Brian Cooklin’s career began in Scotland as an English teacher with modest ambitions of leading a department. His trajectory soon shifted toward larger responsibilities and global leadership roles that would see him go on to shape international education. “I deliberately taught the classes no one else wanted,” Cooklin shares. “The students were often written off, but I believed with the right approach, they could succeed.” His belief proved right when a group of students expected to fail not only passed but outperformed peers in higher sets.
That experience established the foundation of his leadership philosophy: individual attention, targeted interventions, and high expectations for every student. Over 25 years as a principal and head teacher across three continents, Cooklin consistently used this approach to transform school performance.
Turning Struggling Schools into Success Stories
One of Cooklin’s most striking achievements came in Mexico City, where he was appointed head of an English-speaking international school ranked 24th in the city. Within a year, the school rose to first place. “It wasn’t about me,” he explains modestly. “The talent was already there. What was missing was coordination, focus, and collaboration.” His strategy involved uniting teachers across departments, sharing best practices, and focusing leadership attention on struggling students. In one case, he personally mentored four students seen as unlikely to pass the International Baccalaureate Diploma. Through close monitoring and targeted support, all four succeeded. “Improvement has to be individual and personal,” Cooklin says. “It’s about finding the right intervention for the right student at the right time.”
Building Culture Through Clarity and Collaboration
His experience founding a school in Hong Kong reinforced his belief that successful schools are rooted in a clear sense of purpose and must stay true to it. When establishing the new school, he asked parents, students, and teachers to define what they wanted the institution to represent. The agreed mantra became “to be ambitious personally, socially and academically.” For Cooklin, the phrase was more than a slogan. “It was my job to translate that into action so it became real in daily school life.” Inspectors later observed that the mission was lived not just by leadership but across the entire community, a validation of the culture he worked to instill. Cooklin believes this alignment begins with recruitment. “You need staff who are open-minded and willing to try new things,” he notes. “If you give them latitude to be creative and take risks, they thrive.”
Professional development and peer coaching are central to his method. He developed professional learning communities in every school he led, encouraging teachers to experiment and share results openly. “It wasn’t about perfection,” Cooklin says. “It was about honest reflection — what worked, what didn’t — and building a culture where learning is continuous for both staff and students.”
Lessons from Global Education Systems
Cooklin’s perspective has been shaped not only by direct leadership but also by policy work. As president of School Leaders Scotland, he led a study comparing the UK and Finland’s performance in international assessments. The Finnish model benefited from political consensus and a culture of professional trust, while systems elsewhere often suffered from policy swings tied to election cycles. “Education too often becomes a political football,” he reflects. “Consistency of vision is what truly enables progress.”
Preparing Schools for a Digital Future
As a former Executive Director at Nord Anglia Education, Cooklin applied his experience to a global network of schools. He is particularly focused on the impact of technology and artificial intelligence. “AI is already changing the way students learn and teachers plan,” he says, seeing potential in adaptive platforms that tailor lessons to individual needs and in creating engaging, game-like pathways for students who might otherwise disengage.
Yet he acknowledges the challenges. “Staff confidence varies widely,” Cooklin shares. “The answer is training and collaboration. Pair teachers who are confident with those less so, and provide regular opportunities to learn from each other.” He sees this as a natural extension of the peer coaching model he has long championed. Cooklin is committed to staying at the forefront of innovation, quick to remind educators that while technology will reshape schools, human relationships remain central. “This is not a factory we’re running,” he says. “It’s a human dynamic that changes daily. Leadership must always be about people first.”
A Champion for Global Education
From raising performance in Mexico City to founding schools in Hong Kong and advising on digital transformation, Cooklin’s legacy lies not just in test scores or inspection reports but in the cultures he leaves behind. “Real success is measured not only by results but by the spirit and resilience of the community that continues after you’re gone.”
Connect with Brian Cooklin on LinkedIn or visit his website.
