Last weekend Abu Dhabi played host to the annual International Baccalaureate Global Conference, a huge event which brings together educators from around the world to discuss current educational trends and to drive educational standards forward as we seek to meet the needs of tomorrow's citizens. In 3,000 schools, all across the globe, nearly 200,000 young people sat the IB Diploma exams last year and were thus wonderfully prepared for the higher academic study that they would be moving onto at university. The IB is a qualification specifically crafted to foster a spirit of internationalism, generosity and excellence, values which of course are entirely in tune with our own.
It was wonderful to be a part of the Conference and especially to see so many of our own BIS Abu Dhabi students working as volunteers, helping the delegates to find their way around and welcoming them to our city. The IB qualification is designed to do many things and one of those things is to engender a spirit of service. Active service of others is a crucial element of the education that we provide here in every year group and this ‘outward-looking’ element at the core of the IB is one of the many elements which make it the world’s best pre-university qualification. Students who have completed the IB Diploma are far less likely to drop out of university than students who have completed other post-16 courses and our former students who drop in from time to time always comment on how other parts of the IB, such as the Extended Essay and the Individual Assignments, have helped them enormously in their first months at university.
As I write, our Year 13 students are preparing their university applications and our teachers are helping them to navigate the ‘difficult waters’ of choosing courses and choosing a place to call home for the next few years. It is an extremely exciting time for those students and as teachers we know that, thanks to their IB Diploma, they will be ready for whatever demands their further studies make.
Chris Lowe
A few weeks ago, as part of our IB DP Language programme, Year 12 students in the French Ab Initio and French B classes united to celebrate Mardi Gras (Shrove Tuesday). Originally a catholic event welcoming the ritual fasting of Lent, Mardi Gras is celebrated in France with festive parades and sumptuous public celebrations.
At BIS Abu Dhabi, students came together to not only recognize the festivity but rejoice at the opportunity to share and learn about the international traditions fostered within our community. With the help of Monsieur Depose and Mademoiselle Merchadier, the French DP classes baked tasty treats, including crepes, waffles, brownies, and traditional beignets!
As a teacher at BIS Abu Dhabi, I have the privilege of watching students grow — not just academically, but as young people finding their path in a complex world. One thing I’ve learned time and again is this: success doesn’t come from rare moments of brilliance — it comes from the quiet power of habits.
Research tells us that up to 40% of what we do each day is driven by habit, not active decision-making. That means the routines our students form — the way they begin their morning, how they handle a setback, whether they choose to read or scroll — are shaping who they become.
I was really touched by Áine’s newsletter piece last week, posing the question: ‘What would I tell my younger self?’
I spent some time afterwards thinking about my own parenting journey, and what it’s all been about, now that my two are adults and have ‘flown the nest’. Parenting isn’t easy for any of us, and that’s true even if you’re an experienced school leader – at home, I’m just Dad.
You might have seen the trend going around - “If I could tell my younger self one thing…” - a moment to reflect, to offer advice we wish we’d heard earlier, or to remind ourselves of what truly matters.
As students prepare to cross some of the biggest milestones in school life, it feels like the perfect time to pause and join in that conversation. But it’s not just our students who are preparing — so are we, as parents. These milestones don’t just belong to them. We’re living every part of it too: the anticipation, the pride, the nerves, and the quiet hopes. Sometimes, it’s the hardest thing in the world — to watch them take these big steps, to stay strong when they wobble, to let go just a little more. It’s a milestone for us as much as it is for them — and we’re walking it together.
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