Wellbeing starts early and lasts for life

Every child deserves to feel safe, supported, and understood. At Amman Academy, that belief is woven into everything, from the way teachers greet students each morning to how counsellors, staff, and parents work together behind the scenes.

“The Amman Academy community shares a collective responsibility to make sure that everyone in our community feels like they belong,” says Jude Hashem, the school’s primary counsellor. “That every student and their family belong in our community.”

Her work begins from the very first years of a child’s learning. In her view, early investment in emotional wellbeing is what allows children to become confident, independent, and resilient learners later on. “Every student has an area where they can excel,” she explains. “Whether it's through science, sports, singing, music, arts or any area that they feel like they can excel in… we provide them with that opportunity.”

Support for students, teachers, and families

One of the school’s key strengths, Jude says, is that the support goes beyond just students. Teachers are given training, development, and tools to understand the whole child. “We provide our teachers with the correct training workshops, professional development sessions, to be able to provide students with the skills that they need.”

Just as importantly, the school brings parents into that same process. “We also provide our parents with workshops with experts from all around the country… in order for them to be on this journey with us and support us with all the skills that we're going to be teaching our students.”

It is this shared commitment that gives the community its strength. From counsellors to teachers to parents, everyone plays a part. “We have a full-circle support system at school,” Jude says.

Although the focus of her work is the early years and primary, the impact of the school’s wellbeing approach is felt far beyond that stage. Many of the habits and attitudes built in the younger years stay with students as they grow through MYP and IB. As Jude puts it, “When you see students find their place and feel proud of who they are, that’s when you know you’ve done something right.”

Wellbeing at Amman Academy isn’t a separate programme. It’s part of the culture, part of the learning, and part of what makes the school different. For families looking for more than just strong academics, Jude’s message is simple: “We’re here for the whole child. And we’re here for you, too.”