- Top 3 Finalist for World's Best School Prize for Supporting Healthy Lives category
Middleton International School is the first school from Singapore to be in the World's Best School Prizes 2024.
Middleton International School, which is part of the EtonHouse International Education Group, is the first school from Singapore to be a finalist for these esteemed awards. This honour underscores the school's commitment to nurturing a holistic environment where well-being, academic excellence, and social-emotional learning thrive together. As the flagship school for the US-based Contentment Foundation in Singapore and Southeast Asia, the school is also championing well-being in education on both national and international levels.
The World's Best School Prizes, established post-COVID in 2022, celebrate schools that excel in various categories, including Community Collaboration, Environmental Action, Innovation, Overcoming Adversity, and Supporting Healthy Lives. This year's winners of each of the five World's Best School Prizes will be announced in October and they will share a $50,000 prize fund. The winners and finalists of the World's Best School Prizes will also be invited to the World Schools Summit in Dubai, UAE, on November 23-24, which will bring together global education leaders to inspire and transform educational practices worldwide.
Vikas Pota, Founder of T4 Education and the World's Best School Prizes, said:
"Unless the world takes urgent action, it is set to miss UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 of universal quality education by 2030. The global education crisis is multifaceted and so must be the solutions.
"That's why we must look to the grassroots, to our schools at the coalface, for answers. To exceptional Singapore institutions like Middleton International School, whose work should make governments around the world sit up and take notice. By spreading its innovations far and wide, we can inspire change where it's needed most."
About the school:
Middleton International School, an independent school in Singapore under the EtonHouse International Education Group, blends health and wellbeing with academic rigour. Recognising the profound impact of mental and emotional wellbeing on academic success, the school has pioneered holistic education practices that embrace social emotional learning as part of its school ethos.
Established in 2017, Middleton educates over 1,400 students from kindergarten to high school levels. At the core of the school's mission is a curriculum that fosters mindfulness, resilience, and emotional intelligence, integrating structured wellbeing practices alongside academic subjects.
Middleton is the flagship school for the Contentment Foundation in South East Asia. The collaboration with The Contentment Foundation is central to achieving an enriched educational experience through the Four Pillars of Wellbeing programme. This partnership enhances mental and emotional health for both students and staff, supporting the school's broader goals of community wellbeing and promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.
The school has undertaken a range of initiatives, including teacher training, research partnerships, parent workshops, and community outreach programs, all aimed at promoting a culture of wellbeing. From mindfulness studies to environmental sustainability projects, Middleton is leading the way in holistic education. The school works closely with the school board, wellbeing experts, consultants, researchers, and community groups to roll out various initiatives promoting wellbeing. Members of the school are also actively engaged in professional advocacy networks, championing wellbeing in education on national and international platforms. Middleton's commitment to promoting wellbeing extends to all aspects of school life, from nutrition and sustainability to professional development and community outreach.
Middleton has dedicated leadership roles such as Wellbeing Coordinator, Inclusive Education Coordinator, and Pastoral Care Coordinator, facilitating a system and culture that embody the school's ethos of wellbeing. The teachers are encouraged to cultivate practices for their own well-being which is then cascaded to the children and is evident in the successful integration of the SEL curriculum, making Middleton a happy and supportive environment for both students and staff.
Additional programmes at Middleton include international partnerships and community service projects, each contributing significantly to global citizenship and educational excellence.
Next steps:
The winner of each of the five World's Best School Prizes will be announced in October. The winner of each Prize will be chosen based on rigorous criteria by a Judging Academy comprising distinguished leaders across the globe including academics, educators, NGOs, social entrepreneurs, government, civil society, and the private sector.
A prize of US$50,000 will be equally shared among the winners of the five Prizes, with each receiving an award of US$10,000. Meanwhile, the winner of the Community Choice Award, as determined by a Public Vote, will receive membership to Best School to Work - a unique programme to help them support teacher wellbeing and solve the teacher recruitment and retention crisis.
ABOUT T4 EDUCATION:
We believe every child, everywhere, deserves a good education. We are building the world's largest community of teachers and schools to achieve this. Together. Our digital media platform provides opportunities for educators to network, collaborate, share good practices, and support each other's efforts to improve learning and school culture. We work to amplify teachers' voices because the world we want to see will only be built by listening to those at the heart of education.
For more information, please contact Salman Shaheen: salman@t4.education or Angela Kho: angela.kho@etonhouse.com.sg