School Guide

Meet My Principal - Kingsgate International School

Published by SchoolAdvisor | Apr 29, 2019
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Hailing from down under, Greg Parry began his career as an educator. He also started a company called Global Services in Education (GCE), which he co-runs with his wife, Shanna Parry. They have been in Malaysia for the past few years, thoroughly enjoying the local culture and weather.

Upon meeting Mr Parry, we saw his warm, fun personality by the cheerful welcome when he greeted us. SchoolAdvisor decided that we wanted parents to not only know about the Greg Parry everyone saw on the school website or from research but to honestly understand what his vision for Kingsgate International School is.

What drew you into education in the first place?

I enjoy developing people and helping them achieve their potential. Education also helps children make informed decisions about their life and the world around them. I don’t want to tell people “what” to think but I want to “enable” people to make better decisions with more knowledge and skills.

What do you think your school needs from its principal?

Authenticity - Principals should be honest and have integrity. They need to live true to their values, and the school’s characteristics should also match their espoused values.

What are the school’s strengths you will be building on?

The quality of teaching that happens in our classroom is second to none. Many people describe our school as a Tier One school at a Tier Two price. Our teachers also fully embrace our vision of innovation. We are highly academic as well as practical and innovative. Children apply their learning and develop critical thinking skills.

What does education need to focus on in the future?

The world is changing at such a rapid pace. Children need to be prepared for a world that has not even been invented. They need to be adaptable. Who knows what jobs might exist when they graduate?

If we were sitting here a year from now interviewing a recent success, what would you hope or want that success to be?

In one year 100% of our parents will tell you they are very satisfied with our teaching. Their children are achieving their potential, and they are enjoying school more than ever before. We are a school that truly lives its values far beyond the brochures and marketing. We want to be different and unique. It will be very clear that we are unique.

How do you build a positive school culture? Give examples of how you do that here.

We are very open. No other school provides as much access to its senior management as we do. Most of our parents have our personal phone number. We have a “Director’s Round Table” every month where parents can meet us face to face, ask questions, challenge us and provide input. We are not scared of our parents. They are at the core of what we do. We embrace parents as an essential part of our school community. If a school does not provide easy access to its leaders, then you should be cautious about it. Being “perfect” means you accept input, criticism and feedback. In that way, I think we aim for perfection.

Rapid Fire Questions with Greg Parry