Last month the Hua Hin International School (HHIS) opened for business; educational business that is. There’s been an open day and the last few weeks of the month have been a busy period for all concerned but especially for the Head Teacher, Julie Wood. This is an independent, privately owned, co-educational school that will initially cater for children from age 2+ to 11 and drawing children from multicultural backgrounds.
The campus has a Masterplan that is designed for close to 1000 children aged 2-18 and this will be developed along with the growth of students. Julie was gracious enough to spare Hua Hin Today some personal time prior to the opening and a glimpse of what it means to be a leading educator in the world of international education. Incidentally Julie’s last name is ‘Wood’ not ‘Woods’. She admits that as a relatively newly-wed, she needs to remind herself on occasions! It’s hard to resist the enthusiasm and positive energy which Julie has ‘in spades’ for her new role.
Education has been a career-long focus, teaching pupils of all ages, lecturing at tertiary institutions and now taking on the challenge of being the principal of Hua Hin’ first real international school with a UK curriculum. Julie describes the changing role of education in a world where students need to learn skills that will be transferable worldwide but with another focus being the school community environment. Julie’s personal influence has also been evident in the recruitment of teachers with a wealth of experience with literally hundreds of applications and now a full complement of English language ‘experts’ in their own field after a thorough selection process in England, Thailand and sometimes via Skype.
A common criticism of English language teaching in Thailand is the lack of native English speaking staff. This issue certainly does not apply at the HHIS. Julie’s own reputation has been influential in the attraction of such a strong staffing complement. The Hua Hin International School promises to deliver education at the highest level with Julie Wood promising her own personal attention to the needs of families wanting the best brand of education for future global citizens.
Parents are valued as partners in their children’s learning and parent involvement will be encouraged in a variety of ways – including the setting up of a Parent Teachers’ Group (PTG). For a comprehensive overview of the school philosophy and educational values visit http://www.huahinschool. com or check out the facilities opposite the Black Mountain Water Park.
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