Dipont Excellence in Leadership Series: John Humphreys

Mr. John Humphreys , the Centre Principal of?the Dipont High School Programme at High School Attached to Northeast Normal University?(Changchun Centre), has been actively leading and developing the IB programme for the past 11 years.

Here, he will share his firsthand experiences at the Changchun Centre and provide insights into its remarkable journey of growth.

?The Early Challenges?

John taught briefly in the UK before coming to China. Since 1989, he has been teaching in numerous countries, with a particular focus on Zimbabwe and Uganda, where he has gained extensive teaching experience.

He states that his experience in Africa has prepared him well for his work in China. When he first arrived in China 11 years ago to join the Changchun Centre, everything was in its infancy, and there were numerous challenges. He and his team had to plan classrooms, develop a curriculum that suited the teaching situation at the time, and also set up a server and intranet system to facilitate teacher-student interaction by creating a repository of information and classwork that could be accessed by anyone at school or at home 24 hours a day.

During John's tenure at the Changchun Centre, his most significant achievement was leading the centre's transformation into a mature IB centre. Recently, the Changchun Centre successfully completed its second International Baccalaureate Organization's (IBO) five-year review. The centre integrated both local and international elements, earning widespread recognition from the community, teachers, counselors, and Chinese management. This recognition stems from the community's embrace of the IB ethos and learner profile, fostering a greater enthusiasm for teaching, learning, and inquiry among staff and students.

For John, it has been a fantastic journey. He has encountered a diverse range of students, most of whom display remarkable intelligence, diligence, and a strong work ethic. The school has been incredibly supportive, granting him and his staff a significant level of autonomy to carry out their work in the manner that suits them best. This support and autonomy have been the primary factors enabling him to maintain his tenure for 11 years.

Support for Teacher Development?

Supporting the professional development of teachers is of utmost importance. As a Centre Principal, it is crucial to offer support and guidance to each teacher, ensuring their understanding of the curriculum requirements and ability to meet the school's expectations. The key to helping teachers overcome challenges lies in recognizing their potential and allowing them sufficient time to grow. It is often unwise to hastily replace underperforming teachers; a better approach is to identify their strengths and provide tailored coaching. It is more advantageous to focus on helping existing teachers improve rather than constantly searching for new replacements.

For instance, if a new teacher lacks familiarity with the key aspects of teaching in the Changchun Centre and struggles to provide sufficient practice opportunities for students, a practical approach would be to pair them with an experienced teacher. This collaboration would provide the necessary support and guidance to help the new teacher develop their skills. Over time, the new teacher can make significant progress and develop into an excellent educator.

One beneficiary of this supportive system was Mashome Ramotubei, who joined Changchun Centre at the start of the 2017 school year as their IB coordinator.??

Mashome is from the African nation of Lesotho and told us about the pressure he was under that year as the school had 3 months to respond to IB issues from the 5-year review just completed.?He describes how John greatly helped him by providing guidance and many hours of constructive discussion about how to meet the IB’s requirements;

"...He gave me room for my views and their justifications against his without giving any impression that his word would be final. John divided the tasks between us as if there was no hierarchy."

Mashome went on to praise John for the extra support he gave to him and other educators after school hours.

"John sometimes spends hours after school assisting teachers who need help.?I have been in school with him during weekends to sort out some of my stuff...What I find more profound is that John always finds something positive about everyone."

Under John's leadership, the Changchun Centre has achieved a significant milestone by fostering a harmonious relationship and shared vision between the predominantly expatriate Dipont-hired staff and the Chinese institution. This accomplishment has had a wide-reaching impact on the broader school community, including the High School Attached to Northeast Normal University (HSANNU). The staff, including the host school Principal, regularly invites John to speak at seminars, and the Centre's Senior Management Team joins in celebratory meals to recognize and celebrate their achievements.

Over the course of more than a decade, the Changchun Centre has experienced remarkable progress, resulting in enhanced educational quality and highly efficient and effective classroom instruction. As a hub for exceptional academic achievements, it fosters harmonious relationships among a diverse staff, seamlessly integrates technology to enhance learning, and places student well-being at the forefront through an effective pastoral care system.

Student Success and University Preparation?

The Changchun Centre is committed to delivering a high-quality education to all students, with a focus not only on supporting high achievers but also guiding every student in discovering their path and preparing for university studies and future careers.

In recent years, there has been a continuous improvement in the IB diploma pass rates and average scores of students at the Changchun Centre. The pass rates have increased from 70% to over 90%, even reaching a perfect score of 100%. The average score has seen an improvement of 2 points, and the top-performing student achieved 44 IB points last year, placing them in the top 0.8% of students worldwide who took the diploma.

Remarkably, the programme has produced a multitude of exceptional graduates who have successfully gained admission to esteemed universities like Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College, University College London, Durham, University of Toronto, McGill, University of British Columbia, Cornell, New York University, Northwestern, and universities within the University of California system. Moreover, the program has also extended its support to students with varying academic abilities, assisting them in securing admissions to prestigious TOP 100 institutions.

The Changchun Centre maintains a programme to follow up on its graduates, who have showcased outstanding performance in international universities. Many of them have pursued postgraduate studies at esteemed institutions like Harvard, Stanford, Cornell, and Cambridge. Some students have even outperformed their American peers, achieving the highest marks in the history of their respective schools. John takes immense pride in these accomplishments.

John emphasizes that the Changchun Centre strives to assist students in determining the most suitable path to their dream university. He actively engages with parents to discuss university applications and establish study goals. Spending ample time conversing with parents, he ensures they comprehend the best approaches to support their children. John considers himself fortunate to have a team of dedicated colleagues who collaborate closely with him in this endeavour.

The Role of Leadership

The role of the Centre Principal is undoubtedly challenging. Under John's leadership, the Changchun Centre is one of the centres with the lowest teacher turnover rates, with an average tenure of over 9 years, thanks to the collaborative dynamics within the team. John excels at listening to others' ideas and is committed to investing time in reaching a consensus within the team. He consistently supports the teachers' ideas and effectively drives the development of teaching, going above and beyond to help them achieve their goals. For instance, he has actively assisted the school's English teacher in establishing pilot classes, resulting in significant improvements in students' English performance.

Gregory Marthews , a math teacher from the UK who has recently been promoted to math AQM, worked for John for 10 years and had positive praise about how John led the school. Greg stated;

John always knew how to strike a balance between when to step back and when to step forward and lead... I felt both supported and guided.

This, Greg explained, is why he stayed for so long at Changchun Centre;

John was excellent as a trainer in management and in being a friend.

Presently, John is exploring new possibilities and actively engaging with teachers and the school community. He is considering ways to enhance the teaching of computer science and preparing for a small-scale pilot project in this area. By tirelessly leading his school forward, John continues to demonstrate his dedication to the program's growth and development.

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Support from Dipont Education?

John acknowledges that he lacked prior experience as a Principal when he initially joined the Changchun Centre. He appreciates the opportunity Dipont provided him to assume the role of a principal and the extensive support they offered to address any challenges he encountered.

Dipont boasts a team of Academic Quality Managers, seasoned education professionals whose primary objective is to ensure top-notch teaching quality and the sustainable growth of the High School Programmes. This involves regular school visits to observe, document, and analyze classroom activities, with a strong emphasis on fostering the professional development of each teacher. Such practices are exceptionally rare in China.

Furthermore, Dipont organizes annual CP Meetings, facilitating valuable networking and knowledge-sharing opportunities among Centre Principals from different schools. These exchange events play a crucial role in the overall development of the High School Programmes, and in supporting John’s professional growth over the years.

John is widely regarded as an exceptional leader, admired for his composed demeanour in handling problems and crises. His attentive listening skills, extensive expertise in international education, and strong rapport with teachers, students, and parents have earned him high respect. John eagerly looks forward to the ongoing journey, constantly striving for improvement and innovation, while remaining steadfast in their core commitment to delivering a high-quality, holistic education for all students.

Dipont Education is at the forefront of changing the way education is thought about and delivered in China. In addition to establishing and managing schools with elite Chinese and international partners, Dipont also provides innovative curricular and co-curricular programming, supported by more than 600 international educators across China.