Guðmundur Hegner Jónsson, Founding Principal of The Lisboan, on building a school from scratch in a 1905 pasta factory
“Far too often, we create educational environments where we push children into a mould that we have pre-created. I think that does a disservice to humanity and to young people.”
Guðmundur Hegner Jónsson is the founding principal of The Lisboan International School, an innovative new international school in a converted 1905 pasta factory in the heart of the city. His path to headship is a truly unique one: an Icelandic archaeologist who dug up Viking burials for the National Museum, a trained bass vocalist from the Royal Academy of Music in London and onto a 20-year international educator across Serbia, Italy, China, the UAE and South Korea. He met his wife and fellow archaeologist at one of the world's oldest excavation sites in Turkey. Before Lisbon, Guðmundur was rector of UWC Red Cross Nordic in Norway. In a brilliant conversation with Henry Faber, he explains the 'BOA principles' (Belong, Own, Act) that are at the heart of the school, reflects on what it means to give students genuine voice and ownership and shares his belief that education has become too exams-focused.
🎙️ Episode highlights
Guðmundur describes the school's home: a 1905 pasta factory, lovingly restored as a protected landmark in Lisbon's Alcantara district.
He explains the BOA principles and why belonging is the foundation of any environment where children can flourish.
Guðmundur shares what giving students genuine ownership actually looks like, from shaping curriculum based on their interests to the newly established sustainability council.
He reflects on why so many schools claim to be values-driven but treat it as a tick-box exercise, and why making values real every day is extraordinarily challenging.
He reveals he was mentored by a teacher who worked directly with the legendary Kurt Hahn, putting him one step away from one of education's most influential figures.
He traces his unlikely path from digging up Viking burials in Iceland to singing at the Royal Academy to meeting his wife at an excavation site in Turkey.