Meet the Team

Head of School

During his 15 year career as a Principal Andy has led large international schools in Dubai and the Bahamas in addition to South African private schools. He has been the founding Principal of two South African schools that are thriving today: the International School in Hout Bay and Seaforth College (now renamed Ashton International) in Ballito. Whilst in Dubai he led Greenfield Community School successfully through its Council for International Schools, New England Association of Schools and Colleges and International Baccalaureate accreditation processes. The school implemented a successful Mindfulness programme and gained wide recognition for the breadth of its career – related programme that ran parallel to the International Baccalaureate Diploma.

Andy was educated at Bishops in Cape Town. He attended the University of Cape Town where he read for an Honours Degree in Geography, with English as his second major. He holds a Post-graduate Diploma in School Management from Henley College. He has also authored school textbooks and worked as a consultant for IB schools.

Andy brings the balance of sound experience with a willingness to take on the exciting challenge of establishing a new school that will be unique in its approach to education. He has both local and international experience and is committed to the vision we have of a Green School that will inspire and challenge our children to be self-confident, balanced, courageous young people who are a force for positive change.

Andy is a family man. He is married to Karen and has two children, Christopher and Amy. Karen is also a Principal (her school is in Pinelands) and Chris has completed his law articles at Bowmans and is now living in Delaware while Amy is travelling in the Indian Himalayas.

A lover of the outdoors, he is a keen rock climber and mountaineer, and has been on expeditions mountain ranges around the globe from the Alps to the Andes. Andy has been involved in Mountain Rescue for many years as a team member and leader. He also dabbles in mountain biking, sea kayaking and has recently obtained his license as a deep water diver. He has a creative side and paints landscapes in oil.

‘I am excited to lead a school that will be an inspiring place where children enjoy learning and is serious about its commitment to quality education and nurturing in its children confidence, character and curiosity.’

Founders

We had an extraordinary experience at Green School Bali that fundamentally changed how we see education. We saw a major change in our kids, the joy with which they went to school in the morning and the excitement on a Sunday evening. We could not get them to leave school in the afternoon, because they wanted to share with us the excitement of their day. They loved the extent of arts, music and drama as part of their normal week, they loved the opportunity to perform in front of the school on a weekly basis and they felt that they were mostly just playing. In talking with the Educators we realized just how much thought, research and passion went into curriculum design, the meticulous and rigorous development of weekly and daily programmes and yet the flexibility to adjust to each child’s unique level in each subject.

The low student:teacher ratio made an enormous impact on how individualised the teaching could be, how much time each child had to express their thoughts, contribute to discussions and raised their questions. We believe that this contributed significantly to the level of their engagement in classes and the extent to which they took ownership for their learning and enjoyed the journey.

We were also amazed at how the architecture of a campus effects everyone’s perspective of what is possible, the sense of freedom and creativity that comes from such wall-less structures. How watching the leaves blow in the breeze, listening to the river in the background and the natural light in classrooms created a very unique and memorable sense of place.

We are so excited to bring this concept home and to create a school filled with joy, teaching 21st century skills right here in our valley. A school that strengthens identity, sense of community and embeds sustainability in everything it does.

We invite you to join us, as learners, parents, educators or community members, to share in the excitement and magic of building a Green School.

Launch event, 24 Jan
Register Here

Meet the Team

Join the conversation

Launch event, 24 Jan Register Here

Meet the Team

Join the conversation

Launch event, 24 Jan
Register Here