Focused on the Best
Getting to know Ian Clayton, The British School in Tokyo’s new principal.
Tell us about yourself.
I started my new job at The British School in Tokyo (BST) in April.
I have been working in education in various countries for over 30 years—the most recent 10 years as head of the international stream at the French International School in Hong Kong.
What was your first impression of BST?
On my third day, there was a knock at the door of my office. It was the receptionist asking if I could talk to a Year 5 student. They “wanted a word.” Intrigued, of course, I agreed. In walked the Year 5 student Louise (not her real name), full of confidence. She said, “I just want to know why you wanted to work at BST.” Just like that, no wasted time—straight, concise, to the point. I explained that the main reason was that I heard that the students were the best in the world. She thought about this for a moment and agreed. I said that I wanted to help make the school the best place for the students and the staff. In all my years, I had never had a student have the confidence to stroll in and be so cool and collected.
What do your students like most?
This week, I asked the Primary School Student Council three questions: what gives them joy at school, what could be improved and how could I be the best principal. As ever, there was a range of ideas. “The teachers are amazing” and “the teachers’ greatness” were two typical comments. They also loved seeing their friends at school, many pointed to the extra opportunities like clubs and residential trips and a few mentioned the great facilities and resources.
Any tips for those who want to apply?
Our school is very popular, and each year group has limited spaces for admissions as they all have students automatically moving up from the lower year groups. The best way to get into our school is to enroll from nursery (three years old) because this is the only year group that comprises all new students.
