Nurturing Future Leaders at Brighton College Abu Dhabi Pre-Prep.
In the heart of Brighton College Abu Dhabi Pre-Prep, its vibrant community thrives under the dedicated leadership of Kelly Mansbridge, the Head of PrePrep. With a passion for nurturing young minds and a commitment to fostering a supportive environment, Kelly has been instrumental in implementing innovative programmes such as the ‘Bright Start’.
In this article, Head of Pre-Prep at Brighton College Abu Dhabi shares insights into how Brighton College preps its pupils for a lifelong journey of learning, exploring, and discovering their unique potential.
Our ‘Bright Start’ programme offers families a warm welcome with opportunities to build connections and ease transitions into school life
Brighton College Abu Dhabi Pre-Prep is a truly special place, distinguished by its vibrant sense of community and nurturing environment that welcomes children and their families even before they officially join our school. Our ‘Bright Start’ programme exemplifies this ethos, offering an invaluable opportunity for new joiners and their families to familiarise themselves with our setting, teachers, fellow parents, and gain insight into our expectations and values.
We offer a six-week programme for families within the country, providing opportunities for children to play and parents to ask questions in a relaxed environment. For families unable to attend in person, we encourage children to join online class story sessions or Circle Time. To help them become familiar with the school setting, we share a Social Story with every child, which includes pictorial and written information about their teacher, the class they are joining, and the school’s expectations and routines. This early engagement fosters a strong sense of belonging and eases the transition into school life for both anxious parents and their children.
At Brighton College, children develop vital skills through our PELICAN Values, fostering social responsibility and self-discipline from an early age
We have embedded a strong sense of social responsibility, self-regulation, and self-discipline through our PELICAN Values (Perseverance, Enthusiasm, Leadership, Independence, Confidence, Achievement, and Nurture). Children confidently discuss the meaning of these values, demonstrate these behaviours through their social interactions and attitudes towards learning, and recognise their peers for doing the same.
These values create the conditions for learning, encourage children to take risks in their learning, and develop a sense of self-awareness.
Through our innovative curriculum, we encourage children to be active learners by taking risks, exploring, and asking questions. Children are motivated to challenge themselves through warm, engaging interactions with their teachers, sensitive teaching, and a nurturing environment. They are actively taught learning skills to prepare them for the future in a rapidly developing world.
We promote a learning environment where pupils see the value of mistakes as learning opportunities, fostering resilience, confidence, and readiness for the next stage of their educational journey. Equipped with this mindset, pupils take on interesting challenges that connect with their passions and equip them with a competitive advantage to continue their education.
Join us for an Open Morning or a personalised tour to experience how curiosity, confidence and kindness intertwine to create extradorinary journeys
To instil this mindset in every pupil, we offer numerous opportunities for them to develop leadership skills and our project-based challenges in the classroom provide an opportunity for our children to build this way of thinking while practising entrepreneurial skills in the areas of business, design, and technology.
Happy, secure children become confident discoverers, explorers, and creators while developing a strong sense of belonging to the school, their community, and the wider world. We aim to ensure that each experience truly engages the children and embraces their unique, individual interests.
The ideal way to discover life at Brighton College Abu Dhabi is to attend one of our upcoming Open Mornings or schedule a personalised tour. This will give you the opportunity to meet our pupils and teachers and see what makes our school truly special.
To book a tour or secure your spot at an Open Morning, please