New school in Abu Dhabi puts needs of new generation on curriculum
▶ The Nord Anglia International School is expected to open before the start of new academic year
A school under construction in Abu Dhabi has been designed for a new era of learning, its executive principal has said.
Nord Anglia International School Abu Dhabi on Reem Island is due to welcome its first pupils at the end of August.
The final phase of construction is under way to ensure that it meets the deadline.
The National was invited to take an exclusive hard-hat tour to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the school.
“This is a school that has been built for the specific needs of the current generation of young people,” said Liam Cullinan, executive principal.
“We’re building a school that’s empowering young people to create change.
“We have a responsibility as teachers and educators to build an environment that does that.”
The 37,500-square-metre school will have 112 classrooms – including 20 specifically for early year pupils – six music rooms, five art rooms and media labs.
It also has three swimming pools and a padel tennis court.
Mr Cullinan said the school was on course to open its doors pupils in the new school year.
There are expected to be 300 pupils through the door for the first year – ranging from Foundation Stage 1 up to Year Eight.
Eventually, the school will have 2,500 pupils enrolled, with classes all the way up to those studying A-Levels.
Mr Cullinan said the new school had been designed with modern education needs in mind, blended with a unique Abu Dhabi identity.
“We need to understand the pace that education is moving at and the need to offer a space and opportunity to learn,” he said.
“Being based in Abu Dhabi gives us a real opportunity for collaboration – as it’s a place that celebrates identity and diversity.
“Not only do we want to celebrate the diverse community here, we also want to create a place that encourages children to flourish and think outside the box when it comes to learning, creating and exploring.”
Being located on Reem Island will also bolster the standing of Nord Anglia International School Abu Dhabi, Mr Cullinan said.
“If you look at the trajectory of Abu Dhabi, and Reem in particular, you will see a place that’s on a forward trajectory,” he said.
“Reem is an exciting place to be and we are noticing more and more families are moving to Abu Dhabi.”
Lessons have been learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic, when schools around the world had no option but to adopt remote learning for pupils, he said.
“We learnt a lot from Covid, not least the importance of human connectivity,” Mr Cullinan said.
“Now we are a global family and globalisation is something all of our children need to adapt to.
“I’m a dad of a three-year-old and a five-year-old and my eldest students could in 10 years’ time be shaping the planet for my own children.”
The school will include give priority to designing lessons around the interests of pupils to ensure they remain engaged, he said.
“We’re going to look at a child’s interests and ensure the curriculum is tailored around them,” Mr Cullinan said.
Ensuring pupils have the skills to cope in the world once their education ends is a key challenge, a senior teacher said.
“We’re trying to create a learning journey for our students that prepares them for the uncertain world they’ll face when they leave,” said Michael Connor, founding head of primary.
“We’re trying to create a curriculum that meets the needs of our students and is contextualised for where they currently are. We also want to have facilities that ensure students have first-class learning experiences.”