by LYIS
Consistency is the Key.
Last week, Leading Your International School visited Straits International School Penang to catch up with the school’s Campus Principal Karlie Walsh – a role she’s held for nearly seven years. What did Karlie think had been achieved in these seven years? Here we discuss.
Systems of Good Practice
When Karlie first took on the role, one of the first tasks in her in-tray was unifying the approach to Learning and Teaching, so she started small with the Phonics Programme and built on these changes progressively. This was coupled with an overall strategy for setting expectations around quality teaching.
“There was a lot of modelling to teachers required,” said Karlie about those early days. “However, in the first year, she noted, “I resisted the temptation to bring in wholesale sweeping changes that might have lost everyone”. Finding the right sweet spot for change is an art that Karlie attempted to master.
The ISP Effect
This is our second school from the International Schools Partnership Limited we have visited and the effect is very evident. The brand really stands out
and the marketing materials are superb. The benefits of being part of a global group of schools 82 schools strong are tangible. Karlie shared that she finds the difference in the school as a whole since joining ISP is unmeasurable and life-changing. They invest in staff, students and the facilities and always put learning at the forefront. “We have a whole department that’s just dedicated to developing teacher training programmes”, says Karlie.
Learning from Others
Like all leaders, Karlie has established and pays particular attention to developing her own professional practice and networks. She’s visited every international school on the island to build positive relationships with other school leaders and learn about their best practices that can support her.
Straits International School is predominately home to local students. The international education it is providing them with will again serve to enhance Penang’s overall 2030 vision for a green and digital economy.
Leading Your International School extends its warm thanks to Karlie and the students for making us feel so welcome. This is a journey that we are looking forward to learning more about.
LYIS is proud to partner with WildChina Education
