Across the Middle East, our principal network meetings have undergone a quiet but deliberate shift. What once functioned as operational, has become something far more intentional: a space for strategic thinking, shared learning, and the kind of professional connection that strengthens a regional system.

Our recent structural reorganisation was a catalyst. It pushed us to rethink the purpose of bringing leaders together and to draw a clear line between the business of supporting schools and the work of growing as educational leaders. That shift has reshaped not just the meetings themselves, but the mindset behind them.

These network meetings have evolved into deliberately crafted experiences rooted in Cognita’s core system capabilities: Knowledge Animation and Building Capacity. And at the centre is Connection, the catalyst that enables everything else to work harder and go deeper. Each term, we design our principal network meetings with the same intentionality a great teacher brings to an expert lesson. They are built to challenge, to provoke reflection, and to make the very best use of collective time. Our aim is simple: purposeful engagement, rich collaboration, and shared learning anchored in our regional priorities. At our most recent gathering, we focused on two strategic goals: Elevating the quality of teaching through our pedagogical framework, ‘Teaching for Impactful Learning and Progress’ (TILP), and advancing the region’s curriculum planning through Cognita AI.

One of the defining moments came from our keynote on AI, led not by adults, but by our students from Repton Dubai. Their insights, questions, and provocations shifted the room. They modelled true student agency, and their candour invited leaders to rethink some assumptions about future ready learning. A moment that stayed with me was watching three principals in deep discussion with one of these students, treating her like a colleague. That exchange meaningfully altered their perspectives, and the impact is already shaping their next steps. It was a powerful reminder that student voice is not a nice to have; it is essential to leadership learning.

Our second strategic focus explored what a pedagogical framework looks like in real practice. A panel of principals unpacked implementation through stories, missteps, solutions, and reflections. It grounded the theory. It highlighted the diversity of contexts. And it reinforced that we are all navigating similar challenges, with much to learn from each other’s journeys.

Connection remains the thread that binds these meetings.

It’s more than a feature; it’s the purpose. Connection accelerates knowledge animation. It strengthens capacity. And it reminds us that while school leadership can feel isolating, we are part of a wider community of leaders who think deeply, care fiercely, and bring energy to the system. Creating deliberate space to connect is not optional, it’s leadership practice

We also hold onto the principle of ‘taking it seriously, not to take ourselves too seriously.’ Our five to ten minutes of ‘forced fun’, challenges, games, shared humour has become a signature. It creates psychological safety, unlocks engagement, and brings joy into a room of busy people. Culture lives in these moments as much as in strategy documents. Structurally, our meetings honour both individuality and unity. Principals begin the day with their Cogs, led by their Cog Managing Directors, before coming together as one region with the Education Team. It’s a rhythm that respects context while reinforcing collective identity.

Glen Radojkovich, Managing Director UAE commented:

The richness of the Cognita Network is best seen in action on days like these, when our principals come together to share best practice, learn from one another, and strengthen the collective expertise across our schools. This network meeting was a powerful reminder of what happens when we connect with purpose, grow together, and move forward as one team.

We are proud of how far the network has come, but we are not static. In line with Cognita’s belief in being the best at getting better, every meeting is a prototype. We refine, we test, and we iterate to ensure network leadership drives visible impact.

System leadership carries a responsibility: to build capacity at scale. School leadership is precious work, and when we gather leaders, the experience must justify the investment of their time and attention.

The question we ask ourselves remains the same: if a network doesn’t build capacity, animate knowledge, or enable deep connection, is it worth having?