One community, many horizons

I am writing this blog at 40,000 feet, somewhere over Munich, as I return to Dubai following an inspirational few days in the UK. Along with Louise, our Head of Admissions, and Anna from her team, we hosted an event for founding and prospective families currently based in the UK. Guests heard directly from the Headmaster, as well as from an Old Elizabethan who has been at the forefront of Queen Elizabeth’s international expansion.

The most inspiring aspect of the event was hearing from a range of current Elizabethans, each offering their own perspective on what it truly means to belong to Queen Elizabeth’s. What resonated most strongly (apart from their outstanding levels of oracy – they were a tough act to follow!) was the shared language of aspiration, service and intellectual curiosity. These are values that will shape the culture of QE Dubai Sports City, from its very earliest days.

We are delighted to be extending a similar opportunity to families in the UAE this week through an Open Morning in our admissions suite. I absolutely love talking about this project and answering families’ questions, so creating space for both Dubai‑based and UK‑based families to begin building relationships reflects our belief that community is formed through dialogue and shared educational values.

I also had the good fortune to time my trip so that I was invited to see the QE Choir perform Choral Evensong at Christ Church, Oxford. The quality of sound they produced was utterly spine‑tingling, and it was a joy to see their confidence as they performed in such an august venue before a highly discerning audience. The day itself had been a signature QE experience. In addition to the performance, students spent time exploring other Oxford colleges as part of the Futures strand, guided by Old Elizabethans supporting the QE Connect programme.

These rich, multi‑layered experiences are a hallmark of Queen Elizabeth’s, and I walked home from the service reflecting deeply on how such rich experiences can and must become part of life at QE Dubai Sports City.

Later this week, we will be hosting a selection event following a strong response to our scholarship programme. Students have applied under three strands – Academic, Flourish, and Emirati Excellence – and each will be required to present on what it would mean for them to be a QE Scholar. Reading their applications has been a genuine joy. The insight, originality, commitment and intellectual curiosity on display speak volumes about the kind of community already forming around our school. Our Founding Scholars will play an outsized role in shaping a culture of ambition in the years ahead, and I am excited to see how their talents inspire our community to new heights.

In the days ahead, families will also be able to experience our vision in its most tangible form. From the beginning of May, we will begin offering tours of the school building itself – the physical embodiment of our community, purposefully designed to foster connection, scholarship and belonging.

For families in Dubai and the UK alike, these moments matter. They demonstrate that QE Dubai Sports City is growing as part of one connected, ambitious community – globally linked, locally grounded and, above all, aspirational.

We took delivery of phase one of the refurbishment works on Friday (this is the half of the building closest to Hessa Street). The finish is great, and the spaces are inviting. The team has been working to move furniture in so that we can start showing families around soon. The project team has now begun work on phase 2, which is due for completion in mid-June. Do come and see us!