Two UAE schools have been nominated for a prestigious international accolade.
Cranleigh Abu Dhabi and The Arcadia Preparatory School in Dubai are two of the eight schools shortlisted for the International School of the Year at the Tes (formerly known as Times Education Supplement) Independent School Awards 2019.
The Tes School Awards, held annually, recognise those who are making great contributions to independent schools.
For the International School of the Year award, judges look for a school located outside the UK that uses the British curriculum and excels in curriculum, strategy or finance.
The schools shortlisted for the award are British School in Muscat, Doha College in Qatar, Forsan British School in Alexandria, HELP International School in Malaysia, Prince of Wales Island International School in Malaysia, and The English School in Kuwait.
Michael Wilson, Principal at Cranleigh Abu Dhabi, said the school's nomination was due to the "compelling' work" carried out to keep learners engaged.
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“The focus of the Cranleigh award submission was on the impact that can be achieved when a school initiates a compelling project and uses it to engage pupils of all ages through a wide reaching cross-curricular programme.”
The school used an opera project titled Water in the Desert: A Zayed Legacy to educate pupils about the UAE's Founding Father and his love of the environment.
Teachers took the opera’s key themes of sustainability, water management, heritage and identity, and built a series of challenges designed to stretch and stimulate thinking beyond regular academic lessons.
More than 800 pupils in Year two and above engaged in tasks such as as building a proposal for eco-tourism in the mangroves, creating radio advertisements on water conservation, designing sustainable architecture, and understanding how to document cultural memory.
"We are incredibly proud to be one of just two UAE schools on the shortlist. There are such innovative educational initiatives happening in this region and we are delighted to be able to bring one of them to the attention of an international audience," said Mr Wilson.
The winners will be revealed at a gala awards evening in London on February 1.
