The Perse School (Singapore) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Nicholas Paul Belcher as Principal. Mr. Belcher will be joining The Perse School (Singapore) next academic year 2023 – 2024. We are deeply grateful for Ms. Benyna Richards’ work as Principal and wish her the best as she relocates to the UK at the end of February. In the interim, Mr. Gan Chin Huat, Senior Vice-President & Director of Schools at Sing-Ed Global Schoolhouse* will be overseeing the school before Mr. Belcher joins us.
Mr. Belcher has been a teacher and senior leader for 20 years, working within UK mainstream and Special Educational Needs (SEN) schools, in addition to a range of premium international schools including St. Andrews in Thailand and Dulwich College in Beijing. He is currently the Whole School Deputy Head at The British School of Bahrain with responsibility for Child Development, Enrichment & Staff Innovation.
As part of the recruitment process, Mr. Belcher was invited to The Perse School (Singapore) to spend two days with the teaching staff and pupils, and to also meet with members of the board.
Some comments made by staff and pupils during his visit:
- “He values a strong school community that involves everyone from the cleaners to teachers, to parents.” (Teacher)
- “His vast experiences in international schools around the region will be an asset.” (Teacher)
- “His SENCO experience will bring additional support not only to students but to staff as well.” (Teaching Assistant)
- “He seems like a nice man and that everyone should be treated fairly.” (Year 4 Pupil)
- “He believes that happiness is important because when you are happy, learning is more enjoyable.” (Year 6 & 7 Pupils)
Message from The Perse School Cambridge:
Mr. Ed Elliott, Head of The Perse School Cambridge said, “I am delighted to welcome Nick Belcher to The Perse family of schools. Nick is an exceptionally talented school leader with an impressive range of skills and educational experiences. He is committed to the values and high academic, pastoral, and extra-curricular standards of The Perse. I am confident that under Nick’s leadership, Perse Singapore will flourish and enable pupils to be both happy and successful”.
Mr. Simon Armitage, Deputy Head (International Schools) at The Perse School Cambridge led the search which yielded over 100 applicants. He personally spoke to 15 applicants in order to develop a shortlist and eventually narrowed the choices down to two. Mr. Armitage came to Singapore for the interviews and met with Mr. Belcher several times. He also arranged for Mr. Elliott and Mr. James Piper (Head of the Junior Section) to conduct online interviews with the finalists as part of the process.
Mr. Armitage said, “it was evident from the start that Nick Belcher was the outstanding candidate. He brings 20 years’ teaching and leadership experience in a range of primary and all-age schools, both small and large, in the UK and internationally. I look forward to working closely with Nick in the coming months to ensure a smooth transition and the continued development of links with Cambridge”.
The Perse School (Singapore) is confident that Mr. Belcher will lead the team at The Perse School (Singapore) to new academic heights. We wish to take this moment to congratulate and welcome him to The Perse Family.
Please click here to see Mr. Belcher’s introduction message and below for his introduction video.
*The Perse School (Singapore) is part of Sing-Ed Global Schoolhouse’s family of schools ranging from preschool to higher education, along with other education services.
