Excellence in Schools 65
Education UAE: What stands out most in a typical day for a Minerva learner? Harry: The day is shaped by the student. Only a small number of lessons are fixed, perhaps two or three live lessons, an assembly or a club. The rest is planned by the student. They choose when they work on mathematics, when they take on physics, when they rest, when they reflect. There is no bricks-and- mortar system that offers that level of tailoring. Education UAE: One of Minerva’s strongest messages is that it is not just a learning platform. It is a school. How do you build belonging in a virtual environment? Harry: We are all about community at MVA and it's all about student well-being and the well-being of the family. We have numerous ways we interact online. We've got our live lessons. We've got social rooms where students from all around the world can come together and chat and take part in activities. We also have our trips. We had our first GCC trip recently to the Museum of the Future, which is fantastic, getting the students together. We had a wonderful community meetup at Al Habtoor Polo Club where we had about 40 families come together. We're already deep into planning the next one that's coming up next month. So, bringing families together in real spaces, physical connection is very important for us as well. “We are an online school that meets, talks, learns and laughs in real spaces too.” Education UAE: Can you share an example of how flexibility has helped a learner thrive? Harry: We had a GCSE mathematics student who achieved the highest grade worldwide. We also have many elite athletes, including a student who recently came second at a race event in Dubai. We have young people heading into high-level professional racing. But it is not only about high achievement. Many of our students were not thriving in traditional schools. Here, they find a place where they feel comfortable, calm and confident.
genuinely new, where we can tailor learning to individual needs. That was very exciting for me. Education UAE: You have lived in different parts of the world. How has this influenced your understanding of community and belonging in education? Harry: I think we have to think in a worldwide way now. The more borders and barriers we take down, the better. I have lived more of my life outside my country of birth than inside it, so the idea of where home is can be fluid. I see myself as part of a worldwide community. International schools bring students together from many cultures to learn side by side. They see how much they share rather than what worldwide education since 2002. This virtual model allows learning to meet the student, not the other way round.” separates them. That is powerful. “I have worked in
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