Vanita Uppal OBE is the director of The British School New Delhi, which has won several international awards under her leadership.

She chairs the international division of independent schools group HMC and was a founding member of the Association for Heads of IB (International Baccalaureate) World Schools in India and South Asia.

Other key roles include chairing the executive board of the Federation of British International Schools in Asia (Fobisia) and sitting on the IB Heads Council. She was recently elected to the board of trustees for the Round Square international schools network, and she is a member of the Tes Global Advisory Board.

She spoke to Tes about the importance of all staff shaping a school’s vision, staying in touch with the classroom and the school events that she never misses.
 

Meetings with colleagues

My fundamental belief is that schools are about people and that everyone needs a dream, a purpose bigger than themselves. It’s very important that a school’s vision is owned by every team member. That doesn’t happen by doing an annual in-service week or by talking at people in assemblies - it has to be ongoing.

That dialogue, that investment, that decoding of the vision for everyone is critical, although time is a huge constraint. For a new three-year strategic plan, I’ll begin speaking with people in small groups, listening to multiple voices. When the plan comes through, people should see their discussion reflected in that.

A lot of ideation happens in these meetings. I’m not a one-woman army, I don’t sit in my office and write memos, and I don’t have all the best ideas. A good idea can come from anywhere - there is no hierarchy.
 

Recruitment, staffing and meeting parents

For recruitment and staffing matters, I’ll work with HR, curriculum leaders and principals to identify our needs and the situations that might require support and interviews - all take a lot of time.

I also believe in building a strong connection and partnership with the parent body. Our school has an open-door policy and the leadership team is very accessible to all parents. Next year, I intend to start “breakfast with the director”, where I’ll invite parents to meet with me. It’s important that parents hear from the head of school and understand our vision, direction and purpose.
 

Governance, compliance and regulatory matters

Governance here is taken very seriously; there’s nothing ad hoc about it. We’re a governors-led school - they are the custodians of the vision.

There is a board of governors meeting every month, and there are working groups for strategy, personnel, finance and policy. Barring policy, I sit on every board committee - preparing for that takes time.

Teaching and interacting with students

Last year, I taught history to Year 10 for three months; this year, to Year 11 for a month. I go in for specialist IB history sessions covering topics from the Cold War to Gandhi.

Most heads of school have some very trying days and it’s lonely at the top. Going into lessons provides the much-needed reaffirmation of my purpose, and gives me great insights and a deep connection with my students. I often wonder how heads can go through a full academic year without being in a classroom.

I try not to miss any school event that showcases the varied talents of our students. That’s what I’m here for: to see them grow and shine. Our 2023 Diamond Jubilee celebrations showcased our rich, diverse and talented student body through six major events over the year - a great community celebration, it offered something for every stakeholder.
 

Chairing or sitting on boards

As it should be, I take these commitments very seriously and spend a lot of time on them, often after work or during holidays and weekends.

This global presence brings a lot of benefits and fantastic opportunities back to our students - for example, the Fobisia drama festival or battle of the bands and Round Square conferences, while our staff can access online and in-person CPD.
 

Leading internal and external training

I’ve just come back from another city in India where I did a session on reclaiming authenticity for about 100 educators - I do a lot of leadership training. I also do training on pedagogy and very often get invited to deliver keynote speeches.

I lead a workshop or some form of external training at least six to eight times a year, which takes a lot of prep work. I often co-present with a colleague so that I’m also building capacity.
 

Personal time

In my personal time, I like to walk, read, listen to music, meet friends and family, and watch Netflix.

Unfortunately, reading doesn’t happen for more than 15-20 minutes unless I’m travelling. I’m reading The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt - a must for educators - and for leisure, a book by my university professor Krishna Kumar, Thank You, Gandhi. I also still like a print newspaper, the tactile nature of it.

I love Phil Collins, Eric Clapton, Elton John, old Bollywood music - anything I grew up with in the 1980s and ‘90s.

I love courtroom dramas: Suits, The Good Wife, The Lincoln Lawyer. I tried Game of Thrones but found the violence a bit overwhelming. I watch Netflix to unwind - give me Downton Abbey any day.
 

What would I like to do more or less of?

I’d like to spend more time strategising, reflecting and interacting with students - less firefighting, more blue-sky thinking. Schools have become very complex. As a head, you’re not just the pedagogical leader; you’re a lawyer, counsellor, commander-in-chief - you have to be everything. We are a big school, so there’s always something that needs attention.

Then you have things you can’t control. Delhi recently went through a phase of bomb scares threatening schools. That obviously threw entire plans out of the window and disrupted schedules, because the most important thing is to keep children safe.

I would love more time to take stock. When I go on holiday, I always come back rejuvenated, with good ideas and a fresh perspective - the brain needs time to reboot.

Vanita Uppal was talking to Henry Hepburn

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