One of the most important jobs I have as a Principal is the recruitment of teachers. Although we do not like to see our staff move on to new countries and new opportunities, this is unfortunately a fact of life for all international organisations within the UAE. Added to this is the natural growth of a popular school and each year we have a few teaching vacancies we have to fill.
As a school with an international reputation, plus part of Nord Anglia Education, we are able to attract some highly experienced and talented teachers to join our team. In addition to this, it is then crucial that the ongoing professional development of our teachers is of the highest standard. Our teachers then continue to learn as part of BIS Abu Dhabi, remain at BIS Abu Dhabi and can offer more to their classes for many years to come.
One of our key teacher training projects is known as CSI, an acronym which stands for Collaborative School-based Inquiry. During this term all our teachers have worked in small groups to research an area of teaching which is relevant to them and to prepare a workshop to share with other members of staff. This series of workshops take place next Wednesday, 30th November, as part of our Staff Training Day and is known as the Learning Symposium.
This is the third Learning Symposium we have held during the last couple of years. The quality of the research and inquiry from our teachers has been recognised by the nomination recently received for the British International School Awards. We therefore find the Learning Symposium is attracting people from other schools who wish to come and see what BIS Abu Dhabi is doing and to learn alongside our staff. Next week we are expecting to host visitors from Dubai, from ADEC and from other schools within Abu Dhabi.
We often talk to the students about the importance of keeping on learning throughout your life. This is extremely evident from the teachers here at BIS Abu Dhabi and is something that makes a significant difference to our classrooms every day.
Patrick Horne, Principal
Celebrating Our Shared Success: A Year of Partnership and Recognition
As we approach the end of a vibrant academic year filled with events, achievements, and memorable moments, I am delighted to share some fantastic news with you all. Our school has been honoured with not one, but two prestigious awards in recognition of our commitment to parent engagement: the MENA Parent Partnership Award and the ADEK Best Parent Engagement Award.
Read on to discover how these awards celebrate our collaborative culture, highlight parent-school partnerships, and support meaningful improvements for our students.
It’s something I’ve believed for a long time — that learning isn’t predetermined by our genes. It’s about growing, persevering, and learning through the process. I was really mindful of this idea at this week’s wonderful Primary Summer Concert, after which I found myself reflecting on whether these amazing children have an innate talent, or whether they have achieved so much because of hard work and practice.
I believe it’s the latter. These children, their parents, and their teachers all seem to share the belief that by trying and working hard, they will get better at what they do. This is what we call a growth mindset.
At BIS Abu Dhabi, we believe that when families and schools team up, incredible things happen. We’re proud to have won the Parent Partnership category at both the ADEK Awards 2024/25 and the MENA School Excellence Awards 2025, but this award is about more than just recognition. It’s about the people, the conversations, and the community that make it all possible.
Read on to discover how we’re making a difference together.
This week at BIS Abu Dhabi, we have had the joy of celebrating both ends of the school journey and it has been a beautiful reminder of how we support our students to dream big and grow into their future selves.
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