Most of us as school leaders have faced annual nagging concerns, and ours was typical. When we built The English School of Kyrenia (ESK) over 13 years ago we emulated many other independent schools in building an in-house sporting facility, including a swimming pool.
Our experience over the years showed that the swimming pool had been sparsely utilised, under-valued by students and parents, and expensive to maintain and heat (even in sunny Cyprus). There were just too many opportunities to swim on the island, it seemed.
So, what to do? Commence another academic year fretting over costs and usage, or use a problem as a spur, to generate a fantastic new USP for the school? It had to be the latter.
At ESK, where we cater to the needs of 900 bright students from over 38 nations, we decided to build a new state-of-the art sixth form centre, which has now opened. In Cyprus, there are many schools that deliver a British curriculum, but few enhance it as we do.
ESK’s academic approaches along with the new dedicated study and social facility, will provide our most senior students with an enhanced learning experience. They will be fully supported in their studies of either A-levels or the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) and develop study skills needed for degree-level work. This is something truly unique to the island and the perfect stepping-stone to higher education.
Hector MacDonald is the headteacher of the English School of Kyrenia.