Thank you all for your lovely comments last week! It’s clear that so many of us are feeling the same frustrations—school places, class sizes, teacher shortages, inclusion needs, and of course, the dreaded Arabic. With Dubai growing so fast and everyone wanting to live here, schools are understandably full, and the infrastructure is still catching up. But there is light at the end of the tunnel! With exciting plans for new schools and some fantastic ones still with space available, I think September 2025 will bring some much-needed relief as new options open up so we will have to just hang in there. There are lots of new schools showcasing themselves at the British Mums Education Breakfast on the 8th of October. Have you got your tickets yet?
There are so many changes going on at the moment. The new UCAS entry system for 2026 is just one example (more on that soon), and don’t forget the Oxbridge deadline on October 15th—months earlier than the typical university application deadlines so do get busy if these prestigious universities are on your radar.
Parents of Year 6 kids are in the thick of entrance exam season, with the stress levels high! If that’s you, my advice is to help your child by practising exam skills. Get them to write essays within a time limit, read current affairs to build their world knowledge, and maybe even sneak in some non-verbal reasoning and tricky math topics they might struggle with. But most of all, keep a balanced mindset—if they get in, great! If they don’t, it simply wasn’t the right school. There’s so much pressure on our kids to follow traditional routes, yet they’re entering a world that’s evolving fast with AI and tech changing the job market. Encourage them to dream big, stay passionate, and keep an open mind. Happy balanced, well-rounded children should always be our ultimate goal.
Many parents are also navigating inclusion needs. It’s wonderful that education is really starting to recognize that every child learns differently, but it’s important to remember that any diagnosis or label doesn’t define your child—it’s simply a tool to help understand how they learn best. I always tell parents of dyslexic children that it’s like giving a Lamborghini to a new driver—powerful and capable, but they need the right guidance to control it. These children have incredible brains, taking in information from all angles. Yes, school can be tough, but once they’re out in the world, they’ll offer incredible insights and solutions to the work they enter. So, if your child has recently been given a diagnosis, take heart—they’re destined for amazing things!
I have just spent the last 10 days in China looking at education, and I have to say I have had my mind blown away on so many levels. From the use of technology within the classroom, to innovative local and international education fusions and the well-being emphasis on children from a government level. In school, children get two compulsory “eye breaks” where at a scheduled time each day they stop, gentle music plays and they massage their eyes, additionally there is one break a day where they do stretches and movement as a class. While this may not enhance their education, it focuses on them and their well-being and this is so important in today’s impersonal world. I have learned so much that I am sure I will drip-feed this for many months to come.
I hope that everyone’s child is settling into the new school term, it feels like we have just blinked and half term is already on the horizon (thankfully), I hope that your children have made friends, it can be tough when a friend moves to a new country. I also hope that if they require additional support this is being met and you are seeing them settle in and make small wins every day. For mums who like me are now child-free as our children spread their wings and I am sure like me are now receiving the occasional very scary message about ‘heading for another night out, and they didn’t have time to buy any food or do any washing’ – that you are also enjoying a new found freedom but hopefully with food and washing!
And finally, let’s be honest, mums of children in school you all deserve awards! We juggle homework, master exams, cheer on sports, make meals that pass the picky eater test, and brave the roads during rush hour—twice a day! So, let’s all worry a little less many of the people who didn’t shine in school have gone on to do amazing things as adults. Remember, there are far fewer misbehaving adults than children! Somewhere along the way, the process works! I always say – trust the process, children were made to grow and all they need is a little food and water with a whole lot of love along the way.