We care about who our pupils become. We believe in the transformative power of education. Yes, our priority is to deliver a wide-ranging curriculum; however, in the context of the 21st century, it will be our pupils’ personal qualities and values, not just exam results, that will set our pupils apart. Our commitment to a holistic education is as wholeheartedly held here in Cairo as it is in historic Uppingham School in Rutland, UK. Intellectual rigour, exploration, critical analysis, creativity, risk taking, communication, teamwork - all are central to the way we guide, nurture and inspire our young people. Our role is to give our pupils the skills, confidence and capabilities to navigate their own paths through life - and the unshakeable sense of self they need to influence the world around them.
FOR THE INQUISITIVE
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
We know that the way pupils learn is as important as what they learn - so our lessons are dynamic exercises in exploration, debate and discovery. Teachers inspire intellectual curiosity and independent thought by encouraging pupils to speak their minds, to question received wisdom and to interrogate new ideas. Excellent exam grades are a by-product of our desire to nurture inquisitive, analytical, critical and enthusiastic minds. The attitudes, intellectual habits and work ethic pupils develop in school will stay with them for life - empowering them to maximise every opportunity that comes their way.
FOR THE CHALLENGERS
CURRICULUM
Every child navigates through education differently. Pupils thrive when they follow a curriculum that is right for them. Through our innovative teaching and wide range of options, we create a curriculum suited to each child’s interests, aptitudes and aspirations.
We keep our curriculum fresh and relevant by embracing new technology and collaborating with leading institutions around the world to develop state-of-the-art learning programmes.
Our size means we offer unrestricted subject choices. We challenge and stretch all pupils - in the classroom and beyond. The Sixth Form offers the choice of the IB Diploma or A Levels, to enable our pupils to choose the path that suits them best. Whichever pathway they choose, they will benefit from additional research-based programmes and stimulating enrichment opportunities, and become the multi-dimensional young people that universities and employers seek.
FOR THE WARM-HEARTED
HOME
Uppingham Cairo pupils develop a deep affection for their houses. For our Upper Junior School and Senior School pupils, the House Common Room is a sanctuary; a space for rest and contemplation, as well as a hub for communal activity. It is a place of friendship, care and encouragement with tutors, house staff and a host of supportive role models forming an extended community - convivial, relaxed, welcoming.
At Uppingham Cairo our pupils build friendships that last a lifetime. They learn what makes people tick. They learn how to motivate, how to empathise, how to lead and how to be part of a team. The immersive, extended experience that is uniquely Uppingham Cairo develops the skills, wisdom and compassion that will distinguish our pupils for life.
FOR THE CONNECTED
COMMUNITY
In an increasingly complex, fast-paced world, our school community gives pupils a vital sense of belonging. Our diversity fosters understanding, respect and collaboration. Pupils learn to find their place among people from different backgrounds, cultures, identities and beliefs - and leave with a wider vision of the world. The whole school regularly gets together as one community in Gather. Our collective experiences enable us to build a tangible sense of shared identity, ethos and purpose. We create a secure, caring foundation from which pupils feel emboldened to venture out, to explore the world and themselves.
Uppinghamians around the world are outward-facing, compassionate and confident - we want them to share our values, but never to lose sight of the wonderful differences that make them unique.
FOR THE COMPASSIONATE
HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Children who are healthy and happy perform at their best. Every adult at Uppingham Cairo has a pastoral role - teachers, housemasters, matrons, domestic staff. Along with nutritionists, psychologists and other specialists, we create a framework of care that supports pupils as they grow and develop through childhood and navigate the emotional and physical complexities of teenage life. Our pastoral systems are tailored to the needs of today’s young people. Our innovative life skills programme helps pupils develop positive behaviours to enrich their mental and physical wellbeing.
Through our support networks, we strive to address problems before they arise - and provide compassionate care when it is needed. We help pupils build the resilience to cope with life’s ups and downs, and to achieve balance in a world of ever-changing pressures and distractions.
FOR THE ADVENTUROUS
CO-CURRICULUM
From outdoor activities to charity outreach, academic societies to inter-house competitions, the co-curriculum provides experiences that enrich pupils’ lives and cultivate new talents, passions and interests.
Through charitable work and societies we provide valuable opportunities for pupils to look outwards; to fulfill their human responsibility to serve. They experience the joy of bringing life-affirming opportunities to communities beyond the school, and of exercising selflessness for the greater good.
Through ‘UPPStart’ in the Junior School and ‘UPP&Out’ in the Senior School, pupils have the chance to compete, to perform, to create and to debate every day, providing balance and fulfilment across the week. The co-curriculum is central to the way we develop confidence, enthusiasm and compassion in our pupils - enhancing their future health, wellbeing and value to society.
FOR THE SPIRITED
SPORT
Sport develops valuable skills for life - from adaptability and resilience to cooperation and mental agility. But most importantly. It is fun. And it’s for everyone - whether competitive or not. Through sport, we strive to discover and develop the best in every individual. All pupils experience a broad range of sports and games in exceptional facilities, encouraging them to enjoy physical activity beyond school - for a healthier, happier life. As a sporting school, we are driven by values, not results. We know that if you get your culture right, the results will follow - it is an ethos exemplified by our dedicated coaches. By integrating sport into everyday life at school, we help all pupils to become hardworking, altruistic, risk takers; people who are eager to improve their performance - any level.
FOR THE VISIONARIES
CREATIVE ARTS
Creativity is central to human ingenuity and advancement, and the creative industries are growing and developing rapidly around the world. We provide a vocationally relevant arts education, using industry-standard resources in our design workshops, art studios, music schools and theatre.
Specialist teachers, visiting artists, and professional performers guide pupils to expand their capabilities, interrogate their ideas and refine their creative practices. Consequently, Uppingham Cairo pupils are remarkably unselfconscious, expressive, open to ideas and eager to experiment.
The arts are about the joy of creating something from nothing. In art, music, theatre and design, we have incredibly high expectations of our pupils - and they never fail to astound us.
FOR THE PIONEERS
SIXTH FORM
The Sixth Form is a unique experience. Pupils build a strong, supportive community, preparing together for the challenges and opportunities of life after school. These are important formative years. Sixth Form pupils are leaders in the school, but they also know how to be part of a team and collaborate. Academic rigour and aspirations matter to us and through the parallel curriculum, social and community initiatives, we encourage and inspire pupils to become self-aware, thoughtful and independent. We help them to explore their motivations, strengths and ambitions; to find the right path for them - whether that’s art college or an Ivy League university.
Whatever their destination, pupils leave us with the flexibility, resilience and creativity they need to face the future with confidence and optimism.
FOR THE PATHFINDERS
AFTER UPPINGHAM
There will be no typical ’product’ of an Uppingham Cairo education. Like their peers in the UK, our school leavers are expected to be wonderfully diverse human beings. Their experience at UC has been carefully crafted to provide them with everything they will need to develop into engaging, thoughtful people with the capacity to go out into the world and make sense of it; to celebrate its richness and to find their place in it, sustained and energised by the values that were forged at school.
Our pupils will have a genuine commitment to excellence, but with a clear sense of conscience. They will be open and accepting of difference. They will be confident, not arrogant; enriched, but not entitled.
The echoes of an Uppingham Cairo education will reverberate for a lifetime. Uppinghamians, whether they are nurtured in rural England or in sight of the pyramids, are people who will use their strengths and values to shape the world - a positive force for the 21st century.
FOR THE MARK-MAKERS
ART AND DESIGN TECHNOLOGY
Experimentation, risk-taking and fun are central to art and design at school. Our scholars are empowered to become independent practitioners - to explore their own creative identities. They experiment with painting, ceramics, textiles, sculpture, photography, life drawing and much more. In design technology, they work with their hands to manipulate materials as well as new technology to develop practical solutions to real-world problems. Our facilities in the Leonardo Department provide an industry-standard environment, where our pupils are guided by our highly qualified teachers as well as colleagues from Uppingham UK who are practicing artists and designers. Creativity is a vital skill, not just for careers in the arts but also to embellish and invigorate academic studies. And simply to bring joy to our existence.
FOR THE SHOW STOPPERS
THEATRE
Pupils at Uppingham Cairo experience every adrenaline-inducing aspect of staging high-quality productions in our professional theatre. With specialist drama and theatre studies lessons, LAMDA qualifications and co-curricular clubs and activities throughout the school, our pupils have an abundance of opportunity to develop their unique talents as well as adaptability, enthusiasm and sheer determination. Theatre is about the whole production team, not just the performers. Pupils are expected to take responsibility for everything from lighting, sound and set design to costumes and front-of-house hospitality. It is a bonding experience like no other.
We treat pupils as artists and provide an environment that mirrors that professional world - giving them a tantalising taste of the reality of working in the performing arts.
FOR THE PERFORMERS
MUSIC
For pupils who strive to excel in musical performance, Uppingham Cairo will offer the best music provision of any non-specialist music school in the country. Music is quite simply a way of life here. Uppingham School in the UK has long been associated with music-making pioneers - and that spirit of adventure and vitality is replicated and sustained here in Cairo by our Head of Music who works closely with our colleagues in Rutland and our inspirational teaching team of professional musicians here in Cairo. Their work is enriched by visiting world-class performers who support our masterclass and workshop programmes.
We challenge our pupils to develop independence and self-discipline; to explore their artistic identities. As the school grows, pupil-led orchestras, bands, ensembles and choirs will emerge to stage professional-calibre performances that will leave audiences stunned by the quality and virtuosity.
FOR THE GAME CHANGERS
HIGH-PERFORMANCE SPORTS
Talented sportspeople choose Uppingham Cairo because we understand their needs. Exposure to multiple sports develops essential transferable skills - physical versatility, mental resilience, an ability to perform under pressure. In addition, scholars follow a targeted performance programme in their specialist sport. Elite athletes need to be challenged. People who excel at any sport do things differently.
At Uppingham Cairo, we introduce innovations in training and competition to push our athletes out of their comfort zones.
Our sports scholars feed upon the energy and excitement generated in our world-class facilities. Our own exceptional sports coaches are complemented by coaches from professional clubs, offering top-level coaching for our most ambitious athletes. For scholars who share our values, we offer every opportunity to excel.
FOR THE ALCHEMISTS
The long-term sustainability of the planet depends on the talents of the next generation of engineers, scientists and mathematicians. In our world-class facilities we have established a truly inspirational environment of advancing knowledge in the STEM subjects. Our specialist teachers engage pupils in experimentation, investigation and innovation at the forefront of the applied sciences.
Our pupils collaborate with leading scientists on international research projects, attend science festivals and workshops, build racing cars and rockets and participate in international Olympiads. Our STEM Scholars leave us with the aptitude, acumen and ambition to lead the next generation of scientists and engineers - and become pioneers of the future.
FOR THE EXCEPTIONAL
SCHOLARSHIPS
Exceptionally talented pupils thrive at Uppingham Cairo. We award academic scholarships to the most able and gifted individuals, ensuring they benefit from specialist provision to maximise their capabilities.
We fuel the intellectual curiosity of academic scholars through a fully rounded and enriching curriculum, alongside a targeted and challenging programme in their individual area of distinction.
The Leighton Group provides scholars with a mentor-led programme of stimulating activities. It includes independent study projects, thought-provoking trips, international award entry, seminars and masterclasses. Scholars are rigorously challenged and intellectually stretched, so that we foster a culture of aspiration and attainment among our most academically ambitious.
