Meet Our School Principal

Mr. Nigel Gardner

Mr. Nigel Gardner is an outstanding educator and leader in international education with more than 20 years of international teaching experience. Following a career in conservation management, Nigel has taught and led International Baccalaureate Programmes in Belgium, Azerbaijan, South Korea, Sweden, Vietnam and India. He holds a Masters in Educational Leadership and Management from Keely University, United Kingdom, a Certificate in Advanced Educational Leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education, a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in Science from the University of Wales, United Kingdom, and a Bachelors (Hons) in Ecology, from University of Lancaster, United Kingdom.

Mr. Gardner has successfully led three different schools through opening and the IB authorisation process over the last decade. As director of Four Corners Education, he has also assisted various IB Schools in developing leadership systems and processes. Within the wider IB Community, Mr. Gardner has had various roles within the IB Educator Network and beyond, including Assessment Analysis Consultant, curriculum review team member as well as curriculum and resource author, for a number of IB publishers.

Beyond this, Mr. Gardner is an innovative and passionate educator, putting students at the centre of learning. He is passionate about the implementation of technology in supporting and enhancing the curriculum through the development of novel approaches.

A Message From Mr. Nigel Gardner

Dear UCSI Springhill Community,

I know that you are all probably as desperate to find out about me as I am to find out about the whole UCSI Springhill community. So I thought it would be useful to share a little bit about myself with you before we have the opportunity to meet face to face. I have been involved in IB education for around 2 decades, but did not start my professional life as an educator. Rather before moving into education I was the director of a successful agro-forestry and conservation consultancy in the UK. By accident, I moved first into the training sector and then eventually into IB education. Other than a short period early in my career, I have only worked in IB Programme schools and for the last 12 years only IB Continuum Schools.

I am British, but definitely not English. I am very proud of my Welsh nationality. Oh and as an added layer I am also a resident of France. My background is as an ecologist, though I am now probably more recognised as a programme and school leader within the IB.  I have been a Teacher, Programme Coordinator, Head of Programmes and Principal, in a wide range very IB schools, in the UK, Belgium, Azerbaijan, Korea, Sweden, Vietnam and India. I have also had the privilege of leading three schools through IB Authorisation over the last decade in Asia Pacific.

Beyond leadership in schools, I have worked directly with the IB as an Assessment Consultant, Curriculum reviewer, writer and subject examiner among other roles. So hopefully I bring to Springhill a good understanding of what it means to be an IB Continuum World School. IB Three Programme Continuum World schools are very special places. Dr Tim Bunnell at Bath University defines them as the “ideal” international school. Schools very much grounded in the philosophy of the International Baccalaureate. This places UCSI Springhill, into a small, successful and unique position within the world of education. IB Continuum schools certainly from my experience go much further than many other schools in placing the student at the centre of every aspect of school life.

I truly believe that education is much more than a set of results on a piece of paper. Yes they are important, but students learn much more at a school than sets of dry facts. I have a very personal connection with all the IB Programmes, and I know that everyone of the Springhill faculty will echo my thoughts that we are very lucky to be educators in an IB Continuum school.

So that is just a little about me. Though I would just like to finish with my five personal rules of school leadership:

  1. That as Principal, my door is always open, to students, parents and faculty.
  2. That there is no such thing as an unimportant question. If you have a question, please just ask and please don’t be afraid of asking.
  • That everyone member of the school community is an important and valued member.
  1. That every member of the school community has a role in creating an excellent school.
  2. That everything a school does starts with creating value for all students and that all students are valued.

I look forward to welcoming you to the UCSI Springhill Community! See you soon!

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