MICHAEL WILSON

Principal, Cranleigh Abu Dhabi

Q: What is new in the school for the academic year 2021/22?

A: The access to activities which were unavailable last year such as PE, Sport, Art, Drama and Dance has reintroduced learning opportunities to the children which are particularly important in building confidence and developing the whole child. We are delighted to bring these elements back in to the curriculum this year safely and gradually.

Q: How is the school coping with the new challenges presented by the pandemic?

A: The sense of community that was built last year has had a lasting effect and we feel a strong connection with our families. We worked hard on the wellbeing of pupils and trained over 500 members of the community in Mental Health First Aid. Social challenges will undoubtedly emerge as we move closer to normality again, but we feel well placed to handle these issues now. We also planned and have implemented a new Senior School Curriculum for the new academic year, learning from what we experienced in the pandemic.

Q: What is the importance of having children back in a classroom setting?

A: Children learn effectively when they are happy. The peer-to-peer interaction of a classroom environment with professionally trained educators is essential in balanced learning. Discussing and accepting different points of view, critically thinking, understanding new thought processes and face-to-face relationships all contribute to well-adjusted children with a global mindset. When children are with us in the classroom, we are able to read the signals quicker, interpret their progress and importantly, identify areas that can be improved. Human intuition is multi-dimensional and more genuine face-to-face.