Outstanding Schools Middle East 2023 Agenda

Outstanding Schools will welcome delegates to the first day of the conference, which will focus on two interrelated themes: Leadership and Workforce and Wellbeing and Inclusion. 

An uplifting keynote address to encourage and enthuse your leaders so that they feel empowered for the changes ahead. 

• Infusing leadership with professional love. 
• Leading in the brave space of ambiguity and change. 
• The questions courageous leaders ask their teams and themselves. 
• There are three questions that only courageous- ethical leaders dare to ask. 

Prepare for change! 

Delegates are invited to join one of the interactive workshops taking place on Day 1 of the conference. The workshop sessions will take place concurrently and correspond to topics related to the two streams taking place on Day 1: Leadership and Workforce and Wellbeing and Inclusion. 

The sessions are an hour in length and will consist of a short presentation by the workshop facilitator followed by a guided, interactive discussion between delegates. These sessions will provide delegates with an opportunity to discuss shared challenges, exchange best practice guidance and work together to develop tangible outcomes to improve their schools. 

Please find the details of the available workshops in the Leadership and Workforce stream below. Workshops in the Wellbeing and Inclusion stream are featured on the relevant agenda page. 

• In an increasingly competitive and saturated market, how can international schools in the Middle East set about identifying and securing outstanding candidates that fit the values and ethos of their schools?  
• What are the motivations underpinning educators’ career choices? 
• How can school leaders ensure that they are employing equitable and non-discriminatory hiring practices? 

• How can schools develop a culture of coaching and mentoring within individual schools and across school groups to create a more effective teaching workforce? 
• Discover the difference between coaching and mentoring, as well as when best to employ one approach over the other. 
• Hear how you can cultivate authentic mentoring relationships that bring out the best in your teaching staff. 

The report ‘Determining the Diversity Baseline in International Schools’ (2021) by the Council of International Schools (CIS) highlighted that, despite women being overrepresented within teaching faculty, men are three times more likely to be heads of international schools than women. Moreover, school heads are eight times more likely to be from a Western country and five times more likely to be white.   

• What intersectional challenges preclude some women and educators of colour from advancing to senior leadership positions in international schools in the Middle East? 
• What can be done to disrupt and dismantle the systems and structures that support this? 
• Are hiring committee’s unconscious biases impacting their recruitment practices and thereby fostering inequity within international schools? 
• What practical steps can senior leadership teams take to confront and tackle these conscious and unconscious biases? 
• What does it mean to be a true ally to women and educators of colour?  
• How can existing leaders leverage their positions to advocate for greater parity within the sector? 

In January 2023, GEMS Millennium School – Sharjah became the only school in the emirate to be awarded an ‘Outstanding’ rating by the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA) having been rated ‘Good’ during their previous inspection. To date, the school is the only Indian Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum school to have achieved this distinction within the UAE.  

• Hear directly from the senior leadership team at GEMS Millennium School – Sharjah about how they successfully enacted such substantial improvements to the overall effectiveness in the school in such a short period of time. 
• Discover actionable insights and strategies that you can implement at your institution to create and sustain an outstanding school.  
• How can schools establish attainable goals in response to feedback provided by regulatory bodies, as well as clear KPIs so that they can track their progress and hold key stakeholders accountable? 

• Discover how the philosophy and framework underpinning high performance learning can be used to develop high performing leaders amongst your student body. 
• How can international schools contribute to the creation of a high-performance generation who will positively impact the region? 
• How can international schools design a scheme whereby leadership skills are instilled across the curriculum?  
• Defining leadership as an academic activity and rethinking the purpose of education considering the reduced lifespan of knowledge in the twenty-first century. 

• Hear from ISC Research about what their data and insights reveal about the key trends and challenges that are set to impact the international education sector in the Middle East in 2023 and beyond. 
• How has international education changed in the region during the last 12 months and what is likely to impact the sector in the year ahead? 
• What will be business critical for international schools and school groups to focus on over the coming academic year to ensure that they can distinguish themselves from their competitors and capitalise on the growth in the regional demand for international education? 
• Discover how changing demographics within the Middle East seeking out an English-medium education along with the growth of business in the region will affect international education in the Middle East going forward. 

• Discover best practice guidance for establishing inclusive, diverse, and equitable learning communities within international schools that leverage the agency of all key stakeholders, including voices that have been historically marginalised. 
• How can diversity within international school communities enhance student learning opportunities as well as educators’ leadership skills? 
• How a diverse senior leadership team can improve the wellbeing of your school, resulting in resilient school communities that can withstand the impact of unexpected crises. 
• How can international schools build meaningful, equitable and sustainable relationships with their local community? How can such partnerships be mutually beneficial? 

Outstanding Schools will welcome delegates to the first day of the conference, which will focus on two interrelated themes: Leadership and Workforce and Wellbeing and Inclusion. 

An uplifting keynote address to encourage and enthuse your leaders so that they feel empowered for the changes ahead. 

• Infusing leadership with professional love. 
• Leading in the brave space of ambiguity and change. 
• The questions courageous leaders ask their teams and themselves. 
• There are three questions that only courageous- ethical leaders dare to ask. 

Prepare for change!

Delegates are invited to join one of the interactive workshops taking place on Day 1 of the conference. The workshop sessions will take place concurrently and correspond to topics related to the two streams taking place on Day 1: Leadership and Workforce and Wellbeing and Inclusion. 

The sessions are an hour in length and will consist of a short presentation by the workshop facilitator followed by a guided, interactive discussion between delegates. These sessions will provide delegates with an opportunity to discuss shared challenges, exchange best practice guidance and work together to develop tangible outcomes to improve their schools. 

Please find the details of the available workshops in the Wellbeing and Inclusion stream below. Workshops in the Leadership and Workforce stream are featured on the relevant agenda page. 

• How can schools promote online safety and safe approaches to social media uses? 
• Best practice for fostering digital resilience within students. 
• How can schools protect children in virtual environments, such as the Metaverse?  

• How can schools develop a holistic, whole-school approach to wellbeing that encompasses the needs of both students, educators, and school leaders? 
• What do effective, wellbeing policies look like in practice? 
• Strategies to help reduce stress and burnout in teaching faculty and senior leadership teams. 

• How can international schools go about instituting long-term, school wide DEIJB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice and Belonging) strategies and initiatives that are culturally and contextually responsive?  
• How can school leaders ensure the long-term success and sustainability of DEIJB strategies?  
• Understanding the best ways in which to address, challenge and reduce racism in your school community. 
• What can international schools do to raise awareness about DEIJB within their local community beyond their staff and student bodies? 
• How much impact do international schools have on local and regional thinking regarding diversity and inclusion?  

Hear from the senior leadership team at Beech Hall Riyadh about how they established the first wholly inclusive international school in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

• What does it mean to be a truly inclusive school from a teaching and learning perspective? 
• How can schools create an environment in which children with significant learning needs can study alongside their peers? 
• The importance of creating physical spaces on school campuses that promote wellbeing and inclusion. 
• Establishing holistic, whole-school initiatives to benefit SEN and neurodiverse students. 

In 2022, the Al-Bayan International School received a special commendation from ISC Research at the International School Awards for having successfully introduced extensive inclusive education in Kuwait. Hear from the senior leadership team about how they achieved this, as well as insights about how to ensure that your school’s SEN provision is as innovative as your mainstream provision.  

• Thinking beyond inclusion, what strategies should schools be employing to differentiate and personalise SEN students’ learning experiences? 
• What strategies should be employed so that schools can provide SEN students with the same opportunities to develop twenty-first century competencies as their peers? 
• How can schools ensure that they are building capacity in SEN learners to ensure their success beyond the educational environment? 
• What strategies should international schools employ to dispel cultural preconceptions and concerns regarding students with diverse learning needs? 

• Hear from ISC Research about what their data and insights reveal about the key trends and challenges that are set to impact the international education sector in the Middle East in 2023 and beyond. 
• How has international education changed in the region during the last 12 months and what is likely to impact the sector in the year ahead? 
• What will be business critical for international schools and school groups to focus on over the coming academic year to ensure that they can distinguish themselves from their competitors and capitalise on the growth in the regional demand for an international education? 
• Discover how changing demographics within the Middle East seeking out an English-medium education along with the growth of business in the region will affect international education in the Middle East going forward. 

• Discover best practice guidance for establishing inclusive, diverse, and equitable learning communities within international schools that leverage the agency of all key stakeholders, including voices that have been historically marginalised.
• How can diversity within international school communities enhance student learning opportunities as well as educators’ leadership skills? 
• What are the benefits of having a diverse senior leadership team for the overall wellbeing of your school community, including staff, students and caregivers? How can this foster the creation of resilient school communities that are capable of withstanding the impact of unexpected crises and thriving even in times of uncertainty? 
• How can international schools build meaningful, equitable and sustainable relationships with their local community? How can such partnerships be mutually beneficial?  

• As international schools in the Middle East increasingly cater to a local population, rather than their traditional expatriate market, how should they adapt their provision to meet the needs of the region’s local market and changing demographics?  
• How can international school leaders align themselves with national agendas and meet government bodies’ expectations whilst counterbalancing this with their international aims? 
• Educating Generations Z and Alpha – how can educators meet the ever-evolving needs of these generations of students and ensure that they are prepared for changing industry requirements? 
• What skills and competencies should international schools be teaching in 2023 and beyond? Are interdisciplinary approaches and vocational subjects the future of international pedagogy? 
• What practical steps can international schools take to shift educational paradigms and bring key stakeholders on board whilst doing so? 
• Does the sector need to radically re-evaluate the purpose of international education? 

Delegates are invited to join one of the interactive workshops taking place on Day 2 of the conference. The workshop sessions will take place concurrently and correspond to topics related to the two streams taking place on Day 2: EdTech and School Management and Teaching and Learning. 

The sessions are an hour in length and will consist of a short presentation by the workshop facilitator followed by a guided, interactive discussion between delegates. These sessions will provide delegates with an opportunity to discuss shared challenges, exchange best practice guidance and work together to develop tangible outcomes to improve their schools. 

Please find the details of the available workshops in the EdTech and School Management stream below. Workshops in the Teaching and Learning stream are featured on the relevant agenda page.

• International schools are data rich institutions, yet there is often limited understanding about how to best manage this data or how to use it to improve school outcomes.  
• How can schools create compelling stories from their data? 
• How can schools use data more effectively to drive interventions and strategic planning? 
• How can schools clearly communicate data analysis to key stakeholders in the school community, especially those who are not data literate?

• International schools possess swathes of sensitive data that make them vulnerable to ransomware attacks, phishing scams, and social engineering amongst other cyberthreats. 
• How can schools develop a robust, cybersecurity strategy to safeguard their data? 
• How can schools go about reducing the efficacy of cyberthreats by educating their students to recognise attempted phishing scans and social engineering? 
• What CPD should schools offer to ensure that their staff can identify and appropriately response to cyberthreats?

• Since the outset of 2023, ChatGPT has been at the forefront of conversations amongst educators. How can international schools begin the journey to adopting AI and Machine Learning?
• How can international schools proactively prepare for the onset of new digital technologies, rather than having a consistently reactive approach to them?
• How will AI impact the future of teaching and learning, as well as curriculum development and assessment practices? 
• The Ethics of AI: How can students be educated to use AI safely, effectively, and responsibly?
• How should schools go about educating children about the biases inherent to AI and Machine Learning programmes?

Durham School for Girls Doha was founded in Qatar in 2019 in association with Qatari sponsors who wanted their daughters to attend an all-girls, British curriculum school with an established reputation with an all-female campus. The school’s aim was to provide a British education whilst ensuring that students retained a strong sense of their Qatari identity.

The school now predominantly caters to local Qatari families seeking out an English-medium education for their daughters. Discover key insights and best practice guidance from the founding senior leadership team about how to establish a successful new school in the Middle East.

• When founding a school in the Middle East that is affiliated with a school overseas, what precisely do you prioritise in terms of core identity and values?
• How can you distill an affiliated school’s identity but align it with the values of the local context in which the new school is situated? 
• What can senior leadership teams of newly established schools do to ensure that they are addressing the needs and values of their local context and community? How can they establish community buy-in from the outset? 
• What are the specific needs of local families looking for an English-medium, international education? 
• Hear practical guidance about facility development and management.

• An engaged alumni community can be an invaluable asset for international schools in terms of opportunities for students and fundraising initiatives. What are the other long-term benefits of leveraging your alumni community? 
• How can international schools engage their alumni community rather than just managing data about them? 
• What should international schools be offering their alumni to secure their long-term support and engagement? 
• What makes a great alumni programme and how can schools measure the success of such programmes?

With COP28 scheduled to take place in Dubai between the 30th of November and 12th of December 2023, it is timely for international schools in the Middle East to reflect on how they can leverage their resources and pedagogical expertise to help combat an ever-worsening climate catastrophe. 

• How can international schools and school leaders meaningfully contribute to global sustainability goals, especially with regards to climate change and environmental education? 
• The importance of infusing environmental education within international curricula and guidance for embedding sustainability within cross-curricula initiatives. 
• How can schools establish sustainable practices in their school operations and infrastructure? What practical steps can schools at varying stages in their sustainability journeys take to become more sustainable and create environmentally friendly campuses? 
• Best practice guidance for establishing local community partnerships and networks centred upon sustainability initiatives. 

• As international schools in the Middle East increasingly cater to a local population, rather than their traditional expatriate market, how should they adapt their provision to meet the needs of the region’s local market and changing demographics?  
• How can international school leaders align themselves with national agendas and meet government bodies’ expectations whilst counterbalancing this with their international aims? 
• Educating Generations Z and Alpha – how can educators meet the ever-evolving needs of these generations of students and ensure that they are prepared for changing industry requirements? 
• What skills and competencies should international schools be teaching in 2023 and beyond? Are interdisciplinary approaches and vocational subjects the future of international pedagogy? 
• What practical steps can international schools take to shift educational paradigms and bring key stakeholders on board whilst doing so? 
• Does the sector need to radically re-evaluate the purpose of international education? 

Delegates are invited to join one of the interactive workshops taking place on Day 2 of the conference. The workshop sessions will take place concurrently and correspond to topics related to the two streams taking place on Day 2: EdTech and School Management and Teaching and Learning. 

The sessions are an hour in length and will consist of a short presentation by the workshop facilitator followed by a guided, interactive discussion between delegates. These sessions will provide delegates with an opportunity to discuss shared challenges, exchange best practice guidance and work together to develop tangible outcomes to improve their schools. 

Please find the details of the available workshops in the Teaching and Learning stream below. Workshops in the EdTech and School Management stream are featured on the relevant agenda page. 

• How do you go beyond operationally sustainable initiatives and truly infuse sustainability within your school’s curriculum? 
• How can you develop and implement cross-curricula initiatives that offer age-appropriate environmental education to students? 

• Many international schools in the Middle East are currently experiencing challenges with the attainment gap and learning loss brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, especially with regards to literacy. 
• How can educators create an effective strategy to raise reading levels across all year groups? 
• What best practice strategies should educators be employing to meet the needs of EAL and multilingual learners who are below where they should be with regards to their literacy? 

This session will consist of three 10-minute lightning talks, followed by a 15-minute summary panel discussion and moderated live Q&A. 

Hear case studies from three leading international schools who have successfully implemented cross-curricula initiatives focused on subjects pertaining to emerging digital technologies and innovations within their school’s teaching and learning strategy.  

Discover how you might similarly incorporate digital innovations within your school and provide your students with skills and competencies for the twenty-first century workplace. 

Lightning Talk 1: Esports 

• The Esports business is set to have an estimated value of over $200 billion in 2023. With that in mind, how can international schools provide their students with an opportunity to explore career opportunities in this burgeoning industry?  
• Discover cross-curricula approaches to the study of Esports. 
• Which twenty-first century competencies can be inculcated by incorporating Esports within your school’s teaching and learning strategy? 
• The business case for Esports: what are the financial implications of establishing an Esports teaching and learning strategy? 

Lightning Talk 2: NFTs and Cryptocurrency 

• Discover from Citizens School, the first international school in the Middle East to allow parents to pay school fees in cryptocurrencies, about how they are embedding the study of NFTs and cryptocurrencies within their teaching and learning strategy. 
• How can the study of cryptocurrencies benefit children’s financial literacy? 
• How can schools balance providing an innovative yet age-appropriate approach to the study of NFTs and cryptocurrency? 

Lightning Talk 3: The Metaverse 

• How can educators mobilise the Metaverse to enhance their teaching and learning provision across different core subjects? 
• How can the Metaverse be used to create more interactive and personalised learning experiences for students? 
• How can the Metaverse be used to promote global collaboration, global citizenship and intercultural appreciation?

• What best practice strategies should teachers be employing to ensure that they are challenging and scaffolding all learners in core STEM subjects? 
• The importance of evidence-based assessment practices and how assessment can feed into effective challenge to ensure that students meet their maximum potential. 
• How can facilitating student agency and allowing children to take ownership of their learning aid differentiated teaching? 
• What opportunities are there for inter-curricula approaches to STEM subjects that also develop twenty-first century competencies? 

• The recent increase of Russian, Ukrainian, Chechnyan and Chinese students seeking an English-medium education has brought about a renewed focus on delivering outstanding EAL provision in Middle Eastern international schools. 
• How can schools respond and adapt to the distinct lingual competencies of existing and incoming students, especially those who do not speak English upon arrival? 
• What strategies and techniques should educators employ to benefit home language, bilingual, multilingual and EAL learners in the classroom? 
• Counterbalancing EAL provision with emphasis on students’ home languages and Arabic. 
• How can additive bilingualism, in conjunction with EAL provision, foster intercultural appreciation and help to embed children within their local community? 
• How can international schools establish a culture of additive bilingualism that counterbalances EAL requirements with students’ home languages? 

With COP28 scheduled to take place in Dubai between the 30th of November and 12th of December 2023, it is timely for international schools in the Middle East to reflect on how they can leverage their resources and pedagogical expertise to help combat an ever-worsening climate catastrophe. 

• How can international schools and school leaders meaningfully contribute to global sustainability goals, especially with regards to climate change and environmental education? 
• The importance of infusing environmental education within international curricula and guidance for embedding sustainability within cross-curricula initiatives.
• How can schools establish sustainable practices in their school operations and infrastructure? What practical steps can schools at varying stages in their sustainability journeys take to become more sustainable and create environmentally friendly campuses? 
• Best practice guidance for establishing local community partnerships and networks centred upon sustainability initiatives.