'It was the only job I applied for': Why one UK school leader chose Nord Anglia and The British International School Abu Dhabi

After almost two decades working in UK education, experienced headteacher Dave MacCormack was ready to take his career international. His search led him to one school, one application, and a move to the UAE – even as conflict in the region put his decision to the test.

When Dave MacCormack decided it was time to take his career overseas, he didn’t cast the net particularly wide.

In fact, he applied for just one job.

“I had done a bit of research into international school groups,” says Dave, now Head of Secondary at The British International School Abu Dhabi (BIS Abu Dhabi). “When I started to talk to people who either worked for the company or had previously worked for the company, I got lots of positive feedback about working for Nord Anglia Ecucation, both as a teacher and as a leader.”

For Dave, who had spent almost two decades working in UK education and seven years as a headteacher, an international move was never simply about finding a new job.

He and his wife, also an educator, wanted a more global outlook for themselves and their three daughters. Professionally, Dave was looking for high academic standards combined with an enriched, enjoyable education for students.

“Nord Anglia really ticked all those boxes for me,” he says. “This was the only job I applied for.”

 

Finding the right school

After initial online interviews, Dave travelled to Abu Dhabi for a two-day interview at BIS Abu Dhabi. Seeing the school first-hand made a big difference. He met its leaders, walked the campus, and saw its teachers and students in action.

“The level that the staff are operating at is incredibly high,” he says. “And the children were a delight. The facilities are incredible.”

Just as importantly, he found an educational approach that matched his own belief that strong academic outcomes should sit alongside opportunities for students to create, perform, compete, and pursue their individual interests.

Another driving factor was the clear alignment with the vision and values of Alan Cocker, the principal, and a respect for the work he and the leadership team have done to create such an excellent school.

By the time Dave flew home, he had seen enough. When the offer came, he accepted it and told his employer he’d be leaving.

 

Confidence in the move

Shortly after Dave accepted the role, regional tensions created some uncertainty around the family's relocation plans.

"We were potentially telling friends and family at the worst possible time," Dave recalls.

Despite the concerns, Dave says the family's confidence in the UAE remained strong.

"Right from the beginning, we had confidence in how the UAE was communicating and responding," he says. "You had a sense of reassurance that things were in hand and that life was safe."

The family continued their preparations and moved forward with their plans to join the BIS Abu Dhabi community.

 

Why make the move?

For Dave and his family, the answer begins with something they had been discussing long before the opportunity at BIS Abu Dhabi appeared.

“We wanted something different for our family,” he says.

Dave and his wife wanted to work with children from around the world and develop their own perspectives as educators. They also wanted their daughters to experience the same international outlook growing up.

Two of their daughters are now students at BIS Abu Dhabi, while their youngest is still a baby.

And only a short time into their new life, the learning is already going both ways. Dave’s students have started teaching him Arabic, and he is fascinated by the different perspectives that young people from around the world bring to questions such as sustainability, technology, and the integration of cultures.

Outside school, the family is beginning to discover the UAE for itself. They are keen to explore the different Emirates and travel further across the region, while Dave is particularly interested in learning more about Emirati culture and heritage.

For an educator who has spent his career in the UK, that opportunity to encounter different ideas and perspectives is part of the appeal.

Dave may have arrived at BIS Abu Dhabi with considerable leadership experience behind him. But his first international role is also an opportunity to keep learning, professionally, personally, and as a family.

And for someone who began his search determined to find the right opportunity rather than simply the next one, perhaps the most telling thing about his move remains the simplest.

There was only ever one job he wanted to apply for.