Teach Middle East Magazine Jan - Mar 2020 Issue 2 Volume 7 | Page 24

Featured School
CELEBRATING THE ARTS
AT AL DHAFRA PRIVATE
SCHOOL ABU DHABI
Art Coordinator, Mr. Alaa Yousef assisting his art students.
I
n an era where many schools focus
exclusively on science, technology,
engineering and Mathematics, it
is refreshing to find a school that
is placing equal emphasis on the arts
and their ability to bring out the best in
students. In this issue of Teach Middle
East Magazine,we celebrate the arts at
Al Dhafra Private School, Abu Dhabi.
Al Dhafra Private School, Abu
Dhabi is owned by Dhafir Group,
an establishment based in the
United Arab Emirates. Located in
Mohammed Bin Zayed City, with just
under 1400 students, the Abu Dhabi
campus is a well-respected and
popular American Curriculum school,
designed to meet both the needs
of the local Emirati and the diverse
international community. The school,
which has experienced a very exciting
improvement journey during recent
years, also received extremely positive
2019 inspection reports from the
Abu Dhabi Department of Education
24
Term 2 Jan - Mar 2020
and Knowledge (ADEK) and Cognia
(formerly AdvancED). This success has
coincided with and been supported by
the school’s decision to develop its arts
curriculum, and increasing students
access to art, music, drama and dance.
Vision
The school’s Principal, David Craig
Evans is himself an accomplished
musician, having performed with
some of the world’s best brass bands
and being a British and European
champion on multiple occasions. “The
education which I experienced myself
through the arts, has had a huge
impact on my life, not just musically
but also through the experiences,
friendships and competencies which I
acquired as a result. Through studying
music, I was able to develop my;
confidence and social skills, abilities
to work as a team member and many
of the leadership skills which I still
use today, as a Principal in a private
Class Time
international school.”
Talking about his experiences of
working in the school, David states that
“when I joined Al Dhafra Private School,
I became immediately aware that,
although the school was ambitious
and progressive, it was very proud of
its traditions and strong reputation
David Craig Evans
Principal of Al Dhafra Private School Abu Dhabi