Traditions start here – soon!

The highlight of last week’s Eid break, beyond providing some well-deserved rest for our founding team, was welcoming Mr. Neil Enright, Headmaster of Queen Elizabeth’s School, Barnet, to Dubai. He had a chance to meet the founding families, our founding staff team, and to take a tour of both phases of the construction project at the school. It was a special few days for me, as I had the chance to give an update on our exciting progress on a wide range of fronts, but also to get Neil’s view on the ways that we are planning to carry the heritage and traditions of QE Barnet to Dubai.

At QE Dubai Sports City, our culture will be rooted in the same enduring values that have shaped generations of students at QE Barnet: intellectual ambition, strong character, service to others, and a deep sense of belonging, and the channels through which they are delivered are the structures, relationships and experiences that our students will have from the outset.

I am fortunate to have attended on of the high points of QE Barnet tradition – Founder’s Day, which falls on the third Saturday in June. The school gathers for the reading of the roll call (a tradition stretching back centuries) and the ‘chronicle’ (the history of the school is read by the Headmaster). This is followed by a joyful fete, which parents play a huge part in, which has a real sense of occasion, a shared recognition that this is something larger than any individual year group.

These high days in the school’s calendar give shape to the year and remind students that they are part of something enduring. We will establish our own rhythm rooted in that same sense of shared experience but also reflects the context in which we are operate. There will be key moments that bring the whole school together: House events, performances, competitions, and celebrations of achievement. These will become markers in the year, things students look forward to, prepare for, and remember long afterwards.

At the same time, it is essential that the life of the school reflects the rhythm of the UAE itself. Events such as National Day, Flag Day, and other significant moments in the UAE calendar are important opportunities to build understanding, respect, and connection to the country our students call home. This will be what cements our position as an international school, grounded in British academic tradition and whose traditions will celebrate the diversity of our community.

One of the most powerful ways this will come to life is through the QE House system. I can speak of this with confidence – I was House captain in my final year at school (Greyfriars for life!) Every student will belong to a House which will provide their immediate community within the school. Houses will bring together students from different year groups, creating natural opportunities for mentorship, leadership, and friendship. Older students will guide and support younger ones, and successes will be shared and challenges will be met in a supportive environment of shared endeavour.

The House system also gives students a voice and responsibility. Leadership opportunities will exist from the earliest stages, for students to organise events, contribute ideas, and shape the culture they are part of and help defining the values of the house they are a part of.

Almost 30 years since I left school myself, the routines which were established at my own school still inform my life and values today. Whether it was singing in chapel, applauding the successes of others in assemblies, regular contact with a form tutor or dining together in the dining hall, each of these routines became traditions which provided a deep impression.

There are also the visible symbols of belonging most notably in our uniform. A school uniform represents a shared identity and a sense that each student is part of something larger than themselves. It reinforces pride, standards, and unity. In time, it will become associated not just with how our students look, but with how they carry themselves: with confidence, ability and responsibility. Uniforms will soon be available for order, and we will also have a pop-up shop in the school from late June/early July.

Tradition, in this sense, is not only about looking backwards. It is about establishing values, routines and rhythm that will guide our students into the future.