Educators from SISD joined over 200 international teachers and leaders from Nord Anglia Education schools at the SEAMEI Teaching & Learning Conference 2025, held in Abu Dhabi. The event brought together outstanding minds in education to explore leadership, resilience, innovation, and inclusion - key elements shaping the future of teaching and learning.
The three-day conference provided an invaluable platform for teachers from across the region to collaborate, share best practices, and gain fresh insights to bring back to their classrooms.
The conference offered educators from SISD an opportunity to engage with peers, explore forward-thinking teaching strategies, and strengthen their approach to student learning.
Principal, Ruth Burke commented "A key takeaway from the conference was the importance of developing growth mindsets and open-mindedness with all our stakeholders. As we look toward the future of education, it is clear that we must shift the conversation from traditional metrics to a more holistic view of learning and success. This involves embracing innovation, personalisation, and flexibility in the classroom, while also helping families understand that education is about preparing students for a world that is constantly evolving.''
''I believe this mindset shift will not only empower our students to thrive, but will also encourage a more successful partnership with families, where optimising approaches, pathways and learning experiences for individuals will be the focus,'' Ruth added.
Nord Anglia Education places continuous professional development at the heart of its strategy, ensuring educators have the tools and knowledge to enhance student learning. The conference explored AI in education, neurodiversity, inclusive leadership, metacognition and other key topics shaping the future of teaching.
With the UAE emerging as a global hub for artificial intelligence, recent initiatives—such as the reconstitution of the Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technology Council—are driving advancements in AI research and education.
"AI is a particularly relevant topic in the UAE, which is among the top 10 countries with the most AI companies per million population," said Rob Walls, Head of Middle East Schools at Nord Anglia. "With Abu Dhabi positioning itself as a leader in AI and advanced technology, this conference provided an important opportunity for our teachers to explore how AI can be integrated into education to enhance student outcomes."
Beyond technology, the event also focused on Nord Anglia’s groundbreaking research into metacognition—helping students develop an awareness of their learning processes to improve problem-solving and critical thinking.
“Through leadership discussions at the conference, our academic teams explored how to apply Nord Anglia’s latest research on metacognition – it’s all about building better thinkers," added Walls. "By embedding metacognitive strategies in the classroom, we help students develop the skills to become independent, self-directed learners. In offering a forward-thinking education, we are supporting skills development with our Nord Anglia educational framework centred around the continuous growth of the 6 Cs—ensuring our students evolve into critical, creative, committed, and curious learners, while collaborating compassionately both in and outside the classroom."
For SISD educators, the conference wasn’t just about professional development—it was also a chance to collaborate with peers from around the world and contribute to Nord Anglia’s global education community.
Dr. Lisa Bardin, IBCP Co-ordinator at SISD, who presented at the conference, shared, “I left the conference feeling inspired by the innovative approaches we are all taking to support our students, and it reaffirmed the importance of collaboration in education. Building these connections not only enhances our own professional growth but also strengthens the collective impact we have on shaping the future of education for our students.”
The knowledge and strategies gained at the SEAMEI Teaching & Learning Conference 2025 will continue to shape learning experiences at SISD, ensuring that students benefit from the latest advancements in education.
Metacognition is an important skill everyone can develop, when you know how.
