MUCH-LOVED head teacher Julie Anne Gilbert, who has worked at both the leading British curriculum international schools on the island, will soon be back in the classroom in a school of her own.
She has teamed up with Bahraini teacher Dunya Tariq Hameed to launch Elefriends Pre-School in Saar which will open its doors next week … with a unique ‘jumbo’ theme.
“I am extremely lucky in that I have found a professional path in life that brings me great joy. I love the energy created by being part of a team working towards a common goal,” said mother-of-four Julie Anne, 49, who lives with her husband, Tom, a company general manager, in Janabiya.
“There are some world-class schools and pre-schools in Bahrain at present but demand is certainly outweighing supply.”
Julie Anne was head of infants at the British School of Bahain (BSB) and was part of an exodus of staff members last year who either left or didn’t have their contracts renewed as new head Dr Charles Wall rang the changes, although she was appointed a member of the BSB Board of Trustees.
“I simply knew it was time to move on,” she said. “I felt that I could not make the school any better than it already was. Funnily enough, I have been teaching a Reception class at BSB for the last month on a supply basis. It has confirmed to me that I made the right decision. As I have connected with this particular class, I have realised that my natural habitat is a classroom rather than an office.
“I am in a working partnership with Dunya. We are joint owners of the school and plan to have a very much hands-on role, teaching the toddlers’ class ourselves.”
Dunya, 28, married to Waleed Al Fahad, managing director at the Ebrahim Abdulaal Group, worked with Julie Anne at the BSB for three years but they knew each other from the time the veteran educator worked at St Christopher’s School in 1993.
They are planning to open Elefriends Pre-School on Monday. It is located between Saar Mall and Bodyline and will initially have three classes – toddlers, pre-school and nursery. There will be 12 children in the toddlers’ class and 15 in the pre-school and nursery classes.
“Julie Anne and I very much share the same vision and I’m very excited by the plans we have for Elefriends,” said Dunya.
The new school’s motto is ‘love, learning, laughter’. “Children learn best when they feel safe and secure,” explained Julie Anne. “A genuine love of children is a pre-requisite for our staff. Although we take teaching and learning very seriously indeed, the atmosphere in the school will be relaxed and happy.”
The teaching assistants in all classes are bilingual in English and Arabic and, as well as being fully qualified, all teachers hold certification in teaching English as a foreign language.
Originally the pair wanted to call the school Bab al Ailm, meaning ‘the door to learning’ but were advised by the Ministry concerned that as an international pre-school an Arabic name could not be chosen.
“First and foremost, Elefriends will aim for excellence, nurturing the whole child – academically, socially and emotionally,” said Julie Anne. “A caring family feel is vital to the essence of the school’s vision.
“The selection of an elephant as the school’s logo is a clear statement of intent: no other member of the animal kingdom nurtures its young as ably and with such care as the elephant.
“Elephants are noble, loyal and strong. They function in groups, with older elephants looking after younger members of the herd. There is respect for leaders and for the wisdom and knowledge of the elderly. They are strong collaborators, able to put the needs of the group before personal fulfilment.”
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It’s been a challenge to get this far with the project and many months of planning have gone into it, although both women have found the exercise stimulating.
“The planning, particularly the creative side of it, has been invigorating,” said Julie Anne. “We have been very touched by the support of friends, family and past pupils.
“It is heart-warming that some adults who I taught myself as children have already enrolled their children.
“The ministries are necessarily rigorous in their licensing procedures and we have had to accept the fact that some things take longer than you anticipate.”
And why should parents choose Elefriends Pre-School rather than other well-established institutions on the island?
“Choosing a pre-school for your child is not an easy task,” admitted Julie Anne. “There are many excellent nurseries and kindergartens to choose from and I would thoroughly recommend that parents visit several before making a decision as to where to send their child.
“If a parent feels comfortable with the teachers, assistants and environment, the child will too. However, all our class teachers are fully UK/US qualified primary teachers with experience of working with the British curriculum.
“We are determined to ensure that all the children in our care are treated as individuals – whatever their strengths, weaknesses or quirks.
“Our curriculum, like that of many nurseries in Bahrain, is based on UK-recommended leading practice for Early Years. However, because all of our teachers are both qualified and experienced in the UK education system, we understand the underlying pedagogical drives of the curriculum.
“We take a holistic approach to learning with a strong emphasis on language development. Elefriends always will be a child-centred community with a safe and supportive environment – ideal for building every child’s confidence.”
Julie Anne believes the wealth of knowledge she has built up over the years will prove beneficial in her new challenge.
Her love of teaching was born during her gap year, in 1983, at the age of 18. She worked at the former Habara School as a teaching assistant and it soon became clear that she had found her vocation in life.
Four years of study followed, at the UK’s Southampton University and St Mary’s College, Twickenham, to become a fully qualified primary teacher.
“I was fortunate to work for the next five years in outstanding boys’ preparatory schools – The Mall in Twickenham and Westbourne School in Sheffield,” she said.
But she never forgot the kingdom she grew to love as a child. She said: “I first arrived in Bahrain in 1979, when Awali became my parents’ adopted home. During my teen years, I studied in the UK and returned to Bahrain for the holidays. I remember counting off the term time dates until I flew ‘home’.
“Having finished my degree at Southampton and my PGCE at St Mary’s College, Strawberry Hill, I started my teaching career at the Mall Preparatory School, Twickenham.
“After four years there and one year at Westbourne School in Sheffield, I returned, newly-married, to Bahrain.
“In total, I taught at St Christopher’s for 10 years, with a three-year gap in the middle when my own children were small. At that time I had the honour of working part-time at the Japanese School in Saar.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the BSB. I joined the school as a class teacher in Reception in 2003.
“Though I had never really considered moving out of the classroom – my natural habitat – to a managerial role, I was invited to become Infants Head at the BSB in 2009.
“I was lucky to be part of a magnificent management team and the moment when we were graded ‘outstanding’ by the QAA in April 2012 was definitely a high point in my career.
“I was honoured and touched to be invited to join the BSB Board of Trustees. I attended the first meeting in October.
“I am very grateful to the school’s owner for giving us the opportunity to promote Elefriends Pre-School at the BSB festive fair last month. In my opinion, Elefriends is the ideal preparation for any British curriculum school.”
The BSB management described her appointment as ‘a great step for the school’ and which means it will benefit from her educational perspective when formulating strategic plans at board level for the school’s continued development. She plans to continue in the role and is confident about the kingdom’s endeavours to develop on the educational front.
Julie Anne said: “Bahrain is a country with world-class infrastructure, world-class medical systems and world-class hotels – all of which can be compared with the best from all over the world. In Bahrain’s 2030 vision, there is an aspiration for Bahrain’s education system to rank amongst the global elite.
“Education empowers people to reach their full potential in business, government and society. It will shape and develop the successive generations of leaders that our country needs and will provide Bahrainis with the skills, knowledge and values that they need to become the employees of choice for high-valued added positions.”
• Parents interested in registering a child for a place can pop in to Elefriends Pre-School any weekday between 12.30pm and 2.30pm for a tour of the school.
Alternatively they can call Dunya on 39439999 or Julie Anne on 39249894 to arrange a convenient appointment time. School fees are in the same range as those of Bahrain Preparatory School and Little Gems.
It’s been a challenge to get this far with the project and many months of planning have gone into it, although both women have found the exercise stimulating.
“The planning, particularly the creative side of it, has been invigorating,” said Julie Anne. “We have been very touched by the support of friends, family and past pupils.
“It is heart-warming that some adults who I taught myself as children have already enrolled their children.
“The ministries are necessarily rigorous in their licensing procedures and we have had to accept the fact that some things take longer than you anticipate.”
And why should parents choose Elefriends Pre-School rather than other well-established institutions on the island?
“Choosing a pre-school for your child is not an easy task,” admitted Julie Anne. “There are many excellent nurseries and kindergartens to choose from and I would thoroughly recommend that parents visit several before making a decision as to where to send their child.
“If a parent feels comfortable with the teachers, assistants and environment, the child will too. However, all our class teachers are fully UK/US qualified primary teachers with experience of working with the British curriculum.
“We are determined to ensure that all the children in our care are treated as individuals – whatever their strengths, weaknesses or quirks.
“Our curriculum, like that of many nurseries in Bahrain, is based on UK-recommended leading practice for Early Years. However, because all of our teachers are both qualified and experienced in the UK education system, we understand the underlying pedagogical drives of the curriculum.
“We take a holistic approach to learning with a strong emphasis on language development. Elefriends always will be a child-centred community with a safe and supportive environment – ideal for building every child’s confidence.”
Julie Anne believes the wealth of knowledge she has built up over the years will prove beneficial in her new challenge.
Her love of teaching was born during her gap year, in 1983, at the age of 18. She worked at the former Habara School as a teaching assistant and it soon became clear that she had found her vocation in life.
Four years of study followed, at the UK’s Southampton University and St Mary’s College, Twickenham, to become a fully qualified primary teacher.
“I was fortunate to work for the next five years in outstanding boys’ preparatory schools – The Mall in Twickenham and Westbourne School in Sheffield,” she said.
But she never forgot the kingdom she grew to love as a child. She said: “I first arrived in Bahrain in 1979, when Awali became my parents’ adopted home. During my teen years, I studied in the UK and returned to Bahrain for the holidays. I remember counting off the term time dates until I flew ‘home’.
“Having finished my degree at Southampton and my PGCE at St Mary’s College, Strawberry Hill, I started my teaching career at the Mall Preparatory School, Twickenham.
“After four years there and one year at Westbourne School in Sheffield, I returned, newly-married, to Bahrain.
“In total, I taught at St Christopher’s for 10 years, with a three-year gap in the middle when my own children were small. At that time I had the honour of working part-time at the Japanese School in Saar.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the BSB. I joined the school as a class teacher in Reception in 2003.
“Though I had never really considered moving out of the classroom – my natural habitat – to a managerial role, I was invited to become Infants Head at the BSB in 2009.
“I was lucky to be part of a magnificent management team and the moment when we were graded ‘outstanding’ by the QAA in April 2012 was definitely a high point in my career.
“I was honoured and touched to be invited to join the BSB Board of Trustees. I attended the first meeting in October.
“I am very grateful to the school’s owner for giving us the opportunity to promote Elefriends Pre-School at the BSB festive fair last month. In my opinion, Elefriends is the ideal preparation for any British curriculum school.”
The BSB management described her appointment as ‘a great step for the school’ and which means it will benefit from her educational perspective when formulating strategic plans at board level for the school’s continued development. She plans to continue in the role and is confident about the kingdom’s endeavours to develop on the educational front.
Julie Anne said: “Bahrain is a country with world-class infrastructure, world-class medical systems and world-class hotels – all of which can be compared with the best from all over the world. In Bahrain’s 2030 vision, there is an aspiration for Bahrain’s education system to rank amongst the global elite.
“Education empowers people to reach their full potential in business, government and society. It will shape and develop the successive generations of leaders that our country needs and will provide Bahrainis with the skills, knowledge and values that they need to become the employees of choice for high-valued added positions.”
l Parents interested in registering a child for a place can pop in to Elefriends Pre-School any weekday between 12.30pm and 2.30pm for a tour of the school.
Alternatively they can call Dunya on 39439999 or Julie Anne on 39249894 to arrange a convenient appointment time. School fees are in the same range as those of Bahrain Preparatory School and Little Gems.