Excellence in Schools 131
Families and Staff on the Same Journey Innovation does not happen in isolation. Lucy notes that mindset shifts have taken place not only among learners, but also among staff and families as they embrace a new model of education. “There has been a shift in mindset, not only in staff and mentors, but most importantly in learners, and also their parents. That is very unique.” The school partners with global design thinking organisation LUMA, using human centred design frameworks not only in classrooms but also in leadership and operational decision making. Staff increasingly slow down to understand problems through empathy before jumping to solutions, modelling the same thinking expected from students. Families are also part of this process. As parents see learners developing confidence, adaptability and independence, trust grows in an approach that looks beyond traditional academic pathways.
Lucy, who leads curriculum innovation at the school, says the development of empathy among learners has been one of the most powerful outcomes. “Seeing the empathy in the children has probably been my proudest moment. When they can see situations from other people's perspectives, I know that’s a skill that will set them up for life.” In a fast-paced city like Dubai, Lucy believes empathy is especially important. “We explicitly design lessons to build empathy. Watching learners come out of a lesson with a different viewpoint is more than I could ever want as a mentor.” Empathy, resilience and creativity are treated as essential life skills, not optional extras
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