Wellbeing

GESS Dubai session: Why Safeguarding Has to Come First in Schools

luisa.mule@warc.com — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 09:58:45 +0000

Mr. Darren Goodall (MBA) joined the Maarif Education Head Office team in August 2023 as the Director of Child Protection and Safeguarding, providing executive leadership to the Child Protection, Occupational Health and Safety and Wellbeing departments across all Maarif Education schools. Maarif Education is Saudi Arabia’s largest private education company, with 15 private National and International schools across the Kingdom, providing K-12 educational services to @40,000 students.

Darren comes with an extensive background in educational, regulatory services, child protection and safeguarding executive leadership, having worked for over 25 years in both the private and public sectors in Australia, the United Arab Emirates and now in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where, prior to joining Maarif Education, he worked as the Director of Operations at a private school in Jeddah for over 2.5 years.

In addition to being a former Australian police officer and having worked extensively with children at risk for over 25 years, Darren is a qualified English and German teacher (Australia) and has also taught in local and private schools in both Australia and the Middle East for over 10 years.

Darren’s strategic child protection and safeguarding vision and mission is centered around three (3) core foundational pillars - Systems, Capability and Governance. This strategic approach focuses on ensuring that Maarif Education’s child protection and safeguarding business operations have the right system practices in place to drive organizational outcomes, have the right people in the right positions performing the right work, and use clear and concise quality assurance measures to collect and analyze business data to genuinely inform continual improvement outcomes across all child protection and safeguarding departments and functions.

Darren will be attending and speaking at the GESS Dubai 2025 Conference. On Tuesday 11 November 2025 (11.30am to 11.50am), Darren will present a session in the Sustainability and Wellbeing Hub about “Why Safeguarding Has to Come First in Schools”. This session will use research showing the vital role that child protection and safeguarding plays as the priority cornerstone of a school's culture. The presentation looks at how humans, both children and adults, must feel a sense of safety, security, connection and love within their schools to achieve their best possible educational outcomes. This approach puts child protection and safeguarding before academics, with research showing this must occur for a school to have genuine quality outcomes. The presentation will also show the direct effect that staff well-being has on children's well-being and the impact that this can have on their overall educational experience. Darren will also show the work that Maarif Education is doing to forge new territory in the areas of child protection and safeguarding across its portfolio of schools within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Later that same day (2.20pm to 3.05pm), Darren will also join a panel of child protection and safeguarding experts as part of the GESS Talks Live, to discuss Safeguarding in Education. Darren will be joined by Fareeha Nadkar (Director of Learning and Quality Assurance – Citizens School) and Zen Khan (Partner – Zen PD), who will chair the discussion that will focus on the changing landscape of safeguarding in education, particularly in the Middle East, as new regulatory requirements and cultural expectations related to child protection and safeguarding now require schools to be far more vigilant in this space.

Darren will be at the conference across all 3 days and will also be taking part in the VIP Curated One-on-One Meeting Programme – Match & Meet, so there will also be opportunities for delegates and exhibitors to arrange meetings with Darren across these days.

Mr. Darren Goodall (MBA)
Group Director of Safeguarding - Maarif Education

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Reconnecting a Generation: How Outdoor Learning Can Redefine Education Across the GCC

luisa.mule@warc.com — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 15:46:02 +0000

It’s early morning in the desert. The wind is cool, the sky still blushing with first light. A group of students are gathered in a circle, listening to the rustle of the sand dunes and the crackle of the campfire. They’re quiet — not because they’ve been told to be, but because they’re completely present. In a world defined by screens, deadlines, and endless notifications, moments like this are becoming rare. Yet for many schools and universities across the GCC, these are the moments that matter most.

Outdoor learning is no longer a novelty or an extracurricular bonus. It’s emerging as one of the most powerful tools in modern education — one that helps young people rediscover who they are and how they connect to the world around them.

“The outdoors doesn’t just build confidence — it reveals it.”

A Generation Disconnected

Today’s learners are growing up in an age of extraordinary opportunity — and extraordinary pressure. Their world is faster, noisier, and more competitive than ever before. Technology brings endless access to information but has quietly reduced their access to something even more vital: time outdoors, time with each other, and time with themselves.

Educators across the GCC are noticing the effects. Attention spans are shortening. Anxiety is rising. Empathy and resilience — once the natural byproducts of play, teamwork, and unstructured exploration — are increasingly difficult to nurture within traditional boundaries.

This is where outdoor education steps in. It bridges the widening gap between academic learning and personal growth, providing a space where lessons aren’t confined to textbooks but are lived, felt, and remembered.

Learning Through Experience

The essence of outdoor learning lies in simplicity. Take a group of students away from the classroom, strip away distractions, and give them challenges that require teamwork, courage, and problem-solving. Suddenly, learning becomes tangible.

A student who struggles to take initiative finds themselves naturally leading while crossing a wadi. Another, who shies away from group work, discovers the satisfaction of teamwork while setting up a tent in the windy desert or the mountains. These are the moments when character forms and when the quiet lessons of perseverance, communication, and empathy come to life.

“Every obstacle outdoors mirrors one within.”

Outdoor experiences don’t replace academic learning — they enrich it. They show that knowledge has context, that success can look like cooperation instead of competition, and that failure is simply another way of learning.

The GCC: A Living Classroom

The GCC offers a learning environment unlike anywhere else on earth. From the vast dunes of the Empty Quarter to the cool mountain air of the northern ranges and the dramatic wadis carved through time, these landscapes are more than scenic backdrops — they are teachers in their own right.

Each environment invites different kinds of growth. Deserts teach patience, observation, and humility. Mountains cultivate persistence and self-belief. Coastal and wadi settings inspire teamwork, adaptability, and problem-solving. The region’s natural diversity gives educators an extraordinary platform to build programs that are both challenging and culturally grounded.

At Husaak, we’ve seen students from every corner of the GCC step into these landscapes and emerge changed. They arrive with uncertainty but leave with self-awareness — not because we tell them who they are, but because nature helps them find out for themselves.

Stories of Transformation

Some of the most powerful evidence of outdoor learning’s impact isn’t found in data but in lived experience.

During one university expedition, students were hiking in the mountains when an unexpected thunderstorm rolled in. Visibility dropped, the air grew cold, and for a brief moment, concern spread among the faculty accompanying the group. But while the rain poured and thunder echoed through the valley, our guides remained calm and focused — moving the students to a safe location, ensuring everyone stayed together, and managing the situation with quiet professionalism.

By the time the group returned, soaked but safe, the atmosphere had transformed. What could have been a moment of panic became a moment of profound trust — not only between students and guides, but between the educators and Husaak’s leadership team. The experience demonstrated the very heart of outdoor learning: calm under pressure, teamwork, and confidence built through experience.

Another group once faced a challenging canyon section where hesitation and fear gave way to support and encouragement. One by one, every participant crossed — not because they were forced to, but because they believed they could. Another team on a multi-day hike learned the value of endurance when fatigue set in — their determination replaced complaints, and their pride replaced doubt.

These stories are universal. They show how young people — when given the chance — rise to the occasion. The outdoors doesn’t give out trophies or grades; it gives perspective, humility, and lasting confidence.

Educators Rediscovering Purpose

Outdoor learning doesn’t just shape students — it transforms educators, too. When teachers and university faculty join these experiences, they often see their students differently. The quiet ones emerge as problem-solvers. The outspoken ones learn to listen. The group dynamic shifts from instruction to collaboration.

Many educators tell us that outdoor programs remind them why they chose teaching in the first place. They see growth happening in real time — not through grades or rubrics, but through empathy, teamwork, and courage. For many, it’s both a professional and personal renewal.

Beyond the Trip: Reflection and Integration

A powerful outdoor experience doesn’t end when the bus arrives back at campus. What makes it truly educational is the reflection that follows — the campfire debriefs, the journaling, and the quiet conversations that turn experiences into insights.

At Husaak, reflection is woven into every program. Participants are encouraged to look inward as much as outward — to identify what challenged them, what surprised them, and what they learned about themselves. This is where outdoor learning becomes lifelong learning.

When a student writes, “I didn’t know I could do that,” it’s not about climbing or kayaking — it’s about discovering capability. That realization builds confidence that carries into academics, relationships, and future challenges.

Building Skills for Life

The modern world demands more than knowledge. It requires adaptability, communication, emotional intelligence, and resilience — skills that are best developed through experience, not instruction. Outdoor learning provides a living laboratory for all of these.

When students must plan their own meals, navigate routes, or share responsibilities within a team, they learn independence and accountability. When they face discomfort — physical or emotional — they learn how to manage it. These lessons translate directly into academic performance and, later, into the workplace.

It’s no coincidence that some of the most forward-thinking education systems in the world are reintegrating outdoor programs into their curricula. The GCC, with its unique geography and commitment to youth development, is perfectly placed to lead this movement.

The Husaak Approach

For over a decade, Husaak has been working with schools and universities across the GCC to design outdoor programs that are purposeful, safe, and educationally aligned. Each experience — whether a one-day challenge or a week-long expedition — is structured around three principles: Challenge, Reflection, and Growth.

Our guides don’t just lead groups through landscapes; they facilitate experiences that help young people connect with themselves and with others. Every program is designed to nurture teamwork, self-confidence, and curiosity — qualities that every great educational institution strives to cultivate.

This is why outdoor education is not a break from learning, but a breakthrough in learning.

“Sometimes the greatest classroom is the horizon itself.”

A Call to Reimagine Education

As the world changes, so must education. The classrooms of the future will not be defined by walls, but by opportunities to connect — to people, to place, and to purpose. Outdoor learning sits at the heart of this evolution, reminding us that growth is not measured in grades but in self-discovery.

The GCC has all the ingredients to become a global leader in experiential education: breathtaking environments, ambitious institutions, and a generation ready to engage. By embracing outdoor learning, we can create not just better students, but better humans — resilient, compassionate, and deeply aware of their world.

Looking Forward

At Husaak, we believe that education should ignite curiosity, not contain it. Every campfire conversation, every shared challenge, every mountain climbed is a step toward something greater — a generation that learns not just to achieve, but to understand.

Because in the end, the most powerful lessons aren’t written in textbooks or displayed on screens. They’re found in the wind, the water, the laughter of teammates, and the quiet pride of realizing, I did it.

Outdoor learning reminds us that the future of education isn’t about teaching more — it’s about teaching differently. And the journey begins just beyond the classroom walls.

Husaak Adventures: https://husaak.com

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Quality in Early Years Settings: More Than Standards, A Commitment to Children

luisa.mule@warc.com — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 09:21:00 +0000

When we talk about quality in early years settings, it’s tempting to focus only on checklists and compliance forms. While regulations are important, they only touch the surface of what truly makes an experience high-quality for young children. Real quality is not about one standard—it’s about how the environment, relationships, learning, and values come together to shape a child’s earliest educational journey.

As an early years consultant, I am tend to emphasize that quality is experienced day in and day out in the everyday, repeated contact between children and adults, in families' feelings of belonging when they are in a setting, and in the care and thoughtfulness of the curriculum that promotes learning and play. This article addresses the areas of quality, how crucial they are, and how early years practitioners can move beyond compliance to introduce real excellence to practice.

1. Health and Safety: The Basis of Trust

No child can learn, discover, or flourish unless he is safe. Health and safety are the basis of quality —without them, nothing else in education can take root. This includes clean environments, clear child protection procedures, and secure buildings.

But quality settings go beyond a safety inspection minimum and first aid. They offer climates in which children are emotionally safe, knowing they will have needs met regularly and with care. For example, when a teacher drops down to reassure a child who is scared during drop-off, that reassurance is constructing safety culture just as much as the locked gate outside.

2. Learning and Curriculum Experiences: Play- Based Learning

One of the most fundamental questions that need to be asked by educators is: What type of learners are we preparing for the future? The response lies in the nature of the curriculum.

In early childhood education, an excellent curriculum is not one that in some way simulates school readiness through rigid lessons or worksheets. Instead, it honors play, curiosity, investigation, and imagination as the routes to learning. Children have a natural desire to learn, and the curriculum needs to foster that inner energy.

For instance, building a tower using blocks by a child is not just involved in fine motor skills but also in mathematical problem-solving and thinking, and persistence. A well-designed curriculum recognizes such moments as learning opportunities and extends them intentionally rather than breaking them up with contrived exercises.

High-quality settings also ensure that the curriculum is inclusive, culturally responsive, and flexible enough to react to the stage of development of each child. This balance of structure and freedom is what will help children thrive.

3. Educator Expertise and Qualifications: Skilled Practitioners, Reflective Learners

No matter how well the curriculum is planned or how current the setting, the standard of a setting also depends heavily on staff qualifications. Decades of research have confirmed that highly qualified staff lead to better outcomes for children.

Highly qualified staff:

• Know child development very well.

• Observe children well and use observation to inform planning.

• Know when an individual child needs more support or challenge.

• Have the capacity to reflect on their own practice in order to continue to develop.

Qualifications are only the half of it. Quality settings invest in continuous professional learning, so staff remain learners in their own right. Workshops, coaching, reflective practice groups, and peer observations keep teachers upskilled and inspired and informed about best practice. Staff culture for lifelong learning therefore becomes a quality mark in this manner.

4. Environment and Resources: Spaces That Speak to Children

Children learn from their environment. The physical space and materials of an environment convey to children what is valued. Is autonomy encouraged? Can children explore freely? Do they see themselves reflected in the materials around them?

A quality environment is not measured by how expensive the toys are, but by how rich and accessible they are. Open-ended materials such as wooden blocks, fabric, natural materials, and loose parts allow for imagination and problem solving. Thoughtfully designed spaces have space for movement, collaboration, and peaceful reflection.

For example, a cozy reading nook with soft lighting and cushions will encourage a passion for literacy, and a mud kitchen outside will open boundless creativity and social play. When the environment is thoughtfully designed, it is a quiet instructor, learning alongside children through discovery and exploration.

5. Relationships and Interactions: The Heart of Quality

At its most basic, quality in early years is relationship. Warm, responsive, and respectful relationships between adults and young children are the foundation of everything else.

Consider the contrast between an adult hurrying to zip a child's coat versus one where the adult shows the child how to do it herself, being patient and supportive, and offering praise for effort. The second interaction promotes independence, resilience, and confidence.

Research shows that child-adult interaction is the strongest predictor of successful child outcomes. Homes and settings that place a high value on caring relationships foster settings in which children feel heard, respected, and motivated to learn.

6. Family and Community Engagement: Extending Quality Beyond the Classroom

Young children do not learn in isolation; they have families and communities. Good settings recognize this and actively engage families as collaborators in their child's learning.

This can be achieved in many different ways:

• Regular contact with parents about their child's progress.

• Involving families in events, workshops, or projects in class.

• Respecting cultural heritages and incorporating them into the curriculum.

When parents are welcome and included, children feel school-home continuity and learn more profoundly. Beyond parents, building community partnerships—maybe libraries, museums, or local services—enrich children and their networks.

7. Measuring Quality: Beyond Compliance and Inspections

Regulations and inspections are required to achieve baseline quality, but they are not the same as a snapshot in time of quality. True quality is lived daily, not shown to an inspector.

High-quality settings use self-assessment strategies, reflective practice, and facilitated feedback to continually assess and develop. These activities allow teachers to see what works, where there are gaps, and how practice can alter. Most importantly, these measures capture the lived experience of children and families—not just the paperwork.

8. Inclusion: Quality for Every Child

Perhaps above all else, the most defining trait of quality is inclusion. A genuinely high-quality setting will ensure all children—regardless of ability, background, or need—are made to feel valued, respected, and included.

This means providing additional support for children of determination, adapting surroundings for children who experience speech or developmental delays, and making transitions easier for children. But it also means developing a culture where difference is not just tolerated but welcomed.

Inclusion should never be an add-on or an independent "initiative." It is the very essence of what ensures a setting is of high quality. A valued, seen child is a child who can thrive.

Conclusion: A Living Commitment

Quality in early years settings is not static. It cannot be achieved once and for all; it is a living, breathing pledge that requires thought, responsiveness, and enthusiasm.

And lastly, quality is not decided by reports or policies, but by the everyday experience of children:

• Are they loved and safe?

• Are they engaged and curious?

• Are they proud of what they can do?

• Do their families feel included and respected?

When the answer is yes, we can be sure we are touching real quality. For early years professionals, the challenge—and honour—is to prepare environments in which every child's talent is encouraged and every family feels respected. That is excellence.

May Zalat

Inclusion Director - Kids First Group

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Impact: The Hydra of Education

luisa.mule@warc.com — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 08:57:44 +0000

Impact: the Hydra of education

I have been working with a lot of my client schools of late on the impact paradigm in education - and how, in our rush always to see the impact of what we do through a narrow and sometimes exclusionary metric, over a short and finite timeframe, we are blinkered, and problematically so.

It seems to me that there is so much impact - positive and negative - which does not show itself when we want it to, where we want it to, how we want it to - and yet, even though we know in our gut this to be true, we continue to chase it within those narrow confines, and, worse, castigate ourselves and our students, or, even worse, allow our students to castigate themselves and their parents to compound this, when the confines prove too narrow.

But when I found myself blaming Hattie for his role in propagating and perpetuating the myth of confined impact, I thought I would listen, intentionally, to what he is actually saying. Rather than, as so many have done with Dweck and Maslow and the like, simply allowing what people are always saying about what he is saying somehow to morph into his voice, when it is not.

And so I listened, recently, to an episode of the Talking Teaching podcast from the Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne, on which, in July 2025, reflecting on his extraordinary career, he helps me bust a few Hattie Myths. And here are some snippets that stuck with me.

“We should be looking for evidence that we are wrong”: he speaks about this wise counsel from Carl Papa, which actually spearheaded much of his own work. He explains, “Why is it every teacher can tell you what they do works? Why is it every government tells you their policies work? Why is it every article says it works? Why do we have a profession that says everything works?” And he seeks to reframe this from “What works?” to “What works best?”, using that as a conduit to focusing on the conditions. And I breathed a sigh of relief.

“It soon became obvious that people were misinterpreting what I was trying to say.” In other words, educators were leaping to the league tables of impact measures, and using them reductively. He says, “I’ve spent the last 15 years trying to get the message out there that it is about the underlying things, not just the methods themselves”.

Or, in other words, the impact measures were just probability. The truth lay within the conditions; the context. He cites a colleague, Alison Jones from the University of Auckland, who said to him once “I’m stunned that you know classrooms to the second decimal point.” And this pushed him even further towards trying to understand the real game changer, “the social psychology of classrooms”, seen, as he says, “through the eyes of the learner”.

He says the real questions are these:

“To what degree are schools inviting places for students to come to?”

“Do students feel like they belong in this place called learning?”

Yes! Hattie, like me, is a big believer in belonging as a foundational priority for schools; and not as an alternative to academic achievement, but as a contributor to it. And then he says something which encapsulates so much of what I say when Secondary schools argue they have to focus on narrow, academic metrics, because that’s what matters to universities: “We are not a selection mechanism towards tertiary. Those days I would have hoped would have gone, but they haven’t.”

And this got me thinking about totally different impact paradigms:

Persistence and Fadeout Dynamics

This paper explains the significance of persistence and fadeout in the impacts of child and adolescent interventions. In other words, impact can disappear, but it can also persist - and this is true of impact that is demonstrably positive as well as that which is inarguably negative.

Unexpected Long Vortices

How might affinities, practices, or knowledges nurtured today create deep, disruptive currents 30 or 50 years later? Whilst most recent in our minds is the example of the COVID pandemic, this paper details the long-term eﬀects of unexpected interruptions in compulsory schooling, through the example of storm-ridden regions in India. So, in fact, and existentially so, we needs must design for generative resilience, not just immediate performance.

Epistemic Ripples

What emerges when you treat impact not just as what we intend but as how knowing shifts over generations and geographies—like soil bearing unseen seeds? This is what I found myself reflecting upon when I read about the extraordinary example of the amazing “Cottage by the Sea” project. A counter narrative to the long-term impact of trauma - something of which my own body has definitely kept the score - this argues that impact is about cultural transmission as much as individual knowing.

Effects and side effects

And finally, Yong Zhao's paper, “Effects and Side Effects: What Is Missing in Education Research”, calls for a fuller accounting of educational consequences. Much like my own work on ‘The Wellbeing Footprint’ does too, about which I am honoured to have written another article, for ISC Research.

Thinking recently of the importance of ‘upstream thinking’ when we design for wellbeing and belonging (and for everything else, really) set me thinking about downstream thinking too, which got me to thinking about both, simultaneously: ‘thinking midstream’, if you like. (If you’d like to play ‘upstream’, there are much worse places to start than with Tricia Friedman.)

So, please, let’s start to think differently about impact in education: it is our Hydra, a creature of many heads. Sure, sometimes it appears quickly, nearby and in ways we would have hoped, or it appears equally swiftly and proximally, even in ways we never intended. But oftentimes it doesn’t. And the important thing to remember is that, if it doesn’t, that doesn’t mean we haven’t made students’ life and learning better, but nor does it mean we have actually managed to follow the silent code we all took as educators: namely, to ‘Do No Harm’.

Matthew Savage

Director - The Mona Lisa Effect

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Belonging by Design

luisa.mule@warc.com — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 07:55:30 +0000

‘Inclusion is not bringing people into what already exists, it is making a new space, a better space for everyone.’ George Dei

For decades, the language of education has been dominated by the word inclusion. Schools across the world have sought to open their doors wider, adapting curriculum, teaching and resources so that every child, regardless of ability, background or need could access learning. Yet as powerful as inclusion is, it is not the destination. Belonging is.

Belonging is the deep, felt experience of being seen, valued and accepted as one’s authentic self. As Brené Brown reminds us, ‘True belonging doesn’t require you to change who you are, it requires you to be who you are.’ The move from inclusion to belonging requires more than policy statements or modified lesson plan, it requires embedding holistic wellbeing into the fabric of every classroom.

Why Belonging Matters

Research has repeatedly shown the impact of belonging on learning outcomes. A landmark study by Walton and Cohen (2011) demonstrated that students who felt a strong sense of belonging were more likely to engage academically, show resilience and achieve higher results. Neuroscience reinforces this finding. When the brain perceives threat or exclusion, the amygdala activates stress responses, limiting the capacity for higher order thinking (Immordino-Yang & Damasio, 2007). In contrast, environments of safety and connection activate the prefrontal cortex, supporting problem solving, creativity and empathy. The shift towards belonging is not simply about kindness or good intentions, it is an academic imperative.

Holistic Wellbeing as a Foundation

Holistic wellbeing provides the foundation upon which belonging rests. It encompasses emotional, physical, social and cognitive health. The World Health Organization defines wellbeing as a state in which an individual realises their abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to contribute to their community. For children, this means environments where every aspect of their development is nurtured.

In my own work as a SENDCO, I have seen how embedding wellbeing practices creates the soil in which belonging flourishes. At The Arbor School in Dubai, we intentionally weave positive psychology into our daily routines, strengths based coaching and mindful practices. When children see their unique strengths celebrated rather than their deficits magnified, they begin to believe that school is a place for them.

Belonging Across Contexts

Belonging cannot be compartmentalised to one classroom or one teacher. It must be a systemic commitment, a school culture deeply embedded. In Ghana, I have worked with the Africa Dyslexia Organisation, where advocacy is transforming how parents and schools view children with learning differences. Belonging in that context looks like mothers sharing stories within communities, teachers experimenting with interventions and children hearing for the first time that dyslexia is not a deficit but a difference.

In the United Arab Emirates, national visions for innovation and artificial intelligence are creating opportunities to frame neurodiversity as a driver of creativity and entrepreneurship. Belonging here means showing policymakers and school leaders that the autistic child who sees patterns differently is not a challenge to be managed but a resource to be cultivated. The contexts differ, but the principle is the same… when wellbeing is embedded, belonging follows.

Stories that Shape Belonging

Educational pedagogy offers clear pathways to foster belonging. The Waldorf curriculum places movement, rhythm and creativity at the heart of learning, recognising that human connection and embodiment are central to knowledge. Similarly, the Universal Design for Learning framework calls for flexibility in teaching methods, materials and assessments ensuring that every child has multiple ways to engage, represent and express their learning. In practice, this might mean inviting pupils to aid in constructing their learning environment, adopting strengths-based language to describe abilities or embedding cultural responsiveness in lessons so that children see their identities reflected in the curriculum.

Stories are powerful vehicles of belonging. My children’s book Jude the Giant was written with this in mind. Its illustrations intentionally reflect diversity in skin tones and abilities because I wanted children everywhere to find themselves in its pages. During storytelling sessions in Accra, I have seen children’s faces light up when they recognise themselves, not as a side character but as the main character. That moment of representation fosters belonging in a way no policy document ever could.

Educators have shared with me how they could use ‘Jude the Giant’ to spark discussions about kindness, identity and friendship, reminding me that belonging is built not through abstract ideals but through simple daily practices like reading a story, choosing inclusive imagery or celebrating a child’s accent rather than correcting it.

Towards a Culture of Belonging

To truly move from inclusion to belonging, schools must commit to cultural change. Leadership must model belonging, creating an environment in which diversity and wellbeing are openly celebrated. Professional development must invite teachers to reflect on their own biases and understand the neuroscience of belonging. Families and communities must be recognised as integral partners as belonging does not end at the school gate. As Parker Palmer wisely said, ‘We teach who we are.’ Belonging begins with us, our language, our openness, our willingness to see each child not as a problem to solve but as a gift to cherish.

Inclusion opened the door, but belonging invites every child to sit at the table, contribute to the conversation and shape the future. Embedding holistic wellbeing into every classroom is not a luxury but a necessity if we are to nurture resilient, empathetic and innovative generations. As Gabor Maté reminds us, ‘The essence of trauma is disconnection from the self and others.’ Education’s greatest task then, is to reverse this… to cultivate connection, dignity and joy. When every child knows not only that they are included but that they truly belong, we will have reimagined education into the humanising force it was always meant to be!

Michelle Sakande

SENDCo - The Arbor School

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Do Androids Dream of Dyslexic Sheep? Ethics and Neuronormative Injustice in AI

luisa.mule@warc.com — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 13:40:42 +0000

Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? has been asking the same question for over fifty years: what makes a person human? In the bleak vision of the future he imagined, the boundaries between human and machine blur: androids are almost indistinguishable from people, intelligent and capable, yet still deemed inferior because they supposedly lack empathy. In Dick’s world, humanity is defined not by intelligence or rationality, but by compassion. His message, therefore, remains prescient and pressing: when social norms determine who or what counts as valuable, the consequences can be deeply destructive.

That message feels more urgent than ever in an age where AI already shapes much of our daily lives. The boundaries between human and machine decision-making are no longer speculative science fiction – they’re here, now, and they influence how we learn, work, and interact.

Data-driven AI systems are now pervasive. Not only does our daily private life rely on the appeal of AI-based products, but ideas for AI-powered education also inspire policymakers and researchers alike. Some even suggest that teachers might become unnecessary as AI-driven personalised learning could help students learn better, faster, and more easily in the future. That would indeed be a major change. However, we believe that AI systems can only support learning and teaching; they cannot replace teachers.

Nevertheless, our opinions, preferences and even our social interactions are already shaped by invisible algorithmic processes. AI sits like a ghost on our shoulders, whispering in our ears what our society already believes, without us even noticing. As Nietzsche warned, ‘If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.’ But when the abyss reflects our own biases – about gender, ethnicity or less visible differences such as neurodiversity – the dangers multiply. AI not only observes our biases, it amplifies them.

This is where our “EdTech in Action” talk comes in, presenting the results of our latest research on fairness and AI. The aim is to show that data-driven AI systems can reinforce precisely such prejudices. It shows that AI contains what we call neuronormative bias. In other words, machine learning models are not simply neutral tools – they often assume that neurotypical ways of thinking and behaving are the “standard,” while divergent cognitive styles are treated as deficient or even disordered: AI systems trained on historical employment data may learn to associate dyslexia with lower competence in high-status professions; automated recruitment platforms can filter out applicants whose speech patterns deviate from the norm; emotion-recognition software may interpret atypical facial expressions or body language – often found in autistic or ADHD individuals – and even atypical face types, as negative. Educational platforms can reward only the “average” student profile, sidelining those whose learning strengths lie outside traditional rubrics. The result is a cycle of exclusion, reduced economic opportunities, and increased psychological stress.

Bias here it is not a bug; it’s a function. By reproducing the prejudices already embedded in society, AI risks entrenching inequality in ways that are harder to detect and therefore challenge.

This technological bias compounds a problem that neurodivergent people already face. In schools, workplaces, and society, the default expectation is built around a “normal” learner or employee. Divergent communication styles, working patterns, or attention strategies are often misinterpreted as weaknesses. The result is a cycle of exclusion: fewer educational opportunities, reduced economic prospects, and greater psychological stress. Studies consistently show that professional status, income, and educational access are closely linked to mental health. Those with secure jobs and strong qualifications benefit from resilience and recognition, while those facing precarious employment or limited education are more vulnerable to anxiety and depression. For neurodivergent individuals, these risks are magnified by systems that not only fail to value their strengths, but actively undervalue their being.

Here, the parallels with Dick’s androids are clear. Just as androids are denied full humanity because they fail to conform to social norms, neurodivergent people are often denied recognition because their cognition doesn’t match neuronormative expectations. When these assumptions are encoded into algorithms, they not only reflect discrimination but automate and scale it.

If there is a way out of this cycle, it’s to begin with education. Inclusive education is more than just a pedagogical principle: it’s an ethical imperative. By designing learning environments that celebrate rather than suppress diverse strengths, we can break the links between difference and disadvantage, observing and othering. Instead of collecting neurodiverse traits like statistics and data farming them like sheep, we have an opportunity to stop the dehumanisation of the neurodivergent – “the other” – and embrace their dignity and individuality.

A genuinely neuro-inclusive system values varied pathways to learning and achievement. This doesn’t just benefit neurodivergent students; it enriches the educational landscape for everyone. Importantly, inclusive education also shapes the future of technology itself. The data we collect on learning today will inform the AI systems of tomorrow. If those datasets reflect diversity, future AI models are more likely to recognise, rather than erase, human variation. Classroom inclusion ripples outwards, shaping the fairness of future algorithms.

Our ethical challenge is therefore twofold: prevent neuronormative injustice from being hard-coded into the systems that increasingly govern our lives; and reimagine education so that diversity becomes the foundation of innovation.

Empathy must guide this transformation. Just as Dick’s novel framed empathy as the defining characteristic of humanity, we too must embed it into how we design, train, apply and use AI. Machines cannot “feel,” but we can shape them to reflect and respect the diversity of human experience.

Perhaps one day, androids really will dream of dyslexics. And perhaps those dreams will not represent a defect, but a symbol of the creativity, resilience, and perspectives that neurodivergent thinking offers. Perhaps then, AI will not risk becoming a nightmare for the neurodivergent.

The future of AI is not only about technical sophistication and the creation of ever easier processes and workloads; it’s about whose stories we choose to recognise. By grounding technology in empathy and inclusion, we have the chance to build systems that expand the horizons of aspiration – for everyone.

Dr Martin Bloomfield, Beyond Inclusion, UK
Prof Dr Claudia Lemke, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Germany

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Fresh Air, Fresh Education

luisa.mule@warc.com — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 15:27:00 +0000

A learner’s brain structure, concentration, memory, and mood all improve when we spend more time outdoors (Kühn, et al., 2021). Educators can engage and connect learners while contributing to positive change and long-term knowledge retention, self-confidence, concentration, comprehension skills, in addition to better social interaction, and physical skills (Fägerstam, 2012; Palavan et al, 2016). One way? Simply by stepping outside of their four walls, now and again (Anaya-Zamora, 2021).

Numerous contextualised learning activities, strategies and resources can be applied to incorporate multiple learning outcomes. Educators can reimagine the commonly [mis]understood theory, “Play-based learning” to relate it to their own teaching and learning environments. ‘Play’ at various ages can be more clearly defined as ‘experiment’, ‘discovery’, ‘trial’, or ‘practice’ for generational benefits of all learners, including adults. Whether it is learning about nature or learning in nature, students, at any age, can develop a holistic appreciation of the environment and their ecological world through each delivery stream, learning area, or unit, depending on the willingness and motivation of their teacher.

If educators combine education and the environment, students develop a greater connection to their environment. Friedrich Froebel, ‘creator of the kindergarten’ implied that learning through creative experimentation of objects and ideas supported meaning-making and a deeper connection to the world (Tovey, 2020). Educators today, across all settings can support learners’ understanding of the complex sustainable choices required in motivating and transforming self and society (UNESCO, 2020). The Education for Sustainable Development (ESD for 2030) comprise five priority action areas, including two achievable targets for teachers: “Transforming learning environments” and “Empowering and mobilising youth”. As educators explore the opportunities for their curriculum’s theory to be delivered in an outdoor environment, health benefits, cross-curricular learning, creativity and social interaction opportunities are better supported (Kahle, 2023). There are benefits for not only students, but teachers, as well with a natural exposure nature and physical activity associate with stress relief, and pro-environmental behaviours (Kuo, et al., 2018) that contribute to solutions towards the innumerable 21st Century sustainability crises and development of [future] human behaviours (UNESCO, 2020).

Design thinking offers a fresh perspective on tackling this challenge. By fostering empathy, ideation, and prototyping, designers and innovators can develop solutions that target the root causes of food loss and waste. From improved storage facilities to innovative packaging solutions and streamlined distribution networks, design-driven interventions hold the promise of reducing food loss and waste at various stages of the supply chain.

An educator, whether in Primary, High, or Tertiary institutions, can facilitate learners finding the hypotenuse on a worksheet, a whiteboard, a PowerPoint, down the hallway, or out on the oval using ropes. Development of active and memorable learning is not confined with four walls and makes no sense (Broda, 2011), often leading to boredom or disengagement.

Education outdoors is not merely Outdoor Education but is a unique exploration of memorable ways to take desk-based learning out to the oval, playground, or adjacent park, for an English, History, Science, Language, Religion, or Maths class, to incorporate nature by having students learn while exploring, breathing fresh air, and developing a sense of responsibility. Educators not integrating education outdoors, Anaya-Zamora (2021) suggests, “hinder learning opportunities for students to experience both sustainability and real-life applications.

Whether integrating a multi-sensory garden, or objects, learning can move from the PowerPoint outdoors but what, I hear someone asking, about the weather? Too hot? Too cold? Too wet? Too bad. Okay, let’s meet halfway. Bring outdoors inside. Pot plants, props (branches, leaves), or something that supports the learning of the day. German paediatrician Hedwig Von Restorff (1933) demonstrated enhanced knowledge retention by differentiating stimuli. Simply put? If something stands out, it gets remembered. An educator trying, for instance, to get learners outdoors or bringing outside inside, learning beyond worksheets or slideshows, supports students with a greater chance of remembering the theory – visually, kinaesthetically, aurally, and olfactorily.

Research continues to demonstrate and remonstrate that classroom confinement is not always conducive to the excitement of learning. Mann et al., 2022, suggest that learning outdoors can offer socio-emotional, academic and wellbeing benefits, and should be incorporated into every schooling experience. Howard Gardner’s (1983) seminal Multiple Intelligences include respect to the ‘Naturalistic’ thinker, the person who has an affinity with nature. Education outdoors will not only assist these individuals, but also by including structured activities and challenging learning intentions outside of the classroom, many more students can, inadvertently, have the opportunity to learn something in a unique and curious way. The use of clear criteria, optimised peer-support, and increased teacher-student opportunities e.g., feedback (Hattie, 2023) must remain core to the learning experience, whether indoors or outdoors. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) website suggests that learning outdoors can be instrumental in students learning more about self-reliance, team and community engagement, leadership, managing personal risks and experiencing safety in nature while learning to value and enjoy the outdoors for health and wellbeing purposes (ACARA, 2023). Kuo, et al., 2018

How? Examples include, but are not limited to asking or conducting the following, for instance:

•   Multi-sensory garden
•   Fibonacci’s fantastic fun with fern fronds
•   Is CO2 heavier than fresh air? Calculators out…
•   Relocating rooms? “What can we [learn] on the way?”
•   Too hot inside? “Bring your books with you and let’s go sit under a tree”.
•   Use rhymes, mnemonics, and alterations to connect theory with nature, e.g., “Why send fracking packing?”
•   “How much cement did Building 2 need for its slab if the slab is 200mm thick? Rope? Tape measure? Notepads? In pairs? Let’s go”.
•   Day 1 – (PPT) “The emergency assembly point is… actually, change of plan. Everyone on your feet. Grab your bags. Let’s go and find it”
•   Plan your menu in class. “How much is it on the internet (in class)? Compare (at the market) “Let’s go and source and cost the ingredients”.
•   Vous parlez Francais? Depechez vous. Go, label your outdoors: A Garden? A Jardin; A Wheelbarrow? Une brouette; A wall? Un mur; A steppingstone? Une dale; A statue? Voila.

Taking advantage of the research, planning some fresh air into some of your classes may be the difference between a student engaging, not giving up, and becoming enthused and inspired with the material.

•   Yes, create engaging activities.
•   Yes, quality of content is paramount.
•   Yes, delivery style and proper planning is essential.
•   Yes, relationships and class dynamics are important.
•   Yes, use technology, and linking to the world is absolutely necessary.

Hopefully, as this article implies, all of these, in addition to ideas to increase oxygen flow, movement, connection to nature, and incorporation of unique learning environments can all contribute to student and teachers’ moods, memories, connections, concentration, and performance.

John Blake
Director of School Learning - Eastern College Australia
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-blake-38701236/
For more information and to register for John’s sessions in the Sustainability & Wellbeing conference, and the Workshop Space at GESS Dubai, visit: https://www.gessdubai.com/node/1599

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3 months ago

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Belonging Through Language: Building Inclusive Schools

luisa.mule@warc.com — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 13:39:47 +0000

One moment that has stayed with me throughout my work with multilingual children happened at Kensington Primary School. A new family had just arrived, originally from South India, and they spoke three languages. During our introduction, the parents reassured me that, on the advice of their previous school, they would only speak English at home. Their little boy, just six years old, sat colouring quietly beside us but kept shouting out random English words—almost as if he needed to prove that he belonged. Both parents were highly educated, working in the tech industry, and were fluent Malayalam speakers. Yet here they were, feeling the need to set aside their rich linguistic heritage because they thought it would benefit their child.

That moment crystallised something for me: belonging is not only about being present in a classroom, but also about being able to bring your full self into it. When families feel pressure to leave behind their languages, children lose part of who they are. And when schools don’t create space for pupils’ linguistic and cultural knowledge, we risk seeing only a fraction of the child in front of us.

As we step into a new academic year, belonging must sit at the heart of what we do. Our schools are increasingly diverse, reflecting a rich tapestry of languages, cultures, and experiences. This diversity is one of our greatest strengths—but it also calls us to be intentional. To unlock the full potential of every child, we must ensure classrooms are linguistically inclusive and that pupils feel their identities are recognised as valuable resources for learning.

A recent 2025 publication from UNESCO is a must-read for anyone working with multilingual children. It reminds us that “multilingual education is not just about language; it is about creating inclusive, equitable learning environments where linguistic and other forms of diversity are celebrated… Achieving this vision requires a radical transformation of education, from policy development to classroom practice.” These words speak directly about the task before us: belonging is not an optional extra, it is a matter of equity and excellence.

In the first weeks of term, relationships matter most. Before academic progress can flourish, pupils need to feel that they belong. This means giving them time and space to bring their languages, cultures, and life experiences into the classroom.

Consider This?

● When a new pupil arrives in your class, do they see or hear their language represented anywhere in the first week?

● What message do your school communications send to families about the value of their home language?

● Are classroom discussions and curriculum materials reflecting the lived experiences and cultures of the children in your care?

For a pupil who is adjusting—making friends, catching up with learning, and acquiring a new language—seeing their background reflected in school sends a powerful message: your identity is seen and valued here. This sense of recognition does more than welcome them; it lays the foundation for confidence, motivation, and belonging.

Practical ways this can look in the classroom:

● A maths word problem that uses familiar contexts (e.g. buying dates during Ramadan or sharing food at Eid) rather than abstract items.

● A class library that includes dual-language picture books or stories set in different parts of the world, reflecting pupils’ home cultures.

● A display board where children contribute greetings, proverbs, or phrases in their home languages alongside English.

These small but intentional acts send a big message: you belong here, and what you bring with you matters.

For those working in International Baccalaureate schools, this vision aligns closely with the new IB Language Tenets:

● Language variation, like multilingualism, is a right and a resource.

● Individuals’ linguistic repertoires are inextricably linked to their identities.

● Language development thrives in environments that, by design, embrace it.

These principles echo what UNESCO has highlighted and what we see daily in classrooms: linguistic inclusivity is not only about improving outcomes, but also about shaping environments where children thrive as whole individuals.

When children feel that they belong, they engage more deeply, take greater risks in learning, and persist when faced with challenges. Belonging becomes the bridge between identity and achievement. In schools that embrace this, pupils do more than learn—they flourish.

Actions for Schools: Placing Belonging at the Centre

● Map your school’s linguistic landscape: gather data on home languages and celebrate this diversity through everyday teaching, displays, assemblies, and resources.

● Integrate cultural contexts into learning: adapt word problems, stories, and classroom examples so pupils see their own worlds reflected in the curriculum.

● Partner with families: create opportunities for parents to share languages and traditions, and provide translated communication where possible.

● Value home languages as a strength: encourage children to use their first language as a tool for learning, through bilingual texts, glossaries, or peer support.

● Train staff in inclusive strategies: provide professional development on how language, identity, and belonging intersect in learning.

As we begin this new academic year in the GCC region, let us commit to placing belonging at the heart of our work. By valuing linguistic diversity, nurturing relationships, and seeing each pupil in their entirety, we create schools that are not just centres of learning, but communities of growth, connection, and hope.

By Soofia Amin — Specialist Lead in Education for Multilingualism

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3 months 2 weeks ago

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School Trends

Millie Sherwood — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 15:56:09 +0000

The new academic year is upon us, hopefully after the summer, batteries have been recharged and we are ready for the next chapter. With new beginnings come new opportunities, but what are some of the trends we are seeing in relation to wellbeing in education?

Since the dark days of online learning from COVID, we have seen an increased attention in relation to wellbeing and mental health, the truth is we are still recovering from the trauma of isolation. One particular facet of wellbeing that was impacted was connection, the lack of interaction and learning through the assimilation of social norms is still being felt across age groups. However, it is not fair to say that this was the catalyst for the focus; indeed this has been on the educational radar for some time, however it does feel like it has gone up a notch.

There are two areas in particular that we are seeing ever growing demand from schools, firstly the request for training for their student population in relation to peer support, and secondly the implementation of phone pouches.

Emotional literacy and awareness are a muscle, if we wait until times of struggle to find our tools in order to emotionally regulate, it will only prolong suffering. When Dubai schools completed the Wellbeing census from KHDA, one of the universal findings across schools was that generally students find emotion regulation challenging. I’m not sure the finding would vary much across the teacher or parent population either. For clarity, emotional regulation is not the absence of feeling emotions, it’s the proportional emotional response to the stimulus. Feeling sad because a test didn’t go well is emotional regulation; having a panic attack because you think you won’t get into a good university as a result is not emotion regulation. This is where the training in the student population comes in.

One of the popular requests we get at The Free Spirit Collective is for our peer support programme. This creates wellbeing ambassadors across the school and enables students to support students. They are more often than not the first port of call from their fellow students, which can leave individuals feeling overwhelmed and uncertain of what steps to take. This training helps create clear pathways in line with the school safeguarding policy and assists in streamlining the information to the relevant person within the school. As we know, safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, and this further helps create a community of care and empathy. Importantly, it helps create a community that isn’t scared to have mental health conversations, reducing the stigma little by little, which has long been a global target.

Whenever I deliver parent sessions in schools, invariably some form of question comes up about screen time and what to do. The reality is we aren’t sure what best practice looks like yet. Guidelines have shifted over the years as new schools of thought emerge, but we are yet to land on something concrete. Phone pouches have been met with despair by students, however early adaptors are reporting positive qualitative data. They are referencing increased interaction and communication among the student population, something that will help a sense of connection and school belonging enormously.

Is this the long term solution? I’d like to hope not. Perhaps delusionally, I wish that one day we foster such emotionally literate and aware students that they are able to form a healthy relationship once again with our portable friends. For now, I think it’s a great move and certainly among the younger years where our brain is driven by emotions and dopamine seeking behaviour, I believe it will be a great help.

Where do we need to grow in relation to wellbeing in schools? If we look at the Global Flourishing study that is happening right now, a five-year longitudinal study spanning twenty-two countries and two hundred thousand people, we are gaining remarkable insights into human flourishing. For example, the negative correlation that is appearing between wealth and happiness. Who would have thought it, that money doesn’t actually make you happy on a large scale? What does this study and many other studies lack? Data from the Gulf region.

One of the other growing trends in Wellbeing and education is the use of technology and apps. I am a full supporter of this move, only thirty percent of those that need support with mental health receive appropriate care globally. A shocking statistic. This will go a long way in making sure that more people get some support, as we know, high wellbeing is a protective factor for mental health.

I’d like us to see us utilise the use of technology to plug the data gap in the Gulf region. Much of the wellbeing literature and interventions are predicated on Eastern traditions, this is not new technology or thinking. Most of the current research conducted on said interventions is carried out on white/ western people, which leaves a big question mark over it’s validity across the world. It is imperative that we record what enables flourishing in this region, there is a rich depth of knowledge to tap into with strong cultural bonds to learn from.

Wherever you are in relation to your wellbeing journey in school, just remember it is a journey, it takes a lot of time, but consistency means you are moving further towards your target. Stay patient, you will do great things.

By Mark Samways

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4 months ago

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The New Academic Year and Why Child Protection and Safeguarding must be part of each school’s culture

Millie Sherwood — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 15:49:57 +0000

As we embark on a new academic year across the GCC region, it is critically important that all schools foster a culture of safety, security, connection and care for all stakeholders, especially the children who we have the privilege of working so closely with across their educational journeys.

Even more importantly, this culture of child protection and safeguarding must come before our children can fully connect to any educational learning. We want our children to achieve at their highest possible levels, whether that be academically, socially, culturally or through sport. The thing is, unless a child feels safe, loved and cared for (both at home and at school), they will never fully connect to their learning and development journey. And it’s not just me saying this – it’s neuroscience that confirms this.

As humans, we are a ‘feelings’-based species. We feel first and learn second. It’s how we have been created. Our brains receive endless signals via our central nervous system every day, with these signals following a pathway from the brain stem to the limbic system and then to the prefrontal lobes. These signals go in that order each and every time.

Children who do not feel safe (whether that’s at home, school or both), live in a constant state of fear and survival mode, continually enacting either fight or flight responses. Their only learning is around what they must do to survive. So, their ability to learn at any higher level (executive state) stops at the most primitive part of their brain.

Children who do not feel a sense of love, care and a positive state of wellbeing will have unstable emotional states, which also significantly hampers their ability to learn and any higher level. We need our children to be as healthy and as happy as possible and wanting to come to school, because the school’s culture actively promotes health and happiness.

This is also critically important for school staff, in particular teaching staff, as there is a direct correlation between staff wellbeing and student wellbeing outcomes.

Something to also consider is that it takes on average until a person is in their mid-20’s for their brain to fully develop. However, 90% of that brain growth occurs before a child reaches 5 years of age. This means that a child’s feelings about safety, love, health and happiness have already been formed in their home-life before they even reach school. Parents and Guardians are a child’s first teacher, and building a home culture of safety, security, love and care is essential to having a seamless alignment to a school’s child protection and safeguarding culture once a child reaches school age. This is one of the primary reasons why the partnership between home and school is so critical to the continuation of a child’s overall development.

As we start the 2025-2026 academic year, all schools should have clear child protection and safeguarding strategies that prioritize connection over curriculum. Schools have both a moral and a legal responsibility to protect at-risk individuals (including children) from harm, abuse and neglect, as well as ensuring there are measures in place to prevent harm to children’s development and/or health. Priority should be on pastoral care of children and spotting warning signs of harm and abuse in children.

So please, please don’t start the year by opening textbooks or starting academic learning on Day 1, or even the first week or so. Prioritize getting to know your children, as people, not just as students, and learn their baseline behavior, so you can watch out for changes in those behavior patterns. Focus on creating an environment (especially in the classroom) that is caring, nurturing, safe and student-centered, allowing your children to own their own learning. And have fun! This will build long-lasting and powerful connections and give your children the best possible chance to fully engage in their executive learning state.

This is why child protection and safeguarding must come first in schools.

Yours in gratitude,

Darren Goodall MBA - Director of Child Protection and Safeguarding, Maarif Education

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4 months ago

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