IN FOCUS INTERVIEW WITH THE EDITOR:
Paul Friend, Principal, North London Collegiate School (Singapore)
How would you describe the NLCS student experience and spirit for those who are unfamiliar with the school in the UK?
We are an academic school. We believe in academic rigour and academic structure. We believe that children need to be inspired, stretched and challenged in every lesson if they are to reach their fullest potential. For us, academic excellence is not just about educational outcomes like exam results or university matriculation data. Academic excellence is about the culture of the school, it’s about what we believe in and what we value. For us, creating and nurturing a culture of genuine academic scholarship is our main priority.
In our recent newsletter, we asked a student from NLCS Jeju, South Korea, to share a typical day as an NLCS student, as we wanted to give our new students in Singapore a sense of what to expect. The student’s response captured the NLCS experience really well as they explained that there is no typical day at NLCS. They really captured the essence of the huge range of enrichment opportunities available and how students are encouraged to get involved with so many different things. This student also spoke about our passionate teachers and explained that when they joined the school, they really disliked physics, but they went on to explain how they found the passion of the teacher for the subject infectious and inspiring. That was really heartening to read because every school has its own ethos and philosophy, and what really matters is that you put that into practice. For me, the student experience is about making sure that our ethos is delivered in every classroom, everyday.
What do you look for in prospective students and new teachers to ensure that this spirit continues to thrive?
I am a big believer in the importance of fit in education. We want to make sure that every student we enrol here is going to thrive and flourish in our environment and culture. We are looking for students with academic potential but also students who are inquisitive, curious about the world, and who like to ask questions and search for answers. That raw material is the type of student that is going to really do well in our school and make the most of all the opportunities that we provide.
Every school
has its own ethos and philosophy, and what really matters is that you put it into practice… the student experience is about making sure that our ethos is delivered in every classroom, everyday.