At every school, there are teachers quietly making a difference without seeking recognition. At Saint Mary’s International School, one of those unsung heroes is Mr. Leigh Jones—a Middle School Design Technology teacher and founder of the Warhammer Club. Whether he’s guiding students through creative projects, staying late to support them during Tuesday and Thursday interventions, or offering advice with a positive attitude, Mr. Jones does more than teach—he inspires. Mr. Jones is a teacher from the United Kingdom who worked in Hong Kong and Mongolia before coming to teach at Saint Mary’s International School.
From Designer to Educator: A Career Shift
Before entering Saint Mary’s International School, Mr. Jones worked as a designer in engineering and architecture. “I’d always wanted to be a designer,” he shared. “I loved creating things, building things… seeing your ideas come to life.” However, over time, the design world took him away from creativity and more into management due to his former job. “I was doing less and less of the creative side and more of the managerial side, which I wasn’t enjoying.”
It was during a youth design workshop in the UK that something shifted for Mr. Jones. While leading teenagers through a project for their local community space, Mr. Jones discovered the spark of teaching. “Years later, that had been percolating in my head,” he said. “I realized that was something I wanted to do.” And so, he took the leap, trained hard to become a teacher, and brought his passion for creativity and design into the classroom at Saint Mary’s.
Finding Passions for Students
His mission in and outside of the classroom is clear: to help students find their passion. “At the middle school level, it’s important that you’re just nurturing creativity,” Mr. Jones explained. “Not everybody will be passionate about my subject, but I hope they discover whether it’s something they want to pursue.” Since he began teaching at Saint Mary’s, enrollment in high school design classes has soared. The Design classes used to have around six to seven students but have increased to nearly fifty, a clear sign of the growing impact he’s had at Saint Mary’s.
But Mr. Jones’s work doesn’t end if the school bell rings. He is known for staying late to support students with extra projects and interventions. Mr. Jones finds joy in those unstructured and free hours. “After school, that’s where students can stretch what they’ve done in class,” he said. “You can spend more time with them, and they can do their own projects. The energy in the classroom feels very different after school—especially at the end of term.”
The Warhammer Club
Outside of the classroom, Mr. Jones started the Warhammer Club, which is a space for students who might not be connected with others or in a team through sports or music, but who find building, painting, and strategy interesting to themselves. “Schools should be a place where there’s something for everybody,” he explained. “The most important part of the club is that the students have a community. They’re developing friendships, social, and emotional skills.”
During the COVID lockdown, Mr. Jones reconnected with Warhammer himself. “It was quite nostalgic,” he recalled. “I found it really relaxing… it helped with mental health too.” Wanting to share that sense of calm and creativity, he introduced the club to Saint Mary’s middle school students, holding meetings sometimes online and sometimes in class on Fridays after school. It quickly became more than just a hobby group—it became a safe space. “There are quite a lot of kids that don’t have brothers or sisters, and they spend time together within that community—even during the holidays.”
Design Technology: The Misunderstood Subject
Despite the meaningful work he does, Mr. Jones admits that design tech is often misunderstood. “Not everybody knows what design technology is,” he said. “It would be good to have more forums to share what we do—like exhibitions or curriculum evenings where people can understand the subject better and the careers it leads to.”
In a subject that’s constantly evolving, Mr. Jones teaches students how to solve problems creatively, not just about memorizing material. “It’s not about remembering stuff. We can find information easily. It’s about what you do with that knowledge.”
When asked if he had one message to share with the school community, Mr. Jones simply stated: “Spend time trying as much as you can and discover what your passion is.”
