THE BRITISH SCHOOL AL KHUBAIRAT
ACADEMIC SOCIETIES
RATED OUTSTANDING BY ADEK AND BRITISH SCHOOLS OVERSEAS
OUR SCHOOL The British School Al Khubairat (BSAK) is Abu Dhabi’s leading British not-for-profit, co-educational day school. From Nursery to A Level (3 – 18) our dynamic school culture offers students an enriching experience and outstanding results.
OUR VISION Building on our unique local heritage, we will provide a world-class British education, inspiring all our students to exceed expectations.
OUR VALUES Empathy and Care | Respect and Inclusivity Honesty and Integrity | Endeavour and Resilience
THE BRITISH SCHOOL AL KHUBAIRAT ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT PROGRAMME The British School Al Khubairat has so many exceptionally talented students, many of whom rightly aspire to attend some of the very best universities in the world. The Academic Enrichment Programme provides wide-ranging, high-quality learning opportunities, beyond the school curriculum, for all of our students. Our societies offer students the opportunity to: ● Develop academic excellence in a particular subject area ● Broaden their interests and build upon and advance their skills ● Enjoy collaborating with other students with similar areas of interest The Academic Enrichment Programme gives students greater proficiency, resourcefulness and resilience for their future endeavours. Many of our academic societies are student led, giving our students the opportunity to enhance their leadership skills while building a community of like minded individuals.
JUNIOR AND SENIOR BSAK TRIBUNE YEAR 7-13 The BSAK Tribune is the school’s termly publication, managed, written and designed completely by secondary students. Differing from a traditional newsletter, the Tribune was (and still is) unconstrained to news solely from school. Instead, prospective writers are free to explore the fields of politics, fashion, sport, travel, current affairs, medicine, and so much more, on a global scale. This educates our community both actively, as authors, and passively, as readers, offering everyone the opportunity to get their work published in a physical newspaper. In case writing articles isn’t for you, the Tribune is also a great opportunity for graphic designers, the unsung heroes of the publication. Deevya Swain, our Head of Design, is responsible for compiling and collating the articles into a smooth and captivating journal, and we’re always looking for more people with new and innovative ideas to help adorn our newspaper.
Editor and Chief Vedant Khanna
BSAK Tribune 2020 by BSAK Abu Dhabi - issuu Academic skills and future aspirations The BSAK Tribune offers any students interested in journalism, creative writing, English language or English literature the opportunity to have their work published. More broadly, there are many opportunities for students interested in pursuing careers based around creative design or current affairs. Junior Tribune Junior Tribune opens up the prospect of journalism to KS3 students. Led by Jacqueline Gordon in Year 8, a dozen younger students congregate once a week to produce literature at a level far beyond what one would expect.
“I joined the BSAK Tribune in its conception last year as a member of the editorial team. The Tribune was the brainchild of our founder Inci Fassa, intended to be an expression of BSAK’s senior students: an opportunity for them to write articles for their peers in a topic of interest. We had an informative, interesting and elegantly designed publication, an ideal platform for any budding journalist to address the school community.” Vedant Khanna
ENGINEERING SOCIETY YEAR 9-13 The Engineering Society is a student led society offering a personalised learning experience through talks about major engineering topics, rigorous activities and competitions to stimulate a mindful engineering environment. The Engineering Society gives students the opportunity to enhance their awareness of how engineering success affects present society and allows them to amplify this passion beyond textbooks and classrooms. The Engineering Society gives students the opportunity to discuss major engineering topics and challenges affecting modern society, such as “The end of Moore’s law” and “Why bolts have 6 sides”.Engineers are also concerned with many environmental and social issues which include: “How do we reduce the cost of microchips?”, “How can we make recycling work efficiently?”, and most importantly, “How do we battle climate change?”. Engineering is a very hands-on discipline, and for this reason we partnered with ADIPEC, the largest petroleum exhibition in the Middle East, and paid a visit to the 2019 exhibition showcasing UAE’s Industry 4.0 vision. On top of this, we arranged a field trip to Baker Hughes in Jebel Ali, the world’s first and only full stream oil and gas company, where students gained a deeper understanding in the petroleum engineering sector. Academic skills and future aspirations The Engineering Society is clearly particularly relevant for those students considering studying engineering at university. However, The Engineering Society will also help any students studying maths and sciences and extend their understanding of the application and relevance of these subject areas.
Omar and Daniel Founder and new CEO
“From the combination of Newton’s third law and moments that cause a pencil point to break, to the aeroelastic flutter that collapsed the Tacoma Narrows bridge, I was enticed to introduce and run the Engineering Club to establish the opportunity of engineering scrutiny within the school community.” Omar
ENGINEERING SOCIETY YEAR 9-13
JUNIOR AND SENIOR MEDICAL SOCIETY (MEDSOC) YEAR 10-13 MedSoc is BSAK’s Medical Society. MedSoc ensures students keep up to date with medical news and innovations and offers the opportunity to consider ethical issues surrounding healthcare and medicine. MedSoc is a great way to show an active interest in entering the medical field and it is beneficial to come together with people who have similar aspirations for their futures. MedSoc regularly invites speakers to contribute, including speakers from the wider BSAK community and beyond, with expertise in a wide variety of medical fields. We also make the most of the many local opportunities, recently we were given exclusive access to the Body Worlds exhibition at Khalifa University, greatly expanding our knowledge of anatomy. MedSoc also offers highly effective advice and support when preparing for university applications in this competitive field. Junior MedSoc Junior MedSoc is led by our sixth form MedSoc students and is an excellent introduction to current medical news and debates for any students in year 10 and 11 interested in pursuing a career in medical science. Academic skills and future aspirations MedSoc aims to all support those interested in Medicine, Veterinary Science, Dentistry, Nursing, Physiotherapy and other healthcare related courses. Keeping up to date with medical news and debating ethical issues, specialist talks, application support and interview practise ensure that every year MedSoc successfully supports many students with their Medicine and Dentistry applications.
Katherine Aspiring Dermatologist
“After deciding that medicine was the career path I was eager to pursue, I began browsing online to learn that medical schools in the UK require applicants to sit specific aptitude tests and that A Level Chemistry is a necessity. But that was not enough. I yearned to understand the view of medical courses from real students that didn’t feature on promotional university websites; I wanted to understand the hardships that physicians face on a daily basis and how they succeed in their profession. What I needed had already existed and it was in the form of MedSoc.” Katherine Poon
MEDSOC YEAR 10-13
Trip to Khalifa university for a private tour of the Body World exhibition.
JUNIOR AND SENIOR MODEL UNITED NATIONS (MUN) YEAR 7-13 Model United Nations (MUN) is a student led society designed to simulate the United Nations (UN) and their debates. This intergovernmental organization plays a vital role in shaping the present and the future. MUN gives students the opportunity to discuss global political, social and environmental issues as they represent their assigned countries and negotiate with others to ensure their demands are met. In MUN, students are challenged to debate various topics pertinent in the news, such as the Iran-US conflict, Brexit, and Trump’s impeachment. We pose questions regarding the moral and ethical clashes in these situations, and attempt to reach conclusions on how they should be dealt with. As part of the MUN society there are opportunities to compete in conferences nationally and internationally. Academic skills and future aspirations MUN encourages students to develop a wide range of skills including: critical thinking, writing, debating, negotiation, leadership and teamwork. The skills gained from this society are essential for future leaders and prepare students for future study in all subject areas. However, it is particularly valuable for the those considering a career in any humanities subject including: law, politics, philosophy, geography, history and anthropology. Membership of MUN has proven to be highly valued and very attractive to top universities including Oxford and Cambridge. Our last two Secretary Generals have received Oxbridge Offers for very competitive courses, Medicine at Cambridge and Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford. Junior MUN This society is open to students in years 7 to 10 and is run by the leadership team of the Senior MUN. This is an extremely popular society and many of our students in Junior MUN go on to leadership positions in the Senior MUN.
“I think MUN is a truly wonderful club that definitely helped me to develop my communication skills. I think my favourite aspect of the club is the debates. There's a misconception that everything must be ordered and there can be no real emotion however a lot of passion can be shown and tensions between delegates add to the fun. MUN was also a great talking point in my university interviews especially at Cambridge and Imperial.” Christian Feghali, Secretary General. .
JUNIOR AND SENIOR THINK TANK YEARS 7-13 The moon is the property of America , Climate change doesn’t exist and taxes should be optional. Disagree? Think Tank is where you can tell us why. Think Tank is a club designed to be a safe space to share your opinion, provided you can accept criticism from those who disagree, which at times turns into a friendly louder conversion. We cover a range of topics predominantly political and ethical. The biggest difference between Think Tank and MUN is there is far less formality with Think Tank. You can say what you want when you want and it really gives a sense of freedom. In a community like BSAK where so many backgrounds and ethnicities are represented it’s an incredible experience to hear everyone's opinions. It’s a club where we hope to have everyone feel liberated to share their opinion. Junior Think Tank Similar in format to Senior Think Tank, this weekly club is run by one of our sixth form students for our students in year 7 to 11. Academic skills and future aspirations Being able to put your point across clearly and confidently, whilst listening to others, is a vital skill in any leadership or management role. Furthermore, the range of topics covered during Think Tank ensure that all students who partake have an excellent general knowledge and are very well informed when it comes to current affairs. Similar to MUN, the degree choices most closely linked to Think Tank would include English and all humanities subjects. Careers where the skills gained at Think Tank would be most useful include law, politics, education and marketing.
Molly Fishourne and Christian Innis Co-Chairs of Think Tank
“Personally, Think Tank is one of the highlights of my week. As someone who’s always enjoyed pointing out flaws in reasoning whether I agree or not it is the perfect place for me to challenge my peers in how they think. I plan on becoming a lawyer after finishing A Levels and I feel like the ability to judge an argument in what's fact and what’s opinion is something that will be useful to me however in all honesty I mostly go because it’s a good time.” Christian Innis Co-Chair
PSYCHOLOGY SOCIETY YEAR 9-13 Psychology Society offers students an opportunity to develop their knowledge and understanding of a plethora of concepts and ideas. A multitude of knowledgeable speakers will provide guidance to those who are keen to broaden their psychological expertise. Furthermore, there will be an opportunity to plan and carry out psychological experiments and link findings to current ideas in psychology. Exact questions considered will depend on students interests but may well include: Why do we dream? Why do people commit crimes? What is intelligence and why does it matter? Academic skills and future aspirations Psychology is applicable to every aspect of our everyday lives and the study of psychology leads to a multitude of careers including clinical psychology, education, health care professions and human resources. Psychology is an incredibly popular A level choice at BSAK and the psychology society is perfect for younger students considering the subject for A level.
Amelie and Anika Student leaders of the Psychology Society
“This academic year, Amelie and I have had the privilege to continue the legacy left by Miss Mell along with previous Sixth Formers, to help run the Psychology Society and provide a student-led extra-curricular space that allows one to delve into the depths of topics like behaviorism, neuroscience and the human psyche as a whole. The club equips prospective students with the tools to gear them for their respective journeys into psychology by holding debates (on topics like reductionism versus holism), participating in essay competitions and learning new theories and controversial ideas.” Anika
FINANCE SOCIETY YEAR 10-13 Have you heard news about a company and thought to yourself that the stock price was poised to rise? Or maybe you have always just wanted to know more about picking stocks? Thanks to virtual stock exchange technology, stock market simulators let you pick securities, make trades and track the results — all without risking a penny. Simulated trading helps users learn the basics of finance and learn the basic terminology of investing, such as momentum trading, shorts and P/E ratios. Academic skills and future aspirations The finance society is perfect for anybody studying business or economics now or considering these (or similar) subjects at degree level. Clearly, this society also links to careers in business, economics, finance and accounting.
LAW SOCIETY YEAR 10-13 Have you ever thought about what would happen if there were no rules or laws to life in modern society? The Law Society is an excellent way to support and cultivate your interest in legal ideas; to start to develop the skills that can be key for law students, and just chat with others who share your excitement about legal issues. The aim of the Law Society is to bring students with a genuine interest in the law together to explore all aspects of the legal profession.The Law Society is led by some of our sixth form students who aspire to pursue a career in law. In the Law Society you will work as a team through real cases. You will hear the facts of real court cases, decide what your sentence would be and see how this compares to the sentence given in real life. You will articulate the reasoning behind your decision, outlining the factors that had the biggest impact for you. You will also have the opportunity to listen to guest speakers and discuss current cases and practise your interview skills. Academic skills and future aspirations. The Law Society is for any student who is interested in or thinking of studying law and/or following a legal career. The society is an ideal opportunity for you to develop your knowledge and understanding of this fascinating subject area. The society aims to demystify law as a subject. It will help you to understand the different careers available in the legal world and raise your aspirations so that these careers become more accessible to you.
THE OLYMPIAD SOCIETY YEAR 7-13 If you truly enjoy one of your subjects and ďŹ nd the class content relatively simple, you can consider joining the Olympiad Society. A team of teachers and sixth former students will offer training to a selected group of students from Y7-10, covering the syllabus for the English, Maths and Science Olympiads. Tryouts will begin in September, and we hope to see you there! The Olympiad Society is perfect for any student that excels in a particular subject area and is keen to extend their skills and understanding of the subject beyond the school curriculum. This society is most suitable for students that are currently achieving the very highest grades in their chosen subject area and there will be a selection process. Successful students will be given the opportunity to compete individually and represent the school in national and international competitions recognised by the best higher education institutions in the world.
Academic skills and future aspirations Those students who aspire to attend the very best universities to study one of the Olympiad subjects we offer should consider this as a fantastic early preparation for their application.
SCIENCE CLUB YEAR 7-9 Would you like to extract DNA from a kiwi or make and investigate the properties of different polymers, including slime and custard balls? Or maybe you would like to make a motor or try some forensic science? If so Science Club is for you. Science Club is ideal for anybody that loves science. It is all about discovery, investigating scientific ideas and using experiments to find the answers, while developing your inner scientist. Science Club encourages students to be problem-solvers and critical thinkers using hands-on activities that are both fun and challenging. Academic skills and future aspirations Science Club offers students the opportunity to extend their understanding and practical skills in science beyond the curriculum. It is the first stepping stone for students who have an interest in pursuing any field of science or engineering as a career.
Talk like TED YEAR 7-11 There’s nothing more inspiring than a bold idea delivered by a great speaker. Ideas, effectively packaged and delivered, can change the world. Public speaking can be a scary and daunting experience but with practice and confidence it can become really enjoyable and exciting. Talk like TED aims to develop skills of public speaking from creating and designing a presentation to perfecting the delivery too. Whether you consider yourself a strong public speaker or you are keen to develop your public speaking you are very welcome to join. Academic skills and future aspirations The ability to speak confidently is essential for almost all leadership roles. People who particularly enjoy public speaking make excellent lawyers, educators actors and presenters
COMPUTER PROGRAMMING SOCIETY YEAR 7-13 The Computer Programming Society is a gathering of like-minded people who want to learn how to code, the skill of the future. In Computer Programming, we learn how to write programs using Python, look at the meaning behind technological buzzwords and explore the concepts of AI. Running alternately every week are the beginner and advanced clubs, catering to both newcomers and people with prior experience in programming. Enabling all students at any stage of their computer science career the opportunity to indulge in the wonders of creating cool programs with code. Academic skills and future aspirations This society is highly recommended for anybody considering a degree in computer science and will appeal to anybody that enjoys mathematics or has an interest in computing.
SPORTS SCIENCE CLUB YEAR 7-9 Sports science is the study of how the healthy human body works during exercise, and how sport and physical activity promote health physically, mentally and socially. The study of sport incorporates many other academic studies and areas, like physiology, psychology, anatomy, engineering and chemistry. Students will develop many skills such as: The ability to measure and analyse data scientiďŹ cally, general laboratory skills, understanding of the role of the mind in performance, team-working skills, research and motivational skills. Academic skills and future aspirations This is a club for anyone who has an interest in the human body or plans to do a sports science or sport related degree in the future.
EXTENDED PROJECT QUALIFICATION (EPQ) YEAR 12 The EPQ is a stand-alone qualification equivalent to half an A level and it carries UCAS points. It is valued by universities and often results in students being given alternative lower offers. The EPQ requires students to carry out research on a topic that they have chosen that is not covered by their other qualifications. Students can take inspiration from something studied in class or something related to their future aspirations. They then use this research to produce a written report (an artefact or a production for practical projects) and a presentation. Students are required to attend 30 guided learning hours, one session per week after school. Students will also need to carry out considerable independent work and attend individual supervision and guidance from their allocated supervisor.
“I am hoping to study psychology at university and I chose to complete a project about raising awareness of mental health issues for my EPQ. I was able to talk about my project in my university application and some of my university choices gave me lower grade offers for successfully completing my EPQ. However, even more valuable were the skills I developed including learning how to read and interpret research papers and manage my time more effectively.” Niamh Roughley Academic skills and future aspirations The EPQ qualification provides students with the skills that are needed to be successful at university, such as: ● Planning and management of a project ● Decision making and problem solving ● Presentation skills ● Research skills ● Working to deadlines ● Working with others ● Communication skills ● Harvard referencing ● Independent learning, critical and evaluative thinking, research and production. The EPQ also helps to extend students knowledge beyond the curriculum which is incredibly valuable when writing applications and attending university interviews.
GLOBAL SOCIAL LEADERS YEAR 12 - 13 BY INVITATION In 2015, world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals, called the Sustainable Development Goals. These goals have the power to create a better world by 2030, by ending poverty, fighting inequality and addressing the urgency of climate change. Guided by the goals, it is now up to all of us, governments, businesses, civil society and the general public to work together to build a better future for everyone. At BSAK, the aim of the global social leaders has been to integrate the sustainable development goals into the BSAK community in any way they can. They have also been semi-finalists in a global competition run by Future Foundations for the last two years. One of the many initiatives introduced by the global social leaders was the removal of plastic cups from the school and the introduction of more sustainable alternatives. At the school fete in 2019 the global social leaders sold BSAK branded sustainable products including bags and reusable cups. The list of how the team has influenced BSAK is endless; in just 2 years they have left a huge legacy behind. This is just the beginning of the BSAK global social leaders work incorporating the sustainable development goals in the local community to educate all of us to ‘live socially, act locally, start now’.
GLOBAL SOCIAL LEADERS YEAR 12 - 13 BY INVITATION The students hold regular meetings where they work as a team, the key factor being no one student is the leader, they all are. They have also designed new campaigns such as the Flip the Switch which aimed to reduce the schools carbon footprint. This involved designing new logos, posters and holding assemblies with staff and students. The team have also won 3 national and international awards for their work on environmental sustainability within the community.
Our Current Global Social Leaders Team
Academic skills and future aspirations As global social leaders students get the opportunity as a team to lead initiatives. They are often required to speak publically and run meetings and they are conďŹ dent and eloquent speakers. A role as a global social leader will be highly regarded by the most prestigious universities. Applications are encouraged from year 12 students once a year for our new global social leaders team.
FURTHER OPPORTUNITIES YEAR 7-13 Looking further afield at what opportunities there are amongst the community is a crucial part of making the Academic Enrichment Program a success. Over the past few years we have been fortunate enough to attend lectures and presentations from organisations and other academic facilities. We have had parents and alumni visit the school to deliver lectures on their specialisms and created our own lecture and teaching program in which students have delivered their own lectures, lessons and activities to other students in the school. Our leaders in the academic societies have been instrumental in leading some lessons for younger students, including on trade and equality.
Students attending a Macro economic outlook conference set up by the Australian Business Group.
One of the many lecture series at NYU. BSAK has been very grateful for such an amazing outreach program at NYU.
Students meeting and attending a lecture from the UAE’s minister of Artificial Intelligence.
Dr Chang delivering a lecture on Brexit and the future of the UK outside of Europe.
Future opportunities We are always looking for new opportunities to develop our Academic Enrichment Programme and we rely on the incredibly knowledgeable and successful wider BSAK community to do this. If you have anything you can offer to expand our provision please let us know. Students delivering their own lecture on Artificial Intelligence.