The Board of Governors of St Christopher's School has appointed Dr Simon Watson as the next Principal effective August 2018.
Dr Watson will succeed Mr Ed Goodwin OBE, who will be stepping down after serving the school with dedication and passion for 23 years.
Dr Simon Watson has been Principal of Kolej Tuanku Ja'afar (KTJ) since August 2011, one of Malaysia's premier international schools. St Christopher's will be his third leadership role, after Copenhagen International School and KTJ. He is also Chair of the Federation of British International Schools in Asia (FOBISIA), the Asian equivalent of the British Schools in the Middle East (BSME).
He holds a BSc (Hons) in Mathematics from the University of Warwick, a PGCE from the University of Keele and a PhD in Mathematics from the University of Bristol. Dr Watson began his career in 1993 as Teacher of Mathematics at Gravesend Grammar School for Boys and has worked in international education since 1999, with a brief spell in the UK. His career has taken him from the UK to the Czech Republic, New Zealand, Malaysia and now Bahrain. Dr Watson has considerable strength as a leader of learning in providing the academic and pastoral framework that allows children to thrive, which he believes should be complemented by a rich array of extra-curricular activities. Outside of school, he enjoys playing squash, swimming, reading and spending time with his family.
He is married to Dr Lucy Bailey who is currently an Associate Professor of Education at the University of Nottingham's Malaysia Campus. They have four daughters: Pietta (aged 9), Katiyah (12), Miranne (14) and Analysia (17) who is currently in her first year at Harvard.
Tim Murray, Chair of the Board of Governors said, "On behalf of the Board of Governors, I am delighted to welcome Dr Simon Watson as the new Principal of St Christopher's School. The Board and I are confident that Dr Watson will maintain St Christopher's as a global leader among international schools, as well as embrace the coming challenges in the fast-changing world of education. I would also like to thank Ed Goodwin for his many years of exceptional service and relentless push for excellence to make St Christopher's one of the leader international schools in the world.
Dr Watson said, "It is a tremendous honour to have been appointed as the next Principal to St Christopher's School. I am very keen to work with all members of the community to continue to build upon the strong reputation of St Christopher's as one of the leading international schools both regionally and globally. My family is very much looking forward to Bahrain, and I look forward to working with the St Christopher's community and meeting the parents, students, and staff."