Primary-Pulse-February2026

Becoming One

Since the beginning of the year, the word community has been at the heart of everything we do. We have worked intentionally to build a school where relationships come first, where families feel welcomed and involved, and where every decision is guided by what is best for children’s learning. While our facilities continue to grow and develop, it is the strength of our people; children, staff and families; that truly defines who we are.

We believe a school should never feel like an impenetrable fortress. Instead, it should be an open, vibrant space where children engage with the world around them, learning through meaningful experiences as well as high-quality teaching. When children explore beyond the classroom, collaborate with others and immerse themselves in authentic experiences, learning becomes deeper, more purposeful and truly memorable.

Creating an inspiring learning ecosystem means that learning does not always follow straight lines. Rather than simply moving from page to page in a textbook, we aim to follow children’s curiosity, interests and questions; nurturing creativity, independence and a genuine love of learning.

This term, we have fully embraced experiential learning, beginning with a fantastic curriculum immersion day linked to our theme of “Explore.” Our aim was simple: encourage children to investigate, question and discover beyond traditional classroom boundaries. Teachers introduced exciting provocations designed to spark curiosity, and observe where children’s interests naturally led them. These moments provide valuable insight, enabling us to design learning experiences that meet curriculum objectives while remaining engaging, challenging and motivating.

The themes that emerged from this exploration will now shape the learning journeys ahead, ensuring that every child experiences a curriculum that is purposeful, inspiring and connected to their world.

Alongside our core curriculum, it has been inspiring to see how our dedicated staff team continue to enrich and extend learning through a wide range of meaningful experiences. By bringing learning to life, these opportunities allow our children to discover new passions, develop confidence and grow as individuals

Our sports days were a perfect example of this spirit. Thoughtfully planned and delivered with military precision, they balanced teamwork, healthy competition and celebration of individual achievement. Parents recognised the tremendous effort made by our PE team to ensure every child could participate and feel successful, while also providing our talented athletes with a platform to shine.

From the playing field to the stage, the winter concert showcased the extraordinary work of our performing arts team. With over two hundred performers across music, dance and drama, the event was a celebration of creativity, collaboration and confidence. In a remarkably short time, children worked together to produce a performance that captivated and delighted our audience.

Creativity continued through the BSME Art Competition for Year 5 and Year 6, where our talented young artists were expertly supported by our Art lead to nurture their ideas. The resulting timed pieces were a powerful reflection of children’s imagination, perseverance and artistic growth.

Our Year 6 netball team represented the school at the BSME tournament in Bahrain, showing determination, teamwork and resilience. While their successes were impressive, it was their character, compassion, sportsmanship and humility that truly stood out. This reflects the guidance and values instilled by our staff, who understand that sport teaches lessons far beyond the scoreboard.

Curiosity Week, led by our Science team, ignited children’s love of discovery. With an immersive science show, an AI sketch bot and countless opportunities to explore the question “why?”, innovation and creativity flourished throughout the school. Each morning brought new inventions and ideas proudly shared by children eager to showcase their learning.

We were also delighted to celebrate Hag Al Laila alongside our parent community, honouring this cherished Emirati tradition. The event was filled with joy, cultural pride and connection, as children and families embraced traditional dress, singing and shared celebrations.

Children’s Mental Health Week, led by our Wellbeing team, focused on belonging, connection and emotional awareness. Through meaningful activities and conversations, children were empowered to understand their feelings, recognise support systems and know that their voice matters.

At its heart, our school is about relationships, connection and community. It has been wonderful to see everyone grow stronger as we continue to come together. The dedication and passion of our staff create opportunities that extend far beyond the classroom, shaping experiences that inspire learning, build character and help our children develop skills for life.

Neil Brinicombe
Headteacher

From Stickers to Sprints: Sports Day Week Gets the Whole School Moving

Sports Day Week saw every year group take to the school field, with activities to suit each age group from Foundation Stage 1 right through to Year 6.

For the youngest children in FS1 and FS2, the emphasis was entirely on fun. Their sports days were non-scoring, with stations set up for children to explore different physical activities in a relaxed setting. There was plenty of encouragement between friends, lots of smiling and no shortage of stickers.

Years 1 and 2 had their first taste of competition through a carousel of activities, with House placings shared at the end. It was good to see children celebrating success while supporting all the teams around them, getting an early feel for what sportsmanship looks like.

Years 3 to 6 stepped things up with running, throwing and jumping events. What stood out was the effort children put in across the board, the encouragement between peers and the pride they took in representing their Houses.

Parents added to the atmosphere throughout the week, particularly during the middle-distance races, sprint finals and House relays. There were House colours on show, handmade signs in the crowd, and plenty of cheering. Thank you to everyone who came along and helped make our first Sports Day Week one to remember.

Pom-Poms, Silverware and a First Flight: Year 6 Netball in Bahrain

January brought a genuine milestone as we set off on our very first international school trip. A group of Year 6 children flew to Bahrain for the BSME U11 Netball Tournament, travelling alongside children and staff from DESS Oud Metha as one combined squad.

For many of the girls, it was their first time flying without parents, and they handled it brilliantly, showing real maturity and independence from the moment they arrived at the airport. New friendships formed quickly, and existing ones got stronger.

Three teams took to the courts: one from each school and DESS United, a combined side drawn from both. Our team faced a tough draw and went out in the Cup quarter-finals, but what happened next said everything about their character. Out came the pom-poms. The girls threw themselves into cheering from the sidelines, lifting the energy of the whole squad for the rest of the tournament.

The Oud Metha team and DESS United brought home silverware, finishing third in the Cup and first in the Bowl. The trip wrapped up with a disco on the courts before everyone flew back to Dubai.

Crawling Crabs and Roaring Lions: Rachel Bright Brings Her Books to Life

Children got a treat when author and illustrator Rachel Bright paid us a visit, sharing the stories behind some of her best-loved books and proving that everyone can draw if they give it a go.

Rachel kicked things off by talking the children through how her characters develop, from early sketches right through to the finished storybook page. The real highlight was a live drawing demonstration where she walked everyone through how to draw Crystal the Crab from The Whale Who Wanted More, step by step, showing how simple shapes can become a detailed, expressive character. Children had a go themselves, with plenty of encouragement that drawing is a skill anyone can build with practice.

Things got lively during an interactive read-along of The Lion Inside, with children taking on character roles, joining in with sound effects, actions and repeated phrases. There was no shortage of laughter.

The buzz carried on well after Rachel had left. Children were still talking about the stories and drawing techniques in classrooms and out on the playground, and many went straight back to her books or started creating illustrations and stories of their own.

A brilliant visit that reminded everyone just how much fun reading and storytelling can be.

Harps, Rock Bands and 200 Children on Stage: Celebrating Our First Concert in the New Auditorium

The new auditorium got its first proper outing as children from across the school performed to a packed house of families, friends and staff. For most of them, it was their first time on that stage, and the excitement had been building for weeks.

The range of musical talent on show was remarkable, starting with confident singing and strong harmonies from the Junior and Senior choirs. Harpists, a ukulele group, a guitar ensemble and the bell chorus all added ‘wow factor’, followed by the orchestra, who filled the room with a rich, powerful sound. Then the rock band came on and cranked up the energy, bringing a completely different feel to the evening.

The Year 5 Dance Squad lit up the stage with a routine that had the audience clapping along, and two soloists performed individually on violin and piano in front of a full auditorium, which took real nerve. Drama performances added storytelling and laughter to the mix.

The whole evening built towards a grand finale, with every performer back on stage for a closing number. Over 200 children up there together, singers, dancers, actors and musicians, and the sound was enormous.

A first concert to be proud of, and a sign of things to come in our fabulous auditorium.

Jigsaw Pieces, Secret Codes and The Colour Monster!

Children's Mental Health Week saw activities right across the school, with this year's focus on belonging and connection helping every child feel that this is their place.

Each year group captured their sense of belonging on large jigsaw pieces, which were then connected and displayed together. Parents and teachers added their own too, so the finished display was a genuine whole-community effort. Classes also worked on collaborative tasks and displays celebrating what makes their classroom a welcoming space.

Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 children took part in a secret code scavenger hunt built around connection and teamwork, while Foundation Stage children explored feelings through a visit from the Wellbeing Ambassadors and the story The Colour Monster, helping them name and understand their emotions.

Children who needed extra support had the chance to check in through small group or one-to-one wellbeing sessions, and the school's wellbeing spaces remained open for anyone who needed a quiet moment to talk or reflect.

The week also included a workshop led by coach Maysaa, a former teacher, life coach and parent, covering emotional regulation, how behaviour communicates feelings, and setting boundaries.

Alongside the week's activities, the school has begun a soft launch of UHQ, a wellbeing platform designed to help children understand and express their emotions. It will be rolled out gradually to Years 2 to 6 over the coming months.

Desert Landscapes, Medieval Jousters and Flying Cars: Our First BSME Art Competition

The art room really came into its own as we hosted our first BSME Art Competition, with Year 5 and Year 6 children from Oud Metha joining for a shared creative session.

The theme was ‘Past and Future’, and children had two hours and free choice of medium to interpret it however they wanted. The room was focused and quiet as they worked, planning carefully before committing to their pieces, and the standard across both schools was very high.

The range of ideas was also striking. Some children went back in time, painting soft, delicate desert landscapes of the UAE, while others went for something more dramatic with medieval jousters, armoured knights and powerful horses, capturing movement and historical detail. Those who looked to the future imagined robots, flying cars and futuristic cities. Together, the finished pieces made for a really varied and thoughtful display.

A few reflections from the children themselves:

"I loved thinking about what the future might look like. I added robots and flying cars!" - Year 5

"It was fun making my painting look like the past, with castles and jousters!" - Year 6

"I liked trying something new with my materials." - Year 6

Mrs West then had the unenviable job of selecting the final pieces to submit to the competition, which by all accounts was no easy task. Every child involved deserved to feel proud of what they produced.

Crashed Spaceships, Garden Design and Bread-Baking: How Immersion Day Launched the New Term

The new term kicked off with Immersion Day, a whole-school event designed to spark curiosity before any formal teaching began. Every year group stepped into a hands-on experience tied to their new Invent, Explore, Inspire (IEI) project, with the idea that children explore a topic first and ask their own questions before the structured learning starts.

The IEI framework is built around this approach. Children's own questions and ideas become the starting point for projects that are curriculum-aligned and academically rigorous, but shaped by what the children themselves want to know. It gives structure to the learning while keeping that initial curiosity alive.

Year 6 tackled the concept of survival through challenges and debate, wrestling with whether it meant physical endurance, mental resilience or teamwork. Year 5 confronted global sustainability, examining real-world pollution and debating who bears responsibility for change. Year 4 took on expedition-style tasks demanding strategy and communication, while Year 3 explored light and shadow, observing patterns and raising scientific questions.

Year 2 became garden designers, thinking about how environments influence wellbeing and biodiversity. Year 1 arrived to find a crashed spaceship and an alien in need of help, which sent imaginations into overdrive. And in Foundation Stage, children got up close with animals, baked bread, examined herbs and filled sketchbooks with labelled designs for calming spaces, complete with hammocks and natural light.

Throughout the day, teachers captured the children's questions and emerging ideas to shape the projects that followed, so what the children were genuinely curious about fed directly into their learning for the rest of the term.

By the end of the day, conversations were spilling into corridors and out onto the playground. The question had shifted from "What are we learning?" to "When can we start?"

Curiosity Comes Alive During STEAM Week

Our very first STEAM Week was a celebration packed with curiosity, wonder and awe. With this year's theme, ‘Curiosity: What's Your Question?, children across the school embraced the power of questioning through a wide range of exciting activities.

STEAM Career Day

We began the week with an explosion of imagination as children arrived dressed for our STEAM Career Day. The playground quickly filled with astronauts, F1 engineers, marine biologists and even pilots - each costume offering a glimpse into the futures our learners dream of.

'Why?' Moments

Across the week, every age group experienced hands-on lessons that sparked new ideas and plenty of ‘why?’ moments. On Monday, the children were treated to a high-energy science show in the auditorium, filled with exciting chemical reactions, billowing fog and surprising explosions. Our Year 1 children were no less captivated as they gathered in the Science Lab with our DESS College teachers for their very own mini explosion demonstrations.

Curiosity Cube

Each morning, a new object appeared inside our Curiosity Cube, inviting children and parents to look closely, and make their own suggestions. Breaktimes transformed into little pockets of discovery as children set up their own investigations for others to enjoy - from testing forces to exploding Mentos, and even a coded robot that can solve Rubik's Cubes!

Curiosity Zone

Throughout the week, every class visited our Curiosity Zone, a space brimming with STEAM challenges including a Blast Off Forces Station, a Sphero ball racetrack and swirling art paintings. Children were encouraged to experiment, collaborate and test ideas; experiences that build confidence and help them see themselves as capable, creative problem-solvers.

‘What's my question today?’

Our first STEAM Week has been a powerful reminder of what happens when we create space for children to wonder. Their questions led them, their curiosity guided them, and their enthusiasm inspired us all. As we move forward, we remain committed to nurturing that curiosity and embracing the learning that unfolds when children take the lead and ask, ‘What's my question today?’

STEAM Career Day

'Why?' Moments

Curiosity Cube

Curiosity Zone

‘What's my question today?’