At Optimist International Academy, we believe that learning begins with curiosity and flourishes in a supportive community. As we continue to build our international learning pathway, we are delighted to welcome Jon Symmons as our new Head of School Secondary. We spoke with Jon about his journey into international education, his approach to leadership and his hopes for OIA’s future.
Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I was born and bred in a small town just west of London. Growing up I developed a wanderlust and was passionate abut discovering the world. My favourite book was an atlas! I chose to study Geography at the university of Nottingham and then went travelling on and off for 2 years – this included time on a Kibbutz in Israel, exploring India alone and travelling through Australia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. These travels opened my eyes to new perspectives on this beautiful world. It also changed my life forever, as I met Deborah in 1996 in Darwin, Australia. We spent four years travelling between our homes in the UK and the Netherlands. During this time, I was studying to be a teacher, following in the footsteps of my mother, aunt and uncle, and spent two years working at a boys’ grammar school in Gloucester – very traditional! Eventually, in 2000, I left the UK and moved to Amsterdam to be closer to Deborah. The very next day I joined a football club (Swift) and I’m still playing football, as a veteran, across the football pitches of Amsterdam. I’m still ultra-competitive on the field but have learnt to accept defeat now that I’m in my fifties!
Deborah and I have now been together 30 years and have two children, Sam (who’s doing his eindexamen at Cygnus Gymnasium), and Adam (15) who is at Spinoza 21 Lyceum. We are a bilingual family and, since 2018, I have been a proud holder of a Dutch as well as a British passport. Although, when Oranje play England, my heart is always going to be for the English..
My wanderlust has not dissipated – I still love to travel and also enjoy most sports and everything cultural that Amsterdam has to offer.
What drew you to international education in the Netherlands in the first place?
See above. It was love that brought me to the Netherlands. When I left the UK, I couldn’t initially find work as a teacher, so ended up working for an ICT company at Schiphol-Rijk. But I soon realized my passion truly lay in education, and I got lucky in May 2001 when I saw an advert to work temporarily at Rijnlands Lyceum Oegstgeest. They were looking for someone to substitute a geography colleague on a sabbatical. I started in September 2001 teaching TTO Aardrijkskunde and MYP Geography, as well as supporting international students who needed English language support. With my only experience being GCSE and A-Level Geography, I had no experience of any of the courses I was teaching, so it was a steep learning curve, but I quickly grew to love what I was doing! Luckily, after two years of temporary contracts I got offered a permanent stay..
After your years experience in international schools, what do you think students need most from education today?
Good question. I think students mostly need to feel recognition, to have agency and choice and to develop the soft skills that future employers expect. They need to have the opportunity to develop a growth mindset and not be told they are ‘ failing’. They need to have supportive educators who recognize that learning goes beyond their subject. This is why, in my view, the IB programmes are so vital – they emphasize the holistic nature of learning that focuses on skills such as collaboration, communication, knowledge transfer, critical thinking and reflection.
“Students need recognition, agency and choice, and the opportunity to develop the soft skills that future employers expect” – Jon Symmons
How does being an international educator yourself shape the way you lead a school community?
I like to think that I lead with the IB’s learner profile attributes at the forefront of my mind. I hope that at OIA we can be a community where all of us – students, educators and parents/guardians – value and continue to develop these attributes. In particular, I try to be a caring, principled and reflective leader, ready to listen to the perspectives of others.
What excites you most about joining Optimist at this moment in its journey?
Where to start? There are so many things to say to this – working with new and enthusiastic colleagues, having an opportunity to build a new learning environment that benefits everyone; working with the local community; seeing students move successfully from the PYP, through the MYP and onto the DP…
I guess I am most excited to be part of an enthusiastic learning community that is at the very start of its IB journey. Whilst daunting, it is also empowering to be able to develop a school that will enable students to thrive. I look forward to sharing the expertise and experience I have to the benefit of others. Also, the opportunity to build a new identity and culture that bridges the primary and secondary schools and to be part of a learning community that will grow and gain recognition throughout the local region is also very exciting.
Our thanks to Jon for taking the time to share his story and vision with us. We are delighted to welcome Jon to the OIA community and look forward to the next chapter in our journey together. His extensive experience in international education, commitment to holistic learning and belief in the potential of every learner will be a valuable addition as we continue to grow our Primary and Secondary school community.