Dear Ash Mount Community,
I hope you are all having a wonderful summer, wherever you happen to be spending it.
After two lovely weeks working remotely, first from Italy and then from the UK whilst celebrating my
daughter Poppy’s graduation from Cardiff University, it was great to be back in Dubai this week.
As you can probably imagine, one of the first places I wanted to go was straight to the Ash Mount site.
Whilst I have been away, Amit and Joe have been doing what they always do, spending every day on site
working alongside our contractors and project teams, so it was fantastic to catch up with them and see
just how much has happened over the last couple of weeks. It was also lovely to see our architect back
on site, busy as ever working alongside the many contractors across the campus. Everywhere I looked,
teams were focused on the next stage of the project, checking details, solving problems, and making
sure everything continues to move forward. There is a real sense of purpose across the whole site, and it
is wonderful to see so many talented people working together to bring Ash Mount to life.
The progress really is amazing.
If you drive past the school, you’ll still see plenty happening outside. Landscaping, playgrounds, sports
facilities, roads, and all of the external works are continuing at pace, exactly as we would expect at this
stage of the project.
But step inside…
It is a completely different story.
The two main buildings that we’ll be using when we open are looking incredible. Every classroom now
has doors and windows, ceilings are almost complete, the final carpet areas are being laid, and all of
the boring things that quietly make a school work, such as the fire systems, CCTV, WiFi, and everything
hidden behind the walls, are being installed. Sorry to our IT team, Jasim and Shabaz, who will no doubt
tell me those are the most exciting bits!
For me, though, one of the highlights was knowing that our first shipment of KG furniture from COSY in
the UK had arrived.
At Ash Mount we often talk about being Deliberate by Design. Every decision we make is intentional and
always linked back to our vision to learn with purpose, live with compassion, and lead with courage.
Choosing COSY is a perfect example of this. Their furniture is designed to inspire curiosity, creativity,
independence, and collaboration, whilst placing a strong emphasis on sustainability, ethical sourcing, and
social responsibility.
As I was looking through their website whilst writing this blog, I discovered something I hadn’t known
before. COSY has developed a long term friendship with schools in Kenya, supporting young people to
escape poverty through education. Their funding has already helped transform the lives of students who
have gone on to become engineers, project managers, and medical professionals.
That genuinely made me smile.
Many of you will know that we recently announced our own Horizons partnership with a school in Kenya.
Whilst these are completely separate initiatives, it felt like another lovely reminder that we have chosen to
work with organisations whose values genuinely align with our own. We all believe in the power of
education to change lives, no matter where in the world those children happen to live.
If you would like to learn more about COSY’s commitment to sustainability and social responsibility, you
can read more here:
COSY Environment and Sustainability
Every time I visit the campus now, I find myself picturing children in these spaces. You can almost hear
the conversations, the laughter, the questions, and the excitement. It is becoming much easier to imagine
classrooms full of learning rather than builders. Suddenly, opening day doesn’t feel like something in the
future. It feels wonderfully close.
Coming back to Dubai also reminded me why so many of us choose to call this city home. After the
slightly cooler temperatures in Europe, I was certainly reminded how warm July can be, although
thankfully Dubai’s air conditioning soon helped me readjust. Even with the summer heat, I found myself
sitting outside one evening enjoying dinner with a gentle breeze, and it reminded me just how special
evenings in Dubai can be.
More than anything, though, it was lovely to return to a city that is always full of energy, ambition, and
optimism. Everywhere you look, people are building, creating, and preparing for the future, and it feels
incredibly exciting that Ash Mount is becoming part of that story.
It was also lovely to spend time with families at this week’s Coffee and Connect sessions. These are
becoming some of my favourite events because they give us the chance not only to answer questions,
but also to listen.
Hearing parents talk about what they hope Ash Mount will become is incredibly important to us. After
all, we’re building this school together.
I also had the pleasure of meeting more of our future students during admissions assessments this week.
I always enjoy these moments because you begin to see the personalities behind the applications. Every
child is different, every family has their own story, and together we’re creating a wonderfully diverse
community that I cannot wait to see come to life in August.
I also find myself quietly wondering who will become friends with whom. Will the children sitting together
during their assessments become lifelong friends? Will our predictions be right? Time will tell,
but watching those first connections begin is one of the real privileges of opening a new school.
Another highlight this week has been revisiting some of the plans we first put together well over a year
ago and seeing just how many of them are now becoming reality.
Many of you have also been reading through the Pre-Opening Parent Handbook and sending us your
thoughts.
Thank you.
One of the things we’ve always said is that Ash Mount will be a community school, and communities work
best when people feel able to contribute.
Several of the suggestions families shared have already led to amendments and improvements. This
week you will receive an email about a few updates, including our guidance on motorised scooters
and suggested stationery packs and pencil cases for students in Upper Primary and Secondary.
Will we always make every change that’s suggested?
Probably not.
Will we always listen?
Absolutely.
As a learning organisation, we believe there is always room to improve, and some of our best ideas
come from the conversations we have with families.
Throughout July, our blogs are focusing on making the most of the summer holidays.
This week’s theme is curiosity.
One of the wonderful things about summer is that learning happens almost by accident.
It happens whilst sitting in an airport watching the planes.
It happens walking around a museum.
It happens trying food you’ve never eaten before.
It happens asking your grandparents what life was like when they were children.
It happens watching the sunset.
It happens looking up at the stars.
Children don’t stop learning because school closes for the summer.
Sometimes they learn even more!
This Week’s Summer Challenge
Lower Primary
Collect something interesting everywhere you visit; a shell, a leaf, a postcard, or even a train
ticket.
Ask lots of “I wonder…” questions together.
Read a story every day and make predictions about what might happen next.
Look for shapes, colours, numbers, and patterns wherever you go.
Upper Primary
Keep a holiday scrapbook or journal.
Visit somewhere you’ve never been before.
Try a new food and find out where it comes from.
Interview a grandparent or family member about their childhood.
Secondary
Follow one international news story over the week and discuss it together.
Visit somewhere that teaches you something about the place you’re visiting.
Learn a completely new skill simply because you’re interested.
Read something that challenges your thinking.
At Ash Mount, we hope our students never lose their curiosity.
After all, every great discovery starts with someone asking a simple question.
“I wonder…”
Have a fantastic week, enjoy making memories together, and if you’re travelling, have a safe journey.
We’ll be here, counting down the days until we can finally welcome our founding students.
Best wishes,
Abigail Fishbourne
Founding Principal
Ash Mount School
