The Cognita international schools group has expanded its footprint in the Middle East with the acquisition of a school in Al Ain, a city in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, taking its total number of schools operated in the region to nine.
Al Ain English Speaking School (AAESS), established in 1978, has 250 staff and 2,000 students from nursery through to sixth form and becomes Cognita’s first school in Al Ain.
It joins six schools in Dubai, one in the city of Abu Dhabi and one in Kuwait. Globally, Cognita now has over 100 schools in 16 countries.
AAESS has grown from small beginnings in a local villa to a large campus, where it works with a British-based curriculum.
David Baldwin, Cognita’s chief executive officer for the Middle East, said the move was “a significant milestone”, adding: “We are eager to collaborate in delivering a world-class educational experience, advancing pedagogy and empowering our students, staff and families to thrive in our rapidly evolving world.”
‘Part of something much bigger’
Mohammed Al Ghussein, chairman of AAESS, said: “Whilst Cognita deeply value the unique identity and traditions of the school, they now open our classrooms to the collective wisdom of over 100 schools globally.”
He added that it was “exciting for the school to be part of something much bigger” as it looks towards its 50th anniversary.
Cognita also talked up that staff at the new school would have access to its CPD and training for educators that it offers in partnership with IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, something its chief education director Simon Camby wrote about in Tes earlier this year.
“These programmes underline the importance of creating a culture of continuous learning across our group,” he said at the time.
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