What Happens When Nord Anglia Brings Every Culture, Every Story, Every Flavor to Your Campus?
We still remember the first time we spoke to a UK family after they bit into a samosa brought by one of our families from India. It wasn't just the flavour – it was the story behind it, told with such pride and warmth. This is the essence of International Week at Compass, a Nord Anglia family school. Yes, the food is incredible. But it's so much more than that.
This is when our community truly comes alive. When families open their hearts, share their heritage, and invite us into their worlds. When a shy child suddenly becomes confident, proudly wearing their grandmother's traditional dress. When the campus fills with music, laughter, and the genuine joy of people feeling truly seen and celebrated.
The Real Magic
International Week isn't about ticking boxes or showing off diversity. It's about breaking down the walls we sometimes build between us. Our multicultural community isn't just a nice fact on our prospectus: it's the heart of who we are. When families share their stories, their food, their traditions, something shifts. Suddenly, we're not just learning about different cultures; we're experiencing them through the people we see every day.
Our Head of Primary at Madinat Khalifa shares: "The international breakfast is one of the highlights of our calendar. It's a chance for all our community to come together, celebrate our cultures, our countries, and all our foods from home countries. It is a brilliant opportunity for the community to celebrate together, and it's always a wonderful morning of great fun and great joy."
Watch a child's face when they try a new food for the first time. Seeing a parent glow from watching students perform a traditional dance on our campus. Noticing how a flag parade brings smiles and pride to everyone watching. Our Deputy Head of Primary at Gharaffa, Kathy Lockyer, sums it up beautifully: "Watching children discover new foods, seeing families in traditional dress, hearing the music and laughter. International Week is pure joy, it's what our school community is all about."
Where Education Really Happens
Here's what's so incredible about this event: this is where real learning happens. Beyond a classroom, but in a moment. A moment when a student understands, truly understands, that the world is bigger and more beautiful than they imagined. A moment when barriers dissolve and families connect on a human level.
Our Principal, Jamie Hughes, reminds us: "International Week is where we truly live our mission. It's not just about celebrating diversity; it's about every family in our community feeling seen, valued, and celebrated. That's the Nord Anglia difference."
Being part of an international school means something. It means raising children who see differences not as divisions, but as opportunities. It means building a community where every voice, every story, every tradition matters. International Week is simply our most visible celebration of that commitment.
And it might just be the celebration that your family needs to experience an international school that prides itself with global citizens.
