Teach Middle East Magazine Sep - Dec 2020 Issue 1 Volume 8 | Page 25

Featured School
and care for each other” Commented
Mark Leppard Headmaster at the
British School Al Khubairat. During my
tour of the school a few things became
quite clear about how the ethos and
culture are built and maintained in
the school; the school makes team
work one of its core values. There is
clear emphasis on everyone playing
a role in achieving the school’s goals.
The students are highly involved in
this and through the student council,
led by the head boy and head girl
and supported by a strong prefect
body, their voices and views are always
taken into consideration. The school
works hard towards achieving its
vision, by ensuring that; staff, students
and parents continue to be deeply
committed to the school goals.
UAE Ambassadors
The British School Al Khubairat has
a large population of local Emirati
students, in fact the Emirati population
is the second largest in the school. The
school has a very unique programme
in which Emirati students act as
ambassadors for the school within the
local community. These students who
are from year 7 upwards, when chosen,
are responsible for strengthening
the link between the school and the
community. They play a key role in
organising cultural celebrations and
involving the local community. They
ensure that whatever the school puts
out to the wider community is culturally
and religiously appropriate. The UAE
ambassadors also play an important
role in choosing the uniform and they
act as in-house school experts, in the
local culture.
Beyond Academics
The British School Al Khubairat seeks
to develop the whole child. There is
equally strong emphasis on sports
and the arts, as there is on academics.
The school has enjoyed many
sporting successes over the years.
The school also puts on plays and live
performances which are attended by
parents and members of the wider
community. During my visit, students
could be seen making their way to
music, voice and drama lessons.
The philosophy of the School is to
help every student find his or her
passion. The school does not put
a lid on student expectations, nor
does it limit student potential. The
staff encourage students to try new
avenues and to experience challenges
and failures. It is through this that they
ultimately improve and find success
beyond their initial expectations. “We
want students and staff to exceed
expectations and it is the School’s role
to facilitate this in every field”. Mark
Leppard MBE Headmaster.
Promoting staff and student
wellbeing at The British
School Al Khubairat
It was refreshing to discover that the
British school Al Khubairat takes the
wellbeing of the staff and students
Student engaged in arts and crafts at BSAK
so seriously that they have a member
on the school board charged with
overseeing this area of school life.
Taking care of the wellbeing of the
staff and students is also a target of the
school’s headmaster which was set by
the school’s board. As an endorsement
of the school’s commitment to
promoting wellbeing, The British
School Al Khubairat is the first school
outside of the UK to be awarded the
Carnegie Centre of Excellence for
Mental Health in Schools ‘School
Mental Health Award’ – Silver Status;
to achieve and maintain this award, the
school must continually demonstrate
care for all of its community in terms of
mental health and wellbeing.
Students at BSAK on their way to assembly
Class Time
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