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The View from Here: Haileybury Malta
It’s not a job to be done half-heartedly
Teaching in Ukraine requires immense passion, but the rewards are many, Matthew Wren tells Anna Azarova
Despite the ongoing war, The British International School, Ukraine (BISU), which has campuses in Kyiv and Dnipro, continues its mission of providing high quality education to children.
Amid the air raid sirens and ever-present uncertainty, BISU’s community of Ukrainian and international teachers, both online and on-site, go beyond traditional methods to encourage a love of learning and nurture tomorrow’s leaders.
Matthew Wren is a British educator who joined British International School Ukraine in Dnipro in November 2023. Here, he talks to Anna Azarova about his experience of working as an international teacher in a country at war.
What motivated you to join BISU on site?
After studying history and international politics at Leeds, I taught in London and the north east of England for 14 years before going into business, running a property company.
I have had a connection to Ukraine since studying it indirectly as part of my history degree, where I wrote my dissertation on the Panther-Wotan line (Hitler’s Ostwall).
In 2015, I was finally able to visit Melitopol – just north of Crimea – which had been a vital city to the Germans during this period. Fascinated by the history, I started visiting more frequently, and eventually settled in the city, becoming a volunteer teacher at a number of schools.
When the Russians invaded, we all felt a surge of support for Ukraine. One way I envisioned doing this was by returning to my teaching roots – something I never thought I’d do again.
But BISU has been a breath of fresh air in my attitude to the profession. Of course, there are challenges, but the positives far outweigh the negatives.
What do you teach?
At the moment I am a BISU Nursery –Year 9 support teacher of English, EAL and history, and based in Dnipro.
How would you describe the staff at BISU?
They are fantastic. Their dedication to keeping education going, even under such circumstances, is something you have to see to believe. Imagine calmly going down several floors with your lesson plans and the children’s work, all to continue learning in a shelter.
The support from both the staff here and those who have chosen to teach online remotely has been incredible, especially for someone like me who’s been out of the profession for a while. In a way, it has fully reignited my passion for teaching. I feel privileged to be surrounded by such dedicated people who are committed to the Ukrainian children, the future builders of this nation.
Can you share a challenge that you’ve had to deal with because of the conflict?
The recurring challenge we face here is
the air raid alarms. Initially, I worried about how lessons would continue with these disruptions. However, what truly struck me was the calmness and professionalism – even a kind of insouciance – displayed by both the staff and the children. When the sirens go off, teachers simply take their materials and head down to the shelter, followed calmly by their students. It’s a remarkably smooth transition, and you wouldn’t believe it unless you saw it firsthand.
These shelters are a far cry from the rudimentary ones of World War II. Unfortunately, they’re a necessity now, but they’re astonishingly sophisticated here at BISU. It’s a testament to the incredible staff here, and even more so to the remarkable Ukrainian children. Everyone’s calm defiance in the face of adversity is truly staggering and in a wonderful way.
How do you spend your free time?
How do you enjoy life away from school?
Ukraine, despite its challenges, is a vibrant and exciting country. Kyiv, its capital, embodies this spirit. Sure, there’s a curfew – you need to be back home by 10 or 12pm, which can disrupt plans. But even with that, the city
pulsates with energy. The people are fantastic, and this energy is evident whether in wartime (which I’m experiencing now) or peacetime (which I’ve also witnessed).
For daytime exploration, Kyiv offers a wealth of historical sites. The stunning cathedrals, like St Sophia Cathedral, are architectural marvels, regardless of religious beliefs. The Motherland Monument and the World War Two museum provide glimpses into the country’s past. And beyond historical attractions, Kyiv boasts a thriving nightlife and social scene.
What qualities should incoming teachers to British International School Ukraine possess?
Being a teacher in Ukraine requires immense passion. It’s not a job that can be done half-heartedly, educators here are dedicated to their roles and their students. This dedication is even more crucial given the current situation. The teachers here not only manage lessons but also navigate the
inspiring. They combine an amazing sense of calm with proficiency, pleasantness, endearingness. It’s hard to describe in words – you really have to meet them to understand.
One memory that particularly touched me was the first time I saw the children evacuating during an air raid alarm. They calmly descended several flights of stairs to the shelter, demonstrating an amazing level of composure. It was a stark contrast to what you’d expect, and it truly moved me.
Please share any other information you feel would be useful for incoming teachers to know For educators seeking a truly fulfilling experience, helping children in Ukraine is an unmatched opportunity. It’s more than just a career; it’s a chance to make
“What struck me was the calmness and professionalism of the staff and children”
challenges of air raid shelters and disruptions. It’s about constant learning: absorbing knowledge from colleagues, children, and the environment itself. This enthusiasm and open-mindedness are what inspire me. Witnessing young and seasoned teachers dedicate themselves to supporting Ukraine fuels my own determination. It’s a cause worth fighting for, and their commitment makes this totally clear.
Could you describe the general characteristics of BISU students?
It’s hard to answer that question without mentioning the Ukrainian people in general. They are amongst the best people I’ve ever encountered. Even before the current difficulties, their strength and resilience impressed me. The children here are also truly
a real difference in their lives during this challenging time.
Beyond the satisfaction of helping, Ukraine offers a high quality of life at an affordable cost. With a European-level salary, you can enjoy excellent healthcare and a well-developed public transportation system. The country offers a diverse climate, with pleasant summers and mild autumns. While winters can be cold, they add to the unique charm.
So, you will get so much out of it, and you will be fighting the good fight, and you may not be carrying arms, but at least you are helping these wonderful children as best you can. And from my perspective, I’ve never done anything more important in my life. I’ve taught in England, went into business, but nothing compares with this.
For more information on working at BISU, please connect us at a.azarova@ britishschool.ua ◆
Anna Azarova is communications lead at The British International School, Ukraine. She moved to the UK in April 2022, under the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
The winners and losers in the global teaching market
What is the potential impact of so many teachers joining the international teaching job market, writes Cherry Atkinson
There have been numerous articles in the UK popular press lately, describing the “exodus” of British teachers from the profession and the year-on-year failure of the Department for Education to meet recruitment targets.
The unprecedented decline in teacher recruitment and retention over the past decade or so means that the demand for teachers in 2024 far outstrips supply. It seems likely that much of the purported “exodus from the profession” in the UK is due to the increasing numbers of teachers moving in to the ever-expanding international schools market. There, British teachers comprise a significant proportion of the 664,665 teachers employed across 14,010 international schools (ISC Research, 2024).
“Fast track routes are failing to have the hoped-for impact”
“Golden hellos” and training bursaries have long been seen as the way to encourage young professionals to become teachers, but cash incentives are failing to have the desired effect. My own doctoral research showed that, whilst money is of course important to teaching
professionals (none of us can afford to work for free, can we?), what becomes more important to many educators is the freedom to work with a certain level of creative professional autonomy. Money isn’t everything.
New and “improved” routes into teaching have also been introduced, to help “fast-track” teachers into the classroom, but these are also failing to have the hoped-for impact. It is perhaps too early to tell why the UK government’s wresting of control over initial teacher training schemes has not resulted in a steady influx of new blood into the profession. However, anecdotally, I have heard a number of prospective teachers on these “Teach First” or “Teach Direct” schemes complain about a lack of theoretical underpinning and peer support – something which the more traditional BEd, BA(QTS) and PGCE teaching programmes do not skimp on.
Filling the gaps
We have now reached the point in the UK where nonspecialists are being drafted in to cover shortage subjects, and teaching assistants are being asked more and more often to step into the role of class
teacher. Furthermore, there seems to be what can only be described as the organised poaching of teaching staff from other nations going on.
Gaps in the UK appear to be increasingly filled by teachers from nations with emerging economies – in particular those countries with a colonial legacy of an English-medium education system, such as Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria and Jamaica.
On first impression, it would seem that young, upwardly mobile teachers from highincome countries are moving overseas for fat salaries and a party lifestyle, whilst their counterparts in emerging economies are beginning to replace them as they themselves search for better salaries and an improved quality of life. However, surface appearances very rarely help the observer to identify nuance and socioeconomic undercurrents, let alone issues relating to complex global fields of power.
This movement of professional educators from national to international systems appears to be enabling social mobility for a distinct tranche of society; by examining the situation more
closely we move towards the uncomfortable likelihood that there is a widening gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots” on a global scale. It may well be that the trappings of downwards social exclusion are dressed up as the pursuit of individual freedoms, and disguised as meritocracy.
Preferential treatment
In 2020 I co-authored a paper which presented evidence of hidden or misrecognised discrimination in the recruitment of teachers in international schools. It is no secret that teachers from certain “white Anglophone” backgrounds are shown preferential treatment compared to their counterparts from other backgrounds. This is an area of study which is beginning to be more closely researched, but there is an (as yet) underexamined aspect of the phenomenon with regard to the migration of teachers into education systems of more developed nations.
This type of professional migration can of course fill the ever-increasing recruitment gap in some schools, while at the same time providing opportunities for overseas teachers to bring a welcome
level of intercultural diversity to their new places of work.
Benefits notwithstanding though, the question must be asked: who is getting the better deal? Teachers migrating from emerging economies might gain valuable experience, or higher wages, but I believe that there is a pressing need to consider the long-term impact of losing large numbers of forwardsthinking, educated professionals from national education systems.
I suggest that, through the active recruitment of teachers from emerging economies, the UK is complicit in recycling not just economic wealth “back to the former colonial core”, but also the talent, skills and means of production which should empower the world’s emerging middle classes to break free of historical patterns of dominance. Not a comfortable thought at all, but one which ought to be considered very carefully by policy-makers at every level. ◆
Cherry Atkinson is a teacher at an IB school in Oman.
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The View from Here: Haileybury Malta
The death of a co-founder made staff more determined to make Haileybury Malta a success, writes head Louise Salmond Smith
Monday 18 September 2023 is a day that I will remember forever.
Just over a year after my arrival in Malta, Haileybury opened its doors to our first cohort of 50 pupils from Years 3 to 8, representing 15 different nationalities. It was the most exciting yet nerve-racking “first day of school” that I have ever had, and I was desperate for it to go well.
As with any new school, we had suffered a few setbacks in the months leading up to our opening.
Just before our launch event some six months earlier, we tragically lost one of our directors and co-founder, Anthony Polak. Having been a parent at Haileybury UK and a resident of Malta, his vision for a sister school in Malta was so close to fruition.
The loss of Anthony was a shock to those of us who had been working alongside him, but this perhaps only made us all the more determined to ensure that his brainchild was successful.
The inevitable legalities that followed Anthony’s loss began to slow down the opening of our permanent campus in the Royal Naval Hospital, Mtarfa, and our timeline for opening the site was moving further away.
Somewhere to call home
I had spent much of late spring and early summer trawling the island for a possible temporary campus, looking at some that were too big, too small, did not have enough outside space, or just did not offer the facilities that would be expected of a Haileybury school.
Time was running very short, and it was wonderfully fortuitous that a beautiful villa close to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Tarxien Temples became available just when needed. It was not quite ready to
“Our pupils are the most wonderful and adaptable young people”
and see such tangible progress: the moment the Wi-Fi was switched on; the day the photocopier arrived; the most wonderful weekend in May when the air conditioning units
become a school and would require some work before it could be issued with the licence required to be used as school premises.
It seemed that we had found our perfect temporary site, but not one that would be ready for the start of term. As is so often the case for a founding head, it was back to the drawing board to find somewhere for us to be on our first day.
So, on that wonderful first day in September, Haileybury Malta opened in Villa Arrigo, a grand house in the village of Naxxar. We were there for our first week before moving to our second temporary location, a language school in the locality of San Gwann, where we remained until late November.
Permission granted
One autumnal Thursday afternoon in late November, receiving the email from the Maltese authorities granting our Tarxien campus a permit was most welcome news. Several hours of discussions and collaboration with our catering company, Thomas Franks, and our transport provider, Malta Coop, resulted in being able to move the whole school overnight.
We spent Friday putting books up in the library, unpacking the ukuleles in the music room, installing the basketball hoop in the playground, and getting to know our beautiful new surroundings.
And beautiful they are. So beautiful, in fact, that we are delighted to be spending a second year in Tarxien whilst work continues on our permanent campus, and expanding the school to Years 1 to10 from September 2024 and doubling the number of staff.
One of the most rewarding aspects of being a founding head is being able to look back on each week
were installed. and beautiful, and the
Upon our arrival at our Tarxien campus, it looked and felt a little like a show home version of a school. In the intervening months our gardening club has made the outdoor spaces so bright and beautiful, and the walls are now adorned with exquisite art work.
The tables in the staff room are stained with coffee mug rings, and each of our four school houses –named after Maltese forts – have left their mark in various places around the school. We have become a strong and purposeful community in such a short space of time, and of that I am very proud.
Patient and encouraging parents
Our curriculum reflects that of any prep school that you would find in the UK, and we have been a PreSenior Baccalaureate (PSB) school since day one. The PSB approach really suits our pupils, academically and pastorally, and I have been thrilled to see how seriously they take the development and control of their own growth.
Speech Day marked the end of our first year and was a magnificent celebration of our journey from that first day in Villa Arrigo to that final sunny morning in Tarxien. Our pupils are the most wonderful and adaptable young people, and their parents – and I cannot say this enough – are a patient and encouraging group who are supportive of everything that we do for their children.
I am profoundly appreciative of my role as custodian of this superb school in the middle of the Mediterranean and indebted to the outstanding team around me who have been performing miracles every single week. ◆
Louise Salmond Smith is the founding head of Haileybury Malta. She was previously head of The Prebendal School in Chichester from 2017 to 2022.
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Why international schools are still going wrong on staff wellbeing
Creating a positive workplace culture that embraces community and shared mission can help prevent burnout, writes Dr Helen Kelly
Three years on from the pandemic and staff in international schools continue to experience poor levels of workplace wellbeing that are placing many on the path towards burnout. In previous articles, I have discussed how educator burnout is primarily shaped by the systems, structures, characteristics, and culture of the school and needs to be tackled at the organisational level. Over the last two years my work has involved a much greater emphasis on supporting schools to measure and improve the quality of their workplace culture as a way
to maximise staff wellbeing.
The themes that are arising from my research point to a number of common mistakes that schools are making that negatively impact the workplace experience and wellbeing of employees.
Belonging and community
The foundation of a positive workplace culture is a sense of belonging to the school community. When we feel accepted and included we experience a happy hormone cocktail that is highly beneficial to our wellbeing and helps us to build
“Poor relations with leaders are the main reason employees leave their jobs”
resilience to weather hard times. Isolation, on the other hand, is more detrimental to workplace wellbeing than bullying.
This is particularly pertinent for international schools where most employees live away from their support networks and look to school to provide both friendship and support. Despite this, I have found schools increasingly disregarding the importance of shared purpose and relationship building, both key factors in creating belonging for staff.
Shared purpose gives meaning to our work and provides a set of goals around which we can connect with others. This increases our motivation and levels of engagement and positively affects workplace wellbeing. Shared purpose is created through a strong vision and mission that is supported by all and is embedded into the daily life of the school.
Too often school employees tell me that they feel no connection to the school’s guiding statements. They report having played no role in formulating the mission and vision, and feel the statements do not represent the reality of what is happening in school. This undermines their sense of shared purpose and impacts how they feel about their work. It is a missed opportunity on the part of leadership to build a sense of belonging.
The erosion of community in schools is the single biggest change I have seen in recent years. Staff describe going weeks meeting only their immediate colleagues, as opportunities for wider professional collaboration and relationship building are
“When we feel accepted and included we experience a happy hormone cocktail”
incrementally replaced by other priorities.
This undermines the trust that is built when colleagues know each other well, making misunderstanding and the presumption of negative intent more likely and increasing the chance of workplace incivility. Burnout researchers have found that poor staff community is a major factor contributing to burnout in schools, second only to workload.
Yet school leaders often fail to understand how instrumental positive collegial relationships are to staff wellbeing and school effectiveness, seeing collaboration and community as being nice to have rather than essential.
Leader-staff relations
Research shows that poor relations with leaders are the main reason employees leave their jobs. Positive leader-staff relationships are crucial to creating a sense of workplace belonging and maximising wellbeing for staff. As a former principal turned researcher, I am surprised by the extent to which staff want more human connection with their leaders.
Employees tell me that they want to feel that their leaders know them, and they also want to know their leaders –not only professionally but personally too. I know how challenging it can be for leaders to find time to build meaningful relationships with staff, but it is crucial that they try.
Top-down decision making is a key factor undermining leader-staff relations. Research also shows lack of control at work to be the third biggest contributor
to burnout in school employees. While some international schools are wonderfully collaborative, this is the exception rather than the norm.
Most international schools still have very top-down cultures and at best engage in what I call “fake consultation” where time is spent soliciting opinions from staff when a decision has already been made. Staff tell me how this undermines their trust in leaders and leaves them feeling disrespected, as their time is wasted and their insights and knowledge disregarded.
Recognition, appreciation and feedback
Being recognised and appreciated at work has been shown to have a highly positive impact on workplace culture and wellbeing but is an area that schools often get wrong. Too much recognition and appreciation is formulaic, taking the form of bland, generic shoutouts or feedback that is unspecific, unpersonalised and seen as disingenuous.
While there is a role for shoutouts, most staff tell me that they prefer quiet, specific, in-the-moment praise for things they have done well. I call this “noticing and mentioning.” They also want constructive feedback and support to improve their professional practice and assist with their career development that is individualised and meaningful. Most feel there is insufficient time allocated to discussing their professional development with supervisors and many are hungry for greater mentorship.
Six steps to improve workplace culture and avoid the pitfalls
1. Spend time collaboratively developing or reviewing the mission and vision with the whole staff (and the rest of the school community). Ensure that the guiding statements are embedded into the life of the school.
2. Provide time for staff collaboration and community building during staff meetings and personal development days. Give employees more input over how they spend this time.
3. Prioritise leader-staff relations and ensure leaders are visible around the school.
4. Provide opportunities for genuine collaboration and consultation around decision making and avoid top-down approaches or “fake consultation.”
Where top-down decision making is unavoidable, ensure it is transparent and well communicated.
5. Develop a culture of “noticing and mentioning” good work. This starts with leaders but can quickly trickle down to collegial interactions and become part of the workplace culture.
6. Provide more time for mentoring of staff, learning about and supporting individual career aspirations. ◆
Former international school leader and lawyer Helen Kelly is a researcher, writer, speaker and consultant in the field of school wellbeing. Through her work as The Positive Principal, she provides practical support to teachers, school leaders and others to enhance wellbeing and maximise the potential of the whole school community.
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What does it take to be an international school teacher?
International school teachers will only succeed if they have a unique set of attributes, writes Dr Helen Wright
In my capacity as a board director, I recently spent two days observing and participating in a series of uplifting start-of-theyear CPD sessions at Dalton School, an extremely wellrespected international school in Hong Kong.
The experience was such that I felt inspired to put pen to paper in praise of international teachers, and their contribution to the world. What they accomplish is truly exceptional. Being an international teacher, I have realised over the years, is as much about mindset as it is about origin or place of birth. And while international schools come in all shapes and sizes, they share a commitment to international-mindedness, and a determination to contribute to bringing humanity closer together through education.
We all know that teaching brings its challenges; teaching in an international school, however, brings a unique set. International teachers operate at the intersection of diverse cultures, educational philosophies, and the high expectations of parents, students, and communities…add to this the great vision of internationalism, and they have a hard task ahead of them.
So… here are some of my thoughts about the attributes that mark out really successful international teachers:
1. International thinking
It may seem obvious, but successful international school teachers are international in their thinking and their approach to education. This means that if you want to become an international teacher, you need to really embrace a global perspective in your teaching and outlook, helping students connect what they learn in the classroom to the world around them and to the much wider world.
“Some of the best educational practice I have seen has been in international schools”
2. Cultural intelligence
Cultural intelligence is crucial for teachers working in international schools. It involves being aware of and sensitive to the diverse cultural backgrounds of your students. It involves understanding how these backgrounds influence their learning styles, communication preferences, and social interactions. A culturally intelligent teacher will not only respect these differences but will actively incorporate them into their teaching. This involves adapting teaching methods to meet, simultaneously, the needs of students from different cultural backgrounds. It’s easier said than done.
3. Collaborative spirit
My experience over the past few days in Hong Kong has reminded me that successful international schools are vibrant communities that really thrive and depend on collaboration. As a teacher, your success often depends on your ability to work effectively with others, and explore differences and similarities
“Being an international teacher brings a unique set of challenges”
5. Adaptability
together. This could be with your colleagues, students, or parents. A collaborative spirit also leads to a stronger, more connected school community, where students can grow to appreciate how to work together with others.
4. Emotional resilience
Teaching in an international school can be especially demanding. Many international school teachers work far from home, navigating different educational systems, and managing the expectations of a diverse community of parents and students. Emotional resilience is likely the quality that will help you stay positive, focused, and effective, even in challenging situations.
The world of education is constantly evolving, especially in international schools where new trends, technologies, and educational practices are continually emerging; some of the best educational practice I have seen over the past few years has been in international schools. Successful international school teachers are those who can adapt to these changes and are willing to innovate in their teaching. As seasoned international teachers will confirm, life in different parts of the world can take unexpected turns, and being adaptable makes life a lot easier.
6. Integrity
Integrity is a fundamental attribute for any teacher, but arguably it is particularly important in an international school setting where you are likely to be seen as a role model for students from a variety of backgrounds. When you create a classroom environment where honesty and accountability are the norm, you are modelling a version of humanity that transcends national boundaries, while respecting cultural identity. The future of the world, arguably, depends on this.
Do you have what it takes?
International teachers play a crucial role in shaping the global citizens of tomorrow – students who are critical and creative thinkers, culturally aware, ethically grounded, and able to thrive in an interconnected world. If this is already you – well done! Keep doing what you are doing. And if it sounds like it might be you, well, perhaps you should start looking for a role in an international school.
Dr Helen Wright was a head for 13 years and for the past seven has coached and challenged leaders globally.
Expecting more in the age of AI
As AI becomes more powerful, international school teachers will have to ask far more from their pupils, writes Jack Dougall
As the academic year draws to a close, there will be few educators who have yet to have a little grumble about large language models like ChatGPT spoiling their homework. However, if we’re honest, it’s been little more than a mild irritant. While AI use has been impossible to prove, it’s often been easy to spot. If your students are anything like mine, some probably even helped by leaving phrases like, “Certainly, I’d be glad to help you with that,” at the top.
This general ease of identification has two main reasons:
• The children, like everyone else, are very inexperienced and ineffective at using AI.
• Most were using the free and now fairly basic 3.5 version of ChatGPT, which, when used carelessly, produces very average writing with heavy overuse of certain words like “delve,” “elevate,” and “leverage.”
That, however, is all about to change.
The AI tsunami?
In May 2024, the AI advancement war intensified with a focus on education as highlighted in their “Spring Updates.”
“Even if schools banned AI entirely, they would face fierce backlash from employers”
OpenAI, the owners of ChatGPT, went head to head with Google, launching updates just one day apart. Following this, other companies such as Microsoft, Meta, Apple, and Perplexity also joined the race. They are striving to quickly achieve three goals to dominate the market:
• Increased accessibility
• Increased usability
• Increased capabilities
Soon, highly impressive AI with virtually no barriers to entry will be available. Top models are now free and accessible from the home screens of phones and computers. “Multi-modal” AI, which can see, talk, hear, and remember, eliminates the learning curve, making “prompt engineering” unnecessary.
AI capabilities are rapidly increasing daily, with Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet leading the way at the time of writing. However, the imminent arrival of GPT-5, promising PhD-level intelligence for specific tasks, is generating the most excitement.
As a result, AI will become a default option that you and your children will have to consciously opt out of, rather than opt into as it is currently.
No choice but to ride the wave
Whether you like it or not, AI is here to stay. Big tech companies are already entwining it into every facet of our lives. Even if schools magically managed to ban AI entirely, they would undoubtedly face fierce backlash from businesses expecting
“I understand teachers’ concern about the rapid, seemingly unearned increase in everyone’s abilities”
their future workforce to be trained in contemporary practices. According to the 2024 Work Trend Index Annual Report by Microsoft and LinkedIn, 66 per cent of leaders wouldn’t hire someone without AI skills and 71 per cent would rather hire a less experienced candidate with AI skills than a more experienced one without.’
So, when the wave hits next year, what should educators do? To me, the answer is simple: we do what the businesses are going to do – expect more.
The levels have shifted
To borrow a concept from Professor Ethan Mollick, a leader in AI in education, we are now living in a world of “cyborgs”. In any work involving technology, think of people as human PLUS artificial intelligence. For teachers, this means all of your students are about to become gifted and super-talented when given access to
technology. Ignore this at your peril. As teachers, we all know the risks of not catering to the needs of our high-ability students.
Don’t despair
I understand many teachers are concerned about the rapid, seemingly unearned increase in everyone’s abilities. Some may feel threatened, wrongly assuming that their hard-earned skills are becoming irrelevant. However, the truth is quite the opposite. Core skills, specialisations, and education will be more important than ever.
This was best illustrated by a conversation I had with a couple of teachers at my school during lunch. While overzealously discussing my theory, I bashfully mentioned to a music teacher that, even with no musical ability, I could quickly create a song with AI’s help. She looked despondent, and another leapt to her defence: “Do you actually think you
could write a better song than she could just by using AI?”
I answered no, but explained that even with my complete lack of understanding of tone, rhythm, or melody, I could produce a “good” song by today’s standards.
However, by next year, those standards will have changed. Once the music teacher combines her skills, experience, and musical expertise with her AI “thought partner”, what she will be able to produce will be sublime. The overall skill levels will shift up for everyone.
My “good” musical ability will once again be laughable. As teachers, we must recognise that the scale has shifted and no longer be impressed by today’s “good” –we need to expect more. ◆
Jack Dougall has 15 years’ experience teaching secondary humanities in the UK and is currently teaching at The British School of Gran Canaria. He is also the CEO of Ecmtutors, a social enterprise focused on raising educational standards through peer tutoring and AI use in international schools.
China’s international schools ambition
By 2029, there could be Chinese international schools across the world, one market expert predicts
British schools with branches abroad could face competition from a planned network of Chinese international schools “all over the world’” an expert has said.
A Chinese government policy to open international schools worldwide is expected to come to fruition in 2029, said Julian Fisher, co-founder of Beijing-based market intelligence agency Venture Education and chair of the British Chamber of Commerce in China.
Since the policy was announced in 2019, the Chinese government has opened the first Chinese international school overseas in Dubai, offering its public school curriculum and the gaokao university entrance exam.
The new schools would serve the families of millions of Chinese people based overseas and enable expatriate children to learn their “home” country’s heritage, language, history and culture.
Global South, it might be worth considering that in the years to come, your competition isn’t going to be from other British schools, it’s going to be Chinese schools and what would that mean in terms of risk?”
He said the potential march of Chinese international schools was different to competition from others such as the French Lycée system, for example.
“I think what’s different with China is they’re the second biggest economy on earth, they want to be the pre-eminent power on this planet.
“Perceptions of China are different in different parts of the world”
Mr Fisher told the International Private Schools Education Forum (IPSEF) in London: “That will be the first of many. We say in the British Chamber that when the Chinese government sets something out, you’ve got 10 years until it really hits you. So we’re five years in. By 2029, you’re going to see these all over the world.”
He warned that this could mean that other international schools’ strategies for admissions may not work in future.
He said: “A lot of schools have opened around Asia because they plan to fill them with Chinese students, you have to worry about that model going forward.
“You’ve also got to think what does this mean in terms of competition?”
He said it was “worth considering” that perceptions of China were different in different parts of the world.
“So if you’re thinking about opening schools in the
“It won’t just be about educating their own citizens, I think that over time it will be a hybrid: the government schools for Chinese students with families overseas that are going to return to China [and] it will also be Chinese private organisations that will be going overseas and that I think is where there’s going to be the real competition.”
Mr Fisher’s comments came after Venture Education published a report on the issue called Disruption.
It says the Chinese government’s development of K-12 schools overseas is primarily intended to support the educational needs of Chinese students abroad. It will also raise the profile of Chinese education and support economic development.
In the past 10 years, China has developed over 1000 “Chinese Assisted Schools”, mostly in Africa, that are funded by the Chinese government or a Chinese company and are intended for local people, the report says.
Chinese investors now control a growing list of UK private schools, including Chase Grammar School and Thetford Grammar School. ◆
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Is it time for an Academy of International Educators?
There is no global body monitoring the ethical and professional conduct of international school teachers – but there should be, writes Dr Nigel J Winnard
In my 19 years of international school headship I have worked with an incredible number of outstanding educators from a wide variety of countries and professional backgrounds. I have been lucky enough to meet teachers from all over the world, and I have interviewed more than I can count. There are thousands of amazing, talented, and
“There is currently no formal oversight body monitoring ethical or professional conduct”
principled educators travelling from school to school, country to country, doing incredible things in their classrooms and enriching the communities where they find a home.
Falling short
But as any school leader will tell you, there are also those who fall short of the kinds of expectations that, on our best days, we would expect of professional educators.
The scale of the international schools market is staggering. ISC Research estimates that sector revenue is US$64bn and rising, spread across 14,457 schools populated by 7.3 million students taught by over 693,000 educators.
International school educators come from a wide range of local and expatriate backgrounds, bringing with them a range of certifications, professional histories and backgrounds. The expatriate teachers typically move on every two, three or four years, and many (but not all) are rigorously vetted by their new employers, particularly in the interests of child protection.
Likewise, many (but not all) have their references scrupulously checked, phone calls made to previous employers, and all possible steps taken to ensure that teachers being hired meet whatever ethical or professional expectations that the new school deems to be required.
Time for change?
International education is a transnational profession, with a globally mobile workforce of
teachers that is not governed by a set of globally recognized international standards. There is currently no formal oversight body monitoring ethical or professional conduct. Likewise, there is no globally recognized professional body for international educators that attests to the continued professional good standing of its individual members, and which celebrates their achievements.
Isn’t it time that this changed? When the international school world was relatively small there was perhaps a case for the wordof-mouth oversight by loose associations of schools whose leaders attested to the good standing of teachers as they moved from one school or country to another.
However, given the massive increase in the number of schools, and the consequent explosion in the number of international educators, there is a case to be made for the establishment of a recognized professional body that endorses the good standing of international educators.
It would give schools and their communities the confidence that educators who are members have maintained the level of ethical and professional standards that characterise the best of our profession.
Global task force
There is an infrastructure already in place that might offer an environment for the challenging conversations necessary for the ideation and creation of such a body. The international school accreditation agencies – CIS, MSA, NEASC, WASC and so forth – have a vested interest in the maintenance of the highest quality of educational professionals in their member schools.
Whilst mechanisms exist within their respective protocols to comment on quality of teaching and HR practices, it is on a schoolwide level. What if these organisations, perhaps in conversation with associations such as AISA, AMISA, NESA, EARCOS, COBIS and the like, initiated a task force to see what it would take to set up a global oversight body? This would have the goal of certifying international educators according to a standards-based framework
that recognised and celebrated the highest of expectations.
The world has changed beyond belief since I first became an international educator back in the mid-1990s. What were loose coalitions of schools have become large scale networks. Brief career adventures have become lifelong professional journeys from country to country, in a world that contains an evergrowing number of quite incredible schools.
A complex eco-system
Where once upon a time international schools were seen as a quirky collection of disconnected institutions serving expat families has developed into a complex ecosystem of interconnected schools, organisations and associations that serve both expatriate and increasing local populations.
The sector continues to grow, and more teachers will join the world of international education. It is and will remain an immensely attractive
proposition for teachers looking not just for travel, but for professional respect in schools that are often at the cutting edge of K-12 education. Perhaps it is time for us to talk about an Academy of International Educators, membership of which
“Brief career adventures have become lifelong professional journeys from country to country”
celebrates the professional quality of teachers and provides the kind of assurance that school communities expect when they welcome new teachers to their schools. So, who would like to take this forward? ◆
Dr Nigel J Winnard has been an international school head for 19 years, as founding head of the first IB World School in Sudan and more recently as head of the American School of Rio de Janeiro. He has taught and lead internationally for 30 years, working in Bahrain, The Philippines, Brazil, and Sudan.
A truly global education
A varied international career has given Oanh Crouch – director of education at international schools group Globeducate – a unique overview of global education systems. By Irena Barker
When, in her early career, Oanh Crouch left her home in Australia to teach in Finland, she says it was a “pivotal moment”.
Not only was she taught to ice skate by a four-year-old, but she was able to immerse herself in a system that has been almost mythologised the world over.
“Everyone was going on about how great the Finnish system was, how educationally sound it was. So I wanted to find out myself,” she says.
the next level of development…that was definitely a defining moment,” says Crouch, who studied radiography for two years before turning to a career in education.
A wide range of experience
This experience of six months teaching in Finland has informed a career teaching and leading around the world, which, in 2019, led her to become the director of education at international schools group Globeducate.
And she was stunned by what she saw. As an early years and primary specialist, she understood the importance of play, but the focus on outdoor education was taken to a new level, with everybody going out for up to four hours each day, rain snow or shine.
“It was about putting the right clothing on and the kids just flourished and thoroughly enjoyed that chance to discover their own creative opportunities, learning how to take risks while keeping themselves physically and emotionally safe,” she says.
A system of mixing age groups gave even young children the opportunity to help their classmates and support each other (hence Crouch’s young ice skating instructor) and ensured all pupils were ready to start formal education at age seven.
“That really framed my understanding of education, of what makes effective teaching and learning, to understand how best to prepare learners to progress to
The fast-growing group has 65 international and bilingual schools in 11 countries, including Europe and North Africa, Canada and India.
After Finland, Crouch – who was born in Vietnam but raised in Australia – widened her horizons even further.
Her next job was at a “very formal” independent girls’ school in the UK. But her hunger for experience soon took her to a British international school in Thailand. She taught the UK national curriculum and then led the introduction of the IB Primary Years Programme.
“It got its hooks into me,” she says, explaining how it allowed the school to tailor itself to the needs of students of different nationalities, and provided more varied opportunities for pupils to demonstrate their learning.
“Having the autonomy to create a curriculum that was contextually relevant to our learners was paramount to its success,” she says.
Literacy push
In Thailand, she met her British husband and had three children but they eventually returned to the UK, where Crouch became an assistant head in a multiacademy trust in Blackpool, one of the most deprived areas of the country.
Charged with developing teaching and learning in literacy, she wanted to shift the trust’s schools away from reading and writing just “to get through Sats” to a more holistic approach, including motivating children to read through enjoyment.
Teachers were encouraged to be “reading role models”, the library was upgraded, and children wrote for the local paper. Guest authors were invited in, talk about books and reading was encouraged in class and the Sats results also went up.
She says: “We were just developing a rounded approach to make it real, not just something for ‘smart people’.
“It was just making sure that I could show how accessible reading was and that it was open to anybody,” she says, stressing the importance of all kinds of reading, from graphic novels to recipe books.
Joining Globeducate
After that assignment, she was appointed to Globeducate, where she now works across its different “clusters” of schools of similar curriculum type, helping them develop.
Schools in the British international school cluster have just rolled out their “Journey” programme, which starts with basic outdoor learning in the Early Years and ends in Year 13 with the Duke of Edinburgh International Award. The core aims of the programme are to grow students’ confidence and resilience, develop skills such as collaboration and communication and instil care for the environment.
She is also focused on creating a professional learning community across the group, so teachers around the world can learn from each other.
“There was a sense of professional isolation. When I joined in 2019 I felt they were working in silos and probably feeling alone,” she says.
During and following the pandemic, though, the communities have developed and staff can access support from colleagues in everything from literacy to STEAM or the Eco Schools agenda. There is also a focus on teachers taking the lead, growing their colleagues and developing leaders through online and real life meet-ups.
Crouch says that visiting schools and supporting them and helping them to develop is one of the best aspects of her job.
“Being able to see initiatives rolled out and seeing the impact of that on our students, and seeing that impact in our data, is a real highlight,” she says.
Group-wide events
Crouch is also proud of a number of group-wide events, including the “Globeducate Debate”, now involving 700 children across 30 schools in an online debate with guest speakers giving oratorial tips.
The Globeducate Read event also continues to grow, she says, and is vital for cultivating a “reading community”.
She says: “This year we had over 12000 students, 950 teachers and 38 schools involved around the globe. All schools involved dedicate an hour to reading and showcasing what they did in that hour. It has really highlighted the importance and love of reading in our schools.”
She is also focusing on developing post-18 pathways, in an age where university is not seen as the only option to become successful.
education systems and curricula – hard won through teaching around the world –Crouch understands that when it comes to what students do next, there is no onesize-fits-all.
With these varied experiences behind her, it is unsurprising that Crouch is frequently called upon for advice: As a consultant, she supported the University of York in developing their programme for STEM initial teacher training.
She has also advised the Education Endowment Fund and is now the advisory board member for education on the British Chamber of Commerce. She is also an advisory board member for the World Literacy Foundation.
But, the question remains, does she have a favourite education system? Is she in love with any one curriculum?
Perhaps understandably, given her position, she won’t pick one.
“You should take the good out of everything that you discover. I love the Finnish educational philosophy, but you can’t just plunk it anywhere. There are great things about each model and you can’t just discount them. It’s about being really mindful and thoughtful about the core features of what you like about it, why you like it and how it translates into the context of your learners.
“What’s best for improving one school might not work for another”
She says: “University isn’t always students’ first priority nowadays…students don’t want to just go to university because they think that’s what they should do, because their parents say or because society says they must.
“They’re now actively choosing what they want to do. And there are different pathways and our schools are supporting young people to make that choice and they get to where they need to get to, whether it be at a Russell Group university, performing arts or culinary school or apprenticeships.”
No one-size-fits-all
Rather like her appreciation of different
“What’s the best for improving one school might not work for another.”
Schools, she said, must think carefully about how a new curriculum is going to impact students, and ensure that they’re not doing it “just because it’s the latest craze”.
“If you’re doing it for the wrong reasons it becomes really unclear, murky and you’re not going to get people who want to do it. It is vital to have clarity of your thinking and be strategic in its delivery,” she adds.
“At the end of the day we want our students to be successful, how we get there could be very different from one school to the next.
“It takes a savvy and courageous leader to say ‘this is who we are’ and create your own thing.”
Something Oanh Crouch has been doing her whole career. ◆
How one school trip changed lives
Richard Human and his former students remember the incredible impact of a school trip to climb Mount Kenya
1996: The year the Motorola StarTAC, the first flip mobile phone, went on sale. Take That announced that they were splitting up, Jay-Z released his debut album Reasonable Doubt and Hotmail began offering a free email service.
Perhaps a little less well known, it was also the year that I was to be found teaching at a school in the suburbs of Nairobi – trying to write eligibly on a green shiny “black” board.
It was also in 1996 that I took a 20-strong group of 11 and 12-year-old students on a four day hike up Mount Kenya, the highest mountain in the country and the second highest in Africa. For those not familiar with the country, Mount Kenya rises out of the lush central highlands of Kenya, its snow-capped peak piercing the clouds at an impressive 5,199 meters (17,057 feet) above sea level.
A difficult ascent
For an adult the ascent to this summit is both challenging and rewarding, with rugged trails winding through diverse ecosystems, from lush montane forests to alpine meadows adorned with vibrant wildflowers. As the oxygen thins, the landscape transforms into a stark, rocky terrain, where glaciers cling to the slopes, defying the equatorial sun.
The lower slopes of Mount Kenya offer warmth and opportunities for hiking, bird watching, spotting
elephants and other creatures. Its flanks are home to various communities, whose traditions and way of life are intertwined with this beautiful mountain.
An impact decades later
As many teachers do, I had invested time developing strong relationships with, and between, the pupils in the class. I worked hard to identify their passions and talents and to create opportunities for them to be challenged. One of those students was Reena, now a 40-year-old London lawyer.
“It is so important for schools to provide pupils with challenge”
When asked to reflect on that time in her life, she said the trip had help her “think outside the box” in art, experimenting with chisels, prints and tie dye, and learning to play football and climb mountains.
“It was these experiences that made me believe in myself through perseverance and dedication,” she said.
As their teacher, I constantly sought ways to take Reena and her friends out of their “comfort zones” and into a “growth zone” – demanding focused attention and effort from each and every one of them.
“I constantly sought ways to take them out of their comfort zones”
Reena recalled being asked to captain the girls football team that I coached: “This small act, despite not being the best player, gave me the courage to lead, to utilise team work and even though we did not win the game I felt believed in; this has definitely shaped me to taking more risks and gaining confidence in myself.”
Another student, Nikhil, now a successful businessman in Nairobi, recalled being taught to understand the “importance of morals, equality and a fair chance [and the importance] of developing a person to their potential. I was a problem child and always ended up in lots of trouble at school but after spending time with Mr Human he truly brought the best out in me.”
Now a father himself, Nikhil recognises how important it is for schools to provide pupils with challenge: “[Much] of the time we only tend to concentrate on academics, however other skills play a critical path in self-growth for a student, it is sometimes only in such field trips that an individual discovers their hidden talent or learns something about themselves that they didn’t know.”
Independence and perseverance
To prepare for the climb we spent months getting fit – swimming, running, doing the dastardly “bleep test” –and learning about the mountain in geography, history and art lessons.
“I remember the training before the trip and having
to do different activities to show my endurance, where I wanted to give up, and he was there encouraging me to continue until I managed to complete the tasks,” recalls Reena.
She said that the experience of camping and climbing with a heavy pack taught her the “independence and perseverance” that has brought her to where she is today.
Another class member, Hema, said that going outside of the classroom environment made her mix and work with those outside of her normal group and she had the chance to “learn by doing”.
Hema recalls that climbing the mountain “was a super hard challenge”. “Our teacher had faith in the trip, so dedicated his time and energy and taught us lifelong skills,” she said.
Reena remembers “swimming in the river, playing games and sharing experiences with my classmates, some of whom have become lifelong friends.”
Life-long skills and friends. Isn’t that what we all want? ◆
Richard Human has been a teacher and school leader for 25 years. His last role was at the British School in the Netherlands where he worked for 10 years. He is now working as an online teacher, working with students in several countries, including Ukraine and Hungary.
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Is genre dead? Long live audience and purpose!
HOW CULTIVATING AN AUDIENCE AND PURPOSE CULTURE DRIVES GLOBAL SUCCESS
Donny Morrison believes that embracing audience and purpose over rigid genre boundaries is essential for fostering genuine literacy development, especially in diverse international contexts.
In the rapidly evolving landscape of global education, the question arises: has the traditional focus on genre in literacy education become outdated? As a senior consultant, I’ve seen the transformative power of shifting focus to audience and purpose, particularly in international schools where cultural and linguistic diversity shapes teaching methodologies and student outcomes.
Creating a global audience and purpose culture
In international schools, where children come from diverse backgrounds, understanding the audience and purpose of communication becomes even more crucial. This understanding shapes children’s language choices, leading to more impactful and authentic writing experiences. When children write with a clear audience and purpose, they often see themselves as global citizens – journalists, diplomats, or storytellers – ully immersed in their roles.
Research-based pedagogy for global classrooms
A book-based approach, using high-quality, diverse children’s literature, motivates children to write for various audiences and purposes. Literacy Tree employs literature that resonates across cultures, allowing children to see themselves and others in the texts. This exposure to different literary worlds fosters empathy, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of perspectives. Carefully designed lesson sequences provide opportunities to explore writing conventions that children can apply to authentic contexts, enhancing their ability to communicate effectively in an international setting.
Starting early and sustaining engagement
In international schools, the journey begins in Early Years, where role-play and contextdriven activities naturally introduce children to writing. From writing recipes in a mud
kitchen to taking notes on a spaceship, young children engage with writing when it has a clear context and audience. This sense of wonder should be sustained throughout their schooling, maintaining engagement and developing essential writing skills.
Whole-school approach
Implementing whole-school events centred around a common book or theme can create a cohesive framework for writing projects. Many international schools I’ve worked with schedule writing weeks where children work on a unified project, culminating in exhibitions or performances. These events foster a shared sense of purpose and excitement around writing, uniting children from different cultures in a common goal.
Publishing as motivation
Differentiating between instant and planned publishing can keep children motivated.
Instant publishing involves incidental writing opportunities encountered during a text journey, while planned publishing refers to extended, polished pieces of writing at the end of a sequence. Both forms are crucial for maintaining a dynamic and purposeful writing environment and using culturally relevant materials enhances the authenticity and engagement of these tasks.
The power of shared writing in an international classroom
Shared writing, where teachers model the
writing process and think aloud to make explicit the connection between audience, purpose, and writing choices, is particularly powerful in international settings. This practice demystifies writing for children and reinforces the importance of tailoring language to fit different cultural contexts and audiences.
The argument for shifting from genrebased to audience and purpose-driven writing instruction is compelling, especially in international schools. By focusing on who the audience is and why they are
Case Study: Sunmarke School, Dubai, UAE
Although some staff had prior experience of using Literacy Tree in London, Sunmarke’s journey began in August of 2023. As the international political climate has changed over the last few years, Sunmarke saw a rapid increase in ELL students, with many of these children joining from other international curricula. The Deputy Head recognised the need for a consistent English approach that would engage the new students yet still provide that rigour and challenge needed.
Having spoken with Literacy Tree co-founder and co-CEO Lynn, Sunmarke collaborated on a long-term English plan that was appropriate for their context. Before the whole-school inset was delivered, a couple of year groups trialled some Literacy Tree texts and attended online training sessions. With 44 class teachers, these early pioneers were able to offer some insights of their own, allowing year group teams to begin adapting planning more confidently.
The impact on writing has been remarkable. Whilst Sunmarke hasn’t yet fully incorporated Literary Leaves, there has been a noticeable increase in reading attainment, evidenced in external NGRTs. Other Dubai schools have visited to see Literacy Tree in action, and external cross-school moderation has resulted in favourable outcomes for Year 2 and Year 6. Aside from data and outcomes, children have a passion for writing and reading that wasn’t there before. Offering a range of different text types has also exposed the students to unfamiliar authors, illustrators
writing, children become more engaged, and their writing becomes more authentic and relevant. Schools like Sunmarke School, Dubai, UAE demonstrate the impact of this approach, proving that when children see their writing as meaningful communication rather than a checklist task, their creativity and skills flourish. As the educational landscape continues to evolve, embracing audience and purpose over rigid genre boundaries seems not only logical but essential for fostering genuine literacy development on a global scale. ◆
Donny Morrison is Senior Consultant at Literacy Tree. He was a primary teacher for 10 years and taught in Scotland and England across KS1 and KS2 since qualifying. Donny has led English in schools as well as holding leadership and phase leader roles and most recently has been a lead practitioner of English teaching for a local authority.
and cultures. Their journey has just started, and the plans for the future are ambitious!
“We were fortunate to have had Literacy Tree over to Dubai to deliver training for our staff. Behind the scenes, we worked together to create a personalised curriculum map that was not only culturally sensitive to our context but that complimented our existing STEAM curriculum. What we now have in place is a robust, long-term plan featuring high-quality texts that help bring our STEAM projects linked to sustainability and technology to life.
The feedback we’ve had from teachers has been really positive. Engagement and writing stamina has already increased, and working walls are being utilised really effectively within lessons.
The benefit for us as an international school is that our teachers can attend online planning support sessions, subject leader meetings and keep up to date with the latest pedagogy and literature through the book lists and articles on the Literacy Tree website.
As we reach the end of our first year, the progress we’ve seen has been incredible. I’m already looking forward to seeing this continue into next year and beyond. The beauty of using a whole-school approach such as this is that you see a cumulative effect: children become familiar with the resources, confident with grammatical terminology and demonstrate an increased stamina for writing.”
