THINK Global School

What The Good Schools Guide International says

Head of school

Since 2023, Andy Wood, BA (hons) in geography and English from University of Cape Town, post-graduate diploma in school management from Henley College, school leadership courses at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Previously founding head of Green School South Africa, he has led schools in Dubai, Cape Town, and the Bahamas during his seventeen-year career as a school leader, with thirty years in education.

A calm, considered and deeply principled man, whose upbringing during the pre and post-apartheid era in South Africa greatly impacted him and his leadership style: ‘Nelson Mandela was an extraordinary leader, he was an optimist and idealist, he turned the country around.’

Believes academic rigour should not just be centred on knowledge acquisition, as is the case in most traditional schools, but should also apply to its complexity. ‘It’s not enough to gain knowledge, we need to teach students how to apply it,’ he says. His current focus: ensuring the school’s curriculum keeps laser-focused on its learning goals, given the fluidity created through individual timetables and the multi-country learning locations.

Quotes Michelangelo: ‘The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it,’ and urges his students to set goals and aim high. Proudly shows us photos of himself scaling up a vertical rock on a recent climbing expedition (leaving us feeling a little dizzy!). A keen mountaineer (his role as a team leader in mountain rescue reinforces the importance of teamwork and trust) as well as an artist (watercolour and oils), which he loves to do while travelling.

Entrance

Highly selective admissions process, described by parents as ‘smooth and straightforward’, and reassuring. Includes student and parent interviews, a VIA (values in action) character strengths assessment, teacher recommendations, and other forms of skill evaluation to assess good fit (with a three per cent acceptance rate). No amount of tuition will prepare you; they are more interested in knowing how you’ll cope if you find yourself in a small town in Peru and all the electrics go down. A love of travel helps, although signs of independence, parents ready to let their children go, and taking ownership of work and being creative, are crucial.

Prospective families advised to think carefully about passport and visa implications given the different locations, with stories of occasional late starts or no-shows if visas are not obtained (families are responsible for all travel logistics to and from the different host countries).

Exit

The school reports a ninety-four per cent university matriculation rate with students attending universities around the globe, the humanities a popular choice. Over a third head to the United States (eg New York Uni (NYU), Minerva Uni, American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Berklee College of Music, Universities of California, San Francisco and Washington), followed by Europe (eg Maastricht Uni in the Netherlands, American Uni of Paris in France, and European Uni of Madrid in Spain), as well as in Canada, South America, Asia, and Australasia etc.

Some parents would appreciate more support with paperwork when applying to unis requiring standardised testing (especially those outside the US). School is working to raise awareness of its academic rigour and the strengths of its non-traditional approach. Most parents happy, saying ‘progressive universities will recognise progressive qualifications’.

Latest results

Students graduate with an American high school diploma (with an online portfolio), school reports a ninety-nine per cent graduation rate.

Teaching and learning

A travelling high school like no other, where 10th, 11th and 12th grade students (ages 15-18) live and learn together in four countries each year (with entry points at 10th or 11th grade). If a student starts in 10th grade they will go to twelve different countries, if starting in 11th grade, eight countries. Each of the four terms is eight weeks long, with the first week online (at the student’s home) as preparation for the next destination country. There is a five-week break in between terms when many students go home for a rest (‘Not much solitude or downtime,’ according to one parent). Some continue to travel (needless to say, the school attracts those with the travel bug!), often staying at classmates’ homes around the world. Independent study is expected during the breaks.

School’s adapted ‘changemaker curriculum’ combines rigorous academics with student-driven, project-based learning (including service learning projects with hands-on community engagement eg assisting a hill tribe in the mountains of rural northern Thailand to improve their school by building a bathroom, creating a cement path around a classroom and erecting a bamboo fence around the perimeter, or helping construct a farm in Botswana). The school says it ‘shapes informed global citizens who are empowered to enact change.’ Parents agree. ‘The demands of the school are large and a lot is expected of the students, there is a lot of work, looking after themselves and managing their own time. But it really gears them up for life,’ according to one.

Each student has their own academic advisor who helps them plan and evaluate their work (there are no exams), tracking them against learning targets (mastery, autonomy, and purpose). Students meet with them weekly and give the thumbs up; ‘I really resonate with my advisor, they help with me with everything - emotional stuff as well as academics - and they are very available’. High praise from parents too, one describing them as ‘absolute gems’. Students pursue one or two academic projects per term eg undertaking scientific research and then presenting their findings or creating a paper on, say, helping baby turtles reach the sea through conservation in Oaxaca, Mexico, or integrating haptic technology (creating an experience of touch) with virtual reality (VR) to create a traffic LED glove to tackle road congestion.

AP (Advanced Placement) courses can be taken if wanted, and school will facilitate eg by helping the student to ensure project and AP goals align, organising a testing centre for exams, and encouraging study groups. The AP programme is not a formal part of the curriculum, and students are expected to do this outside of official school time (about a quarter of students do).

Teachers (‘educators’) are seen as more like mentors. ‘They complement our growth journey which is very personalised, they are there to support and guide us,’ and will likely travel with students to all countries as they tend to teach at the school for at least five years. Parents are impressed: ‘Staff are so patient and responsive with the kids, and it’s wonderful to see the confidence and independence that results.’ Teachers are committed and enthusiastic, embracing the small class sizes (teaching staff to student ratio of 1:4) with one saying. ‘I am ecstatic about how many choices the students have, how curious they are’. The real-life context brings teaching and learning to life; 'Taking a student who is an aspiring doctor to visit local clinics in, say, Mumbai’s largest slums, to talk with medical staff and interact with patients, means they are so much more prepared for medicine than just being good at science,’ and ‘Studying the novel The Alchemist by Brazlian writer Paulo Coelho while living in Brazil really brings the text to life and enables a student to make much better connections.’

At each country location (think Turkey, India, Mexico, Japan or Vietnam to name but a few!) topic specialists (‘experts’) teach country-specific topics, which goes down well with students and parents alike, ‘You won't get any better experiential learning than this; my child is learning about the Amazon jungle at an Amazon research centre.’ Altogether, the small school (they aim for around 12 students per year group) has approximately 14 onsite staff who stay with the students and 11 teaching staff (hired from all over the world, and many have master's degrees).

Each term includes a week-long trip outside the host city to see a different part of the country, where learning is multidisciplinary and typically tied to the student’s study module. Students are exposed to local challenges and many say this is their favourite part of the term; ‘Our trip in the Botswanan countryside sleeping in tents was such an adventure and had a big impact on me – I learnt leadership and life skills – it was a real journey of growth’.

The school sends newsletters and emails 'semi-regularly'. Some parents would appreciate more hand-holding and communication, especially at the beginning when they are getting used to their child being so far from home.

Good use of technology, with new students given a laptop and phone for personal use, other items available for loan eg cameras, video equipment etc. We loved hearing one enthusiastic student describe how they used film to reflect on Australian Aboriginal art while the school was in Melbourne, making recordings of their own voice and the artists, museum curators and other experts they were exposed to.

Learning support and SEN

The school accommodates mild ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia with an individual programme based on the module a student selects. No additional support services. If a disability is disclosed prior to joining, the school asks for a comprehensive report from the students’ psychologist to assess if they will be a good fit for the school.

Language support

Students are expected to have advanced written and oral English skills upon entry. There is no English language support programme. Students are encouraged to learn an additional language independently via an app. Given the emphasis on global culture and community, there are a few raised eyebrows about the lack of support for language acquisition.

The arts and extracurricular

The arts, music and activities are woven into the curriculum in a location-related way, for example when in Brazil students learn Capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art and game that includes elements of dance, acrobatics, music and spirituality. Activities can also tie-in with students’ individual projects eg learning to scuba dive in Australia as part of a project on marine life and the ocean. ‘It was a wonderful opportunity, I saw such amazing sea creatures. It’s great that everyone can choose to explore their passions,’ enthused one student. Parents meanwhile gush that 'music is massive’. We watched a student-made video documenting their journey through the school with many instances of students spontaneously and joyfully singing and dancing (in addition to the opportunities coordinated by the school). Students are also encouraged to run their own clubs.

Sport

Given the limited time in each location there are no formal sports or competitive teams but school tries its best to keep students moving and offer a diverse range of sports and fitness activities eg yoga and meditation to soccer and surfing (changing per location and included in fees). Students need to be proactive about engaging, we’re told - it’s all part of the autonomy of the learning experience.

Boarders

Students live in different styles of accommodation each term, location dependent (key being convenience and safety), eg hotel suites, hostels, apartments etc in groups of two to six students per room, with single or sometimes bunk beds. A preference survey completed by each student (eg are you tidy or can cope with mess, showering schedule, sleep requirements etc) helps school to assign rooms to a different group each term. Students say it helps them get used to making compromises and creates bonds, and they report being happy; ‘I would say about three-to-four-star quality, always clean and safe.’ Duty staff stay at the accommodation and are on hand day and night in rotation - students feel cared for.

At the end of the school day, students have free time, with one free day per week. Students are permitted to leave their accommodation within set parameters, specific to each city, including both a ‘freedom zone’ for groups of at least two or three students, and a much smaller ‘solo zone’. Students must report their location via an app every few hours (closely monitored by staff). Curfew timing is also location-specific to ensure safety, usually ranging between 7.30-9pm.

Each student is given an allowance by the school (either in cash or via an app) to pay for food and activities in their free time (with receipts kept), teaching budgeting skills and encouraging independence. Murmurings from some parents that this can create division if students from wealthier backgrounds ‘top-up’ to make different choices (school is aware and trying to discourage this). Students are encouraged to attend catered, all-school dinners held at least twice a week, and birthdays etc are celebrated. Sometimes the students are able to cook for themselves if the accommodation has kitchen facilities (mostly they do not).

Ethos and heritage

School founded in 2010 by intrepid traveller and photographer Joann McPike, after she struggled to find a school for her son that offered the ability to learn first-hand in the world rather than through classrooms and textbooks. ‘I wanted my son (and now all our students) to know and understand that there is no one way that is right, everyone, in every culture, experiences the world differently.’ She remains deeply involved with the school on many levels (personal, professional, and financial) and can be seen at each location the school travels to (for the first couple of days at least), ensuring she talks to each student, who sing her praises; ‘Joann is fantastic and so supportive, she is my role model’. Her advice to students is to ‘stay curious, love learning and grow – the only way you can fail in life is if you don’t learn from your mistakes.’ A self-described dreamer, she believes people have unlimited potential and that the role of the school is to ‘help students cut away expectations; then they can start discovering who they really are. Give them wings and let them fly.’

The school has gone through many iterations, within its curriculum and organisation (eg number of students and how they are grouped, which host countries etc). It originally offered the IB diploma programme, but after feedback from students (too much focus on exams to appreciate the location-specific learning opportunities) it created its own curriculum in 2017, retaining some of the core principals and ethos of the IB (eg project-based learning, global citizenship, community service etc), but taking it to a new level in terms of experiential learning and relieving students of the stress of exams to concentrate instead on mastery of skills. The aim is to produce ethical, moral, open-minded and adaptable graduates, with the founder defining the curriculum as ‘values-based, centred around what is true humility and how that helps the student to navigate through the world and to use their strengths to help’.

Flexibility is key, as change is constant, with many describing the school as ‘one long experiment’, advising it takes at least one to two terms to get used to being in such a different style of school. ‘Not a place for the spoon-fed, students need to have an adventurous spirit,’ according to one parent, ‘We are presented with so many opportunities, it’s up to us to take advantage of them,’ added a student.

All have total buy-in though, with parents commenting: ‘My son is in love with the school, he is so happy, is being challenged and extending himself,’ and, ‘The positive impact was obvious after the first term. A different child came home – more independent, confident, articulate, and a lot more mature.’

The school was created out of a love of travel, and that remains a key driver, with only mild grumblings about logistics (passports, visas and general paperwork) plus jetlag etc. Some teachers have partners who travel with them, others are apart from them for the majority of the term. One teacher remarked that it can be hard at times to get a good work-life balance, with another commenting, ‘I don’t see this as just a school or my job as work – it’s mostly just a pleasure for me’.

Pastoral care, inclusivity and discipline

Discipline code based on respect and trust, school values strongly reinforced. Students are given a lot of freedom within strict rules of conduct and are expected to behave appropriately. There are four non-negotiables: drugs, sex, physical violence and alcohol, with immediate expulsion without any second chances, and curfews must be strictly adhered to.

Communication is key; ‘there are so many all-school events (like assemblies) where we can bring up issues. It feels like one big family; we address our differences diplomatically,’ according to one student. School strong on inclusivity and embracing their diverse cohort, students encouraged to ‘be themselves’. Students feel well supported with their own adviser, the low student to teacher ratio, and a counsellor on hand if needed.

Classroom and community

Families from around the globe, made up of approximately eighteen nationalities, some ‘privileged’, others receive financial aid to help cover fees; all are said to get on. Few opportunities for parents to meet in person given nature of school, but some travel for drop-off (especially in that first year) and most attend the final graduation held in Athens, Greece, each year and enjoy these chances to meet. There is an active parents’ WhatsApp group, school organises occasional online sessions, and parents feel connected.

Parents’ support for their child’s desire to take control of their own learning is evident, with most admitting it was their child who researched the school and convinced them they must go! The result: students are highly motivated and fully engaged in the whole experience.

Tight bonds are made within the school community, with teachers and students describing the school as ‘one big family’. A student quoted one of the key school values: ‘Ubuntu’ (Zulu) which roughly means ‘connect to a greater whole – in mutual support and community’ and told us, ‘We are prepared to help our peers at all times; we look out for and love each other’. Alumni keep in contact, with one former student saying: ‘I am so glad I went to TGS; I wish I could go back. The social aspect and the way you develop as a person is so different to other schools.’

Money matters

School is funded through fees with a foundation established by the founder and board chair. Scholarships are available to help cover fees (needs-based) and around seventy per cent of students receive some form of financial aid. Word on the street is that support is being reduced, with a concern that this may affect the socio-economic diversity of the school. School also aims to annually fund a full scholarship for one student from a conflict-affected region.

The last word

This ethics-based travelling school will suit adventurous students seeking autonomy, who are highly self-motivated and good time managers. Parents need to be open-minded and flexible, trusting the passionate and caring staff to oversee their children as they ‘take flight’. The words ‘holistic’, ‘experiential’ and ‘individualised’ are highly overused in the context of learning, yet THINK Global School is as close as you can get and an amazing opportunity for the right student.