History of DBIS

The history of Discovery Bay International School is synonymous with the story of Discovery Bay itself.

In the early 1980s, the Cha family, Hong Kong Resorts International (HKRI) owners, unveiled their vision for a self-contained community on Lantau Island. Understanding there would be high demand for quality international education, HKRI decided to create a prestigious school to serve the Discovery Bay community's requirements.

The school opened in January 1983, just a month after the first residents moved into the area. Initially housed at the Discovery Bay Residents Club, our first three students (Ann and Jean Evans with Edda Hansen) were taught by Ms Anne-Marie Naughton and founding School Principal, Mrs Wendy MacCallum. Supporting Ms Naughton and Mrs MacCallum was our Office Manager Ms Connie Ting, who remains with the school as our longest-serving staff member.

Student enrollment increased dramatically by the start of the new academic year in 1983, which saw the school relocate to our custom-built campus that now forms the heart of our current estate. Although many considered the school a state-of-the-art facility at the time of opening, the building has been repeatedly modernised and remains one of the best-equipped schools in Hong Kong.

This foundation year would go on to characterise DBIS's signature values of diversity and specialism. Our initial 69 students represented a broad spectrum of nationalities and ethnicities. Today, we host children from over 50 countries with a vast ethnic mix. As a result, these future global citizens experience excellent exposure to various cultures and languages that will stand them in good stead in adult life.

Since the school's inception, students have benefitted from expert educators, and we were one of the first international schools to recruit specialist Mandarin, Music and Physical Education teachers. This holistic approach has enabled the school to attract and retain some of the finest talent available. It is from this that the community spirit and strong teacher–parent–student connections that DBIS is renowned for originate.

As enrolment grew, so did the school. Under the supervision of Ms Naughton, DBIS added four new phases. This expansion culminated with the opening of our Globe Theatre for our tenth anniversary in 1993, a year that saw our student ranks growing to over 570 pupils.

By the mid-1990s, Discovery Bay had blossomed into a close-knit, multi-cultural community, and the school mirrored that perfectly.

In 2005, after 23 years of tireless service, Ms Naughton retired. The immeasurable contribution made by Ms Naughton and the Senior Leadership Team was the foundation of DBIS's continued growth and success as a leading provider of Early Years and Primary education.

The next chapter began in 2006 with a new Principal, Mr Grant Ramsay, who oversaw the development of an additional two buildings: the state-of-the-art Discovery Centre and a new, expansive home for our Secondary School. A strong focus for this period, our Secondary School grew progressively, and by 2013, we were accepting students from Nursery to Year 11.

Taking over as Head of School from Mr Ramsay in 2014, Mr Paul Tough's five-year tenure saw the school further build its reputation for educational excellence, focusing on individual experiences and cutting-edge pedagogy. Mr Tough established robust educational practices that remain to this day. The Sixth Form was established during Mr Tough’s headship, and the Class of 2019 was the school’s first cohort of A Level graduates.

Mr Stuart Bridge joined as Head of School in 2020 and oversaw the further expansion of our Secondary School's Sixth Form and, with that, record-breaking IGCSE & A Level results.

Despite our community's challenges with COVID-19, the school has maintained its position as one of the top international schools in Hong Kong. The school continues to expand with many exciting developments planned for our next phase of growth under our new Principal, Mr Marc Morris, who joined in 2023.