Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (EDIB) at BIS Abu Dhabi

Before the summer holidays, Leah Atkins and myself, Katherine Harvey, had the opportunity to travel to Tanzania, to meet up with colleagues from 30 Nord Anglia schools, to learn, grow, and develop as a community of EDIB champions. The overarching goal of this incomparable professional learning experience was to equip EDIB champions with the foundational skills needed to ensure EDIB could be embedded within our own unique settings.  

Throughout the eight days, we attended several seminars and workshops to share good practice, opportunities, barriers, and ways to overcome them. One of our school’s key goals is to “Educate future generations for a more inclusive world.” To achieve this, we engaged in discussions about the “Why” of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDIB) and strategised on the best ways to embed these principles within different settings and phases of our school community. This collaborative effort allowed us to compile a bank of ideas that can be adapted and implemented within our school, ensuring that EDIB is at the forefront of everything we do.

The future is bright for EDIB at BIS Abu Dhabi, with plans to build upon the strong foundation set in previous academic years, which saw the launch of the EDIB Inclusivity club posters, staff training, student-led assemblies and EDIB scenarios. Currently, we have a staff committee (which we are relaunching next week) and a strong, vocal student committee. In the future, we hope to start a parent/community committee as well.  With such an enthusiastic team of adults and young adults, you can expect to hear more about EDIB and how you can get involved very soon.  

Katherine Harvey 
Whole School EDIB Champion