ISP: OUR HEADS

Tom McGrath

Principal, British Primary School of Wilanow

Born & raised in Ireland, Tom has been involved in education since 1988. After completing a degree in Primary Education in Limerick, Tom spent two years teaching English in Greece before returning to post graduate studies in Applied Linguistics at Trinity College Dublin. Tom McGrath has over 20 years’ experience in international education with successful headships in Poland, Portugal and the Caribbean. Following several years as a primary teacher in Ireland he took up his first international education post in Poland in 1998. During his ten years in Warsaw he was promoted internally to the role of Head Teacher in 2004. In 2010, Tom moved to St Ignatius Catholic School in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands as Head of School. In 2014 he returned to Europe to take up the headmaster position at Oporto British School, the oldest British School in Continental Europe. Tom has been Principal at BSW since 2017. Tom has also completed advanced studies in International Education and International Relations. He is also a trained COBIS CPML facilitator.

Tom has overseen the growth and expansion of BSW over the last 6 years and is relishing contributing to the ambitious building programme now underway.

For Tom the school values are integral to all school initiatives and activities with a major emphasis on pastoral care, strong parent-school relationships and weekly value focus.

Tom is a keen reader in both English & Polish. He is fascinated by Polish history and enjoys exploring the sights of Warsaw. In his spare time he enjoys mountain trekking and walking. He is married to Beata and has two daughters, Eilis and Aniela.