There are already more than 200 private schools in Dubai – which makes one wonder what the five newest ones could possibly offer to make them stand out from the crowd.
Quite a lot, as it turns out. From planting hundreds of trees on the premises to making homework optional, the popularity of Dubai's five newest schools is rising, and some are still taking new pupils despite the academic year having already started.
Here, The National takes a look at the newest schools in Dubai.
Gems Metropole School Al Waha
The British curriculum school opened with more than 700 pupils in August and has a focus on sustainability and reducing its carbon footprint.
Jeremy Hallum, principal at the school, said he would have to open extra classes due to demand from the community. He hopes to have 850 pupils at the school by August 2024.
Places at the school cost between Dh36,000 to Dh45,000 this year.
In total, the capacity of the current facilities is 3,450 pupils, with a second phase of construction ultimately taking that number to 4,500.
“We have an enormous forest school area which has more than 170 trees so every child can go out of their classroom into the forest school and we have a trained forest schoolteacher,” said Mr Hallum.
“We offer the forest school curriculum and are a single-use plastic free school. There will be a composting section at the school in a few months.”
The UK curriculum school is also building a farm, which will have goats, ducks and chickens.
Glendale International School
Glendale International School, which offers the UK curriculum, focuses on learning through nature and pupils will be able to take classes in outdoor spaces at the school during the cooler months.
The school is home to 200 plant species.
“We are a very green campus and we want that atmosphere for children to learn outdoors and for children. There is a garden area and a petting zoo,” said Jasmit Kang, principal at Glendale International School in Oud Metha.
There are 130 pupils enrolled at the school from foundation stage one to year six, as only the primary school has opened this year.
Fees for 2023 range from Dh33,600 to Dh44,160.
Ms Kang said admissions are still open and that they are busy enrolling more pupils.
“On a weekly basis, we have new pupils enrolling and I think we will have a lot more children joining us for term two in January. We have children moving to the country,” she added.
The school is offering a discount of 20 per cent to families who join in the first year.
Ms Kang hopes the school will have about 300-350 pupils by August 2024.
Arcadia Global School
At Arcadia Global School in Al Furjan, homework is optional and children are encouraged to learn through a business mindset through the junior MBA programme offered by the school.
The school opened its doors this academic term and already has 900 pupils, with a capacity of 2,600 in the primary section. The school has a total capacity of 4,200 pupils.
Andrew Wilson, principal at the UK curriculum school, said the focus was on offering the highest quality education with the best facilities at the lowest possible price.
“If you walk through our doors, what you get is a state-of-the-art building that's super energy efficient. We have got all the technology you would expect from the highest possible premium schools but the fees wouldn’t be anywhere near what you'd expect to pay … we're a value school,” he said.
Fees at the school range from Dh22,455 to Dh27,559 this year.
The school is offering a 39 to 44 per cent discount on its fees in the first year and pupils who join will be eligible for a founding fee rate throughout their time at the school, with fees only going up each year by the education cost index announced by the emirate.
Dewvale School
The Indian CBSE curriculum school opened its doors in 2023 and has enrolled 757 pupils with hopes of growing this number to 850 by the next academic year.
Seema Umar, principal at the school in Al Quoz, said the school already had pupils on a waiting list.
“We are running at full capacity in many grades. We have closed admissions for all the grades except grade one and grade five, where we only have four seats available,” said Ms Umar.
“We've also offered a discount from 20 per cent to 36 per cent to all grades.”
The school believes in celebrating Indian heritage and offers languages including Malayalam, Hindi and Tamil.
It has a focus on literacy and improving children’s reading skills.
Dewvale had about 300 pupils when it opened in April. Fees are from Dh9,500 to Dh11,950.
Highgate International School
Highgate International School follows the Indian CBSE curriculum and is one of the least expensive new schools in the city.
The school in Arjan places an emphasis on holistic education and co-curricular activities are part of the curriculum.
Located in Al Barsha South, the school offers many after-school activities such as gymnastics, tennis, karate, cricket, swimming, basketball and football.
Prices start from Dh12,000 for kindergarten pupils.
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
The team
Photographer: Mateusz Stefanowski at Art Factory
Videographer: Jear Valasquez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Model: Randa at Art Factory Videographer’s assistant: Zanong Magat
Photographer’s assistant: Sophia Shlykova
With thanks to Jubail Mangrove Park, Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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RESULT
Manchester City 1 Sheffield United 0
Man City: Jesus (9')
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
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The years Ramadan fell in May
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
SPECS
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 420 bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: from Dh293,200
On sale: now
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Read more about the coronavirus
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
