Education UAE In Conversation with Principal, Liam Cullinan of Nord Anglia International School Abu Dhabi (NAS Abu Dhabi)
In a competitive schooling landscape, success is often measured through results, rankings and university placements. Yet, Nord Anglia International School Abu Dhabi’s recent TES Award win highlights a different measure of success, one rooted in wellbeing, balance and strong connections.
Through its award winning #MEtime initiative, NAS Abu Dhabi has reimagined how the school day begins, giving students, families and teachers the space to arrive calm, prepared and ready to learn. In a Year of the Family edition, the initiative stands out as an example of how schools can actively support family routines, staff wellbeing and student success at the same time.
Education UAE spoke with Principal Liam Cullinan about how the initiative was born and why wellbeing must sit at the centre of modern education.
Education UAE: Congratulations on the TES Award win. How did the MEtime initiative begin?
Liam Cullinan: When you open a new school, you have a chance to rethink what truly helps young people become the best version of themselves. We also recognise that many families here are working families, so schools must work for parents too.
For me, it started very simply with sleep. I met a sleep expert who had helped change school start times in the United States. At the same time, as a parent, I saw how early starts and long commutes can leave children unsettled before learning even begins.
So the question became, how do we make sure every child walks into school calm, settled and ready to learn? That thinking led us to morning enrichment, which became #MEtime, as it’s also ‘time for me’.
“The job of any school is to help young people become the best version of themselves.”
Creating Calm Starts for Families and Students
Rather than rushing into formal lessons, students can begin their mornings through optional enrichment activities such as yoga, chess, homework support, breakfast clubs and sport. Or they can chose to start the school day a bit later, and sleep a bit longer.
This flexibility allows families to start mornings without pressure, students to arrive emotionally settled, and teachers to begin the day prepared rather than overwhelmed.
Morning enrichment truly lives up to its name. It adds value to the start of the day. Some students come to exercise, others finish homework, and some simply need time to arrive calmly.
#MEtime helps families replace rushed mornings with calmer, more connected starts to the day.
Education UAE: How does #MEtime support families as well as students?
Liam Cullinan: We knew we also needed to support working parents, so we created flexibility. Some families need an earlier start, while others benefit from starting later, so we built a model that allows both.
An outcome we did not initially plan for, but welcomed as the school grew, is that traffic around the school has naturally staggered, making drop- offs smoother for families. Ultimately, it gives families calmer mornings and helps children arrive emotionally ready for learning.
Education UAE: How has the initiative influenced staff wellbeing and school culture?
Liam Cullinan: The initiative also recognises that student wellbeing cannot exist without staff wellbeing. Teachers run one enrichment session weekly, while the rest of the time allows them calmer starts, collaboration opportunities and a later start once a week. We have extended #MEtime to teachers so they have one day each week, where they can start their day an hour later and dedicate that time to their own wellbeing.
In order to win it for young people, staff also need to feel valued and supported. Teaching is a demanding profession, and when teachers feel trusted, respected and supported there’s nothing they cannot achieve for children.
This culture has contributed to strong staff satisfaction and retention, a critical challenge in many schools across the region.
When teachers feel valued and supported, students benefit directly.
Education UAE: How has leadership ensured the initiative continues successfully?
Liam Cullinan: Leadership fully embraced the initiative from the start, and one thing we are very clear about is protecting staff time. If someone has a later start as part of their #MEtime routine, that time cannot be taken away for meetings or other demands.
Teachers sometimes struggle to take time for themselves because they care so much about students, so leadership has to encourage them to use it. Protecting that balance is essential if we want this to be effective.
Education UAE: How does staff wellbeing influence student outcomes?
Liam Cullinan: Education is about relationships. When children feel safe and happy, they are more willing to ask questions, take risks and engage in learning.
Our surveys show that around 96 percent of our children say they feel safe and happy at school, and that matters because when students feel safe, they feel confident enough to succeed and even to fail and learn from it.
Morning enrichment and wellbeing initiatives also allow teachers and students to connect in different environments beyond academic lessons, which strengthens relationships across the school.
Students who feel safe and happy are far more ready to take part, build confidence, and learn from challenge as well as success.
Education UAE: The UAE schooling environment can be very competitive. How do you balance wellbeing with academic success?
Liam Cullinan: We absolutely recognise academic pressure exists, especially for students aiming for competitive universities. But wellbeing and academic success should support each other, not compete.
We provide revision clubs, one-to-one support and mental preparation sessions before exams, alongside quiet spaces and practical strategies to help students manage anxiety and feel calm, focused and ready for the challenge.
Children carry a lot of pressure, and if schools do not give them space to talk about how they feel, they will struggle. Creating calmer environments and supporting wellbeing ultimately helps them perform better academically.
Education UAE: Finally, what advice would you give schools hoping to embed wellbeing meaningfully rather than as a one-off initiative?
Liam Cullinan: The first advice would be to listen. Talk to students, staff and families about what really matters to them. Just because something has always been done a certain way it does not mean it still works.
Education is changing, and schools need the courage to rethink routines and listen to their communities. Wellbeing works when it supports everyone, not just one group.
Real change begins by listening to students, families and teachers.
In a Year of the Family, Nord Anglia International School Abu Dhabi’s TES Award win highlights how thoughtful change can strengthen both learning and family life.
Through #MeTime, the school demonstrates that when students, staff and families are supported together, schools become calmer, happier and ultimately more successful places to learn.
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