Meet the principal: Graeme Scott

It has always been Graeme Scott's dream to start a school from the ground up, a school with a difference, based on robust research and with a spirit of innovation. When he was presented with the opportunity to build Dubai's first sustainability-focused international school, he found it too enticing to pass up.

Fairgreen International School, established by Esol Education, will open in September 2018 at Dubai's Sustainable City. The school will offer the full International Baccalaureate (IB) continuum of education and incorporate sustainability as an integral part of its educational programme.

Commenting on his move from the International School Bangkok (ISB) to Dubai, Scott tells EJME: "What really attracted me was the fact that Fairgreen will offer all four IB programmes and multiple pathways for students, but also a unique sustainability theme running through it."

Having had a similar experience before, opening a new school, Scott finds it the most energizing experience imaginable. "It's a challenge I'm loving," he says. "We have a unique opportunity to create a new culture and bring people of all ages, nationalities and beliefs together. We have hired teachers who, along with real subject expertise and great experience, are also culture-builders and genuinely love working with young people. As a school leader, I spend a lot of times in classrooms, and I intend to continue to do so at Fairgreen. Getting to know children on a personal basis, and watching them learn and grow together is an amazing experience."

Elaborating on his ambitions and priorities for the school's first year of operation, Scott says: "I would expect our children to develop a love of learning, to be challenged in all they do, but also supported. I am a strong proponent of the arts, sports, languages and STEM-related subjects; so we will be ensuring our children are well served in these areas. We will be providing a comprehensive and exciting range of after-school activities for our children, satisfying almost every possible passion or curiosity. When we reach the end of our first year, I'm hoping we will feel like a football team at the end of a championship-winning season; triumphant, fulfilled, closer to each other, and maybe exhausted too."