Edarabia had the opportunity to interview Rugby School Thailand‘s Principal, Mr. Bruce Grindlay, to discuss the school’s plans for the future, challenges in education, student engagement, diversity and inclusion, student stress and bullying, preparing students for life after graduation, parental and community involvement, attracting and retaining great teachers, leadership opportunities for teachers, the impact of extracurricular activities on students’ futures, and Mr. Grindlay’s definition of success.

1. What are your plans for 2025?

The School’s plans for 2025 are exciting and far-reaching but will actually reach fruition in the 25/26 academic year. We are planning a new, state-of-the-art 750-seater Auditorium to complement our other amazing creative spaces. As well as this, the Pre-Prep department is working on becoming a fully-accredited Forest School and the whole school will be launching a new Language Strategy to future-proof our provision in this area. We will also enjoy our first exchange with Rugby School Japan alongside the second exchange with Rugby UK.

2. How do you decide what to focus on academically each year, and which new ideas are you pursuing?

We have a Steering Group made up of all the key stakeholders on the academic side of the School and they agree the areas of focus that we all want to work towards. They review their development plans three times a year and we roll the plan forward until such time as we change the areas of focus. As we move towards our tenth anniversary in 2027, we will launch a new set of priorities at the end of 2026 to set our strategic vision for the next ten years.

3. What challenges do you foresee in education in the next 5 years?

The biggest challenge we will face is keeping abreast and predicting the jobs of the future and the skills and education our students need to remain competitive and successful in a rapidly changing world where many of the jobs of the future have not even come into existence yet.

4. How do you keep students interested in learning, especially those who struggle or seem unmotivated?

I believe the key to keeping children motivated and engaged is to recognise their individuality and not to assume they are all the same and then to cater to their interests alongside the necessary subjects and areas of study that they must do. They must also have excellent relationships with their teachers and the School staff. If students enjoy being at school, feel respected, a sense of belonging and looked after, then they are prepared to face their difficulties and the less-interesting areas of their education as they know we all have their best interests at heart.

5. How does the school ensure all students feel welcome and have the same chances to succeed?

We are not a sausage factory and we take the time to get to know every individual in our care. No two humans are the same and all have strengths and weaknesses and different skills and interests. We treat everyone here as an individual and, as such, we don’t expect them to change or alter themselves, just to become the best versions of themselves they can be. In doing so, all of our students feel noticed, listened to and happy with who they are.

6. How proactive is the school in matters of student stress and bullying?

All in our community recognise that making someone feel as if they don’t belong, that they are different is completely unacceptable. We are very proactive in addressing this through our amazing pastoral care team and through our Whole Me programme, which addresses personal issues and development that all of our students need to learn.

We are also very attuned to the possibility of stress and anxiety in our students. We have permanent counsellors and personal tutors to maintain positive lines of communication with the students to help them navigate their journey through to adulthood.

7. How do you help students build the skills they need for life after graduation?

We focus on our Rugby Learner Profile which emphasises the skills and mindset the students need to succeed. It doesn’t matter where they learn these skills, the classroom, theatre stage, the sports fields, but they are key transferable skills that we know they need to be successful in their future lives.

8. How involved are parents and the community in making the school better?

We have a very effective RSTPA (Rugby School Thailand Parents’ Association) that has reps from all year groups that meet the Heads, the owners and myself twice per term to assist in our development and improvement plans.

9. How do you develop a school culture that attracts and keeps great teachers?

You create a community that cares and has a culture of support, hard work and fun. We all look after each other and recognise that as much as we work hard, putting the students first, we also play hard and that is one of the joys of our location in Thailand, there is so much to do and enjoy on our doorstep.

10. Do teachers at your school have growth opportunities for leadership roles?

Yes, we are very keen for all of our teachers to develop and improve themselves and to map out a career trajectory that we can help them achieve.

11. Which after-school activity would you say has the biggest positive impact on a student’s future?

If I’m honest, there isn’t one, but all of our activities, enrichment opportunities, sport, music and drama aid future success as they teach our students self-discipline, effort and commitment.

12. As a Principal, what is your definition of success?

My definition of educational success is the School’s published aim: to improve the outcome of every individual in our care. We can’t make our students what they are not, but we can improve them and give them life opportunities that would never have been thought possible. That is educational success.

13. If you had the opportunity to inspire the world in one sentence, what would that sentence be?

If you live without making a difference, what difference does it make if you have lived.