New staff comments

What do new staff say?   

We asked our current teachers what it is like working here – here are all of their responses – presented completely uncut! 

These comments are from staff who joined us in Aug 21 and Aug 22 – so they are up to date!

August 2021

A place where your opinion is valued! A growing school that has amazing learning throughout, supportive staff and many opportunities to allow your creativity to flourish!

It is busy but you will be well supported

It is really hard work and stressful

An amazing but challenging experience

Teamwork and providing excellent education

An amazing and warming learning environment. The school puts the children at the heart of everything that they do and that is what I love the most

Different, busy, long days, rewarding, tiring, plate spinning, fun, fact finding, problem solving, friendly pupils and staff, motivating, last minute.

The pupils are great, the teaching is very satisfying as the pupils are very keen to please and display great levels of resilience. The running of the school can be chaotic though, the last minute nature and various forms of communications, deadlines and events can make working here challenging - I know some of these things are out of the schools control.

I enjoy working here, I love my class and I especially enjoy being able to plan and deliver fun and exciting lessons through the availability of resources and facilities.

A happy environment - everyone is super friendly. Busy- always something to do. Class sizes are small and pupils are well behaved which allows you to teach rather than manage behaviour.

Very busy and fast paced but leadership are also very mindful of staff’s well-being (well-being team).

Inspiring and challenging. You need to be resilient, adaptable, a problem solver and a team player. You will be exhausted, frustrated and satisfied all at the same time. The pupils are awesome and will make you smile every day. They will also make you dig deep into your pedagogical tool box to help them make progress and engage with learning.

High expectations but within a very supportive team. I enjoy the challenges and environment. Everybody is willing to help where necessary and it's a positive environment to work in.

It is challenging and rewarding in equal measures. You will learn a lot about yourself and many new skills to help you in your teaching.

A warm, friendly and progressive school that encourages children to think critically, make independent choices about their learning and learn through doing.

Happy environment to work in - rewarding You get out what you put in -  everyone must go the extra mile - challenges your teaching in a good way

It is hard at the beginning but you will be happy with what you have achieved and gained. You will meet some really nice and good people here.

It's one big family

A good teacher teaches from the heart so if you do that you will fit in

Hardest place you’ll ever work

The Aquila School is like no other school you've ever worked in, but in a good way! It's busy but extremely worthwhile, we make a really good team and it's an exciting time to be a part of the Aquila family as the school grows and develops.

Great place to work! Inspirational and very experienced senior leaders, excellent teachers, welcoming staff and amazing learning opportunities for everyone!

As teachers at Aquila we are trusted to teach what the children need to learn and what is relevant to where we live in the UAE. Cross curricular learning allows for creativity in the classroom and a wide range of challenges and learning opportunities to meet the needs of all children.

There is the feeling of something truly unique and special in this school. A strong sense of community prevails among all aspects of the school body from staff, to pupils and parents. Our shared vision of amazing learning is what sets us apart.

Very well organised - very hard work but if you get it, it is so rewarding as you really are empowered to teach the children what they need to learn right now

Friendly atmosphere

It’s all perfect for me. Thank you

I have never worked so hard in my life. It is exhausting but at the end of each week I feel proud as my children have had really amazing learning 

Coming from the UK it took a while to get used to the many emails we get from parents and the importance of customer service

Work hard to make sure that you are doing well and that you are doing right. Practice makes perfect

A busy, fast paced, happy, fun place to work

Dubai is an amazing place to discover – not just the usual tourist things – so make sure you take time to explore!

August 2022

Make sure you keep a work life balance and don’t be afraid of asking for support – everyone will help you

Remember this is a private school so expectations are high

Forget any preconceptions you have about teaching and learning and embrace new freedoms

Stay on top of deadlines and give it your all.

It is an amazing experience – if you are lucky enough to get the chance please take it!

It is a busy school but there are lots of opportunities to develop yourself as a teacher

Everyone mucks in, and there is community feeling throughout the school.

Thriving, busy and community orientated school where everyone’s opinions and thoughts count.

To be successful focus on your strengths and develop them

Work hard, play hard. Full on but rewarding. Be organised and write all dates etc down.

A rewarding opportunity to teach in a community feel, happy school. Every day is different, but be prepared for working long days.

Expect the unexpected. The country may work in a way that is different from what you are used to but you will learn to cope with it very quickly. Because of the area and living arrangements Aquila school is an excellent place to move to. Also we are a fully inclusive school. You will be expected to teach a class with both the most challenging and most able students in the same room.

Expect a lot of initial charges when setting up in Dubai - everything is more expensive than you realise and there are hidden costs. However, once the initial payments are done, that doesn't happen again.

Definitely would recommend!

Schools in Dubai are not like schools in the UK, even though they may teach the British curriculum. Things are expensive here, so make sure you have an adequate amount of savings to bring with you (especially if you’re wanting to take the allowance). Don’t be scared to ask questions - no question is a silly one!

Be prepared to step outside of your comfort zone. Get all of your paperwork in order early. Expect the unexpected.

I would recommend the school.