New Head appointed for the Aga Khan Academy in Maputo, Mozambique

Andrea Spinner has been appointed as the next Head of Academy for the Aga Khan Academy in Maputo, Mozambique.

His Highness, the Aga Khan is establishing a network of residential schools across East Africa, South and Central Asia, and the Middle East. His vision is to create a global learning community where exceptional young people from any background can develop the capacity to become future leaders of civil society. Aga Khan Academies have so far been opened in Mombasa, Kenya, in Hyderabad, India, and in Maputo. The next Academy is due to open in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The Aga Khan Academy, Maputo, is a boarding and day school built for 750 boys and girls between the ages of 3 and 18. It is situated on a purpose-built site, featuring state-of-the-art sports and arts facilities. The Maputo Academy opened its Junior School in 2013 and has continued to expand to include a Senior School and a residential programme. The Academy is authorised as an IB World School for the Primary Years Programme, the Middle Years Programme and the Diploma Programme. The Diploma Programme launched this August 2021. 

Earlier this year, it was announced that Mike Spencer, Head of Academy since 2018, would be stepping down at the end of the year. By the time he departs, Mike will have given four years to the Academy, making a significant contribution to its evolution. Society was engaged to run the search for his successor earlier this year, and following a global campaign we are delighted to share that Andrea Spinner has emerged as the successful candidate.

Andrea was born in the UK but her parents emigrated to Canada when she was seven. She started her career as a fundraiser before training to teach, and since then has worked in vastly different contexts as an educator and leader. These have included a charter school on an Indian reservation, a premium international school in Abu Dhabi, two years at UWC Pearson College, and several years as Head of School at an independent school by Shawnigan Lake. Most recently, she has been in Ethiopia as the Founding Head of a school set up by the Pharo Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to the development of Africa.

On her experience working with Society, Andrea commented: “From the onset, my experiences with Kerry, Simon and Conor were professional, authentic and informative. Society was very aware of their client's needs and were able to answer my questions very well. Throughout the interview process, Society created an enjoyable experience where there was a sense of ease and meaningful exchange. I've never experienced a recruitment process where I wanted to continue speaking with the recruiters upon conclusion of the process, because I so thoroughly enjoyed the conversations and experience! Thank you, Society!”

Reflecting on the search process, Graham Ranger, Director of the Academies Unit, commented: “In searching for a school leader who will empathise with the values of a development network with a mission to improve the quality of life for communities in the developing world, and who has high-quality international school leadership experience, SOCIETY works with us as partners, customising the search to meet our needs, and finding high quality candidates from diverse sources. We are delighted with the appointment of Andrea Spinner as the Head of Academy, The Aga Khan Academy Maputo, Mozambique".

Andrea takes up post in January 2022 and we wish her every success in her new role!