International School Parent Magazine - Spring 2024

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AIGLON COLLEGE: MEET THE HEAD For 75 years Aiglon College has pushed beyond the boundaries of traditional education to offer a holistic and inspirational experience in the Swiss Alps. From just six students at its founding, today Aiglon is home to 440 students from 60+ different nationalities ages 7 - 18. Over 85% of students are fulltime boarders. Beginning in the 2024-2025 academic year, Aiglon will also welcome students from Year 3 to its junior school. The school’s Guiding Principles - the balanced development of mind, body and spirit underpin every aspect of life at Aiglon. We had the pleasure of interviewing School Director, Nicola Sparrow, where we learnt about her experiences as an educator, her passion for Aiglon, and her vision going forward. What inspired you to get into education and how did that journey lead you to Aiglon College? Initially uncertain about what I wanted to do after finishing school, I decided to follow my passion for history, which led to completing a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in History and Politics and Brunel University in London. I had plans to continue on to a PhD, but in the year it took to sort it all out I was able to have my first experience in the classroom. I knew in that first moment as part of my PGCE in History at the University of Oxford, that I had found my calling. I worked for three years in the United Kingdom before spending a year in the West Indies. I then had the opportunity to work as Deputy Head for 13 years at an international school in Thailand. I INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2024 | 10
joined Aiglon in 2012 as the deputy head of academics before being appointed School Director. You have been away from the UK for a long time. What has your experience taught you? My impression was that teachers who went to international schools did so for a few years for an adventure, and then returned home. Twenty-five years later, my adventure continues! I think what’s quite unusual about my career is the length of time that I’ve spent at each school. For many international educators, it’s two or three years here, and two or three years there - that is the pattern. In my experience, I believe that you must really get to know a school –you need to know the students, you need to know the staff. Spending these longer periods really gives me the ability to connect to the school, to understand its culture and why that matters. When you’re not at school what sorts of things do you do to relax and maintain work-life balance? Young people are inspiring, and in particular, being able to have a real impact on young lives inspires me to continue in this work. I have such a fabulous job where no two days are the same! That might not be the typical expectation in a world governed by timetables and school bells, yet not a single day is alike, and I think this also helps in the work-life balance. I also live at the edge of the campus sandwiched between two senior boys’ boarding houses and two football pitches. You can hear the vibrant energy of young people enjoying themselves, playing and learning which is quite nice. For me, this proximity to campus actually helps in that work-life balance. If I hear a football match outside, I’ll often go out and see what’s going on. You feel like you are living life alongside the students; education is more than just a day job, it’s a way of life, and I think you can really feel that on Aiglon’s campus. I have three children. Two of them graduated from Aiglon, and the youngest is here at the school. They live at home, but it’s almost like they are at boarding school. They go off in the morning and often don’t come home until ten at night. This means the holidays are important for us; we spend INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2024 | 11
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International School Parent Magazine - Spring 2024

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