More Than a School: How GEMS Metropole is Building a Self-Sustaining Community

Edarabia had the opportunity to interview Jeremy Hallum, Principal/CEO of GEMS Metropole School – Al Waha, to discuss the school’s plans, challenges, and approach to education. With a focus on innovation, inclusivity, and student well-being, Mr. Hallum shared insights into how MTW is preparing students for the rapidly changing world of work and beyond.

1. What are your plans for 2025?

2025 promises to be hugely exciting for our school community. The popularity and growth of GEMS Metropole School – Al Waha (MTW) mean our school and curriculum are continuing to evolve and develop. For our youngest children, our forest school continues to expand, and this is complemented by our brand-new bio cube, which is a tropical ecosystem housing some incredibly unique exhibits, including poisonous dart frogs and carnivorous plants. For our junior and senior students, our entrepreneurship curriculum and performing arts and sports offerings are transformed thanks to the introduction of our business centre, recording studio, black box, and fitness and conditioning suite. Finally, later this year we will be launching our GCSE and BTEC curriculum for our Year 10 students as well as our unique facilities for construction, engineering, electronics, mechanical engineering, and electronic mechanical engineering.

2. How do you decide what to focus on academically each year, and which new ideas are you pursuing?

I strongly believe that a curriculum should offer a variety of routes to enable every student to pursue their desired academic pathway and career opportunities. Employment patterns and trends continue to change and evolve, and it is our responsibility to be accordingly agile. At MTW, we not only provide diverse pathways but also emphasise curriculum content that builds the skills required to be successful in employment and life beyond school.

3. What challenges do you anticipate in the field of education over the next 5 years?

I feel the use of technology, and in particular AI, is an incredible opportunity if embraced in the right manner. Education’s great challenge has always been ensuring curriculum content and skill development that are fit for purpose in a rapidly changing landscape. At MTW, we focus on this across all parts of our school.

4. How do you keep students interested in learning, especially those who struggle or seem unmotivated?

I have never met a student who doesn’t want to learn. Often, the barriers arise because of how the learning is taught or the content itself. At MTW, we focus on building relationships and earning mutual respect. Every child deserves to be championed, and with this comes trust and an understanding that enables the learning to be personalised.

5. How does the school ensure all students feel welcome and have the same chances to succeed?

Over 1,500 students, 250 staff, and 3,000 parents make up the community at MTW. We place huge emphasis on wellbeing, relationships, and opening the school for partnerships to flourish. The simple mantra we have is based on a poem called A People Place by William J. Crocker, and this poem forms the strong foundations for everything we stand for.

6. How proactive is the school in matters of student stress and bullying?

Wellbeing is at the core of our curriculum and ethos. I am a great believer that a happy student learns better. To support this, we have a variety of strategies to support mental health and wellbeing. Our wellbeing centre provides a unique environment with specialist facilities and staff for all members of our community. Our wellbeing app and curriculum provide the message that ‘it is ok not to be ok’ as well as opportunities and confidence to ask for help. Our environment, including our forest school and farm, is designed to ensure there are opportunities every day to collaborate, be kind, and care for each other and our world.

7. How involved are parents and the community in making the school better?

Stakeholder voice is an essential part of school improvement at MTW. We proactively seek the views of students, parents, and staff, using these to guide us on our journey. We adopt a ‘you said, we did’ approach to all aspects of feedback and this is proving successful.

#MTWfamily is prominently displayed at the entrance to our school, and this message is hugely important. Parents are welcome to see their children’s teachers every single day, while our library and farm are open for families to enjoy both before and after school. We also have dedicated weekly lessons for parents who wish to learn Arabic or English. Our community hub in the heart of the school is used by our parents to network and share their knowledge and skills. And we hold many other community events and celebrations throughout the year.

8. How do you develop a school culture that attracts and keeps great teachers?

Retention of great teachers and staff is a priority. We celebrate the success of all staffing groups, act on staff survey outcomes, build positive relationships, treat all staff with respect, and provide professional growth. Staff at MTW can see their long-term future with us and are excited to grow professionally and into leadership positions.

9. Do teachers at your school have growth opportunities for leadership roles?

The beauty of an expanding school is that it provides leadership opportunities that simply can’t be offered in an established school. We are very proud that 80% of our leaders today have been identified and grown internally either within MTW or from other GEMS schools. To achieve this, we provide a variety of professional development opportunities in and outside school to ensure staff have career development pathways.

10. Which after-school activity would you say has the biggest positive impact on a student’s future?

I am proud of the diverse activities offered before school, during school, and after school. This diversity is key, as all students are unique and need to be treated as such, whether it’s our students of determination enjoying equestrian lessons or our elite athletes training in our strength and conditioning suite.

11. As a principal, what is your definition of success?

Providing a world-class education that meets the unique needs of every student and provides them with opportunities to achieve their full potential.

12. If you had the opportunity to inspire the world in one sentence, what would that sentence be?

In a world where you can be anything, be kind.