Welcome Chris Sammons as new Head of School

It is a pleasure to introduce myself briefly here. Joining a new community is both exhilarating
and challenging. The opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of students, teaching
faculty and business staff, while also adapting to a new environment and culture gets me out of
bed each morning with a smile.

My journey in education began with a first degree in Economics and Politics. As a young
educator, I was passionate about my discipline as it develops critical thinking skills. At that time
I was also lucky to be involved with a team of educators who were developing programmes to
give learners a wider range of learning and assessment experiences – acquiring the same facts
and concepts in different ways to suit individual needs. Those early experiences of crafting my
classroom skills have informed my enduring belief that every child can achieve highly and I am
looking forward to continuing with that belief amongst the dedicated team of Bangkok Patana. 

Whilst I have had the privilege to lead a number of different school teams in the UK and Hong
Kong, I am happiest in an international school community. Diversity is a rich resource to learn
with and from – for all of us. Attending to cultural differences, perspective taking and
collaboration are important skills for the workplace and life. The unique experiences of Bangkok
Patana creates capable learners who can meet the challenges of a global workplace. In fact, it is
the diversity and opportunity of schools such as Bangkok Patana which creates our best future
leaders.
 
My wife is also an educator and will be arriving with me in Bangkok. She spent her career as a
specialist teacher of hearing-impaired, supporting children and families from two days old to
final year examinations. Her happy place is working with pre-school children. Together we have
three children who are in their early twenties, my eldest two live and work in London and our
youngest is completing their degree in Leeds, UK. For me, my school life is an extension of our
family values: kindness to self and others, appreciating each other’s strengths, facing challenges
together and having fun.  
 
In my youth, rugby was my school sport and now exercise looks like hiking, running and yoga.
Film plays a big part in my life and I enjoy cinema above karaoke – so too the people who have
heard my singing. I will try most foods provided they are vegetarian. For my mind, I try to
empty it most days through meditation.

I really enjoy reading and often have two or three books running at the same time. I am
enjoying ‘Belonging’ which is helping me frame some of the experiences we have had during
COVID and what the pandemic has taught us. It unfolds the powerful Maori idea of
‘Whakapapa’ that embodies our universal human need to belong. It also resonates with my
impressions of the Bangkok Patana community, enabling young people to develop a deep sense
of themselves to know who they are, what they value, where they are from and how to belong.
 
As Head of School, creating the right environments with school-wide teams so that students
flourish demands daily attention. Rest assured I am aligned with the values of Bangkok Patana

School and will use my experience to support continuous improvement where everyone is
encouraged to take risks, grow from mistakes and celebrate success in all its forms.
It has been great to make a couple of visits to Bangkok Patana this last year and to now begin
thinking about a handover. My thanks to the school teams who have supported me in this. I
wish Mr Matt Mills the best of everything as he creates personal time and space to enjoy his
family and retirement. He has created a special place in Bangkok, Thailand and the global
landscape of education. I have nothing but profound respect for the years of service to young
people and the influence that Bangkok Patana has far and wide in people’s thinking about
international education – thank you deeply, Mr Mills, for doing that so well.
 
For now, it has been a long year and you will all be no doubt ready for a rest. I will be in London
and Morroco this summer and look forward to hearing about your summer adventures too.
Wishing you a good rest with your families and look forward to introducing myself in person
when we meet in August.