One of Abu Dhabi's newest schools has been designed for a new era of learning, according to its executive principal.
Nord Anglia International School Abu Dhabi is due to welcome its first pupils at the end of August.
The final phase of construction is currently under way to ensure that it meets the deadline and opens on time.
The National was invited to take an exclusive hard-hat tour to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the new facility at Reem Island.
Being based in Abu Dhabi gives us a real opportunity for collaboration as it’s a place that celebrates identity and diversity
Liam Cullinan,
Nord Anglia International School Abu Dhabi
“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 school, which has a total size of 37,500 square metres, will be home to 112 classrooms, 20 of which are specifically for early year pupils, as well as six music rooms, five art rooms and media labs.
It has three swimming pools, the largest of which is 50 metres in size, and will even have a padel tennis court.
Mr Cullinan said the school is on course to open its doors to welcome the first wave of pupils in the new school year.
There is 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, with classes all the way up to those studying A-Levels.
He said the new school has 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,” said Mr Cullinan.
“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 of the box when it comes to learning, creating and exploring.”
Being based in Abu Dhabi’s Reem Island will also bolster the school’s standing, he 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,” said Mr Cullinan.
“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 across the world had no choice but to teach remotely, he added.
“We learnt a lot from Covid, not least the importance of human connectivity,” said Mr Cullinan.
“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.”
One aspect of education at the school will include ensuring lessons are designed 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,” said Mr Cullinan.
Ensuring pupils have the skills to cope in the world once their education ends is a key challenge, said a senior teacher.
“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.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The bio
Academics: Phd in strategic management in University of Wales
Number one caps: His best-seller caps are in shades of grey, blue, black and yellow
Reading: Is immersed in books on colours to understand more about the usage of different shades
Sport: Started playing polo two years ago. Helps him relax, plus he enjoys the speed and focus
Cars: Loves exotic cars and currently drives a Bentley Bentayga
Holiday: Favourite travel destinations are London and St Tropez
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
- Saturday 15 January: UAE beat Canada by 49 runs
- Thursday 20 January: v England
- Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad:
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles
Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly,
Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya
Shetty, Kai Smith
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BOSH!'s pantry essentials
Nutritional yeast
This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.
Seeds
"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."
Umami flavours
"I could say soya sauce, but I'll say all umami-makers and have them in the same batch," says Firth. He suggests having items such as Marmite, balsamic vinegar and other general, dark, umami-tasting products in your cupboard "to make your bolognese a little bit more 'umptious'".
Onions and garlic
"If you've got them, you can cook basically anything from that base," says Theasby. "These ingredients are so prevalent in every world cuisine and if you've got them in your cupboard, then you know you've got the foundation of a really nice meal."
Your grain of choice
Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Don't get fined
The UAE FTA requires following to be kept:
- Records of all supplies and imports of goods and services
- All tax invoices and tax credit notes
- Alternative documents related to receiving goods or services
- All tax invoices and tax credit notes
- Alternative documents issued
- Records of goods and services that have been disposed of or used for matters not related to business
