British Council holds ‘Schools Now!’ conference

The British Council held its annual Schools Now! conference in Dubai on 1 and 2 March 2023, which brought together education leaders and professionals from British Council’s partner schools around the world, to discuss the latest innovations in teaching and learning across international education.

The theme for this year’s conference was ‘Transforming Schools: Leadership at all levels’ and explored effective leadership across school communities through keynote presentations, panel discussions and workshops, British Council said in a press statement.

Speaking on the occasion, Douglas Woods, global head of education services, British Council, emphasised on the of promotion of leadership at all levels in schools to enable an inclusive culture, that nurtures talents and distributes leadership effectively across staff.

Over 300 delegates physically attended the conference in Dubai while another 1,500 joined it virtually. Patrick Moody, British Ambassador to UAE, was the special guest at the event.

Keynote speakers and workshop presenters from Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, Nigeria, Peru, Spain and the United Kingdom, contributed to the rich and diverse discussions.

Sir Mark Grundy, CEO of Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust, delivered the first keynote and explored the topic of retaining our best staff to achieve the highest and most specific levels of achievement for young people.

Professor Eman Gaad, dean of the Faculty of Education and a Professor of Special and Inclusive Education, British University in Dubai (BUiD) spoke about the perceptions of educational leadership for inclusivity.

Simon Higgins, global head of School Exams, British Council said, “This year’s theme, ‘Leadership at all levels’ helped school leaders to reflect on the challenges they continue to face daily in a post pandemic world, and also explored ways to develop leadership throughout their school to better support staff, students, and the wider community.”