BSME are delighted to announce the upcoming Marketing Webinars presented by our
The first webinar is on September 9th and discusses 10 tips for digital marketing success. Don't miss out!
Dear Members,
The 2015 Annual Conference microsite has been updated with the Conference Programme (version 19/11/2014) and Conference Speaker Profiles.
Please login to the Website (www.bsme.org.uk) and navigate to the Members Menu > Start Here > 2015 Annual Conference or click on the below link :
http://www.bsme.org.uk/member-start/annual-conference/conference-information.html
If you have any Member login queries please contact Lisa Kirkly via admin@bsme.org.uk.
Best wishes,
The BSME Team
Dear All,
The BSME office number has changed. This is effective immediately:
(+973) 17798400
CPD : Ann Hearn and Sam Fraser can also be contacted on mobile number (+973) 39997125
Kind regards,
Lisa Kirkley
BSME Admin
EdTech Seminars
Please see below link to view details about the free to attend EdTech Seminars which will be held along with the Education Investment MENA conference on 11 and 12 November.
These 14 free to attend seminars will host open, honest discussions about the challenges facing teachers with integrating edtech, and provide 14 simple strategies for improving learning experiences. The main objective of these seminars is to teach simple ways to enhance the outcomes of teaching with technology in the classroom.
They are designed for anyone involved in technology integration – Principals, Heads of Curriculum, Heads of Key Stage, Technology Integration Specialists and Teaching Staff.
And they are completely free to attend!
CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS OF THE FREE SEMINARS
Education Investment MENA Press Release
MENA EDUCATION SECTOR MUST ADOPT ED-TECH INNOVATIONS IN ORDER TO SUCCEED IN CHANGING LANDSCAPE
Education Investment MENA conference in Dubai highlights opportunities for educators, entrepreneurs, investors and education businesses
Dubai, UAE, 27 October 2014: The education sector in the Middle East and North Africa must pay more attention to capital efficiency and innovation rather than rely on incumbent models of learning services in order to keep up with the rest of the world, says a leading education technology expert.
Please download the full version of this press release by clicking on the below link :
Message for the Chairman of BSME :
I am delighted to announce the appointment of our two new CPD staff, who will be based in Bahrain.
Ann Hearn is the new BSME CPD Coordinator and has started work this week! Ann possesses an honours degree in Economics and Management; a PGCCE and an MSc in Human Resource Management and Training. Since the late 1990’s Anne has enjoyed a varied career in Bahrain as a lecturer; a trainer and consultant and as a senior manager for the Crown Prince’s International Scholarship Programme, initiated by HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Alkhalifa.
Sam Fraser will join Ann on 17 May as Assistant CPD Coordinator. Sam has an honours degree in Arts and Social Sciences as well as a clutch of qualifications in accounting, financial services, TEFL: he is also a qualified fitness instructor. Sam has worked as a civil servant and as an administrator in the retail world; he has also been employed as a Senior Recruitment Consultant.
Both Ann and Sam will be working hard to build up the programme aided in this process by the BSME CPD Committee (Mark Leppard (Qatar, but Abu Dhabi from September), Glyn Kilsby (Dubai) and Ann Gurnett (Kuwait). We will be meeting in Bahrain, with Ann and Sam, to determine long-term vision, strategy and 2015 – 16 targets.
The CPD Committee and I are very much looking forward to working with Ann and Sam and am sure that they will be a potent duo! As part of our plans for the future, we envisage that CPD staff will travel extensively; this is so that they can meet with more heads and ensure that the CPD offerings accurately reflect what heads will commit funds to.
One of the two CPD employees will focus very much on the UAE, with its large contingent of BSME schools and may become the single point of contact for heads in that country.
Please give Ann and Sam your support and encouragement as they take over the reins of this highly important part of BSME work.
Ed Goodwin OBE
Chairman, BSME
Dear Members,
The 2015 Annual Conference and hotel booking forms can now be accessed from the Members Area of the Website. Please login and navigate to the Members Menu > Start Here > 2015 Annual Conference or click on the link below:
http://www.bsme.org.uk/member-start/annual-conference/member-booking-forms.html
Conference information will be posted on the microsite as details become available.
Please contact website@bsme.org.uk if you have any login queries.
Best regards,
The BSME Team
The pomp and ceremony of a British Embassy event is always a privilege to experience. Even more so when the reason for the occasion is to celebrate the outstanding achievements of students in their Cambridge International Examinations. Mr Kirby, Mrs Singleton and Mrs Clingan, along with proud parents of award recipients, had the pleasure to attend the British Council Award Ceremony for CIE Exam High Achievers on Tuesday 10 March 2015. The auspicious event was hosted by the British Embassy at the palatial residence of his excellency, Mr John Casson HMA, British Ambassador to Egypt. Pertinent addresses were delivered by the Ambassador himself, as well as Mr Mark Stephens, Director of the British Council Egypt. The Chief Executive of Cambridge International Examinations, Mr Michael O’Sullivan, timed his visit to Cairo to coincide with the occasion and to personally congratulate the students being recognised; his words of wisdom were particularly inspirational.
His excellency, Mr Casson, Mr Stephens and Mr O’Sullivan all spoke of Egypt’s bright future in the hands of the young men and women who were being recognized as top achievers in their CIE exams, as well as the internationally reputed rigor and standard of a British education. Parents were commended for guiding students to their success by opting for such a robust curriculum. Schools were applauded for ensuring excellent pedagogical standards and support of their students. Mr Stephens acknowledged that students achieving outstanding results reflected their own capabilities alongside the evident quality of their school. With that said, it was with enormous pride that we then applauded the efforts of award winners as they crossed the stage to collect their certificates and medallions.
As in previous years, Modern English School Cairo stood out amongst the schools represented not only because of the sheer number of awards won by our students, but because of the auspicious categories in which they earned accolade. To perform top in a subject, nationally or globally, is no mean feat; it is a tremendous accomplishment to know that you did better than anyone else. MES Cairo students were recognized for outstanding achievement in the following categories:
|
IGCSE First Language English |
Top in Egypt |
Ahmed Leithy Mohamed Leithy |
Y11R |
|
AS Level Business Studies |
Top in Egypt |
Dunia Hisham Ahmed Wasfy Mohamed |
Y12G |
|
AS Level Chemistry |
Top in Egypt |
Nader Nabil Adly Raafat |
Y12R |
|
IGCSE History |
High Achievement |
Salma Sherif Farouk |
Y11 |
|
AS Level Art and Design |
High Achievement |
Nour Jaouda |
Y12B |
|
AS Level Economics |
High Achievement |
Marwan Ahmed El-Hosseiny |
Y12B |
|
IGCSE Design & Technology |
High Acheivement |
Zubaydah Ladan Jibrilu |
DP11R |
|
AS Level History |
High Achievement |
Malak Maurice |
Y12R |
|
IGCSE Economics |
Top in Cairo |
Nour Ahmed Bahaa-El-Din |
DP11R |
|
IGCSE English Literature |
Top in Cairo |
Yasmine Amgad Amin Ahmed El Shaer |
DP11Y |
|
AS Level Mathematics |
Top in Cairo |
Nader Nabil Adly Raafat |
Y12R |
Even more impressive: a true reflection of our school’s mission and the importance we place on a broad and balanced education, MES Cairo students dominated the Award categories that recognised consistent performance of the highest caliber across multiple subject areas. Sustaining excellence in a range of disciplines, and to the highest level, is a phenomenal achievement, and clearly what MES Cairo does best. We have sustained dominance of these award categories over the years, with this one being no exception:
|
Best across 7 IGCSEs |
First Place |
Salma Sherif Farouk |
Y11 |
|
Best across 7 IGCSEs |
Third Place |
Aalaa Wael Yassin |
Y11 |
|
Best across 8 IGCSEs |
First Place |
Ahmed Leithy Mohamed Leithy |
Y11R |
|
Best across 8 IGCSEs |
Second Place |
Nour Ahmed Bahaa-El-Din |
DP11R |
|
Best across 8 IGCSEs |
Third Place |
Sousanna Hakim Lamie Hakim |
DP11Y |
|
Best across 3 AS Levels |
First Place |
Nader Nabil Adly Raafat |
Y12R |
|
Best Across 4 AS Levels |
First Place |
Marwan Ahmed El-Hosseiny |
Y12B |
|
Best Across 3 A Levels |
Second Place |
Sameh Tarek Massoud |
Alumnus |
The students who achieved these awards are remarkable young adults and each is a true credit to our school. They are known not only for their academic capability, but also for their significant contribution to the school in sporting, cultural, creative and/or service capacities. In each of them we see reflected the MES Cairo Graduate Profile, as well as the hope and promise of very successful and worthwhile futures.
Well done teachers, parents and classmates for supporting the success of each student who earned recognition…and to those individuals listed above, please know that we could not be more proud of you and your achievements.
Mrs. N. Singleton – Principal, British and IBDP Sections
School Members Access Only
Please login to www.bsme.org.uk and navigate to the Key Notes page in the Members Menu to access and download the BSME Key Notes (Number 34) and Annual Supplement for 2014-15. A direct link to the BSME Key Notes page is below :
Over half term Mr Ford, Head of Lower School, organised a trip to the UK supported by Ms Bhayat, Mr Morris and Miss Nada. The 30 students and teachers enjoyed an excellent trip and have return tired but ‘buzzing’ with excitement about their experiences in England. Mr Dennis, Principal CEO, met the students at Radnor House School, Twickenham, London which is hopefully the beginning of a long term link for The British School with a very good independent school in England. Many thanks indeed to all colleagues for their total commitment and hard work to make this happen for the students. Congratulations to the students for representing the school, themselves and their families so well.
The trip to London was a resounding success and we believe all students had a fantastic time that included skiing, snowboarding, carting, archery, Billy Elliot, Thriller, the Sea Life Centre and the list goes on and on. Friendships were built, relationships between staff and students were developed and the cultural and educational benefits to the students will be of huge benefit to them. The highlights were to see students reaching the top of the climbing wall, the carting and of course winning the debating at Radnor House. Mr Ford intends for the trip to be an annual event. Enjoy the photos!
BSME are pleased to announce the launch of the PDF electronic version of the 2014-15 Directory. Please follow the link below to download a copy :
BSME 2014-15 Directory 
9.3MB
A teacher can now serve their NQT induction in certain British Schools overseas. Ed Goodwin explains why this represents a beneficial opportunity for both parties and outlines the details of this relatively new initiative. (British International Schools Publication, May/June 2014, Pages 30/31). The full article can be downloaded by clicking on the below link:
NQT Induction Article : British International Schools Publication - May/June 2014 P30/31 1.12MB
For more information about British Schools Overseas (BSOs), please navigate to the BSO section of the BSME Website : British Schools Overseas (BSOs) Introduction
Dear all,
In conversation with the DfE, it was agreed that I should clarify the following matter.
There has been some confusion recently, in emails from one or more bodies and elsewhere, about the maximum length of time permitted between BSO inspections, such that BSO status does not lapse.
I contacted senior officials within the DfE to query this and have received confirmation of my understanding of the situation, which can be summarised as follows:
For a school to continue as a BSO, with no break in this status, the school must successfully undergo a BSO inspection not more than three academic years after the last successful BSO inspection visit.
An example will make this clear:
A school that wishes to retain unbroken BSO status and which was inspected, say, in November 2011 has to be re-inspected before the end of the academic year 2014-15.
The confusion arose because some had assumed that the period was three calendar years - in which case the school referred to would have had to be re-inspected by November 2014.
The period between inspections is one aspect that schools and BSME will be able to comment upon when the DfE begins its consultation on revisions to the BSO inspection standards.
Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is need for further clarification.
Whilst writing, I would note that 40 schools have now signed-up for AOBSO .... I hope that this email might prompt some more BSME schools to join!
With best wishes,
Ed Goodwin OBE
Chairman
BSME would like to thank all those who attended the BSME Annual Conference Charity Evening on 5th February, which was organised by Maureen Chapman and Sophie Fairbank from the Pearl Primary School in Abu Dhabi; it was another successful and fun event. In addition, a huge thanks to those who donated prizes for the evening. As a result of everyone’s generosity, we are pleased to announce an amazing 14,575AED was raised.
The monies raised were donated to the Special Care Centre in Abu Dhabi, which provides education for children with downs syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism and other special needs. The centre was extremely grateful and requested we extend their thanks. The centre is currently working towards a fund raising goal of 25 million dirhams, which will be matched by Sheikh Mohammed in order to finance a new school facility. It is such a deserving place, so thank you once again to those who attended, donated prizes and Maureen and Sophie for hosting a fabulous event.
A thank you note from the Special Care Centre 392KB
Thank you to all our sponsors and gift providers:
Independent inspectors and accreditors from British Schools Overseas (BSO) and British Schools in the Middle East (BSME) carried out a joint inspection and accreditation at Doha College recently.
Six independent inspectors reviewed the quality of education and the standards of teaching and management at Doha College and provided a formal report on their findings.
"I am delighted that the college has been acknowledged and praised by the UK government as an outstanding school. The college has again been recognised for its excellence and inspectors commented on the outstanding quality of education at the college. We have highly dedicated staff who work tirelessly to provide learning experiences for our students who are creative and challenging as well as having lots of fun and enjoyment too. I am particularly pleased that inspectors have also recognised the outstanding quality of our students for their maturity, commitment and passion for all they do at Doha College."
- Mark Leppard, Principal of Doha College
Dear Members,
Please login to the BSME Website to view the 2014 Annual Conference Survey Results.
Either navigate to the Annual Conference section in the Members' Menu or click on the link below:
http://www.bsme.org.uk/member-start/annual-conference/survey-results.html
Many thanks,
BSME
Dear Colleagues,
Those of you that are BSOs should have heard already about the use of the new BSO emblem and other matters. Others will not have done....
At the BSO Conference in Hong Kong, Jackie McHanwell, a Deputy Director at the DfE, announced that all schools that had reached at least a satisfactory standard in a BSO inspection, within the last three school years, may display the BSO emblem on their websites and in publicity material.
The logo is based closely on a design submitted by BSME more than three years ago. Penta International assisted with a modification. Instructions for obtaining the image file are available from Mark Evans at Penta.
The Conference also saw the launch of The Association of British Schools Overseas (AOBSO). This aims to be complementary to BSME, COBIS, FOBISIA, LAHC and NABSS - a full listing of aims will be distributed soon.
BSME is involved on the committee that will work to ensure that the framework of the new organisation is one that will ensure that the aim of complementarity is achieved.
I am chairing the development / steering group, along with Craig Halsall (Kazakhstan ), Kate Fuller (Malaysia ), Stuart Dennis (Egypt) and Siobhan Doran (Kuwait).
BSOs will soon be able to join AOBSO through a Web portal. This will allow each school to submit and maintain a page dedicated to the school.
In the meantime, if you are interested in being a member right at the the start of this important development, which is welcomed by DfE, then email enquiries@bsme.org.uk so that I can register you as a founder member and keep you in touch with developments.
There will be no fees for the first year of operation. Members will decide on future fees at the next Annual Conference, which will be in London next November.
The idea is, however, to remain "lean and mean", with low overheads. It will be very much a peer-to-peer network of senior leaders and their schools, together with a lobbying role focused solely on BSO issues.
I would encourage all BSOs in membership of BSME to join AOBSO ....the two organisations, plus COBIS, FOBISIA, LAHC, and NABSS will be a formidable voice for BSOs and all good overseas British-style schools.
Happy Christmas everyone ... and a wonderful New Year!
Ed Goodwin OBE
Chairman
The Annual Conference 2014 #BSMEconf2014 photographs are now live and ready for you to view! Please follow the link below :
Reach Every Student in Every Class – Every Day
20-22 January 2015
Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams are considered to be the pioneers in the Flipped Class Movement. Jon & Aaron are co-authors of the books, Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day and Flipped Learning – Gateway to Student Engagement. They believe educators should ask one guiding question: What is best for my students in my classroom?
Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day: Come learn from Jon Bergmann and Aaron Sams as they take you on their journey from lecturer to flipped class pioneers. Learn how teachers can talk to every student in every class every day creating a learner centered, inquiry driven, problem solving classes. Begin to transform your classroom by asking one critical question: What is the best use of my face-to-face class time? With guided coaching, this workshop will help you flip an instruction, a lesson, a unit or a course – based on your comfort level.
Explore the 4 Pillars of the Flipped model: Flexible Environment, Learning Culture, Intentional Content, and Professional Educator. Understand the complete process of starting with Flipped Classroom, and graduating to Mastery Learning (student-centered, competency based mastery), where students are responsible and accountable for their own learning.
http://bsme.org.uk/cpd/programmes-courses/event/278.html
In order to book places on any course, you must be signed in. If you are not a BSME Member, you can register with us to create an account (registration approval is required). If you are a BSME Member, please contact your Principal/Head for login details.
“British Schools Overseas” (BSOs) are schools that have been inspected under the DfE-endorsed system developed for the purpose and which is quality assured by Ofsted. BSME was heavily involved in the adaptation of the draft regulations to suit an overseas context and the Middle East is the most active region in terms of the number of inspections: at the time of writing, 40% of the world’s BSOs are also BSME schools.
The framework is based on the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) system used to inspect the vast majority of UK-based independent schools, but modified to meet the context of schools operating under different legal and educational jurisdictions. Judgments under these systems are comparable and so BSO schools rated, for example, as “Outstanding” are at a comparable standard to UK-independent schools with the same grading.
Five inspectorates have been given the authority to carry out BSO inspections: ISI , Tribal Education, PENTA International, G2G Education, Cambridge Education, and CfBT Education.
Schools that have been inspected under the BSO regulations are accorded certain benefits, which, it is anticipated, will increase over time. Currently, BSO schools:
BSME continues to be active in lobbying for more support for BSOs – and, of course, all BSME schools. One initiative close to fruition will be realized when the UK government has obtained world-wide protection of the BSO brand – a process it is pursuing, following intensive BSME lobbying, under the “Paris Convention”.
The continuing development of BSOs worldwide has led to an agreement, at the BSO conference in Barcelona in late 2013, to form a body (tentatively the “Association of British Schools Overseas” – ABSO). BSME’s view is to encourage this, but in a manner that ensures that a BSO body is a symbiotic partner with BSME and not a competitor! This tenet (applied also to the relationship with the other regional organisations – LAHC, FOBISIA and NABSS) was agreed by heads at the Conference to be fundamental. BSME has proposed that the new body’s remit be the sharing of good pedagogical and operational practices between BSOs and also adds its weight to the lobbying power of all overseas schools. If this remit is accepted, then there will be no conflict of interest in the case of Heads who wish to contribute to the development of both bodies.
The existence of so many BSOs within BSME adds considerably to the lobbying strength of BSME and our recognition by DfE and other UK government ministries. As Chairman, I encourage as many of our schools as possible to undergo a BSO inspection – it will surely, over time, become an important mark of quality, alongside the strength of the BSME “brand”, that will be recognized by parents looking for a school for their children and to teachers seeking the best places in which to work.
Please follow the link below to the BSO page which lists Current BSME / BSO schools, followed by further documentation about BSO; its development and BSME’s role in this.
http://www.bsme.org.uk/british-schools-overseas-bso.html
Ed Goodwin OBE
Chairman
Welcome to CPD News!
Here we will post details of all our BSME CPD events and activities. Just click on the blogs to find out more about what has been going on recently.
Welcome to BSME Inter-School Events News!
Here we will post details of all our BSME Inter-School events and activities. Just click on the blogs to find out more about what has been going on recently
Welcome to the CPD in Action area.
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