Leadership interview with John Healey, Bond Academy
- Name
John Healey - Title
Junior School Principal
John Healey, Principal at Bond Academy since its start, champions a holistic educational approach, which is cultivated through the school’s strong academic, drama, and PE programs. Bond emphasises character growth and problem-solving, supported by dedicated teachers. Mr. Healey aims to nurture students' confidence, preparing them for real-world success.
Highlights from the interview
Bond Academy has a very strong character education program, which emphasises treating people fairly, inclusiveness, and being a good person. Everything in Bond Academy’s discipline code revolves around treating people with respect, kindness, and dignity.
The culture at Bond Academy is one of openness, friendliness, and welcoming. It's amazing how quickly new staff and students adapt to this culture. Some people describe Bond Academy’s culture as a family-like atmosphere, others as a very friendly community.
Bond Academy wants children to become risk-takers, willing to make mistakes and learn from them. Our goal is to build confidence and self-esteem through positive reinforcement, essential tools for life. When I came to Bond Academy, they hired me to open the school. We don't build better students by only focusing on maths and English. We need to give them other opportunities to grow, such as music, drama, and sports.
There's a lot of interaction between elementary and secondary staff and students at Bond Academy. The school isn't massive in size. Many times, we overlap or come in contact with each other. This provides continuity and familiarity among the staff and students.
I'm a very hands-on principal. I try to get upstairs every day, walk the hallways, say ‘hello’ to everybody, speak to parents in the hallways, and talk to teachers. That's how my day usually starts with our national anthem. Every morning, once we come in, we have our before-school program.
One thing I do not believe in is being elitist. I won't accept being called the Head of School at Bond Academy. I'm the principal, meaning ‘principal teacher.’
Part of our program at Bond Academy is physical health. We have gym class every day. From 8:00 am to 8:40 am, students have access to the gym or schoolyard. To me, physical health is the most crucial aspect of life. So Bond Academy emphasises a strong physical education program. Bond Academy has multiple sports programs. Basketball has taken a particular importance. We have a partnership with ‘Phase One’ for basketball training. And, we emphasise being well-rounded and not focusing solely on sports.
Bond Academy’s goal is to prepare children for the real world. The goal is for each student to improve, to be the best they can be. If Bond Academy can make students better people, if we can improve them so they can be the best they can be, then we have achieved this important goal.
- It's not unusual for a parent to drop by and say, ‘Do you have a couple of minutes?’ We have a very open-door policy at Bond Academy. Communication is critical, and getting to know people is essential.We work with people, help people, and make their lives better.
It's not unusual for a parent to drop by and say, ‘Do you have a couple of minutes?’ We have a very open-door policy at Bond Academy. Communication is critical, and getting to know people is essential.We work with people, help people, and make their lives better.
If someone's interested in Bond Academy, I would say ‘come in and visit us.’ We offer two to three days for their children to attend our school at no charge, ensuring both child and parent can experience our environment and teaching style.
When parents bring a child to Bond Academy with special needs or academic struggles, I assess if we're equipped to help. It's not about being a top student; it's about wanting to change, improve, and having parents supportive of that change. If I can help a student by bringing them into Bond Academy, I'll gladly welcome them.
