Staff
Horizon English School, Ranches Primary School and RGS Guildford Dubai are the first schools in the UAE to participate in tailored training programmes, developed by Cognita in partnership with University College London’s Centre for Education Leadership
Dubai, Mar 19, 2024: Three UAE schools have been selected for leadership and teacher training programmes developed by Cognita and University College London’s Centre for Education Leadership – part of their IOE, Faculty of Education and Society. Horizon English School, Ranches Primary School and RGS Guildford Dubai are the first schools in the UAE to take part in the programmes which help teachers and school leaders develop tailor-made solutions to their students’ and staff’s unique needs and contexts.
The programmes also offer an opportunity for staff to learn from one another, forging stronger links with their global colleagues.
Greg Ross, Associate Professor at UCL says, “It can be a challenge to know how to best apply messages from research in the busy reality of a school. Participants on the programmes we have developed with Cognita become researchers into their own practice and into their distinctive school contexts. They are supported in leading innovations based on robust evidence, both from research and from data they gather in their schools.
“This approach helps teachers and leaders make good decisions about how to best serve the students in their care. We are proud of our long-term partnership with Cognita and have been impressed on both our programmes by the commitment to continuous learning and improvement from Cognita teachers and leaders.”
Horizon English School and RGS Guildford Dubai are taking part in the Senior Leader Enquiry Programme, which helps teams of 2-3 school leaders develop their leadership in areas such as professional learning and pedagogy.
At the start of the programme, participants set out questions around their own leadership development priorities and the priority needs in their schools. With the help of UCL researchers, they explore innovative solutions, which they will test out within their schools. They assess their progress in a series of online and face-to-face tutorials and workshops led by UCL. This allows them to refine their solutions. By the time the programme concludes in June 2025, they will have developed evidence-based leadership tools tailored to their school based on robust global evidence.
Teachers from Ranches Primary School have joined the Team Fellowship Programme, and will work with UCL experts to explore a specific area of practice linked to student learning.
Throughout the nine-month programme, the teachers will attend three tutorials with a member of UCL faculty. They will then produce a short video and written document to evidence their learning and to share with others. At the end of the programme, in June 2024, they will lead a professional learning session in their own school.
