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Leadership Team

 

 

  Jane Foxcroft: Principal West Island School

 Jane Foxcroft was educated and brought up in the UK attending a local girls’ grammar school. She graduated from Sheffield University after reading English Literature and gained a PGCSE at Nottingham University in English and Drama teaching. Jane later attended Oxford University to study for an MSc in Education gaining a distinction.
Jane taught in the UK before being appointed to Island School in the 1980s to teach English and Drama and to become Head of House in the pastoral system.
 
Jane joined WIS at its inception in 1991 as Head of English and has remained at the school since being promoted to Vice Principal and became Principal in 2006.
 
Jane’s role at the school is to lead the school to create a dynamic and integrated school vision. Jane is also responsible and accountable for teaching and learning standards, curriculum and extracurricular design, recruitment of staff and students, school culture, ethos and goal setting. She works with other ESF schools to promote excellence within ESF and in promoting her school as an inclusive, international community school where every student is valued.
  
Robert Stitch
Vice Principal - Teaching and Learning: Holistic Learning
 
Rob was educated at the Universities of Leeds and Sheffield. He began teaching in 1982 at a mixed Comprehensive School near Leeds. After two years of teaching in the UK Rob moved to the Bahamas as a Teacher of History. During his six Years at Queens College, Nassau Bahamas he was promoted to the position of Head of History. From 1991- 1995 Rob took some time out from the teaching profession to run the business owned by his wife’s family. In 1995 he and his family moved back to the UK to take up a teaching post in his hometown, Leeds. During the four years back in the UK Rob moved from Priesthorpe School in Leeds to The City Technology College in Bradford. In 1999 Rob moved with his family to Hong Kong to take up employment as Head of Humanities at West Island School. He was promoted to the Leadership Team in 2005. Specific responsibilities include the following:
 
  • Post 16 Guidance and Achievement
  • Post 16 Curriculum design
  • Post 16 Admissions
  • Community links and Development
  • Overview of School Performances
  • Parent voice
  • Risk Assessment overview
  • Student Driven Events
  • Line Leadership: Creative Arts, Sports, Dynasty, Careers, CAS, TOK, EE, International Diploma, Timetable
 
Paul Tough
Vice Principal – Teaching and Learning: Reflection on Learning
 
Paul is a native of the Rhondda Valley in South Wales. Following secondary education through the medium of Welsh at Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen, Paul followed his passion for History, leading to a BA (hons), MA and finally a PGCSE at the University of Wales College Swansea. Paul began his teaching career as a History tutor at the University of Glamorgan before securing his first secondary school position at Llandrindod Wells High School in Powys. In 1999, Paul moved to Hong Kong where he initially taught at Island School. Since joining West Island School in 2002, Paul has been Head of Year, Head of School, Assistant Principal and most recently Vice Principal. Paul’s specific responsibilities include:
 
  • Pre 16 Guidance and Achievement
  • Pre 16 Curriculum Development
  • Assessment, Recording and Reporting
  • Developing Inquiry
  • School Self Evaluation Processes
  • Pre 16 Admissions
  • Line Leadership: Learning for Life, School Nurse, School Counsellor, Individual Needs, Science and Technology

 

Ian Clayton
Vice Principal-Teaching and Learning-Developing Excellence
 
Ian went to Nottingham Trent University to do a degree in European Studies majoring in history and international relations and minored in French and he gained a BA honours degree. When he left university he had a gap year. Unsure what to do he flirted with several jobs, namely door to door book salesman, insurance salesman, tax inspector, community sports leader and also a travel company representative in the south of France.
 
After the year he took a Post Graduate Certificate of Education at the University of East Anglia. He then worked at the Norwich in the UK where he became head of history and senior house tutor before earning a promotion and working at Old Buckenham High School, also in Norfolk. Throughout the 10 years he spent there he was promoted to head of humanities, then head of house and then senior teacher status. He worked for a year at the University of East Anglia’s Education Faculty teaching on the PGCE course there. After 16 years in and around East Anglia, he left to take up the position of founding head of senior school at The British School Manila in April 2001. At that time the school had 35 students in the senior school. That has since grown to over 300 with a successful GCSE and IB programme with students leaving to go to the best and most prestigious universities worldwide. Specific responsibilities include the following:
  • Teaching and Learning development of excellence
  • Continuing professional development
  • Recruitment Support
  • Performance management / Mentoring
  • NQT support
  • International mindedness/Language Policy
  • Overview of Staffing, timetable
  • New staff induction assemblies
  • Cover and supply/ diary
  • Line Leadership: Languages, EAL, English, Individuals and Societies
                              Graeme Deuchars
 Vice Principal - Teaching and Learning: Personalised Learning
 

Graeme comes from Scotland and graduated from the University of St Andrews with a BSc (Hons) degree in Computational Science. He then entered the corporate world for seven years, with international roles in the computer technology  industry. From there he set up his own company based in Singapore and Hong Kong for 10 years.

In 1996 Graeme changed career paths and undertook a PGCE at the University of Canberra in Australia where he gained a Distinction. In the following years, Graeme taught at a college in the Australian Capital Territory where he had the opportunity to undertake various leadership roles.
After moving back to Hong Kong, Graeme has been Head of Learning and Teaching Technologies at German Swiss International School in Hong Kong for where he was responsible for all aspects of technology related to curriculum and administration. Last year Graeme was a member of the small group responsible for organizing the highly successful 21st Century Learning Conference at Hong Kong which provided three days of professional development for 450 educators from around the region .

Graeme is a keen sportsman and charity fund-raiser and looks forward to having the opportunity to contribute towards the enviable sporting and fund raising achievements of West Island School.
As Vice Principal, Graeme will have the following specific responsibilities

  •  Learning & Teaching Technologies including Laptops for Learning Programme
  •  Assessment, Recording and Reporting
  •  Data Analysis and Information Processes
  •  Library and Information Centre
  •  Line Leadership: eLearning, Examinations, Mathematics and ICT, ICT Team

 

David Christmas
Business Manager
 
David was educated and brought up in the UK attending a local comprehensive school and studied Accountancy and Finance at Birmingham City University.
 
In 1991, David commenced employment with a UK Chartered Accountants’ practice where he completed his training contract and qualified as an accountant. He is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
He has spent 17 years working in the UK accountancy sector and moved to Hong Kong in 2008.
 
In 2009, David embarked on further studies and achieved the ACCA Diploma in International Financial Reporting. He was appointed as Business Manager in August 2009.
Staff responsibilities include:
 
  • School Buildings and environment
  • School accounting and budgeting
  • Revenue generation