by Karolina Bloom “Inclusion is not bringing people into what already exists; it is creating a new space, a better space for everyone.” – George Dei Inclusion is frequently described as a policy, a framework, or a collection of strategies. Yet research and experience consistently demonstrate that none of these elements is effective in isolation. Policies […]
The Courage to Lead Differently Read More »
by Simon Lightman If sustainability really matters to schools, why does it so often slip down the priority list the moment accountability pressure rises? That question feels especially pressing right now. Provisional reporting from the Met Office shows that 2025 was the warmest and sunniest year on record in the UK, while globally the past
Why Sustainability Cannot Stay on the Margins of School Leadership Read More »
by Terri Pham A Bag, a Dream, and a One-Way Ticket Sixteen years ago, I boarded a plane with two duffel bags, a bachelor’s degree in education, a teaching credential, and a calling I did not yet fully understand. In those early years, I did not realize that the calling would demand more than talent.
Calling and the Cost of Becoming Read More »
by Dr Kelley Ridings Accreditation Isn’t a Badge; instead, a Battle Worth Fighting A school that dares to call itself high-quality should submit to a truly rigorous accreditation process that validates the claim – no excuses. After three decades in international schools, leading three and visiting thirteen more, I’ve seen how transformative accreditation can be when a school
Why Accreditation Matters Read More »
by Jomar Conde The Quiet Engine of an Educational Community Trust is the quiet engine of any healthy school community. Looking back on my time leading and serving ten head teachers, over a hundred faculty members, and thousands of students, I have come to reflect that trust is something deeply human: it is the safety
Trust: Reflections on My Journey in Leadership Read More »
by Robert Randall As a school principal, I am often asked why some families actively seek out a smaller school environment for their child. After more than 30 years in education, including senior leadership roles in both large and small international schools, I have had the privilege of seeing a wide range of models at
Thirty-Years in Education: The Beauty and Power of Small Schools Read More »
by Kanwal Malik As school leaders, we spend our days dissecting educational management, leadership theories and accreditation standards. We draft policies designed to level up international school leadership, often focusing on the mechanics of school growth data and curriculum frameworks. But recently, I realised the most profound professional development was not happening in a training
The Fear and the Freedom: A Kitchen Table Dialogue on Agency Read More »
by Shaina Neal On Imposter Syndrome and learning the hustle My second year as a school leader, I sat in a room with principals, organizational leaders, and heads of institutions, many of whom had not experienced the same challenges or achieved the same successes I had, yet I still felt small. That dissonance is not
Being Excellent Was Never Enough Read More »
by Callum Watt Why Use Data? Qualitative data in primary schools are far more valuable than the quantitative data, which is pulled regularly from summative assessments. The gap analyses we run and feedback from teachers inform our investments and development priorities as a school. The classroom data is often held inside the minds of our
Purposeful Data: Progress in Primary Data Read More »
by Rob Daws In exactly one month, I’ll hit 40 and I’m almost certainly having a midlife crisis… Like many people approaching that milestone, I’ve found myself in a period of deep reflection – I look at my life now as an International School Principal in China and then I look back at where it