School Leadership is Essential During Challenging Times

Successful leadership is vital when schools experience difficult circumstances. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools globally have been forced to adjust their strategies and service offerings to include eLearning and remote support for students. This sudden shift to online learning has been a challenge for schools all over the world. Now more than ever, schools need quality, talented leadership to ensure the education being delivered to students is effective, impactful, and serving their best interests.

Here in Dubai, the platforms and programmes schools have put into place have been entirely facilitated and guided by the leadership of each school, of course with oversight by KHDA and The Ministry of Education.

To learn more about Fairgreen International School, join their Virtual Open Day Zoom session on Monday, 15th June, at 11am, Director Graeme Scott and Principals Seema Desai and Matt Greenwood will present on “Growing the Brightest Students: Meet Our Leadership Team.” Learn how Fairgreen’s leadership is working to provide learning success for its students during this challenging time and preparing for all scenarios that lie ahead. Register at www.fairgreen.ae/virtual

In addition, Director Graeme Scott of Fairgreen International School, an IB-curriculum school located in The Sustainable City, shares with British Mums how he and the leadership team at Fairgreen have been guiding their team during this time and the learnings they have obtained along the way.

How is the leadership at Fairgreen working to support teachers and the school as a whole right now?

The leadership team at Fairgreen International School is focusing on three distinct areas. We provide direction to our teachers, parents and students, charting a clear course that everyone understands, establishing high expectations and using data to track progress and performance. We support our community, providing teachers, students and parents with the support, guidance and care they need in order to flourish.  And lastly, by making the organisation work – ensuring that the entire range of conditions in the school fully supports rather than inhibits teaching and learning.

What has your team learned during this shift to eLearning?

Communication is so important!  Even when we don’t know how things will play out, our strategy has been to be as transparent as possible to our families and staff, and to communicate in emails, video messages and through social media on a very regular basis.  This communication may be to inform, to reassure or just to encourage.  We have surveyed our parents, teachers, and students often to make sure we are in tune with what they are thinking and experiencing.  We can then adjust our programme accordingly, without changing our philosophy.

Schools are all about sharing, collaboration and closeness. Our teachers have expanded their teaching toolkit and become much more adept at using tech tools to support learning during this time.  We have all realised the importance of social interaction, after all this is what is difficult to replicate in eLearning. This situation has also helped focus us all on the importance of physical, social emotional and mental wellbeing.

What is the consensus among your families about how things are going?

I think this has been a tough time for many parents.  Expecting two working parents to work from home whilst balancing care for young children and supporting their learning is a big ask.  As a school, we have tried to support our parents as much as possible, so in that sense, I believe this trial has brought us closer together.  Our survey data demonstrates that parents believe we are doing well and doing what we can to help, within our obvious limits.  Many of our teachers are parents, so they are also doing the same balancing act of working and supporting their own children.  This develops empathy and a feeling that we are indeed in this together.

To learn more about Fairgreen International School, join their Virtual Open Day Zoom session on Monday, 15th June, at 11am, Director Graeme Scott and Principals Seema Desai and Matt Greenwood will present on “Growing the Brightest Students: Meet Our Leadership Team.” Learn how Fairgreen’s leadership is working to provide learning success for its students during this challenging time and preparing for all scenarios that lie ahead. Register at www.fairgreen.ae/virtual

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Read more:

BACK TO SCHOOL – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PACKING A HEALTHY LUNCHBOX

STARTING SCHOOL AT 3 YEARS OLD IN DUBAI

THE BRITISH MUMS TOP 10 BACK TO SCHOOL ESSENTIALS

10 ESSENTIALS FOR YOUR HOMESCHOOL CLASSROOM

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