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Excellence in Schools
EDUAE: What role do you feel assessment has in raising achievement in schools? Simon: We should never fear assessment because ultimately assessment in any form is a part of our society and our world, whether going for a job interview or when you assess a purchase in a shop or online. So I don’t think we should ever fear it; in fact, we should embrace and see it as an opportunity to showcase one’s talents and abilities. Ultimately, we all learn when we fail, so assessment is not a problem. I would certainly say that forms of assessment should be reviewed in the future and modernised. I believe we’re heading for a time when the traditional exam is historic, and we should embrace a modern way of looking at assessment where we have information at our fingertips. In the corporate world, you have that tool of the Internet available, so why not allow Internet usage in examinations? EDUAE: Do you think in the future that exams will die away in favour of assessing the whole year’s work? Simon: That would be a very sensible step forward. I believe there will be more combinations of assessments rather than relying on a final two-hour exam, so you can continuously assess young people and make sure their journey is on the correct trajectory at all times. EDUAE: What do you do to make sure that pupils have high expectations of their work and themselves? Simon: I say quite often to all of our stakeholders – parents, staff and pupils – that I make no apologies for setting the very highest standards. It starts with the basics, such as how we dress, making sure we look smart, have the correct materials and equipment. We ensure that we have a traditional set of good manners too.
Once you get the foundations right that really makes a difference for how pupils will have high expectations of themselves and each other.
EDUAE: One of the things parents always bring up is the bullying issue – what is your approach to student discipline?
Creating that love of learning also makes a difference, encouraging everyone to succeed.
Simon: One of our core values is a culture of kindness, along with curiosity and confidence, so we ensure we see those values at all levels. That goes a long way to allaying parental fears of bullying, which is rare, if ever, at Brighton College Dubai, and that’s also down to a fair and consistent rewards and sanctions policy that is communicated regularly to all our stakeholders and is displayed in an around the College.
EDUAE: How do you create that love of learning? Simon: We have to recruit first-class teachers who are inspirational, highly qualified, experienced and can act as very positive role models to engage our young people in their learning – that is what makes the difference. EDUAE: How important is it to be a risk-taker as a Head Master? Are you a risk-taker by nature? Simon: I’m from a sporting background; I played competitive sport at quite a high level in the UK and was also a PE teacher. I could use any number of sporting analogies, but undoubtedly to be a winner you have to take certain risks, but I think those risks need to be calculated, well thought out and evaluated. EDUAE: What do you see as your greatest accomplishment in education to date? Simon: More recently, I’m delighted with the growth of pupil numbers and high parental satisfaction rates at Brighton College Dubai, as we’ve established ourselves as a competitive school in what is an incredibly competitive city. I’m very proud of what we’ve done to date, and also very proud of our wonderful examination achievements when I was at Brighton College Abu Dhabi, where we got the highest A-level results in the city.
EDUAE: You mentioned the school culture – what would you say that is and how have you developed it? Simon: Brighton College Dubai is a friendly, happy, dynamic school for pupils aged 3-18; we develop a lifelong love of learning and treat every child as an individual, and that then embraces those values of curiosity, confidence and kindness. EDUAE: Finally, you obviously enjoyed your schooldays, as you mentioned earlier, but were there any teachers that particularly inspired you? Simon: Yes, I always remember my PE teacher when I was in senior school, who said to me when I was running a cross-country race in the middle of February in the snow, thinking this is horrendous and saying to my PE teacher, “I can’t carry on.” She turned round to me and said, “There’s no such word as can’t,” and I always remember that moment and I think that instilled a natural sense of resilience into me, which I carried forward into my university life and my career.
BRIGHTON COLLEGE DUBAI +971 4 387 1111
To find out more please contact the Admissions department by calling 800 274448 or emailing admissions@brightoncollegedubai.ae to arrange a visit.
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