Articles

Andrew Dalton: A Man of Principle

Published by SchoolAdvisor | Jun 30, 2015

(Photo credit: Expatriate Lifestyle)

Mr Andrew Dalton has an extensive resume having worked in educational leadership positions in various countries including UK, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia before becoming the founding Principal of The International School @ ParkCity (ISP) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Mr Dalton believes that learning starts as soon as a child walks into the school.  Thus, as you enter ISP, one feels a sense of warmth and welcome which gives a kind of contagious excitement to the start the day.  As such, the school bell ‘jingle’ is composed by the children and is regularly changed.

 

In addition, Mr Dalton likes to operate an open-door policy where teachers, parents and students find him to be very accessible.  He hosts a Coffee Morning every two weeks for parents to encourage open discussion.  The success of ISP is very much based on trust. The initial families who joined ISP in September 2011 made a massive leap of faith  and their hopes were what spurred Mr Dalton on to build a conducive school environment.

 

Mr Dalton believes that Core Values are very important for the success of any good school in which trust and respect are fundamental.  ISP currently has 55 nationalities of children on role, therefore respect is key, with a view that nobody is better and nobody is worse than anybody else in the school.

 

Consequently, he is a good listener and has an honest relationship with his teachers which results in a small turnover of staff. He believes that by providing employees with opportunities to progress up the career ladder and encouraging them to learn, they will remain loyal and always give of their best.  He believes that being valued and happy is important for teachers to stay on in Malaysia.  In hopes of retaining teachers in the long term, Mr Dalton hopes that visa application for international teachers will be fast-tracked.

 

For pleasure, Mr Dalton indulges in general exercise, running, swimming and cycling. He is also the current  chairperson of the Association of International Malaysian Schools (AIMS).

 

READ MORE:

The International School @ Parkcity (ISP)