144 Excellence in Schools
I n a competitive schooling landscape, success is often measured through results, rankings and university placements. Yet, Nord Anglia International School Abu Dhabi’s recent TES Award win (Staff Wellbeing Initiative of the Year) highlights a different measure of success, one rooted in wellbeing, balance and strong connections. Through its award winning #MEtime initiative, NAS Abu Dhabi has reimagined how the school day begins, giving students, families and teachers the space to arrive calm, prepared and ready to learn. In a Year of the Family edition, the initiative stands out as an example of how schools can actively support family routines, staff wellbeing and student success at the same time. Education UAE spoke with Principal Liam Cullinan about how the initiative was born and why wellbeing must sit at the centre of modern education. Education UAE: Congratulations on the TES Award win. How did the MEtime initiative begin? Liam Cullinan: When you open a new school, you have a chance to rethink what truly helps young people become the best version of themselves. We also recognise that many families here are working families, so schools must work for parents too. For me, it started very simply with sleep. I met a sleep expert who had helped change school start times in the United States. At the same time, as a parent, I saw how early starts and long commutes can leave children unsettled before learning even begins. So the question became, how do we make sure every child walks into school calm, settled and ready to learn? That thinking led us to morning enrichment, which became #MEtime, as it’s also ‘time for me’. “The job of any school
is to help young people become the best version of themselves.”
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