Middleton International School named in Top 10 shortlist for World's Best School Prize 2024 for Supporting Healthy Lives

SINGAPORE, June 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Middleton International School, an independent school in Singapore, which blends health and wellbeing with academic rigour, has been named in the Top 10 shortlist for the World's Best School Prize 2024 for Supporting Healthy Lives.

Only two schools in Singapore, Middleton International School and Dulwich College (Singapore) are among the Top 10 shortlists for the World's Best School Prizes 2024 for the Supporting Healthy Lives and Environmental Action categories respectively.

Founded by T4 Education in collaboration with Accenture, American Express, and the Lemann Foundation, the World's Best School Prizes are prestigious education prizes and this year's winners will share a $50,000 prize fund. The five World's Best School Prizes – for Community Collaboration, Environmental Action, Innovation, Overcoming Adversity, and Supporting Healthy Lives – were established in the wake of COVID in 2022 to give a platform to schools that are changing lives in their classrooms and far beyond their walls, sharing their best practices to help improve education everywhere.

The winners of the five Prizes will be chosen by an expert Judging Academy based on rigorous criteria. In addition, all 50 shortlisted schools across the five Prizes will also take part in a Public Vote, which opened today. The school which receives the most public votes will receive the Community Choice Award and membership to T4 Education's Best School to Work programme to help them support teacher wellbeing and solve the teacher recruitment and retention crisis. 

Vikas Pota, Founder of T4 Education and the World's Best School Prizes, said:

"Unless we solve the urgent challenges global education faces – from learning gaps exacerbated by COVID to chronic underfunding and the growing teacher wellbeing, recruitment and retention crisis – we will have failed the next generation.

"Trailblazing Singapore schools like Middleton International School and Dulwich College (Singapore), which have cultivated a strong culture and aren't afraid to innovate, show the difference that can be made to so many lives. Schools everywhere can now learn from their solutions, and it's time governments do so as well."

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 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. Their efforts are evident in the successful integration of the Social and Emotional Learning (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 Top 3 finalists for each of the five World's Best School Prizes will be announced in September 2024 followed by the winners in November. 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 the Public Vote, will receive membership to Best School to Work - an independent, evidence-based mechanism to certify schools for their culture and working environment. Membership comes with detailed feedback, actionable insights, and benchmarking data to help schools transform their culture to attract and retain the best teachers.

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: [email protected] or Angela Kho: [email protected].