A Goodbye From the Outgoing Chair, Alan Johnson, CMG

After six years on the St Julian’s School Board of Governors, of which three years as Chair, I have stepped down as I am moving to Italy.

There is nothing better in life than having the opportunity to give back to society. As Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give." It has been an absolute privilege to have served on the Board of Governors of St. Julian’s School. A school that has provided excellent education and personal development to thousands of students over the past 90 years. St. Julian’s is regarded worldwide as a centre of educational excellence, adapting to the changes and challenges in the world, always sticking to its core purpose of creating a happy, secure and stimulating learning environment within which all members of the community can achieve their full potential and develop a commitment to lifelong learning, service and creating a more inclusive society.

Our academic achievements have been truly outstanding, putting the school amongst the best in the world, and top 10 in Europe, as it was recognised by the renowned Sears Group earlier this year. A huge credit goes to all of our teachers who have worked tirelessly, particularly over the past two years when all schools have been impacted by the Covid-19 lockdowns. I wish to put on record my thanks to all of the St. Julian’s staff for their hard work and dedication to helping our students achieve their full potential. My daughter attended St. Julian’s and graduated from the IB Class of 2018. She had six wonderful years at the school and now has a strong network of St. Julian’s alumni across the world.

My exposure to St. Julian’s has reinforced my long-held views that the teaching profession is a noble profession, one that is so important in developing the leaders the world needs.

During my time as chair of the Board of Governors, I had the opportunity to work with three Heads of School, Nicola Mason and Paul Slocombe, and with Paul Morgan for the past three months. They have all brought different experiences and styles to the school, but all have one thing in common: an absolute passion for education.

I thank my Board of Governor colleagues for their support to me during my time as chair, but more importantly for their own contributions to the governance of the school – never forgetting that these roles are purely voluntary and often take up much of their personal time.

And finally, I congratulate Teresa Roque on her election as the new Chair of the Board of Governors and wish her much success as she leads the board over the coming years; and my best wishes to Paul Morgan as he leads the school to even greater success.

Alan Johnson, CMG
Outgoing Chair of the Board