GESS talks

Early Years Education

Effective Professional Development in EYFS: Empowering Educators for

20 January 2026

Professional development (PD) is essential in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), where educators play a critical role in shaping children’s…

Special Educational Needs Wellbeing

The Hidden Cost of Outsourced Inclusion

20 January 2026

What Schools Risk When SEN Is Not Owned Internally

Edtech Sustainability Wellbeing

We are Teaching the Tools, Not the Wisdom

20 January 2026

What are we really educating children for? Education has never had more solutions. New platforms. New frameworks. New technologies. New…

Learning Environment Wellbeing

The Quiet Crisis in Inclusion - Who Is Supporting the Adults?

20 January 2026

 Inclusive education has progressed significantly in recent years. Classrooms are more diverse, conversations are more open, and the language of…

Inclusion in Action: Shaping the Future of SEN Education

09 January 2026

Taking place on Wednesday 28th January 2026 at 12:00 UK / 16:00 UAE.  As we step into 2026, the landscape of special educational needs (SEN)…

Leadership Strategy and Skills Wellbeing

What About The Teachers?

05 January 2026

Inclusion will not survive unless we start designing education around the people who deliver it We talk a great deal about SEN/Inclusion. We talk…

Learning Environment Wellbeing

The Power of Relationships

05 January 2026

‘They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.’ Carl W. Buechner.   The Research Behind…

Early Years Education Wellbeing

From Support to Belonging: Inclusion That Works in Nurseries and Early

05 January 2026

In early years, inclusion is not a separate “strand” that sits next to teaching and care. It is the daily design of nursery life so every child…

Early Years Education

Personalised Learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage

05 January 2026

Personalised learning is at the heart of high-quality practice in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). It recognises that every child is a unique…

Special Educational Needs Wellbeing

“One Size Does Not Fit All” Inclusion Begins with Mindset

05 January 2026

“One size does not fit all.” Six simple words, yet they carry a depth that can change a mindset and, more importantly, change a student’s life.…

Fariza Ellahi: Empowering Learners, Driving Global Change

16 December 2025

Dubai stands at an exciting forefront in education, reimagining what learning can look like. Living here has shown me that education is not only about…

STEM

Building Brighter Minds — Creative Strategies for Teaching STEM in Global

16 December 2025

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics — together, they shape how students understand and influence the modern world. For non-U.S. teachers…

Early Years Education

The Growth Mindset in Early Years: How Effort Can Outshine Natural Ability

16 December 2025

Walk into any EYFS classroom, and you’ll find magic in the smallest moments. You might see a child carefully threading beads and celebrating when one…

Learning Environment

Building the Dubai Child

02 December 2025

Dubai is at an exciting crossroads in education. With its rapidly growing population, rich diversity, and a vision to nurture children who are both…

Early Years Education

The Playful Brain: Turning Leading Theories into 7 Everyday Practices for

02 December 2025

Have you ever watched a young child completely immersed in the art of making a Mess?  Happy, playful, focused. That moment is not only adorable.…

Future Learning & Trends Learning Environment

Three Tools Needed to support the rise of Self Directed Education

02 December 2025

After reading Dr. Peter Gray’s article on comparing self-directed education and progressive education, I found myself reflecting on where I stand.…

Neuroplasticity and Its Implications for 21st-Century Education

02 December 2025

Introduction Neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to change, reorganize, and form new neural connections, has revolutionized the way we think about…

Edtech VR, AI and AR

When AI Makes Thinking Visible: How Schools Must Respond

02 December 2025

Artificial intelligence is now a familiar presence in classrooms. Students use it to explore ideas, test arguments, and express their understanding.…

STEM

From Silos to Synergy: Cross-Curricular Projects That Bring Math to Life

20 November 2025

In many classrooms, mathematics is often viewed as a subject of numbers and formulas—taught in isolation from the world students live in. Yet, when…

Early Years Education

Using Storytelling to Build Language, Imagination, and Social Skills in the

20 November 2025

Storytelling has always been one of the most natural ways for humans to share experiences, knowledge, and values. In early childhood education,…

GESS Talks Interview with Discovery Education

Millie chats with Jake Jones, LIV Golf's Senior Vice President of Impact and Sustainability. Find out more here:…

Q&A with Dr Sonia Ben Jaafar - CEO, Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation

18 November 2025

Dr Sonia Ben Jaafar – CEO Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation   Can you share an overview of Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation’s mission and key…

Higher Education

Empowering Students and Parents in the Competitive University Application

06 November 2025

In today’s higher education landscape, applying to elite institutions, whether the Ivy League, Oxbridge, or other world-leading universities, has…

Edtech VR, AI and AR

Exploring Digital Learning & Innovation at GESS Dubai

06 November 2025

This year will mark my 13th appearance at GESS and it’s a genuinely fascinating time to be working at the intersection of education and technology.…

Wellbeing

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

06 November 2025

Mr. Darren Goodall (MBA) joined the Maarif Education Head Office team in August 2023 as the Director of Child Protection and Safeguarding, providing…

Leadership Strategy and Skills

Digital Strategy for a Growing School Group

06 November 2025

Victoria International School of Sharjah (VISS) was founded in 2007 with the support and vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al…

Higher Education

Bridging the Gap: Preparing High Schoolers for Higher Education at Al Hekma

06 November 2025

In today’s rapidly evolving world, higher education no longer begins at university gates, it begins in high school. The transition from school to…

GESS Talks Interview with Savaas

Ahead of GESS Dubai 2025, Matthew from Savaas joins us for an exclusive interview. Tune in to learn more about their innovative offerings, and don’t…

Meet ITN Education

Dan Mills, Director at ITN Education, spoke at GESSDubai, exploring how authentic video storytelling transformed both learning and teaching around the…

GESS Talks Interview with Chapters and Co.

Ahead of GESS Dubai 2025, Millie chats with Wael from Chapters & Co. Take a listen to find out more, and visit their stand F50 at the show!

The power of adaptive testing in supporting inclusion and equity in the

28 October 2025

Every classroom brings together a mix of learners, each with unique strengths, challenges, and their own way and pace of learning.  An ongoing…

Future Learning & Trends Learning Environment

From Language to Learning: Rethinking How Literacy Begins

21 October 2025

Wael I. Nasr, MD, MBA Founder & Director, Chapters & Co. The New Frontier of Education Artificial Intelligence has transformed the…

Learning Environment Wellbeing

Reconnecting a Generation: How Outdoor Learning Can Redefine Education

13 October 2025

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…

Early Years Education

Adaptive Teaching in Early Years: Nurturing Every Child’s Potential

09 October 2025

In the early years of education, every child arrives with a unique blend of strengths, interests, and needs. Some may be eager to explore new…

Navigating the Future of Education: Insights from GESS Dubai 2025 speakers

06 October 2025

Taking place on Wednesday 22nd October at 13:00 UK / 16:00 UAE.  A sneak peek into the exciting discussions expected at GESS Dubai 2025.…

Early Years Education Learning Environment Wellbeing

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

02 October 2025

When we talk about quality in early years settings, it’s tempting to focus only on checklists and compliance forms. While regulations are important,…

Learning Environment Wellbeing

Impact: The Hydra of Education

02 October 2025

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…

Sustainability

Top Tips to becoming a Greener School

02 October 2025

Climate change and the threats to our environment present us all with the greatest challenge to our lives and to the lives of future generations.…

Wellbeing

Belonging by Design

02 October 2025

‘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…

School Supplier Success: Relevance, Relationships and Resilience in Middle

02 October 2025

Taking place on Thursday 9th October at 15:00 UK / 18:00 UAE.  Education businesses entering, growing and scaling in Middle East education…

Leadership Strategy and Skills Learning Environment

Smart Classroom Management: Modern Strategies for Teaching Arabic

02 October 2025

In our fast-paced world, a teacher's role today goes beyond simply transferring information. It requires building a stimulating learning environment…

Future Leaders Future Learning & Trends Leadership Strategy and Skills

High-Performance Teams in Schools: Built for Pressure, Not Routine

02 October 2025

Teams make the world go round. It might sound like a cliché, but in the school environment it has never been more true. The reality is that we cannot…

Future Leaders Future Learning & Trends Leadership Strategy and Skills

When did you last really talk with your colleagues?

02 October 2025

Think back to your last leadership meeting ... how much of the conversation was genuine dialogue, and how much involved people talking at one another,…

Future Leaders Future Learning & Trends Leadership Strategy and Skills

Finding Focus in School Leadership

02 October 2025

Has anyone on your school leadership team taken up their role in the last two years? If so, up to half will be judged as having failed within that…

Edtech VR, AI and AR

Piloting Through Paradox with AI

01 October 2025

This year will mark my 13th appearance at GESS and it’s a genuinely fascinating time to be working at the intersection of education and technology.…

Edtech Future Learning & Trends

How Immersive Tech is Impacting The Future of Education

01 October 2025

Imagine learning from a professor who’s available 24/7, speaks your language, and adapts to your learning style. At Imperial College London’s IDEA…

Edtech VR, AI and AR Wellbeing

Do Androids Dream of Dyslexic Sheep? Ethics and Neuronormative Injustice

01 October 2025

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…

Edtech VR, AI and AR

The Journey to AI Integration in a Primary School

01 October 2025

Most schools' AI journeys begin with enthusiasm and experimentation. Mine certainly did. As a Year 4 teacher drowning in evening planning sessions, I…