“Simply put, happy children learn. You don’t just want children to come to school, you want them to thrive in school.” Principal Rosy Clark sits down with NOW! Jakarta to share what makes her school, Nord Anglia School Jakarta, a special place for students and parents alike.
Nord Anglia School Jakarta (NAS Jakarta) is an early years and primary school campus that is all about building foundations, helping children to create their future and preparing them for their next steps. As a part of the leading international school organisation, Nord Anglia Education, academic excellence is certainly a priority.
However, school life expands beyond just academics, and NAS Jakarta prides itself on its diverse but tight-knit community, verdant and ‘wild’ campus in Ampera, South Jakarta, and of course an approach to learning that develops young, global citizens. Principal Rosy Clark shares more:
Rosy, could you tell us a little about yourself and your background?
My name is Rosy Clark, and it really is my privilege to be the Principal of Nord Anglia School Jakarta. I’ve been here four years already and previously I was in Vietnam, at Ho Chi Minh City, at two different Nord Anglia Schools. I also worked in The Netherlands, and prior to that in the UK, which is where I’m from!
So, you’ve been part of Nord Anglia Education before Jakarta? Can you share a little more about the company?
I’ve been with Nord Anglia Education for 10 years. It’s natural to move from one Nord Anglia School to another, and the company actually encourages that. Professional development and learning are important to the organisation, which actually provides vast learning resources to teachers, be it online webinars or exchanges with other schools. In fact, it was through one of these exchanges that I came to Jakarta and I still remember walking in and immediately saying, ‘Oh wow, this is a beautiful school!’ When the opportunity came to be principal here, I jumped at the chance.
Being part of a larger company like Nord Anglia gives parents that quality assurance. Each school is highly accountable, with health and safety checks, teacher recruitment, student safeguarding, etc. and we undergo very thorough audits.
What is the Nord Anglia approach to learning and how is that implemented here in Jakarta?
Our vision is ‘Create Your Future,’ which you’ll see prominently around the school. It’s not just a platitude; it’s genuinely something we all believe in. This means preparing students for their next steps: children are learning to learn, both for now and the future, because learning is a journey. Academic standards remain high here, of course, but school is so much more than only academic success.
For instance, we run a really big student leadership programme. This involves leading a team, being articulate and being a good team member, all of which develop confidence. Any of our older students can become a student leader. But believe it or not, even from 18 months the children are taught to build that confidence as soon as they walk in here; that’s why those early years are called the foundation stage.
As a school catering to early years and primary years students, ‘enjoyment’ of the school experience must be a core objective. What’s the approach to this?
Simply put, happy children learn. If a child doesn’t feel happy or secure in school, or doesn’t have a great relationship with their teacher, they’re not going to learn as effectively. You don’t just want children to come to school, you want children to thrive in school.
Through play, exploration and inquiry, this develops into a robust, inquiry-based and skills-based curriculum as the children move into primary school. So being happy in school is all-important and being engaged in learning is essential.
Being part of a network of more than 80 schools worldwide must have its benefits too…
Yes, absolutely. Global Campus, unique to Nord Anglia, gives children access to an online platform. This is very exciting, as the students are able to securely connect to other Nord Anglia students around the world, whether to carry out a project, challenge, or competition. We currently have our chess group competing online, for example.
This also broadens opportunities beyond Jakarta. We’ve just had 16 swimmers go to Bangkok for a competition, yet another great benefit of being part of Nord Anglia Education. So, our students here have an advantage of being in a global school on campus, whilst simultaneously being part of a globally connected network of students.
How is NAS Jakarta distinct from other Nord Anglia schools around the world?
What’s great about the company is that they believe in each school having its own identity. Identity in terms of your values, your vision for development, and learning at the school is appropriate for the context and community that you are in. Developing those values was the first thing I did when I arrived.
Our school has six values: respect, resilience, global citizenship, collaboration, curiosity, and creativity. We’ve got a special tree at the centre of our campus, and that’s the visual representation of those values that are worked on with the students every single day. As staff, we should live up to those values as role models as well. I’ve already mentioned this, but our beautiful, green campus is also special. It’s wild and dynamic, which is fantastic for children’s development. As a mature campus, it has retained a lot of character.
What do you think sets NAS Jakarta apart from other schools in Jakarta?
Being a slightly smaller school actually has distinct advantages, one of which is that it allows us to personalise the school experience. When we admit the student into school, we’re actually admitting a new family into the school, and as a very expatriate school that’s important. Once the familly arrives in Jakarta, they want to be part of a community ––and we’ve got a very welcoming community!
What is also unique is that we are truly internationally diverse — I believe that we are one of the few international schools that does not have a single dominant national group. We have students from 30 different countries, with the largest nationality group only amounting to 15% of the whole.
How important is parent involvement in the school experience and community?
Every day we have parents on-site here, and there are opportunities for parents to be part of school life in meaningful ways. There are two levels to this. There’s parent involvement, where they are invited to attend workshops or join assemblies. Then there’s parent engagement, where they can be a part of the school experience, whether that’s as a parent ambassador, helping new families to settle in, or offering their skills and time for an extra-curricular activity.
Feedback from parents is also important. Personally, I have a very open-door policy. I am a very visible presence in the school and parents know they can approach me. Communication is key, and parents appreciate being able to talk to someone immediately when it matters.
Now, do you have any special news to share about developments of the school?
We have now secured our secondary school license, which is exciting times. We’re currently planning the designs for that, but I cannot divulge any more than that for the moment. Coming soon!
Finally, and this might be a difficult question: what are your three favourite things about being Principal at NAS Jakarta?
Oh, that’s very easy actually! Firstly, I love this campus, it’s so calming, beautiful and full of nature. Secondly, is that my life here is never dull! It’s busy, challenging, inspiring, stimulating and no day is the same as the last. The diverse community contributes to that. And of course, the students, who are genuinely amazing here. To watch the children develop —especially those lucky students who are able to stay for many years— and see them become confident, mini global citizens. They are a credit to this school and to their families.
Thank you, Rosy, for your time and sharing those wonderful insights into life at Nord Anglia School Jakarta!
Nord Anglia School Jakarta
Jl. NIS 1, Kenanga Terusan, Ampera Raya, Cilandak
+62 21 782 3930
info@nasjakarta.sch.id
nordangliaeducation.com/nas-jakarta
