Emran Kashem Assistant Headteacher (Careers and Community Links)   If I think back to my school days, my best experiences and fondest memories are ones that can never be recreated. They are unique, entertaining, fulfilling, sometimes controversial and always character building. I am fortunate enough to have made lifelong friends who I am still close to and know that a connection is there irrespective of what, where or why. Each and every moment has shaped who I am. At face value, in school, we are expected to learn content that prepares us for examinations and assessments. Initially this is called ‘playing’ in the early years and later becomes ‘working’. We sometimes fixate on getting the best grades and making the best progress which all contributes to achieving qualifications and accolades that embellish and cultivate a glowing CV. However, if I am honest with myself, the person that I have become is more about the experiences and feelings mo...

  Peter Wheeldon -  Head of Primary Maths & Year 6 Teacher  ‘ Mathematics is a creative and highly inter-connected discipline that has been developed over centuries, providing the solution to some of history’s most intriguing problems. It is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology, and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment. A high-quality mathematics education, therefore, provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject. ’ Mathematics programmes of study: National curriculum in England (2013) [1]   The opening paragraph of the updated National Curriculum for Maths gives a clear and applied direction for Primary children and their learning. All the key words are present: creativity, critical thinking, and links to technology are all clear areas in w...

  Rebecca Coulter - School Principal Young people never cease to amaze me. Their curiosity, innocence, humour and love of learning are exactly what drew me into the profession twenty three years ago and the reason I am still in it today. As educators, we have the great privilege and responsibility to positively impact the lives of our students, shaping their minds and equipping them with the education required to succeed in life. Dubai British School Jumeirah Park, like many other UK curriculum schools, has just celebrated an incredible GCSE and A Level exam season, with students achieving high grades and winning places at universities across the world. With a string of top grades behind them, society leads us to believe that these students will succeed in life: that high grades in exams are equal to a high intelligence level, which in turn, leads to a high probability of winning places in competitive careers and therefore achieving “success.” A straightforward, linear and direct p...