Cambridge International School, Dubai, which began classes in a hut with only about 35 pupils, celebrated silver jubilee on Wednesday.
The school also used the occasion to celebrate its achievement in receiving the prestigious Cambridge International Fellowship Centre from Cambridge International Examinations.
Reflecting on the school’s beginnings, Principal David McLaughlin said, “We started out in 1982 in huts with only 35 students. In 1985, we moved to our present campus in Garhoud and have been growing since.”
“Being granted the Cambridge International Fellowship Centre is a major milestone for the school as it is an unusual award recognising the consistent level of our examination results,” he said.
The fellowship status is awarded to only a few schools that have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to working with Cambridge International Examinations in the achievement of its educational mission.
It also gives the school the opportunity to nominate students for the annual Cambridge International Fellowship Scholarship and each year, this scholarship awards a minimum of three students £3,000 each over three years for the funding of higher education.
The school is one of the few affordable schools in Dubai offering the British National Curriculum.
“We do not charge the top fees and hence we do not have the top facilities. Although we don’t offer flashy facilities, we never compromise on quality,” said McLaughlin.
With over 2,000 students studying at the Cambridge International School, the school has plans to move towards catering to a wide range of ability of students.
“Not all students progress at the same pace. So we have to devise a curriculum that is flexible and wide ranging,” said the principal of Cambridge International School.