Development has been the key word for The British School’s Board of Governors this year – in every sense of the word.
A lot of building work will take place on school sites over the coming years, principally at the new Barra site, but also in Botafogo, with the Matriz project. Both sites will be transformed when the work is complete. The governors have been heavily involved in every stage of the planning process of these projects, ultimately taking the decision during this year to go ahead with both new developments. The Board has also worked to ensure the financial stability of the school, during this period.
This year has also been dominated by the Council of International School (CIS) self-assessment process, which is now well underway. Twenty-three committees, involving 140 people, have been scrutinising all aspects of school life. Their work should be completed by March 2007. The Board is taking an active interest in every stage of this process. Early next year, the Board also hopes to approve a vision statement for the school, following wide consultation within the school community.
The Board has also heard regular reports from the working party which has been set up to review and develop the Foundation stage within the school – Pre-Nursery, Nursery and Reception.
Meanwhile, the Education Committee has been reviewing the increasingly important area of careers and university guidance, which was the Board’s Goal for this year. An improved, personal service will now be available for all students as they approach their final years at school. The Committee has also been examining the provision of PE within the school.
On the management side, the governors have approved new complaints procedures for both staff and pupils. The Board has also scrutinised a new behaviour policy and staff appraisal system, designed to help all staff continue to develop their professional and personal skills.
In the coming year, there will be new challenges to address. These include maintaining the ethos and values of the school across the three site, while accepting that all three are different, and keeping the distinctive British flavour of the school, whilst also addressing the needs of the majority of pupils, who are Brazilian and whose future is here in Brazil. As with every year, there are also budgets to be prepared and long-term planning to be considered, so the Board is likely to be kept well occupied.
Finally, the Board itself has undergone some significant changes this year. Steve Rimmer, Board Chairman for the last four years, had to stand down at the annual general meeting of the Associação Britânica de Educação (ABE), as he had already served three elected terms of office as a governor. The same was true of Merche Clark. Both, however, were invited back on the Board as co-opted members, where they continue to serve the school with their customary dedication. Adam Reid took over as Chairman of the Board in May and Chris McLauchlan, who was elected to the Board in 2005, has taken over the role of Honorary Treasurer.
Leslie Rose continues to serve as Honorary Secretary to the Board and Chairman of the Education Committee. Fred Luz and Ana Canen remain co-opted members. Fred’s work on the Development Committee has been invaluable, while Anna has done a lot to raise awareness of bullying and how it can be dealt with inside the school community.
There are two new faces on the Board this year. British Consul-General Tim Flear, has replaced Paul Yaghmourian, as Consular representative. Lucy Beney was elected to the Board in April, bringing with her experience of British schools in The Hague and Muscat, Oman.
Finally, the Board said goodbye to David Richardson, who had served as Honorary Treasurer for the previous two years. David had to resign from the Board when he and his family were transferred to Houston.
David Richardson
David Richardson, who worked in Rio for Transocean, joined the Board in April 2004, becoming Honorary Treasurer almost immediately. He was a key player in the acquisition of the Barra site, helping broker the agreement between different groups of local residents and the school. A strong-minded individual, David nonetheless always supported and encouraged other members of the Board and was known for his “dynamism, optimism and excellent relations with everyone”.
When asked what he would say to someone contemplating standing for election to the Board, David said, “being a member of the School Board is very worthwhile and a satisfying experience. At the start, you are not quite sure what you are getting into, but after a while you find yourself involved with a great group of volunteers giving their time and experience to The British School. The school is a large and growing organisation that depends on the community for guidance and the vision of its future”.
David is married to Viviane and they have two daughters, Vanessa and Amanda. Both girls graduated from The British School with strong IB scores and are now studying in the UK. Vanessa is reading Biology at Durham University, while Amanda is reading Architecture at Edinburgh University
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