Arcadia School

The Arcadia Preparatory School, now called the Arcadia School, is a primary and secondary school in Jumeirah Village Triangle (JVT). The school was initially meant to be a primary-only school when established in 2016. In September 2020, the school opened the secondary block next to the primary block. Today, the school educates children from Foundation Stage 1 (FS1) to Year 9.

This private and co-educational school accepts children from all cultural backgrounds. It follows the National Curriculum of England and aims to offer the best quality education to students. Currently, there are over 400 students managed by a teaching staff of 36 teachers and 19 teaching assistants. A tiny proportion, i.e. 5% of the student population, need the Special Education Needs (SEN) team.

It houses an incredible range of facilities hard to find in a small-sized school. These facilities play a crucial role in supporting the quality educational programme adopted by the school. The second building adjacent to the original building was added to include new facilities. The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) rated school performance as good.

Read this guide by Bayut to find out more about the Arcadia School.

Arcadia School is in Jumeirah Village Triangle – a residential community located near the city’s centre. Its strategic location makes it easily accessible by the following communities:

• Discovery Garden
• Jumeirah Islands
• Dubai Production City
• Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC)
• Dubai Sports City

Discovery Garden is the nearest residential community near Arcadia School. It is a lush-green and family-centric residential project that houses clusters of apartment buildings. The availability of amenities makes it an attractive place to live. Those looking to move to the Discovery Gardens will easily find spacious and luxurious studios to 3-bed apartments.

The campus of Arcadia School Dubai consists of two blocks: primary and secondary blocks. The primary block is on a small land with limited outdoor facilities. However, the school has compensated for this by smartly using the top floor of the primary building. The overall atmosphere of the campus is vibrant and ultra-modern. Internet and other ICT devices are available throughout the campus. The entire campus is LEED-certified, meaning that the whole construction involved saving water, energy and other resources.

Classrooms are bright, spacious and airy – resulting in a perfect learning environment. They are equipped with furniture that is flexible and comfortable. Furniture can be adjusted for heights and other purposes. The campus has a central courtyard that serves as a playground for primary students.

Arcadia School has a state-of-the-art science laboratory with all the necessary apparatus and chemicals. The primary campus also has a food technology room, music rooms and fully equipped art rooms. A well-stocked library is also available in the primary building where children can read books. Other noteworthy features in this block are:

The recently constructed secondary block sprawls over 140,000 sq. ft.

As a result, the campus now has extra space and facilities to meet students’ needs better. The facilities include a 3,500 sq. ft. semi-Olympic swimming pool. It also has an extensive football field that covers the need of secondary students. Other features include:

The school is located on Orchid Street in District 9 in Jumeirah Village Triangle (JVT). It can be found near the JVT community park and is easily accessible by the rest of Dubai by Al Khail Road and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road. The front of the campus faces the intersection of D20 Street and D22 Street.

An attractive feature of this school that attracts parents’ attention is its quality education. The Arcadia School follows the educational programme based on the National Curriculum of the UK. It is one of the top curriculums in the world that opens various opportunities for students. Many top colleges and universities around the globe accept students who studied in schools following this curriculum.

The syllabus followed at Arcadia School utilises the inquisitive nature of children and help them in becoming lifelong learners. It focuses on science education and provides arts, performances, entrepreneurial and sports-related opportunities. The child-centric school environment further supports it in fulfilling its ambitions.

It is uncommon for a small-sized school with over 400 students to have state-of-the-art school facilities. However, the Arcadia School has strongly emphasised the provision of high-end facilities to students. The original primary block has an incredible range of properly maintained facilities. These facilities support students’ needs largely. The inclusion of the secondary block has further included new and improved facilities for students – all leading to a holistic school experience. Additionally, it is an Apple School with technological gadgets, such as iPads, to help students learn.

Another reason why parents are inclined to enrol their kids in the Arcadia School is its teaching staff. The school has employed an experienced team of teachers from the United Kingdom. These teachers have relevant qualifications and fully support students’ learning. Besides regular classroom teachers, the staff includes a language team, specialist team, inclusion team and safeguarding team.

Arcadia Primary school Dubai collaborates with third party organisations, including educational providers, to meet students’ needs. It has collaborated with the University of Pennsylvania, where the university shares a skill framework to improve the curriculum. It has also collaborated with the Sands Centre for Entrepreneurial leadership.

It has a house-based system that instils friendly competition among students. There are four houses: Potter, Hood, Baggins and Poppins, competing against each other on academic and non-academic fronts. The house system also provides opportunities for students to become House captain and House Vice-Captain. Each house has a teacher as a House Master that manages their respective houses.

It provides education from FS1 to Year 9 having children aged 3 to 13. The education system at the school is split into the following three phases:

The school has plans to expand till Year 13 in upcoming years.

The educational programme at the school is based on the National Curriculum of England. It is a widely recognised curriculum practised mostly in British schools worldwide. It follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework as the Early Years Explorers (EYE) programme. In the latter stages, it follows the formal learning strategies of the British curriculum. Technology is well-integrated throughout the school. The specifics for each phase of education are:

Foundation Stage Curriculum

As stated above, it follows the Early Year Foundation Stage (EYFS) education framework. It is an internationally recognised childhood learning programme that focuses on overall growth and development. It focuses on the seven key areas of learning imperative for success in the later phases of education. These areas of learning are:

• Literacy
• Expressive arts and design
• Communication and language development
• Mathematics
• Physical development
• Understanding the world
• Personal, social and emotional development

The initial two years of learning are based on the play and learn approach. Here, the students learn and play simultaneously, resulting in understanding foundational concepts. Teachers arrange a range of indoor and outdoor activities that ensure the well-rounded development of young learners. Students completing the FS2 education are ready for primary education.

Primary curriculum

In the primary phase, the National Curriculum of England is followed. It consists of Key Stage 1 (KS1) and Key Stage 2 (KS2).

KS1 consists of Year 1 and Year 2 education. In this stage, students are gradually introduced to a more formal style of education. Once students clear Year 2, they enter the KS2 stage that consists of a few more subjects with advanced concepts delivered via formal teaching methods. In the KS2 stage, students are expected to learn through formal methods. The subjects taught in KS1 and KS2 are:

Please note that English, Mathematics and Science are core subjects. Design and Technology includes concepts of food technology. Also, Arabic A and Islamic Studies A are for Muslim and Arabic citizens. Arabic B and Islamic Studies B are for non-Arabic Muslims. These subjects are delivered in English.

Secondary education

Key stage 3 (Year 7 to Year 9)

The school continues the National Curriculum of the UK for secondary education. Currently, the school only offers education until Key Stage 3 (KS3). The following subjects are taught in this phase:

Arabic A is local students and is delivered in Arabic. At the same time, Arabic B is for foreigners and is delivered in English. Similarly, Islamic Studies A is for Muslims taught in Arabic and Islamic Studies B is for non-Arab Muslims.

KHDA is a governmental body established in 2006 to regulate the education sector of Dubai. It was developed to improve the quality of education offered by the educational institutes in Dubai. Out of many responsibilities, it annually inspects the performances of schools and rates them based on a 6-point scale. The scale varies from Outstanding (the best rank) to very weak (worst rank). Below is the brief explanation of the KHDA’s rating scale:

The Arcadia School was inspected for the first time by the KHDA for the academic year 2018-2019. In its first inspection, KHDA rated it as a good school. There are several positives of Arcadia School, which are as follows:

• The personal development of students in the foundation stage is outstanding. In the primary phase, students also showed very good personal development. Students attitudes and behaviour were found to be positive.
• The health and safety arrangements of the school are very good. Students at the Arcadia School feel safe and secure. It also provides a considerable level of support to the students of determination.
• The facilities, including the teaching staff and resources at the school, were found to be outstanding. Additionally, it has a very good partnership with parents and the wider community.

However, KHDA recommends the school should improve the learning and teaching at the school to raise the attainment and progress of students.  It is possible by implementing a consistent quality of teaching throughout the school for each subject. It is also possible by developing effective teaching strategies, focusing on critical thinking and problem-solving skills and raising challenges in Arabic and Islamic Studies. The middle leadership must also adopt the best teaching, assessment and learning strategies. KHDA also highlighted the importance of enhancing self-evaluation and improvement planning processes.

The academic year at Arcadia School starts in August and ends in July. All the academic and non-academic activities are split into three terms. The important dates of each of these events are as follows:

• The first term starts with the orientation day, followed by the first day of the academic year in the last week of August. The midterm break for the first term is expected in the third week of October. The term ends in the second week of December.
• The second term starts in the first week of January and ends in the second last week of March. The midterm break is in the fourth week of February. After the second term, students go on a three-week spring break that ends in the first week of April.
• The third term starts in the second week of April and ends in the first week of July. There is no midterm break for this session, which is replaced by the Eid-Al-Fitr holidays in early May.

The national and religious holidays are subjected to moon sightings. For reviewing the tentative dates of such holidays, view Arcadia School Calendar.

The Arcadia School follows an inclusive policy as it accepts admission applications from all. Before applying, you can talk to the school’s registrar or meet the principal. To book a tour, call +971-4-552-2600.

To apply, fill out the online enquiry form available at the school’s website. Once submitted, the registrar contacts the parents on the provided contact information to provide further details. It is important to share authentic information such as age and required documents. You can also download the school’s prospectus, years books and other valuable guides from the official website.

Please note that it strictly follows the age-year guidelines. To check the appropriate year for your child, use the age-year calculator of Arcadia School. The registrar and his team review the provided information against the admission criteria. The age-grade guideline followed at this school is given below:

This is based on the age of the students on 31st August (for schools beginning in September). Source: KHDA

* This is to cater to students transferring from systems that admit students of a younger age)

If all the admission criteria are met, it invites the candidate for an assessment. Parents need to pay a non-refundable and non-transferable entrance fee of AED 500. The successful candidates are offered admission when a vacancy arrives.

To secure a seat at this school, parents need to pay a non-transferable and non-refundable registration fee of AED 4,000. The deposit will be adjusted in the tuition fee for the first term of the year of admission.

For more information, read the admission process of Arcadia Primary School Dubai.

Tuition Fee

The Arcadia School fee is as follows:

The yearly tuition fee is inclusive of:

• Extra-curricular activities – AED 7,000
• 4 sets of uniforms – AED 2,000
• Textbooks – AED 1,500

However, parents need to pay for iPad and Apple Pencil for Year 3 and above, field trips and excursions. Optional charges at this school include transport, lunch, Arcadia branded items. All these prices are inclusive of the Value Added Tax (VAT).

Other Fees

Other fees charged by the school are:

• Application Fee – AED 500
• Registration Payment – AED 4,000
• Re-registration Fee – AED 2,000 (existing students)

Sibling discounts

The school rewards loyal parents that enrol more than one kid at Arcadia School. The discounts are:

• 5% discount on enrolling the second child
• 10% discount on enrolling third and subsequent children

Please note that the school offers additional benefits to employees of :

• MBC
• Etihad Airways
• Flydubai
• Emirates Airline

For further details, read the fees structure at The Arcadia Preparatory School.

The school is offering a net 15% scholarship to students enrolling for the academic year 2021-2022 till their stay at this institution till Year 13. A 25% scholarship is offered to students enrolling in FS1; however, it will be reduced to 15% for the rest of their tenure at this institution. Terms and conditions apply. Please note that this offer is available to those who enrols their children till July 7, 2021.

To ensure availability of healthy, nutritious and mouth-watering snacks and lunch items, it has collaborated with Slices. Slices, a school food expert, is a popular food and snack service provider for schools and corporate offices. They ensure that all the food they offer are nutritious, well-balanced and tastes incredible.  The school canteen serves as the point where students and staff can purchase the food item. Additionally, it also offers classroom delivery services.

The school uploads a monthly menu on its website. Food items are available that include soups, vegetarian options, non-veg options, salads, desserts, healthy snacks and beverages. It also has a separate menu for classroom deliveries and Chinese items.

Arcadia offers a reliable and safe transport service to its students. To avail of the service, parents need to submit the transport form.  Upon the submission of the form and relevant transportation charges, the school issues a guardian card. It will also inform parents about the timings, pickup time and drop-off time.

The school has a well-maintained fleet of buses with state-of-the-art security features. This includes CCTV cameras, a GPS tracking system linked with the mobile application and seat belts. Parents can access the live location of their child through the mobile app. The buses will drop children at 8 am and will leave the school premises by 4 pm. The school also provides transport services for students participating in after-school activities.

The transportation charges are:

One-way transport

• Zone 1 – AED 5,850
• Zone 2 – AED 6,150
• Zone 3 – AED 6,450
• Zone 4 – AED 7,500

Two-way transport

• Zone 1 – AED 8,400
• Zone 2 – AED 8,700
• Zone 3 – AED 9,000

For more information, read the transport service by the Arcadia School.

It is a day-only school and does not offer boarding facilities.

The school offers holiday camps to its students. A camp happens during summer breaks in which students aged 3 to 12 are welcomed. A wide range of activities is available to students including wall climbing, arts, swimming, running and reading. The timings for these activities are usually 9 am to 1 pm.

Sport is an important part of the extra-curricular programme at the school. This is fully supported by the top-tier sports and outdoor facilities at the campus. These facilities ensure that students have access to the best possible conditions, helping them to participate in sports competitions.

The primary campus has an indoor temperature-controlled learner’s swimming pool. This allows the children to learn and practice swimming all year. In the secondary block, a semi-Olympic swimming pool with touch timing and the integrated scorecard is available. The Arcadia School also has two indoor multipurpose halls: one in the primary section and the larger one in the secondary block. It acts as a play area for various indoor sports such as volleyball and basketball.

The secondary block also has an AstroTurf football pitch where students can practise their football skills. Other facilities at the school are an outdoor play area, water play area and a Gymnasium.

An outstanding feature of this school is the range of its extra-curricular activities. Known as the Enrichment Learning Programme (ELP), Arcadia School focuses on the all-round development of children. These activities are designed and integrated into the curriculum in such a way to ensure it can be delivered daily. The extra-curricular support to students is split into the following segments:

Sports-related activities

In this segment, numerous physical and sports-related opportunities are offered. The school offers two sessions per week to students in Year 1 to Year 6. For foundation stage students, one session per week is arranged. Trained professionals and athletes conduct all these sessions.

Non-sports related activities

Those who are not interested in sports can participate in non-sports related extracurricular activities. These activities include:

One of the most popular extra-curricular activities at this school is the Junior MBA. It is a 12-week programme where students are introduced to business-related concepts. The programme is designed in a way to ensure students understand the concept. By the end of this programme, students complete the year-end project.

Another important extra-curricular activity at Arcadia School is the Music Academy. Started in 2018, it teaches children how to play a range of musical instruments. Students from Year 1 onwards can join it and play the following instruments:

Currently, the school arranges a limited number of field trips to students. The school understands the importance of students’ learning beyond the walls of classrooms. For this purpose, it has introduced Outdoor Adventure Week, where teachers plan various outdoor activities. It also plans field trips where they learn about new things and implement their knowledge and skills in a practical environment.

Currently, the school offers after-school activities in the form of extra-curricular activities. For Foundation Stage students, it has a special after-school programme. It involves the school’s clubs that provide a safe and engaging environment for young learners. The FS after-school programme allows children to socialise and play with peers, role-plays, learn creative arts, make dough structures and participate in physical activities. The following toys and games are also accessible to the participants:

The school has a medical clinic that caters to the medical needs of students. The medical staff includes two full-time nurses and a part-time doctor that visits once a week.

Communication is a vital part of the success at the Arcadia School. The school believes that constant communication results in proper growth and development of children. For this purpose, many modes of communication are available.

The Parent portal is the most commonly used mode of communication. It allows easy and instant access to important information such as attendance records, examination schedules, child’s performance and teachers’ feedback. Parents only need to add the provided credentials and can use it on desktop or mobile devices.

Seesaw is another digital mode of communication, which allows parents to track the child’s performance. It does so by sharing live photos, videos and comments by teachers. It is also available on PCs, Android and iOS devices.

Showbie is a popular app used by various schools, including the Arcadia School to connect all the students on a single platform. It makes it easier for the teachers to assign, review and grade the assessments.

Other modes of communication include parent-teacher meetings, official website, the school’s blog and social media pages.

• Arcadia School location: Orchid Street, District 9, Jumeirah Village Triangle (JVT), Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Telephone Number: +971 4 552 2600
• Email Address: info@arcadia.sch.ae
• Official Website
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Note that the cover image belongs to Arcadia Preparatory Schooll