In our exclusive interview with Clare Turnbull, Head of Prep at The Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai, we look at how the school prioritizes its pupil empowerment, professional development of teachers, as well as efforts made to make sure students stay physically healthy.
The Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai is truly a sister school of RGS Guildford in the UK. The school shares the same ethos, values, learning habits and language, and we will use the home school’s excellent pedagogical practice to form the foundations of our work here in Dubai. We will build on the 500 years of pioneering heritage, knowledge and practice of what makes great education and ensure the successful learning experiences for each pupil. Here in Dubai his will take place through exceptional teaching, our broad and rich curriculum that maintains a balance between ‘what’ is to be learnt and ‘how’ it is learnt, as well as a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities. This excellence has been refined and honed over many years to ensure that the quality is there in everything that we do.
We have recently appointed the founding senior leadership team who will be responsible for emulating the tremendous success of the school in the UK, a school that is consistently ranked as outstanding as well as one of the top schools for both A Level and GCSE results. Some of the teachers are Old Guilfordians, or have taught at the UK school, so they really do live and breathe the school’s ethos. I was a member of the senior leadership team for 16 years at RGS in the UK, 13 of which I was Head of the Preparatory School for RGS Guildford. The Headmaster of RGS Guildford, Dr Jon Cox, is also the Dubai school’s Chair of Governors and will be heavily involved in the school.
Without a doubt, in our first year the desire is to build the RGS Guildford Dubai community full of happy children, happy parents and happy staff. We will also showcase our excellent approach to individualised learning, character development and the strength of our broad curriculum which results in excellent holistic progress for all of our pupils.
There are many differentiators but the first would have to be the school’s Riyada curriculum which allows us to focus on character development and learning habits of our pupils so they can learn how to ‘think big’ and go on to become leaders – of them selves as well as of others. Through this programme we encourage our pupils to understand themselves, to understand how they learn and how to acquire the tool kit that allows them, as young people, to have the skills to thrive in an ever-changing world. This in turn allows our young people to understand and not be daunted by some of the significant challenges in the world. It allows them to understand how they can make a positive impact, be strong emotionally aware and kind young people and become global thinkers.
Our pupil to teacher ratio in Dubai will support personalised learning for all pupils in our care with a maximum class size of 20 in EYFS and 22 in subsequent years. This is about more than just ratio – it is about a commitment to each and every pupil. Our staff will know the children well and be able to look in detail at their individual journey and support them all in their progress.
The school is Dubai’s new state of the art campus that has been inspired by the school’s 500 year heritage in the UK, whilst incorporating innovative eco-friendly design modifications to fit in with the forward-thinking city of Dubai. To show our strong links with the sister school, key elements have been included in the Dubai campus design such as the central atrium which is a modern interpretation of the original school’s historic courtyard, along with representation of the UK school’s iconic library windows. The use of nature and green space is proven to help improve people’s wellbeing, this is a big focus for the school. Other facilities include a 500+ seat multi-purpose auditorium, an impressive double-storey library, a multi-functional sports facility that includes a large gymnasium, a 25-metre swimming pool, a smaller learning pool and a full-size football pitch. These facilities will allow us to run a variety of ECAs and provide amazing opportunities for our pupils in sports, music and arts so they can really discover their passions and natural abilities.
Sustainability is woven in to everything we do at RGS Dubai. From the school’s building and its features, to the curriculum and the Riyada programme which looks at character education and how pupils can be leaders themselves, within the community and within the world. Through the Riyada programme, we also teach the power of pupoil voice and leadership and how pupils can use their education to educate the wider community on important and pressing issues such as climate change and sustainability. The Dubai campus is already being recognised for its eco-friendly design and sustainability efforts after global construction company, Multiplex, who are responsible for the build of the school, received the award ‘Energy Project of the Year’ at the latest Big Project Middle East Awards. The school’s strong emphasis on sustainability is the embodiment of our values and is in line with the UAE’s environmental and sustainability construction goals, as well as being the first nearly zero energy school in the Middle East. The school’s distinct sustainability features such as solar power, a pillow inflated roof skylight and 4,000m2 of green walls that make up the central core of the school are also present for our pupils to see every day and understand the importance of renewable energy and sustainability.
A friendly and inclusive community where every pupil is known, understood and cared for. The RGS Dubai community will encourage pupils to takes risks, aim high, and to think outside of the box. We willl encourage our pupils to build on their skills and to develop great learning habits so that they can enjoy and thrive in the changing and exciting world that we live in. We are a school that encourages pupils to try new things to broaden their interests and to develop a wide range of hobbies and friends, and be connected to the RGS family both at the mother school in the UK, and globally. Most importantly, we are a school that encourages pupils to be kind – kind to the world, kind to each other and kind to themselves.
Mrs Clare Turnbull has over 20 years of experience in educational leadership roles. She has direct senior leadership experience from RGS Guildford, where she was a member of the senior leadership team for 16 years, 13 of which she was Head of the Preparatory School of RGS Guildford.
She graduated from the University of Exeter with a Master's in Educational Leadership (Distinction), has been a governor of three independent schools in the UK and is an experienced inspector with the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI).
She brings the academic excellence of RGS Guildford to her role at Royal Grammar School Guildford, Dubai (RGSGD), as well as a deep understanding of its distinctive culture, values and learning habits.
Twitter
Add a Comment
Please do not post:
Thank you once again for doing your part to keep Edarabia the most trusted education source.