At NAS Dubai, we see wellbeing as we see education, a daily experience, not a final exam. You don’t “complete” wellbeing; it’s an ongoing process that requires consistent attention, reflection, and support. It’s not a one-time destination. It’s a practice.
And just like you wouldn’t expect six months of gym sessions to set you up for a lifetime of fitness, the same applies to mental health. It’s something we must revisit and nurture together every day, especially during the formative school years.
What We Teach at School
We teach the usual standard British curriculum (maths, science, and Shakespeare), but at NAS Dubai, we also teach the invisible curriculum:
- How to bounce back when things don’t go your way.
- How to navigate friendships, feedback, and the occasional forgotten homework.
- How to keep showing up, even when you're not quite feeling it.
We ensure wellbeing is not treated as an add-on but as a core pillar of education.
Teenage Brains and the Missing Prefrontal Cortex
If you’ve ever wondered why your teenager makes baffling decisions, here’s the science: their prefrontal cortex isn’t quite finished building yet and doesn’t stop developing until a person’s mid-twenties.
We don’t shame them for it; we support them through it. At NAS Dubai, we teach students how to understand their emotions and recognise their impulses, empowering them to make informed choices and develop self-awareness.
Stress Isn’t the Enemy, Avoiding It Is
We talk a lot about stress. The truth? Some of it is good. It pushes us. Motivates us. Helps us grow. The key is learning to manage it.
Topics such as managing stress, digital wellbeing, conflict resolution, and emotional regulation are explored age-appropriately across year groups.
At NAS Dubai, we equip students with the skills to manage stress constructively, turning it from an obstacle into an opportunity for growth. Through daily wellbeing check-ins and open conversations, students learn how to stay grounded even when life throws them a curveball.
What role does student voice play in shaping our wellbeing programmes?
“Student voice is central to our wellbeing approach. Through dedicated student takeovers with various student leaders, such as the Wellbeing Champions, Thrive Mental Health Champions and Peer Listeners, students co-lead sessions and shape the direction of our Flourishing Fridays programme, ensuring relevance, purpose and engagement,” Holly Walker and Priya Mattu, Inclusion Specialists
Movement, Mood, and Mental Clarity
Physical activity is strongly linked to improved mental health, especially in young people. In a world of screens and scrolling, we believe in sport, sunshine, and spontaneous dance-offs in the atrium. Movement isn’t just about fitness. It’s about emotional reset and mental clarity.
How do you see technology and social media impacting our students’ wellbeing, and what strategies are we using to address this?
“Technology is a powerful tool, but it must be used with care. We speak openly with students about digital wellbeing and how screen time, online friendships, and social media can affect mood, self-image, and relationships. Through our computing lessons, we teach children how to navigate the digital world with kindness, safety, and self-awareness,” Helen Hamilton, Wellbeing Specialist Teacher.
Whether through structured PE lessons, extracurricular teams, or unstructured play, students are encouraged to stay active, which in turn supports their mental resilience and cognitive performance.
Responsibility Builds Resilience
We don’t hand resilience to students. We help them earn it. Whether it’s organising a project, standing up to speak in assembly, or mentoring younger students, we give them space to step up.
Leadership is a big part of life here. And with leadership comes responsibility and sometimes failure. That’s the magic. It’s through the ups and downs that real learning happens.
Support with High Standards (aka Tender Accountability)
We believe that structure and support must go hand in hand. Our students know we care and that we’ll hold them to high standards. We call it tender accountability.
It means we don’t look the other way when mistakes are made, but we also don’t define students by those mistakes. We help them reflect, learn, and try again. It’s one of the many reasons they trust us. We’re not here to judge; we’re here to guide.
How do you ensure that student feedback meaningfully influences wellbeing initiatives?
“We regularly gather input from pupils through wellbeing surveys, class discussions, and our student council. Their feedback helps shape initiatives that are relevant and meaningful to their experiences. When children see their ideas reflected in school life, they feel empowered and more connected to their learning environment.
This is particularly evident in the design and use of our wellbeing rooms. The students were involved from start to finish, from brainstorming ideas to naming the rooms, and they continue to influence how the spaces are used. This shared ownership strengthens their sense of belonging and trust in the wellbeing support available,” Helen Hamilton, Wellbeing Specialist Teacher.
A Whole-School Commitment to Wellbeing
Wellbeing at NAS Dubai doesn’t live in a single department or poster on the wall. It’s embedded in everything, from the way our staff greet students in the morning to our House culture, from how we handle conflict to how we celebrate effort.
How do you support students who are struggling but may not actively seek help themselves?
“We proactively support students with strong pastoral care from Personal Tutors, to Deputy Heads of Years, Heads of Years, to networks of teachers and the 3-Go-To People approach. This is further personalised through the Peer Listening Programme, which is centred on student mentoring and building connections across the year groups. The YouHQ platform helps to identify wellbeing needs early, enabling staff to monitor, guide, and intervene discretely and supportively, whilst allowing students to actively reflect and engage with wellbeing resources to upgrade their toolkits and upskill their strategies.” Holly Walker and Priya Mattu, Inclusion Specialists.
What We Want for Our Students
We want our students to thrive, not just at school, but long after they leave us. We want them to know how to set boundaries, how to ask for help, navigate failure with resilience and how to keep going.
We want them to step into the world with courage, compassion, and a toolkit that includes grit, kindness, and a sense of perspective.
Because in the end, life won’t always be easy. But with the right support and the right mindset? It will always be manageable.
Conclusion: Building A Resilient Future
Wellbeing is not only essential to a student’s experience at school; it is critical to their long-term success in life. By equipping students with strategies to manage challenges, maintain positive relationships, and understand themselves, we are preparing them for the complexities of adult life.
What improvements or expansions are planned for the wellbeing programme in the coming year
“We are also excited to be launching a new bespoke wellbeing curriculum, Being Me, in Primary next year. It will guide learners in understanding emotional regulation, friendship skills, mindfulness, and more. Laying a strong foundation for the continued development of these skills in Secondary.
Wellbeing is not an extra. It’s not a weekly assembly topic. At NAS Dubai, wellbeing is a part of our DNA.
