Goodbye Barny!
Interview with ACS Cobham's Head, Barnaby Sandow
INTERVIEW WITH THE HEAD OF ACS COBHAM
BARNABY SANDOW
How has your vision driven the changes in the campus master plan?
At ACS Cobham, we're dedicated to creating a learning environment that fosters confidence and compassion in our students. Our campus masterplan is designed with their growth and success in mind every step of the way.
What are your aims and objectives for these changes?
Our mission is to create inclusive spaces where everyone feels empowered. With our five core values at heart, we aim to inspire and enable students to achieve their dreams. We want to build a community of driven individuals who are ready to make their mark on the world.
Our unique approach to learning builds effective learners, confident individuals, and caring contributors, setting our students up for success in every aspect of their lives.
How do you feel these changes will enhance educational pathways?
At our school, we are committed to providing a unique learning experience that empowers students to excel in all areas of their lives. Our Definition of High Quality Learning sets us apart in the market by focusing on holistic development and preparing students for success beyond the classroom.
High Quality Learning is WHAT we do
Effective Learners
Confident Individuals
Caring Contributors
READY TO:
Communicate
Inquire
Innovate
Collaborate
THEY BECOME:
Engaged
Supported
Challenged
Navigate
Model
Embrace
Reflect
Joyful
Growing
Resilient
Nurture
Prioritise
Strive
Volunteer
Respectful
Supportive
Ethical
How would you visualise our school compared to others?
If you are looking for school uniforms, 500 years of tradition, and doing things because that is the way things have always been done; then I am afraid you are looking at the wrong school.
If you want a community that inspires learners to be ready for whatever comes next, that instils confidence in facing any new challenges and that cares enough to want to make a positive difference, then welcome to ACS Cobham.
When you come back to visit ACS in the coming years, what are your expectations from these changes?
I would like to see ACS Cobham become the best international school for the world, with a focus on winning awards and influencing learning beyond the classroom. A beacon for outstanding practice.
What particular spaces are you excited about that are currently in development?
Heywood House is getting a stunning makeover and will soon be an inspiring new learning space for Grade 3 and 4 students. The former residence of Prince Leopold of Belgium, this majestic building will spark curiosity and creativity like never before.
What’s your proudest achievement as Head of ACS Cobham?
Through challenging times, we've built stronger community alliances, stronger leadership and laid the physical foundations for growth. Our school is on the path to becoming the leading school in the world.
Which part of ACS will you miss the most?
Saying hello in the mornings to each of you by the car park, grinning at your stories and your sleepiness.
Bees in the bluebells, deer in the woodlands, and foxes on the fairways.
The communities that come together to raise their flags, finding each other and their shared identities in a foreign land.
Colleagues at the beginning of each session, bright eyed and full of the power of the possible.
So all in all, what I am saying is…the wildlife; human and otherwise.
What advice do you have for the students at ACS Cobham?
Don't ever blend in, because you deserve to stand out. You are the next global thinkers and doers. We need you to make a better and more peaceful world. Go and make the magic happen!
How would you like to be remembered?
With a smile at memories we have shared and a nod to the future we are building together.
BARNY, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE AND SHARED WITH US. WE WILL MISS YOU!
