Back to school in UAE: How teachers prepare one week in advance for new academic year
After almost eight weeks of summer recess, UAE teachers returned to classrooms for a series of professional development workshops. Key sessions covered child protection, seamlessly integrating AI technologies within instruction, fostering a sense of community, and rolling out a new work-planning model.
This marks the official return to duty for educators and the opening countdown to the 2025–2026 academic year, with learners across all sections set to step into classrooms on Monday, August 25.
Lisa Johnson, Principal of the American Academy for Girls, shared, “We have a fully packed and energising week ahead. Teachers are participating in specialised training on child safety, practical AI classroom applications, and the new planning model we are launching across the school.”
Welcome back breakfast
Johnson described the morning at AAG as finishing with a hallmark Emirati breakfast where staff caught up easily after the summer pause. The school also introduced this year’s anchor theme: “Be the Weaver,” which conveys that every lesson, every thoughtful gesture, and every choice interlaces to form the full picture of a student’s growth.
She went on, “We paused to share that with one another this morning to set the tone for the year ahead.”
Meanwhile, Brighton College Dubai welcomed back over two hundred teaching, technical and administrative members and more than twenty-five newcomers.
Simon Crane, Head Master, remarked, “Today begins our back-to-school programme, with our teachers engaged in professional training, collaboration and planning to ensure that we deliver the very best education.
The remainder of the week will focus on refining lessons, aligning on curriculum priorities and preparing enriching experiences in and beyond the classroom.
Staff strength and new hires
Likewise, Diyafah International School in Abu Dhabi dedicated significant time this month to ensuring staff arrive well-prepared when doors open on September 3.
David Flint, Principal, explained, “Our leadership colleagues are joined by expert facilitators in the workshops, with a programme that centres on forward-thinking pedagogy, student well-being, and technology that meaningfully transforms lesson delivery. The group includes a handful of new faces, and—even though the majority of colleagues are returning—everyone finds extra motivation in the energy of their latest arrivals. Meeting well-known colleagues is reassuring, and hearing new stories is refreshing.”
At Uptown International School, the focus of staff training this month mirrors a shared goal: creating clear, interconnected expectations across secondary classrooms while modelling collaborative practice.
Paul Rowe, Head of Secondary, said, “Our expectations are analytical, but our aim is heartfelt. The priority is to connect returning and novice colleagues so that no one arrives feeling isolated, and so that every lesson meets that quiet promise of excellence to every student. These sessions equip teachers, but they also reaffirm the quiet truth of our culture—that our most powerful resource is one another.”
Indian curriculum schools
At Punjabi International School, teachers return to campus a few days before students for a seamless reopening.
Kamlesh Narang, headmistress, explains, “The full team—teachers, admin, and ancillary staff—is back well before the students. After a well-earned summer, the trims, spruces, and tech updates in the classrooms ensure that the first smile a student sees is unhurried. With enrollment hovering around 475 at the moment and the Indian curriculum kicking off in early April 2025, all hiring for mid-level positions wrapped up in early March, eliminating last-minute stress.”
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