Mr. Nassir Kasuri
The Beaconhouse Newlands program in Pakistan traces its roots back to the acquisition of Newlands School in the South of England in 2010. Newlands was originally founded in 1814 in Hatfield House, home of the Marquis of Salisbury, and moved to its current location in Seaford in 1903. The school has an illustrious history, including amongst its alumni renowned figures such as Lord Balfour, Prime Minister of England in the early 20th century, as well as a long list of academics, sports personalities, and artists who have risen to the peak of their professions.
Beaconhouse Newlands Islamabad (BNI) has an exceptional academic program and is one of the few IB continuum schools in Pakistan. IB continuum schools are those that follow the IB curriculum from Early Years to Graduation. As such, BNI offers the IB PYP, MYP, and DP programs to cover the learning needs of all our students. The IB curriculum is grounded in the real world and encourages students to think of knowledge as a means of solving real problems. As such, it focuses on creating cross-curricular links and learning by doing.
The Newlands and IB philosophy align in that there is an equal emphasis on academics, sports, and extracurricular activities. The Islamabad Campus is extensively equipped with no less than two swimming pools, two basketball courts, two squash courts, a dedicated badminton court, two sports fields, a fully equipped gym, and a state of the art amphitheater (currently under construction).
All students are required to participate in these after-school clubs and sports. We believe that these activities are as crucial as academics for our student’s skill-building and overall success. While participating in the after school program, students will benefit from state-of-the-art facilities befitting this flagship campus.
Regular reinforcement sessions are scheduled at school for all grade levels. The purpose is to close learning gaps, if any, and to provide support wherever required. The primary purpose is to eliminate the need for after-school academic assistance. Nazra classes are only scheduled at Primary level and are mandatory for all to attend. The idea is to help the young ones become more fluent and clear in their Arabic pronunciation.
With this extensive program, we aim to provide a holistic educational experience that addresses students’ intellectual, physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Once students go home, they should be completely free to spend time with their families.
I encourage you to visit the campus and experience an exciting new world for your children to explore.
Dr. Leeanne Wootten
Beaconhouse Newlands Islamabad
Dear Parents !
What a tough year this has been for so many of us! Covid19 has single-handedly devastated lives personally and professionally around the globe. In a global pandemic, we really comprehend how closely connected we are, how our children’s lives depend on a deep understanding of life skills that carry them through extreme trials as well as normal everyday ups and downs. Now more than ever, the futures of our children are being shaped by how carefully we choose to educate them and the consequences of these choices. Apart from global viruses, our children will face the realities of increasing poverty, over population, environmental pollution, conflicts both nationally and internationally, and globalization with the effects of relentless global competition. Our children will be required to educate themselves longer and fight harder for ever-diminishing job security throughout the world.
Passionate about 21st Century skills in the IB Continuum, I have always been fascinated by their innate interconnection to education change, economics and social norms. Recently, I published my PhD in comparative education in Paris on how the IB Continuum contributes to excellence in teaching and learning required for these very realities of the 21st Century. I visited every IB Continuum School while living in Seoul, Korea where I completed my action research, and I am thrilled to be sharing these insights and visions with Beaconhouse Newlands, Islamabad.
Pakistan is a magnificent place to be, recognized for its individual cultural flair, world heritage, unique historic significance, and its importance as a global hub for business opportunity from the smallest shopkeeper to international players. With global perspectives in mind, my approach to education will always be qualitatively and quantitatively data-driven and data-strong, with a finger on the pulse of the school, but looking ahead to topical national and international perspectives.
The Beaconhouse Newlands PYP is exceptional through its dedication to the consistent and extensive tuition of inquiry in English, holistic and hands-on learning approaches, integrated technology and learning outdoors through nature.
The BNI MYP programme is hallmarked through its e-learning approaches to evaluation, deep subject analysis and project integration into student-centered learning. The new MYP generation comprises tighter evaluation processes and bridges naturally to the DP. The DP programme at BNI is highly specialized through cross-subject learning, highlighting the inclusion of a strong arts and sports programme, university preparation, life-long learning, and global citizenship through the additional subject of Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay. This emphasizes a true commitment to the full IB Continuum school philosophies and demonstrates a sound understanding and practice of cross-curricular cooperation in educating the whole child. The BNI commitment to action and service and CAS commitments as well as its situational and community awareness are all further examples of a grounded and robust full IB Continuum school with ongoing and evolving excellence, embedding the IB Learner Profile throughout the curriculum.
Ultimately, I believe that education is about love and safety, and making the world and future a brighter place for all children. It goes without saying that this requires compassion, transparency, ethical standards, commitment, patience, vision, communication, cooperation, and outstanding teaching skills. If you haven’t already, kindly schedule a virtual or socially distanced meeting with me to discuss your child’s future at BNI. I welcome and enjoy discussions on how the IB Continuum compares to other programmes and am more than happy to highlight these in person or online. Come and see us at Beaconhouse Newlands Islamabad. We are excited to meet with you.