Latest news with #T4Education
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Best schools to work at in UAE: Taaleem earns global recognition for teacher wellbeing
Taaleem in the UAE has been named among the world's best school groups for teachers to work at. It recently earned Best School to Work Certified Group status for its outstanding leadership, working environment, school culture, and commitment to the wellbeing of its staff. This recognition was awarded by T4 Education under its Best School to Work programme, which evaluates schools through an anonymous staff survey focused on leadership, collaboration, environment, and professional wellness. To qualify as a certified group, over half of a school group's institutions must individually meet the high threshold for certification. The school group highlighted that it employs a range of initiatives to support teacher wellbeing, with a suite of measures that include access to online and in-person training via the Taaleem Teaching School, mental health support, wellness programmes, employee discounts, and regular medical check-ups. Alan Williamson, Chief Executive Officer of Taaleem, said, 'The quality of a school never exceeds the quality — and wellbeing — of its teachers. At Taaleem, we are deeply committed to fostering a culture where educators feel valued, supported, and inspired to thrive. By investing in their happiness, career progression, and continuous professional development, we empower them to deliver truly exceptional learning experiences.' Daily check-ins, connecting with staff Under Taaleem's ambit, the institutions recognised as the Best Schools to Work, include American Academy for Girls, Dubai British School Emirates Hills, Dubai British School Jumeira, Dubai British School Jumeirah Park, and Dubai Schools Al Khawaneej. Rebecca Gray, Chief Education Officer at Taaleem, told Khaleej Times how wellbeing has been integrated into everyday leadership practices. She said, 'Wellbeing is not a standalone initiative at Taaleem — it's part of our daily rhythm. Personally, I make time for small but intentional practices that help me stay centred and present, whether that's through reflective journalling, daily check-ins with colleagues, or simply prioritising time to connect meaningfully with our staff and students.' Gray emphasised that the leadership teams strive to promote balance, highlighting that caring for one's own wellbeing is not merely beneficial but crucial to sustaining the energy and passion that is essential in the field of education. 'We also believe that it's okay to be vulnerable and to create circles of trust at all levels — the ability to be open and transparent in relation to coaching and mentoring. Our CEO is often heard saying 'we don't have to be sick to be better',' she added. Developed in collaboration with over 200,000 educators, the Best School to Work programme is considered the gold standard of school culture assessment. T4 Education's founder, Vikas Pota, said, 'Congratulations to Taaleem on the rare distinction of becoming a Best School to Work Certified Group. Your leadership, culture and vision have created an environment in which teachers can flourish. And where educators thrive, so does education.'
Zawya
01-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Taaleem named among the world's best school groups for teacher wellbeing, leadership and working environment
Taaleem in the UAE has today been named among the world's best school groups for teachers to work at. It earned Best School to Work Certified Group status for its outstanding leadership, working environment, school culture, and commitment to the wellbeing of its staff. The Best School to Work programme is the gold standard of school culture. Developed by T4 Education in collaboration with its community of over 200,000 teachers and school leaders, it is an independent, evidence-based mechanism to certify schools for their working culture, helping them to create environments in which education flourishes because educators thrive. School groups can only attain Best School to Work Certified Group status if over half of their schools are certified as a Best School to Work after scoring highly in a detailed anonymous staff survey. Taaleem schools are committed to providing a solid academic grounding by delivering stimulating and creative educational programmes within caring, secure and nurturing environments. Taaleem employs a range of initiatives to support staff including the Taaleem Teaching School, an online and in-person professional learning platform, which empowers and inspires educators to strive for excellence for themselves and for their students. Staff across all Taaleem schools can engage with high-quality resources, coaching and training opportunities across an ever-growing range of areas within education and leadership. The group also offers online counselling, employee discounts, regular interactive wellness sessions both online and in schools, and medical check-up days. Alan Williamson, Chief Executive Officer of Taaleem, said: 'The quality of a school never exceeds the quality — and wellbeing — of its teachers. At Taaleem, we are deeply committed to fostering a culture where educators feel valued, supported, and inspired to thrive. By investing in their happiness, career progression, and continuous professional development, we empower them to deliver truly exceptional learning experiences. 'Achieving Best School to Work Certified Group status is a powerful testament to this commitment. It reflects our dedication to placing educators at the heart of our mission — creating an environment where they can flourish and, in turn, realise the potential of every individual student. This recognition will help us continue to attract and retain the very best teaching talent, ensuring we deliver the very highest standards of education.' Vikas Pota, Founder of T4 Education and Best School to Work, said: 'Congratulations to Taaleem on the rare distinction of becoming a Best School to Work Certified Group. Your leadership, culture and vision have created an environment in which teachers can flourish. And where educators thrive, so does education. Schools around the world will be inspired by the example of this outstanding UAE group and the unparalleled workplace it has cultivated.' How Best School to Work certifies schools: Once a school signs up to the Best School to Work programme, T4 Education sends all of its teachers a detailed, anonymous survey to independently assess the school on four pillars: Leadership: T4 Education examines the many factors that make great school leadership, from having a vision to communicating it well and leading by example to build a culture of trust and respect. Collaboration: T4 Education takes a forensic look not just at schools' teaching community and their collaborative efforts to reflect, grow and share best practices together, but the wider ecosystem around the school including students, parents and the community at large. School Environment: T4 Education delves deep into schools' working environments, looking at inclusivity and positivity, as well as professional development opportunities, support for staff, and good relationships between colleagues. Professional Wellness: T4 Education grades schools on all the things a teacher would want to see in their dream job. The answers given by all teachers to the different questions are weighted using an algorithm to produce a final score. Only the highest-scoring schools achieve certification under the Best School to Work programme and only groups that see over half of their total number of schools certified can become a Best School to Work Certified Group. For further information, please contact: Salman Shaheen - salman@ About Taaleem: Taaleem (DFM: TAALEEM) is one of the largest K-12 premium education providers in the UAE with a portfolio consisting of 34 schools, comprising 12 owned and operated premium private schools, and 22 Government partnership schools operated on behalf of Government entities. The Group has a student base of +40,092 students and a highly experienced teaching staff from across the world. About T4 Education: T4 Education believes every child, everywhere, deserves a good education. It is building the world's largest community of teachers and schools to achieve this. Its digital media platform provides opportunities for educators to network, collaborate, share good practices, and support each other's efforts to improve learning and school culture. It works to amplify teachers' voices because the world we want to see will only be built by listening to those at the heart of education.
The National
01-05-2025
- Business
- The National
UAE school group sets global benchmark for teacher satisfaction standards
A UAE school operator has become the first education group in the country to receive a prestigious global accolade for promoting the well-being of teachers and fostering a positive working environment. The Taaleem school group was awarded 'Best School to Work Certified Group' status by global education organisation T4 Education, a recognition granted only to school bodies where more than half of individual schools have received high satisfaction scores from staff in detailed, anonymous surveys. While a number of institutions have received 'Best School to Work' status, this is the first time that an entire school group in the UAE has received the accolade. To achieve the award, school groups are assessed on leadership, collaboration, professional wellness and working environment. The accolade is part of the Best School to Work programme, a global industry standard for school culture and workplace conditions. The initiative is backed by a community of more than 200,000 teachers and school leaders worldwide. 'Congratulations to Taaleem on the rare distinction of becoming a Best School to Work Certified Group,' said Vikas Pota, founder of T4 Education and Best School to Work. 'Your leadership, culture and vision have created an environment in which teachers can flourish.' The certification process includes a forensic assessment of school leadership, inclusivity, collaboration and staff development opportunities. According to T4 Education, the anonymous surveys are weighted by an algorithm to produce final scores. Salman Shaheen, T4 Education's director of communications, told The National that while a number of other UAE schools have announced they have been certified as a Best School to Work. These include British School Al Khubairat, The Arbor School, Deira International School, Horizon International School. 'Taaleem is the first UAE school chain to announce it has achieved Best School to Work Certified Group status.' Taaleem, which operates a growing network of premium private schools across the Emirates, attributed the recognition to its sustained investment in staff development and well-being. 'The quality of a school never exceeds the quality – and well-being – of its teachers,' said Alan Williamson, chief executive of Taaleem. 'At Taaleem, we are deeply committed to fostering a culture where educators feel valued, supported, and inspired to thrive. 'Achieving Best School to Work Certified Group status is a powerful testament to this commitment. It reflects our dedication to placing educators at the heart of our mission.' The group has introduced several support mechanisms, including Taaleem Teaching School – an online and in-person professional learning platform, that delivers coaching and training to staff. The group also offers online counselling, employee discounts, regular interactive wellness sessions both online and in schools and medical check-up days. The UAE has in recent years increased efforts to position itself as a hub for quality education. With more than 200 private schools in Dubai alone and a growing expatriate community, competition to attract top teaching talent remains intense. 'This recognition will help us continue to attract and retain the very best teaching talent, ensuring we deliver the very highest standards of education,' said Mr Williamson. The group recently announced the opening of new Harrow-branded schools in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
