King William’s College has appointed a new Deputy Head Academic, Michael Roberts.
This is a broad position in which Mike is responsible for all areas of academic leadership at College. The role encompasses the development and monitoring of teaching and learning, delivery of the academic curriculum, and oversight of academic assessment. Mike sits on the school leadership team and various committees, as well as leading the heads of department through the academic committee.
Mike joins us from an extensive career at Tanglin Trust School in Singapore. During his time at the school he held the position of Head of English, joining the Senior Leadership Team in 2014. Most recently he held the position of Head of Upper School, looking after the academic, co-curricular and pastoral programme for 400 students in Year 10 and 11.
Mike originally hails from Bristol and went to school there, then went on to study English Literature at Cardiff University. He embarked on his PGCE at the University of the West of England two years after graduating. In the same year, he met his Manx wife, Ella, and made his first trip to the Isle of Man. After five years of teaching in the state sector just outside Bristol, Mike took an English teaching position at Tanglin Trust School, a British International school in Singapore, in 2004. The plan was to spend two to four years in Singapore, but Mike became Head of English after three years and settled into life in the tropics. Tanglin was an exciting place to be, with the number on roll more than doubling over the period of 7 years, and in 2010, the school introduced the IB Diploma to run alongside A levels. He joined Tanglin’s senior leadership team in 2014 and has since fulfilled a range of academic roles. Most recently, he was Head of Upper school, looking after the academic, co-curricular and pastoral programme for the 400 students in Years 10 and 11.
Pandemic aside, every summer while in Singapore, Mike and his family would travel back to the UK and the Isle of Man, so he knows the island well and is delighted to work in a school he has long admired from the airport runway. Outside of education, Mike loves to cook, enjoys sport and unwinds by reading and writing. He also loves watching live music as well as performing.
Speaking about his appointment Michael Roberts said: “I am thrilled to be joining the team at King William’s College. Although I have been living and working in Singapore for the last 18 years, I have been an annual visitor to the Isle of Man through family connections over the last 22 years. I have long admired the college from afar.
When this role was advertised, I jumped at the chance to apply, and when I came for interview, I found the school to be everything I hoped it would be: I found warm, welcoming, friendly staff and students who were able to articulate why they are passionate about the KWC community. I am delighted to become part of that community and look forward to the opportunities ahead. This is also a very exciting move for my family, all of whom are delighted to be moving to the Isle of Man and my children are excited about joining the school.”
