At ISZN, our community grows stronger through the people who guide and inspire our learners every day. In this feature, we speak with Chris Derrick, our Head of Secondary, about his journey in education, the values that shape his leadership, and his vision for helping young people thrive during these important years. His reflections offer an honest look at what drives his work, what he hopes to build for our students, and the role teachers and families play in creating a supportive and ambitious learning environment.

Background & Career

Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in education?

A: I’ve talked about this subject many times at assembly and with students. At school I had a teacher who inspired me. He was the type of teacher who brought out the best in his students, balancing drive and determination with great interpersonal skills and a wicked sense of humour. He also led the school ski trips and many sports teams, always advocating for students and offering opportunities for them to learn and grow. It’s amazing the difference one good teacher can make to a child’s future. I was very aware of what this teacher did for me, and it inspired me to do whatever I could as an adult to help young people. Great teachers can be transformational in young people’s lives.

Q: What brought you to ISZN, and what roles have you held here?

A: I moved to Switzerland and ISZN in May 2024 as Head of Secondary. I’ve lived and worked outside the UK before, but most of my teaching career has been in Scotland. I was aiming to move from Deputy Head to Head Teacher, and top of my wish list was an international school in Switzerland where there was room for me to grow alongside a school. In 2023 I had just completed my master’s degree in educational leadership, and this role appeared at exactly the right time. It felt like fate!

Q: What are some highlights from your career so far?

A: Some of my personal highlights have come from putting in systems and approaches that help teachers provide the best learning opportunities for students, support their growth, and create a community where parents feel involved. I’m a big believer in teamwork and in the progress that comes from consistently doing the basics very well. I’ve also been privileged to be part of many projects, including leading a group of students on a charitable working trip to Ghana to help build a nursery school in an underprivileged area. It remains one of the most rewarding experiences of my career.

Vision & Leadership

Q: What is your vision for the Secondary School at ISZN?

A: School leadership is a privilege, and I feel fortunate to have a profession that brings me such fulfilment. Despite education continually evolving, my vision for ISZN is steady: to ensure the academic, social, and emotional growth of every young person entrusted to my care. Our school values align closely with my own. If our students leave ISZN with strong academic skills and live out our values of Kindness, Respect, and Resilience, I’d be very happy.

Q: How do you define great teaching and learning in Secondary?

A: Over the past year we have worked hard as a school to develop a shared vision for High-Quality Learning and Teaching, framed around eight key themes. We want every student to succeed to the highest possible standards, academically and personally. To achieve this, support and challenge for all students is essential. Great teaching fosters deep learning, high-quality thinking, and a wide range of transferable skills — all reflected in the ISZN Learner Profile. Great lessons help students love learning. Their experiences should be rich, vibrant, and stimulating. Central to this is confidence. Students should feel safe to take risks, embrace challenges, and learn from mistakes. In these classrooms, individuality is celebrated, debate is encouraged, and all perspectives are explored. Teachers bring this to life by delivering lessons with clarity, real-life context, and strong relationships rooted in trust and respect.

Q: How do you see your role in shaping the student experience during these important years?

A: The ambition to provide the best student experience requires constant reflection and a drive for improvement. My role is to support continuous, sustainable growth — always aiming to be better tomorrow than we are today. I feel fortunate to work with a team of teachers who care deeply about what they do. Together, across both Primary and Secondary, we have shaped our definition of high-quality learning and see it come alive every day. My responsibility is to ensure consistency that helps students thrive, while giving teachers the professional freedom, confidence, and creativity to deliver inspirational lessons.

Community & Connection

Q: What has stood out to you about the ISZN community during your time here?

A: ISZN is a welcoming school with a strong community feel. Leadership and enterprise are encouraged, opportunities are plentiful, and successes are widely celebrated. I hear teachers and students debate perspectives from all over the world. Our students may not always realise it — because it is their norm — but global citizenship runs through our curriculum and ethos. I’ve also noticed how quickly new students adapt, whether they have moved from another Swiss school or from across the world. Our staff and students do a great job of creating a nurturing and welcoming environment.

Q: How do teachers help older students feel at home in an international environment?

A: We work with many families who move to Zurich for short-term contracts as well as those who have lived here their whole lives. Although starting a new school can be nerve-wracking, students adjust faster when they feel connected and heard. We assign buddies to new students and are always impressed by how welcoming our young people are. Our small class sizes allow teachers to build strong relationships and create a sense of belonging. Teachers also help students forge friendships and discover new passions through a wide range of after-school clubs and activities.

Q: How do you work with parents to support students as they prepare for IGCSEs, A-Levels, and beyond?

A: Research shows that partnership between parents and school has a big impact on student outcomes. While building knowledge and skills for exams, we also focus on independence, study strategies, and healthy learning habits. Supporting parents with clear guidance — including cognitive science behind effective learning — creates consistency and helps everyone get on the same page. This has been a key focus in our recent parent meetings and Grade 10 and 12 conferences.

Supporting Teachers

Q: How do you support Secondary teachers in their professional development?

A: Teachers are a school’s most important resource. Over the past year we have invested in developing academic rigour, adaptive teaching practices, and tracking and monitoring. We have hired highly skilled staff whose expertise has helped drive our growth. Teachers also take part in professional review and development discussions to identify both individual and collective priorities.

Q: Which areas of education do you see as particular strengths at ISZN?

A: As a holistic school, we aim to support students across all areas — academic rigour, wellbeing, the arts, sports, and technology. World-class learning must be underpinned by nurture and wellbeing. These should permeate everything we do and reflect our strong core values. I’ve been especially impressed by our wellbeing and safeguarding approaches. We have many talented and ambitious students, and we work to equip them to balance opportunity and pressure — emphasising mindfulness, happiness, and a sustainable work-life balance.

For a relatively small school, the range of co-curricular activities, arts, drama, and sporting opportunities is remarkable. The dedication of the staff coordinating these programmes is exceptional.

Q: What trends in Secondary education do you find most important for the future?

A: One of the biggest debates in recent years is how to support students as digital natives while also promoting healthy habits around screen time and device use. We need to embrace technology in responsible and sustainable ways. At the same time, as long as exams remain written and require knowledge retrieval, we must prepare students for both the world of tomorrow and the demands of school today.

Personal Touch

Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of school?

A: I love what I do, but personal wellbeing is essential. As a former PE teacher, sport and being outdoors matter a lot to me. I stopped playing competitive Rugby a few years ago, and now the gym, hillwalking, golf, and over-35s football are my main activities. Living in Switzerland and having easy access to the mountains to ski in winter is a real privilege. I’m a social person, so staying connected with friends and travelling to new places are also important to me.

Q: If students described you in three words, what would you hope they’d say?

A: That’s a tough question — one I often ask students applying to our school. I’d choose: supportive, dedicated, and energetic.

Q: What message would you like to share with our teachers?

A: Our teachers play an invaluable role in shaping the lives of young people. Teaching is a profession that requires expertise, commitment, and collaboration. Teachers’ insights should inform how education systems grow and improve. I want to recognise the dedication, skill, and care our teachers bring to ISZN every day. Their work is essential to helping students succeed academically and personally, and they play a critical role in shaping the world beyond our school.