Meet our new Head of Senior School!
We are excited to have Clare Anderson-Au as Dulwich College Beijing’s new Head of Senior School!
Ms Anderson-Au has been a leader at the Tanglin Trust School of Singapore since 2013 and has led the Middle School with around 600 students. She has profound knowledge of international education and extensive experience in academics and wellbeing. Ms Anderson-Au has conducted a comprehensive orientation process with our school leadership team and is currently leading the Senior School.
Read the interview below to learn more about Ms Anderson-Au.
Can you please share your work experience before joining Dulwich College Beijing?
I moved from Singapore where I worked at Tanglin Trust School as Head of Middle School for 9 years. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Singapore as well as at school and had many wonderful opportunities to further my learning. Before this, I spent 13 years in Hong Kong where I worked for the English Schools Foundation in a number of leadership positions. I fell in love with Hong Kong immediately and the international school system within Asia. My first few years were spent in the UK in some tough inner-city schools. This experience was invaluable, and I gained many great insights into education during this time.
Have you ever been to Beijing before? Tell us three key attractions the city of Beijing has for you.
We have never been Beijing before this summer. We are looking forward to exploring this great city. Top three would be: 1. The Great Wall 2. The Summer Palace 3. Dumplings (we love to eat).
How would you summarise your belief in and philosophy of education?
This answer could be a whole essay in itself! Education should be a safe and fun environment where everyone succeeds and fails along their journey. It is the place to make mistakes, and to be supported and forgiven. It is the place to succeed and be celebrated for who you are as an individual. I really like the commonly used analogy of popcorn: Popcorn is all placed into the pot at the same time and yet each corn kernel pops at a different time. It is our role to support each student until they find the ingredient that makes them pop.
What do you see as the core values for an international educator?
Understanding of the community you are part of. Respect for different thinking and approaches. Willing to learn from the environment you find yourself a part of.
Why did you decide to join Dulwich College Beijing?
Dulwich has a great reputation as a group of schools throughout the global education network. In China, DCB’s reputation for caring staff and students is second to none. I wanted to come and join a school community that cares about each other whilst striving for even greater standards, be that in or outside of the classroom.
What is your impression of the students and community of Dulwich College Beijing?
Having gone through many rounds of interviews with all members of the DCB community, I can honestly say that everyone has been friendly, enthusiastic and positive about life at DCB. More recently, I have been enjoying meeting everyone in person.
How would you describe your leadership style and values?
I am a visible leader who can be seen around the campus. I like to understand the opinions of all members of my community so we can grow, develop and change together. I think previous communities would describe me as honest and very trustworthy. I have a strong moral compass that keeps me centered and true to my beliefs.
If you could summarise yourself in three keywords, what would they be?
Approachable, trustworthy and passionate.
What do you plan to maintain and what positive changes do you plan to bring to Senior School and the College?
I think the main thing for myself, and other members of the leadership team, is to reconnect with our parent community after a period of disruption. Hopefully, we can welcome parents back onto campus or find other ways to meet in person. We are also working on rebuilding the positive relationships our students have
