Passing the Baton as a Head of School ...

When the time comes to move on

It is an incredible privilege to be the Head of an International School, for all sorts of reasons.

I have been fortunate and proud to have spent 12 and 7 years as a Head of School in two very institutions, in a profession where such longevity is less common than you might think. But all things have their season and there comes a time to move on. After what will have been seven wonderful years in Rio de Janeiro, the Cidade Maravilhosa, I will be handing over to a new Head of School in June 2024.

I know from friends in other fields that such an advance announcement looks strange - June 2024 looks quite distant. It isn't something you would get in most industries. In industry, one would get another job and then resign your current position, work out a brief notice period perhaps, and move on.

Schools are different.

The international school world operates on a seasonal model, where a new Head of School would ideally take on a new post in time to open the new school year following a minimum of a 12 month notice and transition period. This is the practice of schools that are strategically forward-thinking. Of course, such best laid plans can be disrupted by unexpected events, with sudden or short-notice leadership changes coming out of the blue for a wide range of reasons. But the ideal is a minimum of a year-long process, which gives the opportunity for the school to conduct a thorough search for the new Head of School, and provide time for the departing and incoming Heads to create a smooth leadership transition.

It will be an absolute privilege to pass the torch to my successor when that person has been appointed by the Board, who were very gracious in their announcement of the news to our school community. I am grateful for their kind recognition of the work that we have achieved together, and excited for them and for the school community about their road ahead.

It is not the place of a departing Head of School to influence what happens after they leave. But it is the place and responsibility of an outgoing Head of School to commit to the work of transition, under the guidance of the Board. This is essential in order to give the school's new Head what they need to get off to the best possible start in their new role.

As for where I will be headed next, I guess it is a case of "watch this space"?