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CHILDREN at the British School of Bahrain (BSB) started the new school year under the wings of a new head of school after its popular deputy Julie Anne Gilbert stepped up to take over the reins.
She has replaced Dr Charles Wall whose sometimes turbulent three-year-tenure ended with a move to Pakistan to join Karachi Grammar School.
The appointment comes as an incredible comeback for former head of infants Julie Anne, who was part of an exodus of staff members who either left or didn’t have their contracts renewed when Dr Wall took over from axed Karen Moffat, although she was appointed a member of the BSB Board of Trustees.
Although clearly delighted and excited by her new role, Julie Anne said: “My first reaction - I just thought my dad would have been so proud because he loved this country and lived here for 20 years. He would have been so proud that I could make a contribution to the community in such a way.
“Teachers often go into the profession because they want to make a difference, so I thought long and hard as to whether I would be able to make a difference in this role.”
Her late father Ben McLaughlan worked for Bapco. The mother-of-four is married to Gulf businessman, Tom, and the family home is in Janabiya. Their daughter, Isabel, was deputy head girl in 2012 and son, Paddy, was head boy in 2013. Rugby-playing son Harry went to Rockwell College in Ireland and their youngest son, Joe, 12, started Year 8 at BSB this week.
Julie Anne’s love of teaching was born during her gap year, in 1983, at the age of 18. She worked as a teaching assistant and it 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.
She worked for the next five years in preparatory schools – The Mall in Twickenham and Westbourne School in Sheffield. But she never forgot the kingdom she grew to love as a child.
Julie Anne first arrived in Bahrain in 1979, when Awali became her parents’ adopted home. During her teen years, she studied in the UK and returned to Bahrain for the holidays. She remembers counting off the term time dates until she flew ‘home’.
She returned to Bahrain and taught at St Christopher’s School for 10 years, with a three-year gap in the middle when her own children were small, working part-time at the Japanese School in Saar.
She joined BSB as a class teacher in reception in 2003 and was invited to become infants head in 2009.
She was a part of the management team graded ‘outstanding’ by inspectors in April 2012 and despite leaving during the subsequent shake-up she told GulfWeekly at the time that she was ‘honoured and touched’ to be invited to join the BSB Board of Trustees.
She only returned to BSB last September after being involved in the launch of a pre-school venture, returning to her roots as a reception class teacher. She was invited to make the move back into management again as Dr Wall’s deputy two months before the end of term.
BSB has celebrated subsequent ‘outstanding’ assessments and also an impressive set of A’ level results, as reported in last week’s GulfWeekly, as well as becoming the newest member of an ever-growing global community of schools offering the International Baccalaureate.
Students will be able to take the IB Diploma Programme at the school, with the first cohort commencing their studies this term.
The school will not be resting on its laurels, the new head of school said. “The core values remain the same; excellence, responsibility and individuality, and our first focus is on bringing the whole school together,” said Julie Anne.
“We need an approach with more team work, pulling every single strand of the school together.”
As a result, the school team underwent sessions with human resources and people development consultant Darshan Singh in what Julie Anne described as ‘one of best inset weeks we’ve ever had at this school’.
The theme of the in-service training was: ‘Together everyone achieves more’ or its apt acronym TEAM.
“There is a new energy in this school,” she said. “Making sure that all of our values are understood, there’s open honest communication and that respect is at the core of everything we do.
“And we’re making sure everyone is on board with our ethos which is, of course, that the children come first with every decision that’s made.
“You can always improve from where you are. That was a clear area of focus where I felt we needed to work on.
“When I first came to this school the thing that I valued most was being part of a team in which everyone was confident enough to give their own contribution and confident enough in themselves that they would praise other people’s efforts.
“If you’ve got that and if you get that message across to the rest of the staff, they’re modelling a positive behaviour to the students - collaboration is the key nowadays.
“I feel honoured to have this role – there is something very special about it – and I intend to make sure every individual is valued in a genuine learning community.”
The school’s new leadership team under Julie Anne is made up of head of secondary school Khalil Ahmed, Katy Brand, head of juniors and Feriha Gauntlett, head of infants. Her husband, Rob, is assistant head of seniors. Julie Anne describes them as ‘home grown talent’.
BSB currently has around 2,400 students, aged from three to 18. The school has reopened with a new infant’s sports hall, artificial turf being replaced on the outside sports area, the introduction of a shaded eating area with misting fans and 13 new classrooms.
The work of the school’s management is also supported by its board, under the chairmanship of Rashad Janahi, the founder of Abu Dhabi Investment House and its chief executive officer. Julie Anne remains a member of it.
