For our families, the daily experience of school life revolves around its classrooms, culture, and community.  Behind the scenes, however, the Esol Education organization plays a vital role in making that experience consistent, high-quality, and future-ready. Our role is both strategic and supportive. We guide, resource, and empower our schools so they can focus on what matters most: educating children.

Over the past two decades, the landscape of international education has undergone a significant transformation. For many years, the world of international schools consisted mainly of smaller independent schools serving expatriate families. Today the typical international school is part of an interconnected, global network serving a broader and more diverse student population. 

Esol Education has embraced this evolution by fostering a connected and collaborative framework—one that empowers each school to thrive while benefiting from the strength and shared wisdom of the wider network.

“Our collective organizational strength and reach benefits our school communities through our education officers’ support and oversight, efficient and cost-saving Esol-wide processes and resources, and initiatives that support future-readiness. This level of support enables our school leaders to guide the academic functions of the school with autonomy and effectiveness,” shared Dr. Ahmed Mitwalli, Chief Strategy Officer at Esol Education. 

A Strategic Model That Prioritizes Learning

Esol Education’s operating structure is designed to deliver academic excellence while managing core operations, allowing experienced school leaders to focus singularly on their academic mission. In parallel, Esol provides centralized support across essential areas such as finance, HR, IT, marketing, compliance, procurement, and facilities management—functions that benefit from scale and shared expertise.

This approach allows school leaders to concentrate on what matters most: students, learning, and community building. Operational efficiency, enabled by Esol’s network infrastructure, ensures that quality remains high and resources are allocated effectively.

“At Esol our focus is on recruiting the most qualified academic leaders and empowering them with the support and resources to provide the ideal learning environment, curriculum, and pedagogical approaches for their respective school communities, tailored to the families and host countries they serve,” said Mr. Tammam Abushakra, Advisor to Chairman.

The Power of Leadership Collaboration

A cornerstone of Esol’s support strategy is the annual Leadership Meeting, a tradition now in its 15th year. These gatherings bring together school directors from across the network to analyze school performance data, examine trends in K–12 education, and collaborate on new initiatives.

Esol’s educational leaders review student achievement through internal and external assessment data, university admissions outcomes, and other indicators of student success. Discussions also focus on pedagogy, curricular alignment, and teacher professional development. Collectively, the leadership of the Esol Education schools develops plans and strategies to ensure the continual improvement of the Esol schools and to enhance the learning of their student bodies. 

In 2025, Esol’s School Directors reaffirmed the value of the annual meetings as a forum for peer learning and strategic planning. Key focus areas included:

• Using data to drive decision-making and improve outcomes
• Enhancing teacher development and appraisal systems
• Curriculum alignment and refinement
• Integration of AI into teaching and learning

“Esol leadership meetings are where genuine collaboration leads to real school improvement. By coming together to share insights, reflect, and challenge one another, we create the conditions for meaningful change that benefits both our students and our communities,” remarked Dr. Kapono Ciotti, Education Officer at Esol Education.

Through Esol’s work behind the scenes, parents can count on well-run schools, highly trained teachers, thoughtful leadership, and a steady focus on excellence.

Investing in Innovation and EdTech

As part of its commitment to future-readiness, Esol Education actively guides schools through the fast-evolving digital landscape. The leadership meetings regularly include in-depth discussions about educational technology - from the evolution of learning platforms to device management, cybersecurity, and immersive learning environments.

This year, AI emerged as a major topic of focus. A follow-up virtual session allowed Directors to share successes and concerns about integrating AI in classrooms. Topics ranged from academic integrity to support for neurodiverse learners, and how AI can enhance rather than threaten authentic learning.

As a result of these conversations, Esol formed the Esol Education AI Steering Committee, inviting each school to nominate a representative to help shape network-wide AI policies, governance protocols, and shared resources.

“Following our recent Esol Education leadership meeting, Fairgreen is proud to be part of a group-wide initiative focused on shaping the thoughtful integration of AI across all our sister schools,” said Mr. Ed Pearce, Director of Esol Education’s Fairgreen International School. “Even though our curricula may differ across our sister schools, from IB to British and American, there is strong alignment in our shared values, collaborative spirit, and collective commitment to exchanging best practices and co-developing policies that guide the responsible use of AI in education,” he added. At Fairgreen, this collaboration will enhance the school’s ability to explore how AI can personalise learning, support diverse student needs, and reinforce its core pillars of sustainability, wellbeing, and innovation. 

A Culture of Continuous Professional Development

Esol’s commitment to professional learning extends well beyond leadership. Across its schools, over 1,200 educators benefit from a dynamic mix of conferences, job-alike sessions, collaborative planning, and curriculum development projects. Examples include multi-school teams working together to align curriculum in Computer Science and Sustainability Education, and network-wide PD opportunities in teaching practice and leadership development. These programs elevate educators and ensure consistency in quality across the group. These initiatives foster not only skill development but also a sense of shared purpose and professional community.

Mr. Nathan DeSouza, High School Counsellor at Esol’s American School of Bahrain, is making a remarkable impact in the field of university counselling in Bahrain, inspired by his collaboration with Ms. Marium Boulus, his counterpart at American International School in Egypt, a sister school. He was instrumental in establishing the National Network of University Counsellors, a collaborative platform that brings together counsellors from all of the country’s outstanding international schools. Through this network, he has successfully facilitated the first-ever visits to Bahrain by prestigious institutions such as Imperial College London, the University of Cambridge, and University of Pennsylvania. His efforts have not only broadened opportunities for students across the nation but have also positioned Bahrain as a meaningful destination on the global higher education map.

Esol Education Sportsfest: Play Together, Win Together!

The Esol Education Sportsfest, now completing its second year, was initiated through the organization’s annual Leadership Meetings, with a view to fostering cross-network collaboration. The tournament brings together student-athletes from across the Esol schools to compete in basketball, volleyball, football, and badminton. With the tagline “Play Together, Win Together,” the event promotes sportsmanship, teamwork, and inter-cultural connection.

The inaugural Sportsfest took place in 2024 at Dunecrest American School in Dubai, followed by the 2025 edition hosted by the American School of Bahrain. More than 100 students participated, forming lasting friendships and inter-school camaraderie.

The event has become a showcase of what Esol's network model can deliver—opportunities that go beyond what a single school might achieve alone. The third edition is already being planned at a new destination. 

Translating Strategy into Family Impact

While much of Esol’s work takes place out of sight, its impact is fully visible in the student experience. Through Esol’s work behind the scenes, parents can count on well-run schools, highly trained teachers, thoughtful leadership, and a steady focus on excellence. Operational consistency, well-supported teachers, strategic innovation, and steady leadership, all translate into better learning environments.

Esol’s role in its school communities also enables students to benefit from expanded opportunities they may not have access to in a single, standalone school—from global enrichment programs such as MIT App Inventor, the Stanford Pre-collegiate Summer Program, The Green Bronx Machine sustainability initiatives and AI innovation, to cross-campus collaborations and network-wide recognition for their achievements. Families, in turn, can be confident in the knowledge that their children are part of a wider family of schools, built on excellence, integrity, and care.