Meeting a New International School Head: What Parents Should Listen For

Meeting a New International School Head: What Parents Should Listen For

This post accompanies our YouTube video from 2026-08-28: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbnclUhV49c

When a school appoints a new head, marketing language arrives quickly. Vision, community, excellence. Useful visits and interviews go further: they reveal how a leader thinks about teaching quality, pastoral care, and the everyday experience of pupils. Parents comparing international schools in Thailand can treat a conversation with a head as evidence, not only as hospitality.

Prepare a short brief about your child

Leaders meet many families. A concise summary of age, current school, languages, strengths, and worries helps the discussion become specific. Ask how the school would settle a child like yours in the first six weeks. Vague warmth is pleasant. A concrete settling plan is better.

Questions that reveal priorities

• What does great teaching look like in this school, and how do you know it is happening?
• How do you balance academic ambition with pupil wellbeing?
• What changes are you prioritising in your first year, and why?
• How do parents raise concerns, and how quickly should we expect a response?

Listen for examples drawn from practice. Leaders who only speak in slogans leave you guessing.

Reading culture between the lines

Notice how the head speaks about teachers, support staff, and pupils who struggle. Respectful, precise language usually signals a healthier culture than blame or spin.

Watch the video

Primary video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbnclUhV49c

The school shown in this video

The head interview in this post features Ms Julie Lawton, Head of KIS Reignwood Park. The questions remain useful for any school visit, but the leadership discussion and footage should be understood as specific to KIS.