As one of the oldest and most reputable boys schools in Australia, The Scots College has a strong sense of culture, identity, and purpose. Its aim is to equip its students with the values, skills, and knowledge they need to thrive in adulthood. Dr Ian Lambert serves as the principal and has a strong vision for the future success of the educational institution.
Ian studied a business degree at university before realising that the education sector was where he wanted to be. He crossed over to complete a Bachelor of Arts and a Graduate Diploma in Education before getting a job with an Anglican boys school in Brisbane. After a few years there, he moved into an emerging independent school on the Gold Coast where he worked as the head of English and head of senior students, and then on to the UK to study a masters in twentieth-century literature at the University of London. Upon completion of that degree and his PhD in educational philosophy at Cambridge University, he returned to Australia to work in the tertiary education field in Sydney. Four years later, he was approached to become the principal of an independent co-educational school in Perth, which he worked at for nine years. He was then appointed to a CEO position that looked after a system of eight schools, and in 2007 he started at The Scots College.
“My journey has given me school level, tertiary level, and very much a global international experience,” Ian says. “It has enabled me to travel the world, to access some of the world’s most recognised educational institutions, and to think about the possibilities that could exist for Australian education.”
Ian describes his leadership style as having a purpose-driven philosophy.
“I believe that you need to develop clarity around your personal and institutional reason for existence, your beliefs and values, and how that shapes your mission,” he explains.