We are delighted to announce the appointment of Ms Ashley Fitzgibbons as the Head of Boarding, with effect from August 2022. Our current Head of Boarding, Mr David McKeown, will be returning to the UK after more than 12 years in Dubai, to assume the position of Head of Boarding at Truro College. We wish David every success in his new role and thank David and his family for the care and support they have provided to our boarding students.
Ashley Fitzgibbons
Ashley has 12 years of experience in education, with the last four at SISD as an IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) and IB Diploma Programme (DP) teacher, alongside her role as Deputy Head of Secondary (Pastoral). Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Commerce, Postgraduate Diploma in Education (Business) and a Professional Diploma in Mathematics.
Ashley has worked with the boarding staff and students on a day-to-day basis during her time at SISD. She is familiar with the boarding environment at the school, knows the boarding students well and we anticipate a very smooth and seamless handover process, which David and Ashley have already begun.
Ashley is particularly passionate about student wellbeing, ensuring ongoing student voice, regular celebration of success, and maintaining that students are at the centre of the learning process.
As the boarding at SISD continues to grow, the staff team will be increased, and we will let you know details of the new appointments in due course.
Swiss International School in Dubai
Global in outlook, bilingual in approach, Swiss in culture, and yet firmly rooted in the local community of Dubai – that’s Swiss International School in Dubai, or SISD.
The Swiss International Scientific School in Dubai (SISD), Dubai’s first bilingual International Baccalaureate School, opened in 2015, and is the largest Swiss school outside Switzerland.
The school is a leading international day and boarding school where future generations are inspired to become confident and enthusiastic lifelong learners, properly prepared to embrace all the opportunities and challenges life presents.
With a diverse student body of 1450 pupils comprising more than 75 different nationalities, the school believes the next generation of international citizens will need to be dynamic, flexible and linguistically ambitious. With this in mind, SISD offers immersive bilingual programmes in either of the Swiss languages of French and German, but also a strong English programme with foreign languages. For students who don’t wish to pursue a fully bilingual programme, there is a unique STEAM programme for all children from age 4-11 years. SISD stands out as one of only a handful of educational establishments globally classified as an IB Continuum school, which means it offers International Baccalaureate education to pupils from age 3 to 18.
Offering day school, weekly or full-term boarding options, this leading educational institution offers state-of-the-art STEAM education, and has world-class sporting facilities, too.
The school has laid out its B.E.S.T. Values, as follows:
Bilingual
A unique international and multilingual environment provides students with authentic exposure to English, French, German and Arabic. Students in the immersive bilingual programmes learn to communicate, think and reflect in two different languages. As global citizens, SISD celebrates diversity, promoting all languages and cultures with equal respect.
Excellence
SISD staff believes in maintaining high standards and aspire to be the best they can be. A spirit of enquiry, encouraging both creative and critical thinking is fostered.
Sustainability
Students and staff believe that social, cultural, economic and environmental awareness prepare us to play our part in shaping a better future, both for ourselves and for those around us. The school campus is eco-friendly, winning international acclaim and awards for using less energy to create a comfortable and healthy environment.
Together
In the school’s international community, we know that we are at our best when we all work together. We view active participation in the community, from the most local to the most global, as the foundation of a valuable life.