Coordinator and CAS Supervisor.

1. You have been teaching at BSB Shunyi since 2007, what first brought you here?

I came to Beijing with my family, partly because I wanted to experience living in China. My wife is Chinese Singaporean so we wanted our two children to learn Chinese. We had also heard about Beijing being a safe place to live and that with the school being on the outskirts, I was attracted to the location being away from the high rise and traffic congestion of downtown Beijing.

2. Your son did really well on his IGCSE exams recently, you must be very proud! Tell us about him and the other members of your family.

Yes, George achieved 7A* and 3A grades on his IGCSE exams recently and we are very proud of him!  He has been studying at BSB for 10 years and is now starting the IB Diploma programme. He is a hardworking student with a sense of humour that he shares with his friends. Outside school he is a Star Wars fan and in the summer holidays, he spends his time helping on the family farm in Cheshire, U.K. When he finishes his IB he will be going to do his National Service in Singapore before he goes to university.

Jasmine is in Year 9 and is a keen sports enthusiast who has been involved in the BSB girl’s swim, football, volleyball and basketball competition teams. Outside school she likes to go to the cinema and watch a good movie. 

My wife Michelle works as a teaching assistant in the BSB Primary School and takes great care and pride in the displays in and outside the classroom.

3. You have an interest in the outdoors and share that with the students by leading the International Award. Tell us about that program and how it benefits the students.

The Duke if Edinburgh’s International Award has been a feature of the school since I started in 2007. The value of the International Award scheme is that it encourages a balanced and all round education by providing individual student challenges in areas outside the academic classroom such as: sporting activities, skills, community service and the outdoors.

I especially value the Adventure Journey activities that involve the student having to camp, hike, work in a team, to be a leader, and to navigate their way in a remote rural area over several days. It also enhances the character of the individual student.

4. What are your responsibilities as exam officer?

As BSB’s exams officer, I oversee the running of the IGCSE / GCSE Cambridge and Edexcel examinations that take place in May / June and the Year 11 mock exams that occur in January. I also coordinate the US SAT and ACT College tests that several of our Year 12 and Year 13 students take.

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