In addition to leveraging cutting-edge AI and VR technology to provide a one-stop service for UK private school applications, SMArt Gen in UK advocates a unique educational philosophy. Instead of solely pursuing academic excellence, it emphasises a balanced development among Sports, Music, and Art alongside academic achievements.
Oscar, the ambassador of SMArt Gen, is a prime example of thriving under this philosophy. To continuously access better educational opportunities, 15-year-old Oscar has already embarked on two transcontinental study-abroad journeys—first from Shanghai to Melbourne, then from Melbourne to London. Alongside his academic journey, he has gained extensive experience as the ambassador in many social projects. While these experiences may seem unrelated to academics, they have been shaping the three core competencies essential for lifelong learning and sustained academic growth: rapid adaptability, strong learning ability, and cross-disciplinary versatility.
When it comes to academics, Oscar is not a typical “top student”. However, he has demonstrated his strong learning abilities, achieving solid results in school without extra study time, as he spends a great amount of time developing his skills in sports, music and arts as well.
For example, after receiving a Year 10 offer from St Peter’s School, UK, in March 2023, Oscar withdrew from Scotch College, one of Australia’s top private schools. Due to the difference in curricula between Australia and the UK, Oscar left Australia before completing the first semester of Year 9 but transitioned smoothly into Year 10 in the UK, with excellent academic performance.
During his Year 10 GCSE mock exams, he consistently achieved A/A+ results across all subjects and represented St Peter’s in the Da Vinci Decathlon, a prestigious multi-discipline academic competition. In year 11, his strong performance in the admission exam earned him a Year 12 offer from Magdalen College School, Oxford, a renowned private school with an Oxbridge acceptance rate exceeding 40% in recent years.
Mastery Beyond the Classroom—Oscar’s academic success is not the result of conventional rote learning but rather a byproduct of his extensive engagement in all areas. Through his diverse experiences, he has continuously cultivated the three core competencies essential for academic achievement and lifelong learning: adaptability, learning ability, and cross-disciplinary versatility.
Not every child will pursue a career in sports, but every child needs scientific physical training during their growth years to build a strong foundation for lifelong health. From the moment Oscar was born, Roger has taken on the role of his personal sports coach—a commitment he will uphold until Oscar reaches adulthood, ensuring he develops a genuine love for sports.
No matter how busy he was, Roger made sure to spend at least one hour outdoors with Oscar every day, introducing him to various sports in a fun and playful way. This daily routine has made regular exercise a part of Oscar’s lifestyle.
During Oscar’s peak growth phase, Roger prioritised structured training under the guidance of professional fitness coaches. Oscar started gym-based workouts designed to promote height growth and body conditioning, ensuring he grew at least 12 cm per year during early adolescence.
At the same time, he began endurance running training to enhance muscular and cardiopulmonary development, laying the foundation for a strong physique and a lifelong commitment to an active lifestyle.
Oscar had excellent physical fitness from an early age. For instance, starting in Year 5, he took weekly fencing lessons and was selected for Australia’s national fencing team training camp.
After beginning his boarding life at Scotch College in Year 7, he only participated in the school’s weekly group fencing sessions. Yet, thanks to his outstanding overall athletic abilities, he became Scotch College’s Best Junior Fencer of 2022 and won multiple medals in Victoria’s fencing league competitions.
At the age of 13, Oscar participated in the Melbourne Marathon 10K race for the first time and achieved an impressive time of 51 minutes. This experience sparked his love for marathon running.
Now, at 15, Oscar can comfortably complete a full marathon in under 200 minutes, anytime and anywhere. When he turns 18 and can register for official marathon races, Roger plans to join him on a journey to conquer the World Marathon Majors together.
Tennis is currently Oscar’s favorite sport. Despite having only two years of tennis experience and no formal, professional training, the 15-year-old Oscar has already represented St Peter’s School in the under 18 Team at the 2024 UK Private Schools Tennis League held at Eton College, showcasing his immense potential.
After arriving in Australia at the age 8, Oscar began learning the violin and added piano to his list by age 10.
However, Oscar’s main purpose for learning musical instruments is not to advance through music exams. Instead, he sees music as a way to share his feelings and thoughts with the world.
From his primary school years, Oscar began playing the violin for welcoming ceremonies at various events. After attending Scotch College, one of Australia’s top private schools, during his middle school years, he had numerous opportunities to perform with the school orchestra and participate in competitions. He also regularly spent his weekends providing piano accompaniment at the school chapel, and his performance was applauded by his teachers and classmates.
After moving to St Peter’s School in the UK to continue his Year 10 studies, Oscar frequently had the opportunity to perform at the famous York Minster. Oscar’s musical journey is not just about receiving exam certificates but about constantly enriching his experiences and perspective through music.
Introducing children to art from an early age has a positive impact on their creativity, imagination, and confidence.
Art itself is not out of reach; it stems from everyday life. During his primary school years, Oscar developed a deep love for and actively participated in various art-related activities. As Oscar suggested, Roger’s company in Australia, Australia Bridge Investment, started to sponsor Polyglot Theater in Melbourne, Australia, a world-renowned theater company founded in 1978, which focuses on children’s art education. For example, they jointly organised an artistic parent-child experience day for Chinese families in Australia. From a young age, Oscar actively participated as a volunteer in these art activities, and his remarkable artistic talent has earned him widespread praise.
The impact of art on Oscar’s growth is hard to quantify in terms of specific measures, but his art journey has not only granted him a joyful childhood but also cultivated creative thinking skills that will benefit him for a lifetime.
The impact of art on Oscar’s growth is hard to quantify in terms of specific measures, but his art journey has not only granted him a joyful childhood but also cultivated creative thinking skills that will benefit him for a lifetime.
Since the purpose of education is to prepare children for society, why not encourage them to engage in various social activities from an early age? When Oscar was in year 1 in Shanghai, his weekends were not spent in tutoring classes, but rather in community engagement activities.
After moving to Australia at the age of 8, Oscar participated in over 100 social events. Roger chose his entrepreneurial focus carefully, so that Oscar could be provided with numerous community engagement opportunities at various brand promotion events his company organises.
Oscar mainly performed two roles on his community engagement journey: volunteering for events and serving as an ambassador. The former allowed him to engage with entrepreneurs from various industries, while the latter helped him develop his ability to build a personal brand.
When Oscar was in kindergarten, he often participated in urban survival training camps, where he would be rewarded if he successfully sold products on his own.
At the first China-Australia Cultural and Commercial Real Estate International Symposium, Oscar, as a junior volunteer, delivered an impressive speech in Chinese and English on stage.
From a young age, Oscar has been learning cricket from Mr. Lin Yuzhou, a famous Chinese cricket player in Australia and former assistant coach of China’s national men’s and women’s cricket teams. Oscar also actively promoted cricket within the Chinese community in Australia as a brand ambassador.
With the acceleration of globalisation, becoming a global citizen has shifted from being an active choice to an inevitable trend. At just 15 years old, Oscar has already finished two migration journeys across hemispheres for better education. His journey as a global citizen, which began at an early age, has particularly contributed to the development of one of his core abilities—adaptability—as well as his learning and cross-disciplinary skills.
At the age of 8, Oscar moved from Shanghai to Melbourne. He quickly adjusted to school life, overcoming the initial language barrier as he barely spoke any English when he just arrived. As a 14-year-old, he migrated from Melbourne to London, once again making a smooth transition from the Australian education system to the British education system.
Oscar’s global citizen journey has not only shaped his exceptional adaptability, but also nurtured his open-mindedness and global perspective. Oscar is well-equipped with knowledge and skills to face challenges in a globalised world.
Starting at the age of 4, Oscar began traveling around the world with his parents, continuously developing his adaptability.
Behind Oscar’s growth story lies Roger’s unique parenting philosophy: Children should develop Sport, Music and Art(SMArt) in a balanced way in addition to academics.
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