08 Dec 2016
We held a number of principals’ networking events around the Gulf region in October, including in Dubai, Jeddah, Riyadh, Muscat, and – for the first time – Bahrain. Over 250 school leaders attended the forums from Cambridge schools and schools aspiring to work with Cambridge. Cambridge Principals Forums are a platform to hear from industry experts and network with school leaders.
This year the forums included sessions and workshops delivered by education industry experts, including Rodrick Gillespie, Director of Assessment at Cambridge Assessment International Education, Andrea Mckay, Head of Assessment Services at Cambridge English, Mishal Kanoo, Chairman of The Kanoo Group, and Dr Mounira Jamjoom, CEO of Emkan Education.
The themes of the sessions included school climate and leadership, the importance of building your school strategy, and the general direction of international education in the Middle East. The forums gave attendees an opportunity to interact directly with Cambridge and learn more about the latest developments to syllabuses and curriculum support. Kristine Joy, Academic Coordinator at New Generation International School Bahrain, said: 'This was my first meeting, and I really enjoyed it. The experience was really eye-opening and heart-warming. I met and heard from interesting people. I look forward to the next forum!'
The forum in Bahrain was the first of its kind and the Cambridge team had excellent feedback from participants. Raed Brahedni, Cambridge Senior Manager for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, commented on the success of the events: 'The forums are always very positive – we aim to establish a platform of collaboration and learning, and this wouldn’t be possible without the enthusiasm of the school leaders we work with. I was delighted to see such a high turnout of attendees at our first forum in Bahrain, and the external speakers provided invaluable insight and guidance to all those attending. I hope that our schools feel informed, engaged, and well supported as they continue to work with us.'