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New KCS Head of School

KCS Excited to Announce New Head of School Garth Nichols.

The Board of Governors has appointed Mr. Garth Nichols to serve as the next Head of School for Kingsway College School, effective July 1, 2025.

 

I am delighted to announce the Board of Governors has appointed Mr. Garth Nichols to serve as the next Head of School for Kingsway College School (KCS), effective July 1, 2025.

Garth brings an impressive background in independent school education, most recently as Vice-Principal, Experiential Education and Innovation at Havergal College. He has extensive experience in junior and senior schools across some of Canada’s finest independent schools, including Bayview Glen, Greenwood College School, Brentwood College School, and Trinity College School.

With a Master of Education in Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, Garth is well-known in the Canadian Accredited Independent School (CAIS) and Conference of Independent Schools of Ontario (CIS) communities as a visionary and innovative leader, most notably as a Co-Founder of Cohort 21. What began 13 years ago as a passion-driven project to support teachers in improving their pedagogy, and disposition to their craft, has now impacted 48 independent schools in Ontario, and over 500 faculty. It continues to evolve to include a design thinking strand for educators, and a leadership lab for faculty looking to level up their leadership skills.

He brings a passion to his work that is evident to all who meet him, from collaborating with educators to coaching young athletes and serving the community. The Board is highly confident Garth will continue to advance education at KCS, uphold the mission and values of our school, engage meaningfully with all members of our community, and inspire joy in our students to be lifelong learners.

The time Garth has spent collaborating with our faculty through CAIS and CIS Ontario initiatives has also prepared him well to lead KCS. Garth has developed a deep appreciation for KCS over the years, recognizing the school’s commitment to academic excellence as a JK-12 school.

“I am truly excited to be joining the KCS community, a place that deeply values connection, character, and a love of learning. From the start, I felt the warmth and dedication of KCS educators, families, and students, as well as a strong values alignment,” said Garth. “My family and I are looking forward to joining the community officially in July.” Garth and his wife are proud to call the West End home, and together they have two sons currently attending high school.

Garth’s appointment follows an extensive and thorough search that began in June 2024, shortly after Derek Logan announced his retirement as Head at the end of this school year. Our search yielded significant interest from candidates from across Canada. We were incredibly impressed by the calibre of individuals attracted to our wonderful school. This is a reflection of the reputation of KCS for quality education and student experience, having the very best staff and faculty and an engaged parent community.

On behalf of the Board, I want to thank the members of the Search Committee for their extensive efforts and thoughtful approach to this comprehensive process and also our experienced recruitment search consultants at Odgers Berndtson for their excellent support. We are grateful for the input of the entire KCS community – our faculty, senior leadership, staff, students, parents, and alumni.

We fully recognize the significance of this decision for KCS, following 17 years of outstanding leadership by Derek. The Board made a commitment to identify a Head of School who could build on Derek’s many achievements and continue to elevate the School to new heights. We are thrilled to have found that leader in Garth, who is poised to continue this legacy and guide KCS into its next chapter. We will look forward to welcoming Garth and his family and introducing him to our community as he visits us over the next several months.

Sincerely,

Tiffany Jay
Chair of the Board of Governors and
Chair of the Search Committee
Kingsway College Schoo
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