The Arbor School: How a Dubai School became the World's Best for Environmental Action
Gemma Thornley, Principal, The Arbor School, Dubai in conversation with Fiona Murchie
14 November 2025
The Arbor School, Dubai, is an international ecological school based on the British curriculum, offering places in Foundation Stage 1 through to Year 13 in the United Arab Emirates.
In this conversation, we explore how Arbor integrates sustainability across its British curriculum, the impact of its “living campus,” and how students are empowered to lead change locally and globally.Listeners will gain insights into how schools can make sustainability a lived, daily practice, shaping future-ready, compassionate leaders who can create real-world impact.
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In this conversation, we explore how Arbor integrates sustainability across its British curriculum, the impact of its “living campus,” and how students are empowered to lead change locally and globally.Listeners will gain insights into how schools can make sustainability a lived, daily practice, shaping future-ready, compassionate leaders who can create real-world impact.
About the speaker
Gemma Thornley is the Principal of Arbor School Dubai, the 2025 World’s Best School for Environmental Action. With more than 20 years of educational leadership experience in the UAE and UK, Gemma is known for championing sustainable, values-led education that empowers young people to become changemakers. An MSc graduate in Educational Leadership and Fellow of the Chartered College of teaching, she is currently completing her PhD on global teacher recruitment and retention. At Arbor, Gemma leads with purpose - integrating ecoliteracy, creativity and ethical leadership to prepare students for a rapidly changing world.Visit The Arbor School, Dubai's Featured School page
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Subscribe to Relocate Extra, our monthly newsletter, to get all the latest international assignments and global mobility news.Relocate’s new Global Mobility Toolkit provides free information, practical advice and support for HR, global mobility managers and global teams operating overseas.
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