Mr. Carel West

Head of Primary

The primary years matter deeply because they shape not only how children learn, but how they see themselves.

These are the years when children build confidence, develop curiosity, form friendships, and begin to discover what they are capable of. I believe a primary school should be a place where children feel safe, known, cared for, and excited to learn each day.

One of the things I value most about working with primary-aged children is their curiosity and honesty: they ask great questions, notice everything, and remind us what learning should feel like.

In my role as Head of Primary at Green Oasis School, I care deeply about creating an environment where every child can thrive. I want our students to be challenged in their learning, supported in their wellbeing, and encouraged to grow into thoughtful, confident, and compassionate young people.

A large part of what drives me is a belief in high-quality teaching. Great teaching can unlock so much for children, not only academically, but also in the way they see themselves as learners. Through our High-Quality Teaching and Learning framework, we work to ensure that lessons are purposeful, engaging, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of every student.

I also believe that learning should be enjoyable for students and for teachers. Children learn best when classrooms are full of energy, curiosity, and care, and teachers do their best work when they feel trusted to use their professional judgement, creativity, and expertise.

Strong relationships sit at the heart of everything I value in school leadership. Children thrive when they feel seen, respected, encouraged, and understood. Strong schools are built when staff, students, and families work together with trust, honesty, and a shared sense of purpose.

I care deeply about helping children develop not only academically, but also as people and as members of a wider community. Student voice, global citizenship, and service-learning matter because I want our children to understand that their ideas, actions, and values can have a positive influence on others. My doctoral studies in Educational Leadership continue to shape my thinking, but at the heart of my work is something simple: every child deserves to feel that school is a place where they belong.

Above all, I want our school to be a place where children love coming to school, where they feel happy and secure, and where they are proud of who they are becoming.

Ms. Melissa Fitzgerald

Head of Secondary

One of the reasons I feel so strongly about nurture is that I’ve lived both sides of school life. I began in a very small primary school where learning felt personal, safe, and joyful. Later, I moved to a very large high school and felt completely lost. Too many people, too many subjects, too many expectations.

That experience shaped my leadership. I want our Secondary students to feel known, supported, and confident—not anonymous in a crowd.

My first major teaching role was in Dubai, and while I often taught classes with students who found learning in English challenging, I discovered what still drives me today: the belief that every student can grow, and that great teaching is about bringing out potential, not sorting students into “high” and “low” achievers.

As we look ahead, my focus is on a Secondary experience for students that is ambitious, balanced, and deeply meaningful. That means:

- High-quality teaching and learning with clear goal setting and strong attainment pathways.

- Wellbeing and resilience programmes so students develop the strategies to navigate setbacks in school, university, and life.

- Global citizenship—helping students care for others, the environment, and animals, as members of an international community.

I want students and staff to love coming to school: to feel safe, valued, and proud—proud of their growth, their friendships, and their contribution to our community.

And if you’re wondering what strengthens school spirit the most, here’s my honest view: students do. Staff can support, guide, and cheerlead—but school culture becomes truly powerful when students lead it, when they love it.

Ms. Alessa Tang

Head of Administration

Shenzhen Green Oasis School offers quality education to children from various cultural backgrounds at primary levels. Our school emphasizes bilingual education and cultural integration, and aims to cultivate global vision and competitiveness in young citizens for the international stage.

The school runs the English National Curriculum. Upon graduation, students will receive internationally recognized certificates which will qualify them for further education in many international schools around the world.

Our teaching staff comes from over 10 countries and regions. Besides rich experience and professional qualifications, they support a real multicultural environment at the school. Except for Chinese language courses, all other subjects are taught in English by expatriate teachers in order to prepare our children for future study overseas. Green Oasis emphasizes the importance of practice, creativity and the ability to solve problems, and teaches these abilities through various class activities and extracurricular activities. Different from traditional Chinese schools, we encourage students to have their own ideas and individualities. The House System cultivates students’ team spirit, leadership and a healthy mindset in competition, while providing students a sense of unity. EAL, on the other hand, focuses on language difficulties and learning problems and offers professional help to each individual that needs help.

As demand for Chinese language education grows worldwide, we also value our Chinese education here at GOS. Our primary section runs National Chinese Curriculum, while the secondary runs the Chinese curriculum under the Cambridge system. Both curricula are mature and recognized worldwide. We believe our children are receiving high quality Chinese language education through professional teachers. Our aim is for children to absorb and acquire virtues from both Eastern and Western cultures.

We bear high hopes for our children on the future international stage, and we work with them on every step here at GOS.