Shaping Aspirations
I have often wondered why it is that adults ask children, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Is it out of general curiosity, a polite conversation starter or maybe out of a genuine interest in the…
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From Pod to Plate
One of my most treasured childhood memories is of my great, grandfather’s garden. I would spend my visits to his house almost entirely outside in a garden that inspired awe and wonder in me. It really was the most magical…
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Happy teachers, happy school: the Arcadia method – part 3
Incredibly high standard The standard of applicants was incredibly high. This made final decisions difficult, but we had to come down to our final selection of 22 teachers. We are absolutely delighted with the teachers we have employed —…
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Happy teachers, happy school: the Arcadia method – part 2
Early to market I have to say that our recruitment process was exceptional: during my 25 years in education with a variety of international schools, I’ve never seen anything as thorough — or, ultimately, as successful. We went early to…
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Happy teachers, happy school: the Arcadia method – part 1
When I was growing up, I had the good fortune to come into contact with some inspirational teachers. Of course, I didn’t realise it at the time — few of us did. Like most children, at first I just thought…
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Professional Development for Learners
One of the very few topics educationalists totally agree upon is the importance of continuing professional development for teaching and support staff. This may seem so obvious as to need no further explanation but this would be to underestimate the…
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The Assessment Process for Admissions
All schools in Dubai require children to take part in an assessment prior to enrolment. But what exactly does this mean? What happens during the assessment? How can you prepare your child to help them get into what you consider…
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The International Classroom
One of the great pleasures in being asked to construct the Academic Plan for the Arcadia Preparatory School was the emphasis Mr Valrani placed on teaching and learning in an international context. It was doubly refreshing to have extended conversations…
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The New English National Curriculum
For many parents throughout the world, the ability to send their child to a ‘British curriculum’ school is of great importance. What many people may not realise, however, is that the English National Curriculum has recently undergone some fairly major…
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