Appointing a new Head of School is one of the most significant decisions a school community can make. Over the past few weeks, I was involved in selecting the next Head of School for Musashi International School Tokyo (MIST), a small, values-led international school in Tokyo. As part of a wider group of schools, this role holds more than operational weight. It carries the responsibility to shape culture, protect learning, and steady the community during change.
The process reinforced an important truth: appointing a new Head of School is as much about values and clarity as it is about performance. Below, I share what I learned during this rigorous and deeply human process.
The Work Behind the Decision
The selection process involved careful stages: screening interviews, senior leader conversations, and a structured panel assessment with shared criteria. Finalists presented their vision and responded to in-depth questions.
Even with clear scoring, the process relied on human judgement. We were not just matching a person to a role. We were balancing evidence, priorities, and trust.
Instruction at the Centre
The strongest candidates didn’t overplay strategy. They returned, again and again, to the core work of schools: teaching. One clear phrase echoed through the best interviews: “Teacher professional learning comes first.” These candidates understood that student success flows from teacher improvement and not the other way around.
They described spending most of their week on instructional work: walkthroughs, coaching, curriculum meetings, and conversations alongside teachers. This wasn’t aspirational talk. It was their routine.
Others spoke about visibility without explaining how it improved teaching. The difference wasn’t polish. It was purpose.
What Good Candidates Prioritise
Great leaders talked about their first weeks in the role not as a sprint, but as a time to listen, learn, and build trust. One described starting each day with classroom visits and ending with a handwritten note to a teacher and one curious question. Another planned to meet every teaching team in the first month to ask:
- What’s working?
- What’s getting in the way?
- What support do you need to improve learning?
These weren’t showy ideas. They were structured and steady.
Instructional leadership was presented not as glamorous work, but as daily, deliberate effort. The best candidates talked about:
- Feedback cycles teachers can trust
- Short improvement sprints aligned to standards
- PLCs with outputs, not just discussion
- Protecting time for classroom visits
Operations weren’t dismissed. They were viewed as existing to serve teaching and learning.
Reflections From the Panel
Consensus-building mattered. The best panel moments came when someone asked, “What made you score that highly?” or “Which part of their answer gave you confidence?” These questions helped us move from assumption to evidence.
There was also humility. Not everyone could be appointed. Several candidates were strong. That realisation changed how we talked about those not selected. It made us slower, more respectful, and clearer in our feedback.
The process also revealed governance gaps. Improvement work unfolds over time. Selection is a snapshot. You must make confident decisions with limited evidence and that requires a different discipline.
Looking Ahead: How We Might Improve Future Searches
- Assess instructional leadership explicitly.
Ask candidates how they use their week. How do they run walkthroughs? What does feedback look like in practice? - Test trust-building.
Include scenarios that explore how a leader listens, communicates, and earns credibility. - Respect those not selected.
Provide clear, thoughtful closure, not generic rejection. A strong process honours everyone involved.
Final Thoughts
Appointing a new Head of School is not about finding a hero. It’s about choosing someone who builds the conditions for others to thrive. That means time in classrooms, clarity around teaching, and commitment to steady growth.
Instruction improves when the head prioritises it. Trust grows when leaders communicate with care. And schools flourish when strong leadership creates a calm, focused, and collaborative culture.
That’s the real goal of appointing a new Head of School: not just filling a role, but choosing someone who will build something that lasts.
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