NGS's David Kinkead on Community, Students, and Future Success

Edarabia had the opportunity to interview David Kinkead, Principal of Next Generation School (NGS) in Dubai. NGS is a forward-thinking school that emphasizes community, student agency, and preparing students for future success. In this interview, Mr. Kinkead shares his insights on a range of topics, including the school’s plans for 2025, the challenges facing education in the next five years, and how NGS helps students build the skills they need for life after graduation.

1. What are your plans for 2025?

As NGS will move into its 10th year we have a number of great initiatives to celebrate this milestone and insh’Allah our first graduating class next academic year.

2. How do you decide what to focus on academically each year, and which new ideas are you pursuing?

Whilst there are foundational pieces that need to be always present in any school planning sometimes the new ideas are the most exciting. Like many schools we are exploring how to integrate AI into our curriculum and present a pathway for students to use and develop AI into everyday life.

3. What challenges do you anticipate in the field of education over the next 5 years?

The biggest challenge is to update education to continually prepare our students for a rapidly changing society and professional landscape. That’s why it is so important to teach students skills and application not merely content.

4. How do you keep students interested in learning, especially those who struggle or seem unmotivated?

Students need to be able to see real world application to make any lessons relatable both to them and their world. This when coupled with student agency provides engagement and ownership for students.

5. How does the school ensure all students feel welcome and have the same chances to succeed?

The starting point for education is relationships. Whilst you can learn without forming a relationship with the teacher, mentor or facilitator it is much more difficult. Students have to know that the people they interact with care about them and their future. Once a relationship is built students will feel secure and seen which leads to greater equity and greater success.

6. How proactive is the school in matters of student stress and bullying?

Schools must build a culture of reflection within their students. This means that the students themselves develop the social emotional skills to both function within a society, and to regulate their own behavior. These skills are are a huge part of what schools need to teach to students alongside the application of subject specific knowledge.

7. How do you help students build the skills they need for life after graduation?

NGS offers opportunities to our students to experience skills outside of the classroom through our large range of student-led organizations. These organizations are responsible for developing their own budgets, calendar and events. One of the largest is our Kidpreneurs program that helps students to experience the planning and running of a business.

8. How involved are parents and the community in making the school better?

We pride ourselves on being a community school which means we have an open door policy inviting meetings and feedback from our parents. This means that from our daily check-ins to our Parent Association and parent representatives on the board we are constantly working with our community to ensure the school is always improving.

9. How do you develop a school culture that attracts and keeps great teachers?

At NGS our shared culture permeates through everything that the school does. This clear shared vision attracts great teachers who wish to be part of a school that combines spiritual guidance alongside educational excellence.

10. Do teachers at your school have growth opportunities for leadership roles?

Our development of teachers and reliance on internal promotion and growth help us to retain our outstanding teachers. The vast majority of our leadership roles have been filled by internal candidates. We want every single member of staff no matter their department to have a pathway to develop. This has seen staff move for example from our security team into assisting in the classroom after gaining the appropriate qualifications.

11. Which after-school activity would you say has the biggest positive impact on a studentu’s future?

As a life-long participant in sport it is hard to look past the benefits of being involved in competitive sports. Students can learn teamwork, dedication, discipline and resilence to name but a few. I think the combination of a healthy physical activity with the myriad other benfits make this one of the most impactful activities for any student.

12. As a Principal, what is your definition of success?

A school that adds educational value to all students regardless of their starting point whilst simultaneously helping prepare them for the world beyond our walls.

13. If you had the opportunity to inspire the world in one sentence, what would that sentence be?

Whatever good I may do, may I do it now; for I may not pass this way again.