We are thrilled to have partnered with the University College London (UCL) Centre for Educational Leadership – part of UCL’s world-leading IOE, Faculty of Education and Society, ranked top for education for the last 10 years in the 2023 QS World University Rankings, to deliver two bespoke, cutting-edge training programmes exclusively for educators in Cognita schools.

A new cohort of 15 schools from eight countries are taking part in both programmes. Of these, six schools are taking part in the Team Fellowship Programme, which helps teachers explore new practices in student learning. A further nine schools from around the world have just started training with the Senior Leader Enquiry Programme, a new initiative aimed at school leaders. These 15 schools follow in the footsteps of Cognita schools from nine countries which have already been through the Team Fellowship Programme.

Both programmes enable our staff to develop tailor-made solutions to their school’s unique needs and contexts. They also offer an opportunity for them to forge stronger links with their colleagues around the world, and learn from each other.

Dr Simon Camby, Chief Education Officer, said:

“These programmes form part of Cognita’s longstanding belief in the power of using robust global evidence and purposeful research to improve the educational experience and outcomes for our students. These programmes result in tangible differences in each school, driven by teachers and leaders who deeply understand the school’s context.

“The diversity of Cognita schools is one our great strengths, enabling us to learn from one another, benefiting our school leaders, teachers, and students. At the same time, each of our schools operates within a specific context. That is why we are so grateful and proud to be partnering with the world-leading faculty at UCL on tailored training programmes for each participating school.”

Greg Ross, Associate Professor at UCL, said:

“It can be a challenge to know how to best apply messages from research in the busy reality of a school. Participants on the programmes we have developed with Cognita become researchers into their own practice and into their distinctive school contexts. They are supported in leading innovations based on robust evidence, both from research and from data they gather in their schools.

“This approach helps teachers and leaders make good decisions about how to best serve the students in their care. We are proud of our long-term partnership with Cognita and have been impressed on both our programmes by the commitment to continuous learning and improvement from Cognita teachers and leaders.”

As part of the Senior Leader Enquiry Programme, teams of 2-3 school leaders from nine schools across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East will spend 20 months developing their leadership skills in areas like professional learning and pedagogy.

At the start of the programme, participants set out questions around their own leadership development priorities and the priority needs in their schools. With the help of UCL researchers, they will then explore innovative solutions, which they will test out within their schools. They will assess their progress in a series of online and face-to-face tutorials and workshops led by UCL. This will allow them to refine their solutions. By the time the programme concludes in June 2025, they will have developed evidence-based leadership tools tailored to their schools.

Separately, the Team Fellowship Programme is helping teams of three teachers from six Cognita schools around the world work with UCL experts to explore a specific area of practice linked to student learning.

Throughout the nine-month programme, the teams will attend three tutorials with a member of UCL faculty. They will then produce a short video and written document to evidence their learning and to share with others. At the end of the programme, in June 2024, they will lead a professional learning session in their own school. Previous cohorts have looked into how feedback could encourage greater self-reflection and independence in students, for example.

The schools taking part in the Senior Leader Enquiry Programme are Vietnam’s International School Ho Chi Minh City; Singapore’s Stamford American International School and Australian International School; Hong Kong’s Stamford American School; the UK’s North Bridge House Senior School Hampstead and King’s School Plymouth; the International School Zurich North in Switzerland; and the UAE’s Horizon English School and RGS Guildford Dubai.

The schools taking part in the Team Fellowship Programme are the Australian International School in Singapore; St. Andrews International School Green Valley in Thailand; Spain’s British School of Barcelona and Hastings School; and the UAE’s Horizon English School and Ranches Primary School.