Excited to be a school leader again

Published on 8th November, 2018 by Amy Bardsley. Published in For Candidates / TIC News

Derek Laidlaw is a British Headteacher who recently moved to Qatar as Executive Principal at Oryx International School in Mesaimeer, on the outskirts of Doha. TIC helped Derek to find his new leadership position, and we recently spoke to him about his exciting new role at the school:

“Oryx International School is unlike any school I’ve worked at previously. It’s staffing levels are excellent, and the facilities are outstanding. This year the school opened a new campus; we’ve already attracted over 600 students.
The school is for Qatar Airways families only, so our marketing is very targeted. We have over 45 nationalities at the school, reflecting QA’s worldwide recruitment policy. Qatar in general is very diverse; although there are less Westerners than there used to be, other nationalities are filling the void.

I couldn’t have joined the school at a more exciting time

This role will certainly challenge me as a Head, and I am joining the school at a particularly exciting time. The school was previously a small Primary with just over 250 children. The new campus will eventually hold over 2,300 students in Primary and Secondary, so the whole ethos and feel of the school will be very different.

We aim, like the airline, to become a 5-star school in every sense of the term. I’d like the school to become a world class leader in the fields of technology and the arts.
I firmly believe we have a responsibility to ensure our young people receive the best upbringing and education possible. I am looking forward to engaging with students in learning discussions, helping them to find their ´eureka´ moments to enable them to prepare themselves for the challenges ahead.

TIC’s support was invaluable

Without TIC’s involvement and support I wouldn’t have had this opportunity. The whole process was immaculately handled by Amy from start to finish, and post-appointment; exemplary practice!”

If you’re looking for a new job in an international school – as a teacher or a leader, or you’re an international school getting ready for your recruitment season, participate in the TIC Virtual Recruitment Networking Fair from November 19th to 25th: an exciting digital way to network with schools and potential new candidates all over the world. Don’t miss out! Find out more here.

Click on the links here for more school leader job experiences, for advice on leadership selection, and to view leadership vacancies. To find out more about exclusive leadership vacancies only available through TIC Recruitment, register here.

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Amy Bardsley

Amy is one of our recruitment consultants she has great experience of recruitment selection methods and strategies and since joining TIC has attended international conferences and placed many teachers overseas.