Nadeen School has been one of Bahrain’s most beloved schools since its opening in 1978, with an international, multicultural environment fostered on inclusivity and a passion for learning. With the school on the cusp of moving to a state-of-the-art campus in Dilmunia, Kristian Harrison sat down with Nadeen’s Principal, Paul Walton, to discuss this exciting moment in its history.
Dr. Paul Walton has a storied career in education. After starting out as a Computer Science teacher in the UK, he quickly moved into leadership in his second year of teaching and for the next ten years. During this time he became a qualified Headteacher. He then moved overseas to work for three educational groups in five different countries including Hungary, Malaysia (twice), United States, Slovenia and now Bahrain. In his third school as a Principal, his excellent leadership led to his previous school to be rated as ‘Outstanding’ in every category in the latest British School Overseas inspection report, which makes him the perfect fit to guide Nadeen School through arguably the biggest transition in its existence.
“Working in education is the best job in the world and I am grateful for this each day,” says Dr. Paul Walton. “I am very happy with our start here in Bahrain and see great opportunities ahead for all our students as we aim to help every individual flourish and achieve beyond their expectations. Bahrain is such a welcoming, friendly and positive community to move to, feel settled in and it’s a pleasure to be a part of a wonderful, vibrant culture.”
Nadeen School’s move from its current location in Um Al Hassam to Dilmunia will open doors to a plethora of new opportunities for its students, although its ethos, approach, friendly staff and the way in which students learn will remain the same. The main changes include the option to stay at Nadeen School past primary school age all the way up to 18-years-old. The new campus will also positively impact the range of sports, sciences and creative subjects on offer, with facilities such as a football field, a multi-sport court, running track, two swimming pools and a performing arts and music centre.
“We are entering a very exciting time in the history of the school,” Dr. Paul Walton believes. “It is a real privilege to lead the school through this transition and a sense of responsibility to ensure that we preserve the outstanding quality of education that we have at Nadeen School.
“Our students, staff and parents have been waiting for this move and are very excited to see our school develop. We further aim to build relationships with our community in Dilmunia, the families, organisations and businesses in the new area that will help us feel a part of this new area of Bahrain.
“Our first priority is safety, ensuring that through the challenges ahead we are all safe and healthy as a member of our family. The next primary area of focus for us is to look after the school ethos, which is an extremely important aspect of our school; how we treat, care for, and look after one another each and every day. Another area is the quality of education, maintaining our outstanding level of teaching and learning at Nadeen School which enables of our learners to grow and develop through holistic education.”
“I am very grateful to work with such amazing teachers at our school and seeing what they do each day is inspiring for me. Surrounded by the passion and care from these educators makes everything else come together with the students, parents, community and everyone else connected to the school. The unwavering support and encouragement from our parents is enormously valued and appreciated, especially as we take this huge step into the future.”
