Well, the temperature is certainly rising – not only in Riyadh, where we are regularly experiencing temperatures over 40 degrees now, but also here at Beech Hall School Riyadh. This week has been quite remarkable, and it has been a real challenge to capture it all in just one blog. It’s no secret that Saudi Arabia is a remarkable place to be in, with its rapid growth as well as the pace and scale of change. It’s quite something to be a part of this transformation! Here are just a few highlights from this past week:
- Being part of Great Futures – a summit between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. It was very exciting to see so much collaboration taking place between the ministers of both countries, and education was very much on the agenda. I felt very lucky to be part of the education roundtable, where education leaders and entrepreneurs from both countries discussed ways to further develop educational provisions in the region, and explored ways to collaborate. It was very exciting to be involved.
- Welcoming the most amazing military band who, after opening the Great Futures summit, came to perform here at Beech Hall! The band and piper played the most beautiful and stirring music, and for half an hour it’s safe to say I had a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye. They also bravely led a KG workshop, which went down a storm! It was wonderful to share a little piece of Britain with our global community, and the children relished every minute. We’re very grateful to our friends in the military for making this amazing event happen. And we wish the band well, as they’re making their way back to Edinburgh to play for His Majesty, King Charles III. We were glad to help with their rehearsal!
- Beech Hall’s Got Talent! It certainly does! We were blown away with the myriad of talents on display, from Rashed playing the Saudi national anthem on the violin, to Grade 8 performing the Birdie Song in the most extraordinary outfits! In their own words, “We are doing this for the little ones,” and my goodness did they entertain the younger year groups. It takes immense bravery to get up on stage and perform, and I was so proud of every single child who took part. Who knows who else they might have inspired?
- Attending a very special dinner. I was honoured to be invited to a dinner hosted by the Ministry of Education, celebrating the Great Futures summit. It was such a privilege to meet His Excellency, the Minister of Education, who remembered fondly his visit to Beech Hall earlier in the year. It was wonderful to be a part of the event, and I felt very proud to be representing our school community.
- Helping Rio Ferdinand get a lift! Only in Riyadh could that sentence be true! Clearly us school leaders have that look about them that says we can try to help anyone with any issue, and I was pleased to be of service to one of England’s best footballers when he needed to find a car. Well, I knew the right person to ask – and that’s always half the battle!
After all of that, I need a quiet weekend. I wish you all a wonderful few days, and let’s see what next week holds!
