A private school is looking for a new principal ? and hoping to get lots of applications from suitably experienced Bermudians. Roy Napier is retiring as Head of School at Bermuda High School for Girls (BHS) in summer 2007 and a replacement is being sought.

The post is being advertised on the Island, in the UK, Canada and US and at International Baccalaureate (IB) schools world-wide.

Mr. Napier, who has been at the independent school for six years, said the right candidate would need good all-round experience and an understanding of the IB programme.

?If we can find a Bermudian with the IB experience that?s great,? he said. ?It?s certainly a job worth doing. It?s a demanding job and it requires a bit of expertise and an understanding of international education, in particular an understanding of Bermuda.

?The other thing that is important is to understand the university application process in the UK, Canada and the US because our kids go to all of those countries.?

The school introduced the two-year International Baccalaureate programme in 2001 and achieved a 100 percent pass rate in 2003, when 11 students sat the exam.

Mr. Napier said the pass rate was about 90 percent the following year and 80 percent last year. He said the decrease was due to students of different abilities taking the programme.

?We are confident that our success rate in the diploma is above the world average,? he said. ?We joined the IB organisation because we felt that we wanted to have the highest international standards. We believe firmly that IB offers the highest standards.?

Mr. Napier comes from Northern Ireland and has worked in education for 43 years, 30 of those as a school principle. Much of his career has been spent in Canada, including 14 years as head of an IB school in Ottawa.

The closing date for applications for the BHS job is June 30 after which Mr. Napier?s successor will be appointed by the school?s board of trustees.