A School Closure, New Names, New Leaders...

What's new in Singapore's international schools? There's the closure of an EtonHouse school, the appointment of new principals and a name change for a leading IB school.

Closure: EtonHouse Thomson

EtonHouse International School Thomson will close at the end of this academic year in June 2023 as the landlord has decided not to renew the school's lease. 

A spokesperson for EtonHouse International School Thomson said: 

"We are deeply saddened to share the news that EtonHouse Thomson will be closing at the end of this academic year. We have been at the location for nine years and have invested significantly to build the school into what it is today.

"This decision was not an easy one. It came after our landlord's abrupt decision in February to end our lease by the end of this academic year, despite our efforts and negotiations to extend it for another academic year. We also were unable to secure an alternative site to house the Thomson community in such a short time. Unfortunately, school closures continue to happen in Singapore due to the leases of the schools' properties."

The EtonHouse group has several schools in Singapore, including the Middleton International School campuses and standalone EtonHouse pre-schools, primary schools, and high school campuses including Orchard, Sentosa and Broadrick.

Families have been offered fee discounts and priority placements in the group's sister schools and Thomson staff have been offered positions in the group's other schools.

"Our sister schools have been arranging school tours, and our Parent Liaison teams on both sides are working closely together to support transfer requests seamlessly.

"While we are not affiliated with and therefore cannot directly influence other schools, we have contacted other international schools in Singapore to request their support regarding placement and financial incentives."

New Name: HWA International School

The school formerly known as Hillside World Academy (HWA) has been renamed HWA International School. Established in 2006, HWA International School is perhaps best known in Singapore for its dual language programme in English and Mandarin. 

The school said:

"In its abbreviated form, our newly renamed academy is HWA. This reads and sounds like the world for Chinese in Mandarin, and reflects our emphasis on Chinese language and culture, amid an international, three-programme IB learning environment.

"While we are proud of our Chinese roots and history, we also maintain a multicultural identity, where a diverse pool of students and teachers hail from East to Central Asia, and from Europe to the Americas."

International Schools: Changes at the Top

Nick Belcher has been appointed the new principal at The Perse School (Singapore) from September 2023. He takes over from Benyna Richards who relocated to the UK at the end of February. In the interim, Mr. Gan Chin Huat, Senior Vice-President & Director of Schools at Sing-Ed Global Schoolhouse will be overseeing the school before Mr. Belcher joins the school

Mr Belcher has been a teacher and senior leader for 20 years, working within UK mainstream and Special Educational Needs (SEN) schools, in addition to international schools including St. Andrews in Thailand and Dulwich College in Beijing. He is currently the Whole School Deputy Head at The British School of Bahrain.

Ed Elliott, Head of The Perse School Cambridge said:

“Nick is an exceptionally talented school leader with an impressive range of skills and educational experiences. He is committed to the values and high academic, pastoral, and extra-curricular standards of The Perse. I am confident that under Nick’s leadership, Perse Singapore will flourish and enable pupils to be both happy and successful”.

Karrie Dietz has joined the Australian International School Singapore as Head of School. Born and raised in the United States, Ms Dietz has 25 years' experience in education, the majority of which have been in Asia, and brings to her role an international mindset.

Dietz, was the principal at Stamford American International School (SAIS) before taking on the challenge of opening one of Hong Kong’s newest schools in 2018, Stamford American School, Hong Kong.

Tammy Murphy will has been announced as the new Superintendent of XCL Schools in Singapore and the Head of School for XCL World Academy. Over the past 20 years, Ms Murphy has served as the Superintendent of several schools including the Dubai American Academy in the UAE, and the Montecito Union School District in the US. Ms Murphy takes over from Sean O’Maonaigh, who has been Head at XCL World Academy since 2021.