As the British-Slovenian Chamber of Commerce collaborates closely with the British International School of Ljubljana (BISL), we had the privilege of sitting down with Mel Hitchcocks for an insightful conversation. With her rich background and the promising direction she envisions for BISL, the conversation sheds light on her vision for the school's future and and vision for students to reach their full potential at BISL.

With a track record of thriving in challenging working environments, Mel Hitchcocks brings a wealth of experience to her role as the newly appointed Principal of the BISL. Hailing from Moscow and having previously worked in Mongolia, Hitchcocks' journey has been a testament to her ability to navigate complex educational landscapes.

You’ve come from Moscow, your previous post was in Mongolia. You have extensive experience working in challenging environments, adapting to changes. Your focus will be to stabilise BISL development. What are your priorities for 2023/24 in terms of changes at the school?

My focus is two-fold; to improve the infrastructure by updating the existing playground and expanding our library and to improve the quality of teaching and learning so that we become the first-choice international school for parents. Our core business is education and therefore, our focus needs to be on offering the best of the British curriculum, whilst taking into account the 37 different nationalities we currently have enrolled at the school.

Why would you recommend BISL and what kind of education do you offer that could benefit Slovenia?

BISL is a British school offering a British education, considered by many to be the gold standard. We offer an education that is skills and knowledge based and designed to educate the whole child for the twenty-first century. For Slovenian parents the attraction of BISL is the emphasis on the acquisition of skills, and the various teaching methods we employ to ensure that what we offer is accessible to all students, no matter where they are starting from. For our 14-18 age group we offer IGCSE and A Level qualifications which are accepted by universities around the world. However, we are also skilled in educating students with additional needs and have recently introduced a new suite of qualifications for students who are unable to access academic qualifications.

How do you find Slovenia?

I love the greenery and walking opportunities. Most evenings during the summer you will find me pounding out kilometers on Rosnik Hill! As a walker (not a hiker, I am not a fan of heights), I like the fact that I can walk to any part of the city. I am also enjoying the culture and have already seen an opera and ballet here. 

Explore the enriching activities and discover the numerous benefits of enrolling your children at the British International School of Ljubljana by visiting this link.