GCC: International Schools Partnership’s (ISP) schools in the UAE and Qatar have been named among the world’s best schools for teachers to work at. ISP earned Best School to Work Certified Group: Middle East status for its exemplary work in building the very best school culture and working environment and for placing the wellbeing of its staff front and centre.
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: Middle East status if over half of their schools in the Middle East are certified as a Best School to Work after scoring highly in a detailed, anonymous staff survey.
This recognition is a reflection of ISP’s sustained efforts to prioritise the wellbeing and development of its staff. From organising physical fitness activities and routine health checks to hosting sporting events and interactive wellness sessions, ISP adopts a holistic approach that ensures team members feel both valued and connected. Dedicated Wellbeing Weeks are observed across all schools, encouraging staff to focus on their mental, emotional, and physical health. These efforts are further supported by access to professional coaching and development opportunities, including Leadership 401 training, which helps educators pursue their goals in a safe, supportive environment.
In addition, many staff members have received training in mental health awareness and wellbeing, empowering them to recognise when colleagues, students, or parents might need one-to-one emotional support. This culture of care is reinforced through regular newsletters, employee appreciation awards, staff discounts, and social events, all contributing to a workplace where people feel recognised, engaged, and included.
Bharat Mansukhani, Divisional Chief Executive Officer – ISP Middle East & Asia said: “The region, and particularly the UAE, continues to lead in driving meaningful educational reform, consistently striving to raise standards and improve outcomes for students and schools alike. It’s within this progressive environment that ISP proudly took part in the Best School to Work programme, a natural step aligned with our Learning.First strategy, which places equal emphasis on student success and staff development. At ISP, we are committed to nurturing the world’s most curious and confident minds, and that begins with creating a workplace where our educators feel valued, supported, and empowered. Earning this certification is a powerful reflection of that commitment and reinforces our ambition to be the school of choice for both students and teachers across the region.”
Vikas Pota, Founder of T4 Education and Best School to Work, said: “Congratulations to ISP Middle East on attaining the highly coveted Best School to Work Certified Group: Middle East status. Through your outstanding leadership, you have shown that a commitment to your staff is the secret to ensuring a great education for your students. It is my hope that this mark of distinction will put your school on the map and allow you to recruit and retain the very best educators in the UAE and Qatar. And I hope you inspire many others to follow where you have led.”
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 and also providing good professional development opportunities for staff.
- 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, support for staff, and good relationships between colleagues.
- Professional Wellness: T4 Education grades schools on staff wellbeing, workload and contracts and remuneration.
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 – [email protected]
About International Schools Partnership:
Moved by curiosity and empowered by self-confidence, students from ISP Schools thrive throughout their lifetime.
International Schools Partnership (ISP) is a global community of over 100 international schools across over 25 countries. We champion a transformative approach to learning that goes beyond the classroom. By igniting our students’ curiosity and growing their self-confidence, we empower them to become the next generation of changemakers.
Our unique approach to learning recognises our students as collaborators in the learning process. We focus on developing the knowledge and lifelong skills that help them thrive beyond their time at school. ISP students benefit from teaching excellence, international opportunities, and careers guidance. Our schools have access to a global network of experts and our teachers and leaders are supported to continuously improve through extensive professional development programmes.
ISP Schools in the Middle East include The Aquila School, Nibras International School, Star International School, Al Twar, Star International School, Mirdif, The English College and Smart Vision School in Dubai; Aspen Heights British School and Reach British School in Abu Dhabi; and The Hamilton International School, Park House English School and Durham School for Girls in Qatar.
ISP. Where confidence grows.
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.