by LYIS
Leading Your International School was delighted to visit Nord Anglia Chinese International School (NACIS Shanghai) earlier this week, to catch up with the school’s Head of Primary, Thomas Hitchings.
Thomas is a long-serving member of the Nord Anglia family, having started his international career with them back in 2008 as Head of Sports at the group’s Nanxiang campus. He comes from a rich family of educators (his mother and father were both teachers, as were his grandparents). Since December 2022, he has held the role of International Head of Primary in Shanghai – a role in which he visibly enjoys every single moment.

Thomas is a lifelong learner and it comes as no surprise as I sit in his office to see a whole bookshelf full of titles on leadership and culture. He confesses to me after having shared one with a colleague that their “outlook on school leadership has been positively influenced from this moment onwards”.

Positivity is second nature to Thomas. As a former Cyclist, he incessantly looks for ‘marginal gains’ and ways of doing things that can be fine-tuned to get the best out of the school’s students. He proudly shares with me an impressive data infographic that ensures no student is grey or invisible.

As we walk around the school, students in the Primary School all recognise Thomas acknowledging him proudly by name. I get the distinct impression that learning is happening as we walk around. As large as the campus is, there is a sense of calm and order. Students behave impeccably and represent their school with pride.
We return to the office and round off with some questions around interviews and what Thomas looks for in his staff. “I look for team players” he tells me, “those who can demonstrate resilience and are prepared to significantly invest in building positive relationships with other staff members”.

Central to our conversation is Thomas’ desire to build effective systems that can support student aspirations, and improve academic outcomes and that can be used to solve current and future global challenges.

What advice does Thomas give others who are thinking about moving abroad to work in international school teaching and leadership?

Back yourself. Focus on your ‘why’ before ‘when’.
When it comes to challenges you might face, don’t worry alone.
Do it!
LYIS extends its thanks to Thomas Hitchings for inviting us to visit NACIS and taking part in our valuable conversation around international school leadership.
If you are an international school and would like us to visit, email: amy@leadingyourinternationalschool.com