School Guide

Meet My Principal - Nexus International School

Published by SchoolAdvisor | May 30, 2019

David Griffiths is currently the Principal at Nexus International School, Malaysia. He was the founding Head of the school and have been involved in every aspect of developing the school from the start. The school has now been accredited at the highest possible level by CIS, IPC, and the Malaysian MOE. It is also an Apple Distinguished School and he is also an Apple Distinguished Educator.

While talking to David, he mentioned that he is an experienced leader and is involved in coaching and facilitating the International Leadership and Management Programme for Middle and Senior Leaders both within and outside of Asia as well as being guest speaker at several events. Part of his repertoire is that he is widely experienced with curriculum development and implementation and have an excellent working knowledge of the UK National Curriculum, the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) and the International Baccalaureate (IB). He will soon be completing for his Masters degree with Bath University in England.

What drew you into education in the first place?

I loved my Primary school life and that set the scene for a real love of learning. This has continued throughout my life and I have never stopped learning. I have just completed an MA in Education Leadership and thoroughly enjoyed the academic rigour of it. However, I’d say the main push for me towards a career in teaching started when I was about 15 and I would accompany my mother to her voluntary job in a Special Needs school in Manchester, where I grew up. I really felt that I could make a positive difference to people’s lives through teaching them.

What do you think your school needs from its principal?

A Principal’s job in an International school is manyfold. However, I believe the most important aspect is that they are the Lead Learner in the school and they set the culture and climate so that the teachers (they are the experts) can do their job of positively impacting on children’s learning, in the most effective way possible.

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

The biggest strengths of Nexus right now are focused on teacher professional development. When we have the very best teachers, we are able to make the maximum impact on learner progress. Our unique strengths are articulated through our Nexus Way - Learning focussed: Inclusion, Innovation, Relationships and Mindsets.

What does education need to focus on in the future?

The future of education is very exciting. We have to help to give our young people the knowledge, skills and understanding about our Global society so that they can thrive. Our World is changing at a rapid pace and it is the responsibility of our educators to equip young people with the tools to be able to navigate that change. That is why Innovation is so important.

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

That Nexus learners have been agents for change. That Nexus has established itself as a school that produces learners who can really make a difference and has teachers who are also passionate about learning.

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

A positive school culture comes with Trust and Respect. Trust doesn’t just happen and we have a model of ‘Smart Trust’ at Nexus where high trust is coupled with High Analysis (or accountability). This model enables staff to embrace new things and learn from their mistakes. Another mantra for our teachers and leaders is to “Assume Positive Intent” because we know that teachers are essentially good people who want what is best for their learners.

Rapid Fire Questions with David Griffiths