23 minute read
Repton: A Partnership in Discovery
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.
Creating that love of learning also makes a difference, encouraging everyone to succeed.
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: One of the things parents always bring up is the bullying issue – what is your approach to student discipline?
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: 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.
To find out more please contact the Admissions department by calling 800 274448 or emailing admissions@brightoncollegedubai.ae to arrange a visit.
BRIGHTON COLLEGE DUBAI
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David Wilcock With teaching and leadership experience in the UK, New Zealand and Dubai, David Wilcock took the position as Head of Primary at The English College in 2019.
THE ENGLISH COLLEGE, DUBAI: EMPOWERING STUDENTS TO BECOME SCHOLARS
A SMALL COMMUNITY SCHOOL WITH A PROUD AND LONG HISTORY IN DUBAI, THE ENGLISH COLLEGE PRIMARY SCHOOL OFFERS SMALL CLASS SIZES, A RIGOROUS AND INNOVATIVE CURRICULUM, AND A PERSONAL TOUCH THAT MAKES EVERY STUDENT FEEL VALUED AND RESPECTED.
“As a small school, we get to know the children and their families very well, ensuring we have a united approach to nurturing our young people academically and holistically,” explains David Wilcock, Head of Primary School (FS 1 to Year 6). “We hope every person entering The English College is made to feel a part of friendly, warm, learning environment that radiates ‘Excellence and Enjoyment’ – our school mantra!”
This ‘Excellence’ is seen in personalised learning, targeted teaching and the constantly evolving curriculum, which is designed to meet the children’s needs. The ‘Enjoyment’ is seen in the quality of teacher-student relationships, the use of flexible learning environments – particularly the outdoors – and the variety of curricular and extracurricular experiences that are provided by the school every day. “In essence, our curriculum reflects the children’s interests and passions,” David says. “Our inquiry-based approach allows for student exploration, creativity and the key skills of problemsolving and critical thinking. We are superbly resourced in all curriculum areas and teachers are specifically recruited for their ability to use resources creatively. Their unique talents and strengths are utilised to ensure our students have the very best educators in classrooms each day.”
CREATING A COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS
The English College is genuinely close to parents and the wider community too, holding severalevents during the year, ranging from festive fairs to curriculum workshops and well-being sessions. An active parent council (ECPC) provides feedback, support and advice, and parent voice surveys are utilised to gain valuable feedback. “We have several student progress meetings each year and parents are encouraged to make extra appointments whenever they need support with their child’s learning,” David says.
Each Thursday morning in June, the Head of Primary, will be giving a short presentation, followed by a personal tour of FS and Primary facilities. These sessions start at 9.30 am and are limited in numbers. To book visit Englishcollegedubai.com/ campus-tour and choose one of the June 2022 Primary Presentation & Tour options.ERY STUDENT MATTERS,
Excellence and Enjoyment – our school mantra!
EVERY MOMENT COUNTS
When asked what he viewed as his most important contribution to the daily operations of the school, David replied: “Undoubtedly the connections each day with the parents and students. I am outside every day at drop off and pick up to welcome everyone, answer any questions, give reminders, provide reassurance, and just be there! Then I ensure I visit classrooms – this helps me stay in tune with our children’s learning and understand any day to day needs that I can support our teachers with.”
This enlightened approach is at the heart of the school’s whole ethos, with people working together to achieve common goals. “Our vision of ‘Moving Forward Together’ is designed around our collective responsibility to develop every child and every adult to reach their full potential as part of The English College. I have a passion for coaching and developing people, and the key to this is developing a school climate that revolves around positive relationships.” Indeed, as a school with an ‘Outstanding’ KHDA rating for pastoral care, The English College has repeatedly been recognised for its values, which permeate through everything from assemblies to PSHE programmes and onto nurture groups. Its specific curriculum ‘whole school’ themes are designed to allow the integration of soft skills throughout. Term 3 theme is connecting minds, creating the future in line with the EXPO theme.
The English College prepares its students for secondary education in a completely holistic manner In essence, our curriculum reflects the children’s interests and passions
THE FUTURE BEGINS HERE!
This very personal, caring approach is supported by some pretty nifty technology too, as David explains: “We were fortunate pre-Covid that we made the decision to put digital platforms and a BYOD (bring your own device) system in place. This allowed us to provide an excellent distance learning experience, an experience we have now built on to develop a greater capacity to support a wide range of technology resources in school. These range from drones and robots to app and game development, with several teachers specifically employed to enhance this capacity for new technologies in the classroom.”
The English College prepares its students for secondary education in a completely holistic manner, incorporating a progressive curriculum that runs fluidly between the key stages and a gradual transition programme, whereby Year 6 students are exposed to specialist secondary teaching in the secondary building in Terms 2 and 3. Year 6 also has increased access to secondary facilities, and opportunities to meet Year 7 form teachers regularly rather than on a single transition day. “We are one school and Primary and Secondary staff work closely together to ensure that student data and information move seamlessly between the key stages. This allows the immediacy of meeting the personal learning needs of each and every student,” David concludes.
For further information on The English College, Dubai visit: www.englishcollegedubai.com.
REPTON: A PARTNERSHIP IN DISCOVERY
WANT TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT’S GOING ON IN EDUCATION TODAY – AND WHAT EDUCATION MIGHT LOOK LIKE TOMORROW? WE DID! SO, WE JOINED AN INFORMATIVE ROUNDTABLE HOSTED BY THE REPTON FAMILY OF SCHOOLS IN THE UAE
David Cook, Headmaster at Repton Dubai and Chief Education Officer for the Repton
Family of Schools in the UAE
The future of education was very much on the agenda from the beginning, with David Cook, Headmaster at Repton Dubai and Chief Education Officer for the Repton Family of Schools in the UAE, focusing on eco-literacy and sustainability. “To help build awareness, good schools must ensure they take the ‘pupil voice’ and the ‘student council’ seriously,” David begins. “These councils have real opportunities to initiate and contribute to sustainability and conservation activities. Good schools do not allow these councils to pay just lip service. Good school councils are leading their schools and this is particularly true at Repton – this important topic of sustainability and conservation is a standing item at every school council meeting.”
There are many initiatives for Repton students to get involved with, including Junk Kouture Abu Dhabi 2022, which is a creative design competition for 13-18-year-olds in fashion and design with a key focus on recycling. So, lots of fun and creativity but with a key message on recycling.
Not content to be left behind, some of the parent groups in Repton Abu Dhabi have initiated their own community eco-activities of cleaning up litter in the mangrove swamps. Furthermore, Repton has been approached by Dubai Municipality to support ‘Go Wild Dubai’, which is a sustainability art and short story competition, based on protecting the wild areas in Dubai.
One example that stands out over the last year is the annual Digital Summit which, hosted by Repton Abu Dhabi, was open to students and teachers throughout the UAE. “The event invited UAE teachers and students from Year 5 and Year 6 to collaborate on environmental awareness initiatives,” says David. “It was part of a digital conference and students had a great deal of fun designing and then presenting conceptual computer games and applications on sustainable issues such as ocean pollution, litter on our beaches, and air pollution.” Gillian Hammond, Principal at Repton School Abu Dhabi, added: “At Repton Abu Dhabi, we now have hydroponics; we are growing our own fruit and vegetables at the front of the building. For parents and children, it’s created a great conversation about where our food comes from? What is our food footprint? And what are the things that we can do even just together as families when we visit the supermarket?”
Chandini Misra, Head of Senior School at Repton Al Barsha
DIGITAL LITERACY
Gillian then continued speaking, as she discussed the implications and benefits of AI and new technology.
“Digital literacy is critical in all schools,” she began. “At the Repton Family of Schools, we have two that are ‘Apple Distinguished’ schools. We’ve been reaccredited three times out of recognition of how we embed digital technology across all of the subject areas and all age groups. For example, in the Early Years, we have our STEAM gardens where students explore habitats and the weather; they also look at coding, but do it in a physical, practical way, even in PE lessons. “We want to make sure we are at the cutting-edge and that our students and staff can use technology to build realworld learning.” So our children take part in earning a digital passport as they move through the ages, from three to 18, and our digital teams, our digital leaders, have helped us to create what we call our software workflow. This ensures that it gets increasingly technical as students get older, dictating that they receive more and more knowledge and skills as they move through their education journey with us.”
Naturally, the schools have to take parents on this journey too, so that they can support their children. “We provide lots of workshops and webinars for parents because children must be engaged in school in the same way as they are engaged with technology at home.”
Chandini Misra, Head of Senior School at Repton Al Barsha, added: “The UAE is already a global centre of smart technology. Our students think it’s normal. It’s dinosaurs like me, who didn’t grow up with mobile phones, who are probably a bit scared about it; it’s actually keeping up with our young people!”
A strong sense of community, ensuring that there is wraparound support for each student’s inspiration
USING DATA TO FOSTER BETTER LEARNING
Chandini proved that she was far from a dinosaur when she began talking about using data to foster better learning, explaining: “As a family of schools, we are data-rich. That’s not just the kind of formal data that we have on numeracy and literacy, but also the extensive amounts of data that we have on social and emotional development, and wellbeing. And it’s the triangulation of that data that’s very powerful when we think about the individual learning experiences for our students.”
There has been a misconception in education that it was the teaching that brought through the data, but that has now been completely turned on its head. “It is the data that should inform the teaching in the classroom and across the schools,” Chandini says. “When we do collect data, and we arm our teachers with that data, they’re often very excited to get it at the start of the year - the new classes in front of them are waiting to get their hands on this data to tailor the learning experiences for the students. We want to make sure that they have all of that. So we look at different ways to triangulate it. GL assessments are very powerful in this. But it’s also about educating the students and the parents about what that data means.
“It all comes down to a really thorough understanding of the data that we have for our students and how we put that into practice in the classroom to ensure that each student is appropriately challenged.
When students are in the struggle zone, the area where they may make mistakes, that’s fantastic because they’re learning and failure isn’t perceived as a negative thing because it allows them to move forward.”
MENTAL HEALTH
Good mental health is as important to a child’s safety and wellbeing as their physical health. It can impact all aspects of their life, including their educational attainment, relationships and physical wellbeing.
“It’s true that, historically, we probably haven’t thought about promoting positive mental health the same way as positive physical health,” David says. “Now, though, schools are taking mental health very seriously; Dubai has even got the Dubai Student Wellbeing Census, which I now understand is going to be rolled out right across the Emirates. “The Dubai Student Wellbeing Census asks one fundamental question: what does it means for a human being to thrive? What it needs is to look after your physical health, get enough sleep, eat some breakfast, have good friendship groups, have good hobbies, make sure you have an inner life, do challenging stuff that occasionally you’re going to get badly wrong. Schools have got to provide an environment where all those things happen.”
Gillian agrees, adding: “I think something else that is important for wellbeing and good mental health is that people feel they’re contributing. With performances, sporting competitions, charity work in their communities, charity work abroad, I think it helps not only our students but the parents too, who’ve also gone through a very troubling and tough time of late.
“We’re very privileged, and I think our young people recognise this. We have a lot of children who want to fundraise for different causes, and we always support them in their research to make sure that they know what is the best way to do that.”
Finally, Gillian was asked if now that schooling is back in the classroom, has it had a positive effect on students’ mental health?
“Yes, 100%. We’ve never heard so many children say they couldn’t wait to get back into school and that they missed school. Our children really wanted to see their peers and teachers in person. They missed the interaction. So yes, I think it’s had a huge impact on mental health.”
REPTON AL BARSHA +971 4 818 8600
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REPTON DUBAI
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BLOOM WORLD ACADEMY: DARING TO BE DIFFERENT
A CREATIVE, FAMILY-FIRST IB CURRICULUM SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS AGED 3 TO 18 YEARS OLD, BLOOM WORLD ACADEMY WILL OPEN THE DOORS FOR PRE-KG TO GRADE 9 STUDENTS AT ITS STATE-OF-THE-ART CAMPUS IN AL BARSHA DUBAI IN AUGUST 2022. OFFERING A DYNAMIC, CREATIVE AND CONSTANTLY EVOLVING EDUCATION, THIS IS A SCHOOL THAT DARES TO BE DIFFERENT. IDEAS DON’T STAND STILL AND NEITHER DOES BLOOM WORLD ACADEMY.
NEW SCHOOL OPENING AUGUST 22
John Bell, Bloom World Academy’s Founding Principal, talks about how they will be doing things differently, beginning with the school’s customised approach and how this education pathway will benefit students.” We caught up with John Bell, the Founding Principal, and asked him about what makes the school stand out in a fiercely competitive sector, beginning with the school’s customised approach and how this education pathway will benefit students at Bloom World Academy?
“What we’re doing is taking different approaches to education and combining them to provide a holistic and unique style, and much of it is based on my own experience. I’ve been a Head since 1996 and have had the privilege to have seen and worked with a lot of schools and school groups; that’s where many of the ideas come from,” John begins. “We will, for instance, have a school start time of 9.00 am, which may not be revolutionary, particularly if you come from other parts of the world where this is the norm. What is revolutionary is that, although the official school day is 9.00 am to 4.00 pm, the school will be open from 7.00 am to 7.00 pm.
“What this means is that if parents work in another part of town, for example, and they want to drop their children off early, they can do so. Similarly, if they are working late, there will be a variety of clubs – themed around well-being (arts and sports), for children to attend. At the bookends of the day, there will always be something for youngsters to do, including a homework club so that they don’t have to do it all at home. It’s all designed to take the pressure off the family and is an idea I have taken from my time working in Spain where it is common for parents to drop their children off in the morning at a time to suit them. It seems to me that that is a civilised approach. Of course, we would be worried if a child was regularly dropped off at 7.00 am and picked up at 7.00 pm, but it does allow parents to customise the school day to suit their individual needs and requirements.”
A PASSPORT TO SUCCESS
Bloom World Academy is also launching a Learning Achievement Passport, which every child will have. It is designed to enhance both life and curriculum learning in a fun, engaging and quantifiable way. “This will be a summary of a student’s educational journey; their strengths and challenges will be recorded. We will stretch targets, hopefully stretching children to achieve a target above age-related expectations, which will be reviewed monthly with the student and parents,” John explains. “Often, assessments are a part of parents’ evenings, but we will broaden this out so that every teacher will see one or two parents every day for around 30 minutes on a rolling basis.”
The school realises that parents are paying not inconsiderable sums of money for their child’s education and they want to become involved. “There are many nooks and crannies and seating spots around the school; lovely environments where parents and teachers will meet. Learning Achievement Passport will build up to nine sessions a year and a summative document will be given to parents every term in the form of a dashboard of achievements, as well as an annual review.
This information will be utilised to the full, with Bloom World Academy having invested heavily in an analytics database, with an Information Services Manger whose job it is to digest all of the information and feed it back to teachers in a way they can use most effectively with each individual student and family.
There is another aspect of customisation that the school has developed too, ‘stage not age’. How reassuring it is to begin to see a genuine dialogue beginning to push for us to understand that children learn differently, in their own way. “We’re talking about attributes as well as ability,” John says. “If your languages are at a certain level and you’re keen enough to push on, there are opportunities. A five-year-old and an eight-year-old might be in the same room doing the same work if their languages are at the same level. Another subject that lends itself to stage not age very easily is music. If you’re learning to play an instrument you’ll be given the opportunity to do that regularly. The other aspect of the customised offer is Learning Zones. Students will move around the school to specific Learning Zones to become fully immersed in a learning experience.
John explains: “You go to the Science Learning Zone to learn science, even the younger children, in fact all of junior school will do this. In the Language Zone, for instance, all of the languages will be there, such as Spanish, French and Arabic.
“Those are the four big constructs, and the fifth and final customised element is not really customised at all, it’s a spiral curriculum of social and emotional skills development, with a major aspect being empathy, being kind and understanding of other people’s feelings. So in a way, that’s not customised to the child, it’s customised to the school.”
FORUM ROMANUM
Bloom World Academy is also committed to having a valid and open students’ voice, which will be based on the Roman Forum, where people used to meet to listen and debate. “We’re going to have our own forum with raised seating on three sides,” John explains. “Every morning, children can sit wherever they like with whomever they like, and that’s where we will set the tone for the day.”
A new school with an exciting new philosophy, but did John need to think twice when offered this opportunity? “Not really. I’ve been a director of schools and school groups for the past 10 plus years. I was Director of Education in England, Director of Education for Cognita, the worldwide schools’ group, and I was the Director of Learning for a school’s group in Dubai. So perhaps coming back into the classroom was my biggest fear – could I work effectively with parents – that closeness and intimacy again? But it’s the aspect I’ve enjoyed the most so far! Consequently, I didn’t have to think twice.”
Finally, we asked John what his ultimate vision is for the school, and he didn’t have to think twice again, replying: “I want Bloom World Academy to be known for its quality rather than its quantity. I want it to be a school of its time for a generation of young people that are more socially sensitive and environmentally aware than in the past. They are creative, innovative and entrepreneurial and we really we want to provide the very best opportunities and education for them”.
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