HPL Updates

HPL Update

5 February 2025

HPL in the Middle East Round-up

On Monday, 27th January, the wonderful Hartland International School, Dubai hosted senior leaders from across the Middle East for our showcase "High Performance Learning in Action". Senior leaders heard more about how the HPL framework and philosophy have transformed educational outcomes and delivered impactful teaching and learning for students in the UAE. Thank you to Hartland International School for hosting and to those who took time away from their schools to explore how to build high performance with students.

The BSME Annual School Leaders' Conference took place on 28th - 30th January in Abu Dhabi. It was brilliant to connect with so many leaders of High Performance Learning Schools in the region. The event was attended by International Director, Brynn Cooper and Founder, Professor Deborah Eyre who led discussions on ‘Student Agency’, one of the seven pillars of HPL.

The week was rounded off by the brilliant Abu Dhabi Teaching Conference on Saturday, 1st February. International Director, Brynn Cooper, led a workshop challenging leaders in the region to consider their approaches to cohorts of students with ‘We’re Going to Need a Bigger Boat’. Thank you to leaders who attended the session for your engagement and open-mindedness to challenge educational norms.

Innovators for Tomorrow HPL Student Competition Winners Announcement!

We are thrilled to announce that the winners of the 'Innovators for Tomorrow' HPL Student Competition are from Cambridge International School, Dubai and Yasmina British Academy. 

The winning teams were divided into two categories: 

7-11 Age Category 

🏆 Winning Team: Mathify from Yasmina British Academy. 

➕ AI Educational Tool invented: Mathify is an AI Educational Tool that identifies skills you need to work on and suggests personalised activities to improve in those areas. 

11- 16 Category 

🏆 Winning Team: Infinite Innovators from GEMS Cambridge International School, Dubai 

😁 AI Educational Tool invented: E.M.O AI is a tool that is designed to transform the way teachers teach and support students with learning difficulties by detecting various emotions such as frustration or confusion and then informing teachers when to slow down or provide additional help. 

Both winners in each age category will receive an award and a prize as part of the ‘Innovators for Tomorrow: HPL Student Competition’ in partnership with DAIGON Esports. 

The Runner-up of the Innovators for Tomorrow Student Competition in the 7-11 age category is team AI Royals from GEMS World Academy, Abu Dhabi and in the 11-16 age category, it is ZAI-Ed from Yasmina British Academy. Both submissions were shortlisted as the runner-up as it was highly commended by the panel of judges. Both runner-up teams in each age category will receive a certificate and prize in partnership with ONVU Learning and Dukes Plus Consultancy. 

We were overwhelmed by the number of entries we have received for the 'Innovators for Tomorrow' HPL Student Competition, as 41 Teams have registered, and 19 submissions have successfully been submitted - each one creative and inspiring in its own way. The calibre of submissions was of a very high standard, which made the shortlisting process challenging for the panel of judges. 

We would like to extend a very big thanks and congratulate all the other teams who participated in the competition. While your submission was not selected as a winner, we want to acknowledge your hard work, dedication, and effort as a participant in the HPL Student Competition. 

Once again! Very well done to all teams for their commitment and hard work.

We are delighted to share with colleagues across the HPL community how HPL principles are being applied at Tudor Hall School.

We would like to extend our thanks to Head of Sciences, Fatima Ahmed-Essap at Yasmina British Academy for sharing her latest A-level physics lesson.

Students were challenged to create models representing electricity, incorporating key concepts such as current, charge, and voltage. The results were incredible—from fish tanks to racetracks, each model creatively demonstrated the flow of electricity in unique and engaging ways!

Metacognition & Self-Regulation – Students reflected on their models’ strengths and limitations, evaluating how well their analogies captured real electrical behavior. 

Linking Conceptual Understanding – By connecting abstract physics principles to tangible, real-world systems, students deepened their understanding of how circuits work beyond textbook definitions. 

Intellectual Playfulness – Encouraging creativity in science fosters a deeper appreciation for problem-solving and innovation, skills essential for future physicists and engineers. 

These models highlight the power of applied learning—when students engage with complex ideas in visual and hands-on ways, they build lasting understanding and confidence. 

It is wonderful to see Yasmina British Academy leading the way as one of our World Class Schools and systematically developing the competencies of High Performers.

Haileybury Almaty, Kazakhstan an Accredited World Class School embraces the High Performance Learning philosophy. The HPL approach empowers the students at Haileybury Almaty to achieve excellence and unlock their full potential! In their latest video, teachers and students share how High Performance Learning transforms education. By fostering values like hard work, empathy, and agility, and developing advanced thinking skills such as analysing, creating, and meta-thinking, this philosophy equips every learner to succeed. 🎥Watch the video below to see how Haileybury Almaty inspires success for all!

Unlocking Student Potential: The Power of Personalized Learning Conversations 

At MARIO Education, they understand that every student is unique. Personalised learning and attention to well-being are key to unlocking their full potential. Mario Education's evidence-backed approach centres on structured, one-to-one conversations between educators and students—an effective strategy that empowers teachers to build deep, meaningful connections with their students while providing tailored support to meet individual needs. Research shows that consistent, focused conversations between students and educators can lead to measurable improvements in wellness and academic performance. In fact, MARIO Education's latest study revealed that students who participated in these personalised conversations saw significant gains—improvements that continued after transition from the intervention. More than just academic progress, students reported growth in self-reflection and independence, vital skills that prepare them for long-term success. This approach aligns seamlessly with High Performance Learning’s philosophy, cultivating a learning environment where autonomy, resilience, and high expectations are at the forefront. By incorporating these one-to-one coaching conversations into your school’s routine, you’re setting the stage for a culture of continuous growth, where every student is empowered to excel. For more information about MARIO Education view the link below.

Explore the The A-Z Series by Roy Blatchford

The A–Z series is a collection of teacher handbooks, each dealing with a different educational topic and organised around the English alphabet. With new titles out now and coming soon, this series will become a staple in your toolkit. 

Roy Blatchford is founder of www.blinks.education working with educational institutions in the UK and internationally. Following headteacher roles, he was Founding Director of the National Education Trust and served as an education policy adviser to the UK and other national governments. In 2016, he was appointed CBE for services to education

Accrediting or Re-Accrediting Schools’ Surveys 

A friendly reminder that the Wave 2 Perception Impact Surveys are now live, with links to each survey issued to Headteachers and HPL Leads on the 20th of January 2025 for sharing with Staff, Parents, and Student cohorts. 

Links will remain live until the 3rd of March 2025. These Perception Impact Surveys are a wonderful tool to allow you to chart the impact of HPL within your school, and we encourage you to work towards maximum completion levels wherever possible. 

For any questions or advice on administering the survey, or for any technical queries, please contact Cassey Benito, Head of Programmes and Partnerships.

Linking-Up Meetings 

Headteachers and HPL Leads, please register and save the dates for upcoming WCSA and HPSA Linking Up Meetings in March 2025. 

Year 1 & 2 High Performing Schools 

• 18 Mar 2025 - 12 pm - 1 pm (UK Time) - HPSA Year 1 & 2 (Headteachers) - Register here for this meeting.
• 19th Mar 2025 - 12 pm - 1 pm (UK Time) - HPSA Year 1 & 2 - (HPL Leads) - Register here for this meeting. 

Year 1 & 2 World Class Schools

• 12th Mar 2025 | 10 am - 11 am (UK Time) - WCSA Year 1 & 2 (Headteachers) - Register here for this meeting. 
• 12th Mar 2025 | 12 pm - 1 pm (UK Time) - WCSA Year 1 & 2 - (HPL Leads) - Register here for this meeting. 

Register your staff for TWO FREE FGC Professional Learning Events for the Academic Year

If you haven't registered your staff for the FGC Taster Events in the Autumn Term, you have the opportunity to do so in the Spring Term and Summer Term.

Each Pathway Programme School (WCSA/HPSA) can request to attend TWO FGC Taster Events for the academic year.

Sign up by emailing Cassey Benito the name and time of the event that you or your staff would like to attend. 

FGC Spring Term Programme 

View the Full FGC Professional Learning Programme here.

FGC Spring Term Webinar Recordings

If you have registered for FGC Professional Learning events and could not attend due to unforeseen circumstances, you can view the materials and resources below: