by LYIS
LYIS spent the day at The British School Manila in conversation with the school’s Principal, Martin van der Linde and the wider leadership team. An inspiring visit.
BSM first opened its doors in 1976, and next year, it will celebrate its half-century. “The oldest and only non-profit international school in Manila offering a British education for students from Nursery (age 3) up to Year 13 (age 18)”, its campus defies the modern realities of what a city school often means. It is spacious yet familiar and provides an incredible number of opportunities for its students to collaborate, learn and ultimately become better people.
A cornerstone of Martin’s leadership is his ability to propel others into the spotlight. His unique awareness of the opportunities and challenges that face international school leaders has its roots in his early business experiences where he learnt explicitly about the importance of managing people, marketing and customer expectations. I asked Martin what he sees the role of the International School Principal as. It is to “make it easier for teachers to do their jobs”, he replies.
As we move on to the subject of working with a Board, he adds that working with any board successfully means ensuring that “students are at the centre of all decision-making and thinking”, adding, “Leveraging the Board in the best interests of the students is important”.
To support this thinking, Martin maintains a very close connection to what happens in the classroom. A visible strategic thinker, I listen intently as Martin talks me through his thoughts on strategic planning and thinking, aided, he adds by a needs analysis of the school and its context. This has a positive uptick on retention, with staff staying an average of around 6 years. “Once people arrive (in Manila) they like it here”, Martin tells me. “The people are friendly, and English is widely spoken”, he adds.
On our school tour with Scott Justice, it became clear of the lengths teachers go to in their design, planning and connection of learning to real-life contexts. The School’s Head of Primary, Katie Tomlinson, talked us through how the school is continuing to diversify its curriculum, challenging people and places misrepresented and underrepresented. Her very own ‘passion project’, WISE – Women in School Empowerment, takes to the stage at Dulwich College Seoul next week with a host of conference contributors committed to making a difference.
Martin focuses on people and relationships and in “treating people as you’d like to be treated yourself – with kindness and respect” and this is a school with a real difference.
Thanks to Martin van der Linde, Scott Justice, Katie Tomlinson, and Maita Borromeo for sharing their thoughts on international school leadership and BSM.
If you would like to invite LYIS to visit your school, email: andre@leadingyourinternationalschool.com
#LYIS25 – ‘Leadership for Opportunity’ Conference is around the cornor. Come and join us to reimagine, redefine and redesign international school leadership.
