As part of its promise to provide an inspiring world of education, global schools group, Cognita, has joined forces with Arsenal and England national team professional footballer, Beth Mead, to launch the Cognita ENRICH ME programme in the United Arab Emirates.
Designed exclusively to empower students enrolled at the Cognita family of schools in the Middle East, which include the Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai, Ranches Primary School, Horizon English School and Horizon International School, the Cognita ENRICH ME programme combines everything that enriches students’ lives from sport to music and the arts, with expert coaching provision to provide unparalleled opportunities in football, swimming and academic excellence. The inclusive programme will allow the four schools to expand their curriculum and provide an even higher quality learning experience to the 4,000 students they have enrolled, as well as developing high-performing students to achieve professional results.
The Cognita ENRICH ME programme has been created to inspire Cognita Middle East students to reach their true potential and to nurture the stars of the future
The programme’s founding ambassador, Beth Mead, is a truly inspirational sporting figure known around the world as an integral member of the England women’s football team who won the UEFA Women’s Euro Cup for the first time in history earlier this year. Beth’s involvement with the programme will provide the Cognita students with a true role model and give them direct access to the sporting hero’s expert coaching and advice. The students will also be able to learn from her invaluable experience and leadership qualities that have seen her recognised with endless accolades that include Player of the Tournament and Top Assist Provider in the UEFA Women’s Euro Cup 2022. Designed exclusively by Sean O’Shea, ex-Assistant Manager of top division Swedish club, AIK Stockholm, the football programme will provide Cognita students in the Middle East with unmatched pathways to professional sport and will support them to excel in all that they do.
Beth Mead commented: “I wish I had access to something like the Cognita ENRICH ME programme when I was at school. I am a great believer in encouraging young people to try new things that will help them discover what they are passionate about, and this programme does exactly that. I hope to inspire the young people at the Cognita schools in the Middle East to get involved in sport and the arts as early as possible and to use the support of the expert coaches in the programme to develop their skills and talents. I am honoured to be the founding ambassador for Cognita ENRICH ME football and I would love to see girls’ football become the most played sport in the Cognita Middle East school family.”
David Baldwin, Managing Director, Cognita Middle East commented: “Beth Mead is an incredible figure in sport and a role model to so many people around the world and we are delighted to welcome her to the Cognita Middle East family. Having her support within our school community and access to her knowledge, skills and passion for the game is invaluable for our coaches and students. We know that her involvement with the Cognita ENRICH ME programme will inspire every single child who is at a Cognita school in the Middle East and will encourage them to discover their full potential. We hope that her involvement with the ENRICH ME programme will raise awareness about girls’ football within the school community too.”
In addition to Beth Mead, the ENRICH ME programme’s swimming provision is endorsed by Swim England, the national governing body for swimming in England. The programme also welcomes Helen Green, an experienced and highly regarded gifted and talented specialist educator in the region, who will lead the more-able programmes. The Cognita ENRICH ME programme will help students to expand their vision when it comes to leadership and their future careers and Cognita are more than confident that Beth Mead’s involvement and support in the programme will inspire the next generation to participate in activities that will provide them with enhanced opportunities in life.