How building school in India helped lay foundations for success of UAE's top headteacher

Zara Harrington, head of Dubai's Safa British School, told of the importance of putting the needs of children first

Zara Harrington, head of Safa British School in Dubai, was named best school principal in the UAE. Chris Whiteoak / The National

American School of Dubai was declared the UAE's best school at the Which School Advisor awards. Photo: American School of Dubai

Dino Varkey, chief executive of Gems Education, receives outstanding contribution award. Photo: Gems Education

Charlotte Abbott, director of English at Dubai English Speaking College, centre, was named best secondary school teacher. She is flanked by Eimear McKenna Singh, from Which Media, left, and Andrew Gibbs, principal of Dubai English Speaking College. Photo: Which Media

Abu Dhabi's British School Al Khubairat (Bsak), pictured, was jointly named best school for post-16 education with Dubai English Speaking College. Victor Besa / The National

Greenfield International School was named best international baccalaureate curriculum school. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Dubai College, in black at the Rugby Sevens on December 2, 2021, was named best British curriculum school. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Indian High School Dubai was named best Indian curriculum school. Antonie Robertson / The National

From building a school in a disadvantaged community in India to moving campus sites in Dubai during the coronavirus pandemic, the UAE’s most highly rated principal has enjoyed a remarkable journey.

Zara Harrington, the head of Safa British School, was named the best principal at the SchoolsCompared.com Top School Awards 2021 this week.

Ms Harrington, 43, a primary-trained teacher who worked as a headteacher in the UK, moved to the UAE seven years ago and has been in charge at Safa British School since 2018.

“My colleagues told me [she won] ... I was in a meeting and they were all waiting outside. It was very exciting," Ms Harrington said.

"For me, the priority is always the children and my community ... and I think that’s what sets me apart.

“I think it's about having that connection all the time," she said. "We never lost that human connection, even in distance learning.

"Over the last 18 months or two years, we never lost the core value of our community.

How to lead by example

"For anyone who is aspiring to be a leader, what I say to them all the time is stay connected to everybody around you, from the cleaners, from the catering staff, from your leaders to your teachers. Because I do feel very strongly that human connection is the most powerful tool."

She chanced upon teaching as a profession when working as a hotel manager at university and had to go to schools to speak to pupils about pursuing a career in management.

“People at the schools would say, 'You're naturally a teacher.' And so I decided to explore that," she said.

“I went to India [in 2008], built a school and worked in a slum school with no resources, because my theory was that if I could teach with nothing, with no resources, then I was going to be an okay teacher.

“That was sort of my guiding light and it was successful.”

To build the school, she worked with a non-governmental organisation called Dream A Dream in Bangalore.

She started a summer programme there that is running today.

India was not the biggest challenge of her career.

At Safa British School, Ms Harrington said she had to move campuses in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic while planning from her dining table at home.

The school was housed on Meydan Road, then, along with its 1,190 pupils, it moved to a purpose-built campus near Jumeirah.

There were challenges and delays, but the school is in its new home.

“For us as a school, we moved from one site to another and managed this during Covid-19," Ms Harrington said.

“I think that really stuck out to the team and the families of Safa British School, because it [the move] was very seamless.

“There were challenges along the way in making sure things were delivered on time.

"The pandemic delayed some items that I'd ordered from abroad and things like that, but you just overcome those barriers," she said.

"I do like to be around the children and the families all the time. So, I think that that would have said a lot to my school community."

She said navigating online learning was a challenge, but the school prepared for it and helped parents with their questions about remote teaching methods.

Ms Harrington would speak with the children every day and there would be a daily assembly in addition to a video to the families about navigating an uncertain time.

The majority of the pupils at the school returned to their classrooms in September 2020.