Dubai (UAE) – The Aquila School, part of International Schools Partnership (iSP) has announced the official opening of their new secondary building, marking a significant milestone in the school's commitment to providing exceptional learning facilities for its pupils.

Held today at The Aquila School, the opening ceremony brought together students, parents, staff, and members of the community, to celebrate the official opening of the new facility. Principal of The Aquila School, Wayne Howsen, addressed the community, expressing his delight: "This is an exciting new chapter for The Aquila School. We welcomed our first Sixth Form IB cohort this year, and we are proud to be able to offer them and all our secondary students the opportunity to learn in this amazing learning environment. As an iSP school, we are committed to providing our pupils with the tools that allow them to successfully embark on their future pathways, and the enhanced learning experiences we can provide our secondary students ensures this.

It is amazing to think that when we originally opened, we had 67 pupils and 28 staff. We now have over 1300 pupils and 260 staff. It has been lovely celebrating with our community today, and to have been able to recognise those founding members who were with us then and who are still part of our happy community school.”

To commemorate the occasion, the school hosted a series of performances by students, showcasing their artistry and talent. The ceremony was held in dual language, emphasizing the commitment that the school has to high-quality Arabic language learning and Multilingualism. Founding families were recognised and similar to the school’s initial opening students and guests were given the opportunity to Abseil from the roof of the building.

Kam Bhamra, Regional Managing Director for iSP Middle East shared his thoughts on the event. “As our flagship school in the region, we are extremely proud of everything The Aquila School has achieved so far and its continued growth. We are really happy that we have so many families that have been with the school since opening in 2018 and have been able to experience this journey with us. We thank them for the continued trust they place in The Aquila School and iSP.”

The new block represents the school’s commitment to fostering a supportive and enriching educational environment and focuses on providing secondary students at the school, access to exceptional infrastructure that supports their learning and success. The new block provides: Specialist classrooms for design technology and food technology, a purpose built black box theatre, a whole school canteen, and features a roof garden and an additional hydroponics area, strengthening the school’s commitment to sustainability.

The Aquila School is an exciting international British school in Dubai, located in Dubailand. Pupils engage in lessons that are relevant, interesting and engaging, promote enquiry, innovative thinking, making decisions and problem-solving. This ensures pupils can be independent, creative, and resilient learners. The experienced and committed teachers at the school are empowered to teach pupils what they need to learn right now, enabling them to make as much progress as possible. The school caters to children from FS to Year 13 and opened its Sixth form in 2024 offering the Asdan, BTech, IBDP and IBCP pathways to students.

About International Schools Partnership: 

Moved by curiosity and empowered by self-confidence, students from ISP Schools thrive throughout their lifetime.  

International Schools Partnership (ISP) is a global community of 81 international schools across 22 countries. We champion a transformative approach to learning that goes beyond the classroom. By igniting our students' curiosity and growing their self-confidence, we empower them to become the next generation of changemakers. 

Our unique approach to learning recognises our students as collaborators in the learning process. We focus on developing the knowledge and lifelong skills that help them thrive beyond their time at school.  ISP students benefit from teaching excellence, international opportunities, and careers guidance. Our schools have access to a global network of experts and our teachers and leaders are supported to continuously improve through extensive professional development programmes.  

ISP. Where confidence grows.  

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Janine Alamir 
janine.alamir@bcw-global.com