The most important things about schools are the people in them. That encompasses the students, the parents and of course all the members of staff. With regard to giving our students the best possible education and learning opportunities, this falls to those colleagues who play the crucial role of teacher.
There are two aspects which are essential for building and maintaining a great teaching team:
At the end of last week we held our annual Learning Symposium – these are two days in our calendar which are devoted entirely to sharing the outstanding work that goes on here and enabling all teachers to learn new strategies and skills which can help them in the future. All our teachers work collaboratively to undertake research into an academic area of their choice and then present their outcomes to colleagues.
As well as learning from colleagues, we were joined this year by two visiting experts: Andy Puttock, the Director of Education for Nord Anglia Education, and Steve Munby who was previously the CEO of the National College for School Leadership in the UK and is recognised as one of the leading figures in British education in recent years.
It was very inspiring to have Andy and Steve with us and to see the impact they have had by working directly with BISAD staff. It is also very encouraging to hear their feedback with regard to the quality of teachers at the school and also the quality of their training. BISAD has long had a reputation for excellent teachers and it is great to hear this endorsement from educational experts too.
It is widely acknowledged that teachers have the greatest impact on a student’s education, both in terms of educational progress and in terms of inspiring them towards achieving their dreams. The outcomes from these two days of our Learning Symposium will help drive the school and all teachers to take education at BIS Abu Dhabi to even greater heights.
Patrick Horne,
Principal
The British International School Abu Dhabi
