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Community building Pro-active community building in Dubai at Jumeira Baccalaureate School, 2010 -12 October 20 2012 Andy Homden, Taaleem & JBS. Why?. C ontext. T arget population: Emirati and international Enrolment: September 2010: 90 students, KG1 – G4
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Community building Pro-active community building in Dubai at Jumeira Baccalaureate School, 2010 -12 October 20 2012 Andy Homden, Taaleem & JBS
Context Target population: Emirati and international Enrolment: September 2010: 90 students, KG1 – G4 September 2011: 475 students, PK – G10 September 2012: 615 students, PK – G11
2012 Demographics National groups 21% Emirati; 13% UK; 11% MENA (other than UAE); 10% USA; 8% Indian sub-continent; 5% Australian Major language groups 50 % native level users of English; 25% native users of Arabic; 7% Francophone; 6% Russian first language.
Identity • 2010 suggested that identity was a crucial issue: what were we? • Tension over festivals /assemblies: comfort with each other • We were in danger of becoming another Dubai contradiction • Transcending the “for profit” tag
Learning • Good learning needs good home-school partnerships • How parents feel about the school therefore has a significant impact on learning
Annual Action Plan, 2011 - 12 One of our high level aims: To foster an active and co-ordinated school community of parents, teachers and governors which focuses on the learning of the school’s students.
Mission construction • Foundation mission, February 2010 – June 2012 • Mission group, 2011 – 12 • Community consultation • Outcome: a series of strong school guiding statements arising from a positive community process
The “open door” and PFA • Visibility: drop off and drop in • Accepting and acting on constructive criticism • A formal constitution for the PFA • Update meetings • Listening – agreeing and disagreeing – but listening
Key Guiding statements ProfileJumeira Baccalaureate School is an international community, founded in the United Arab Emirates to serve the diverse needs of its studentsGuiding principlesMumayezaWisdom by the path less travelled
School inspection, February 2012 “Parents felt extremely welcome and much appreciated the school’s open door policy. A strong and active parents and friends association contributed to their feeling of belonging and sense of community. “Parents appreciated the many meetings that were arranged to keep them up to date about the school’s approach to the curriculum and with its development”
2012 – 13 and looking forward • Successful opening Gala dinner, organised by the PFA: all the community represented • Further cultural celebrations • PFA have taken over International Day • Advisory Board being formed