Brighton College Al Ain

Founded in 2013, Brighton College Al Ain is a private educational institution in Zakher, Al Ain. It is part of the Brighton Colleges family in the UK, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Bangkok.

Brighton College Al Ain offers classes from Foundation Stage 1 to Year 13. The school delivers the Brighton College Curriculum – based on the British National Curriculum.

Brighton College Al Ain located in Zakher is one of the best schools in Al Ain. Residential communities near the school campus include:

• Al Maqam
• Al ‘Iqabiyyah
• Shiab Al Ashkar
• Falaj Hazza

Al Maqam is a small community with direct access to E40 highway, Abu Dhabi – Al Ain Truck Road. Residential options here include apartments and villas on rent. Al Iqabiyyah is another district in Al Ain.

Falaj Hazza has spacious villas and apartments and offers basic amenities. It is one of the best family-friendly neighbourhoods in Al Ain.

Parents looking to move closer to the school can consider:

• Villas for rent near Brighton College Al Ain
• Villas for sale near Brighton College Al Ain

Brighton College Al Ain operates from a purpose-built 28-acre campus in Zakher. State-of-the-art facilities and resources for students’ benefit include:

• IT Facilities: The school has bespoke ICT suites, laptops and iPads for students and interactive whiteboards in classrooms.
• Sports Facilities: Two gymnasiums, an athletics track, multipurpose sports courts, a football pitch and a 25m swimming pool are part of the sports facilities.
• Performing Arts Facilities: The school houses a 450-seat auditorium with a performance stance, high specification AV and lighting systems. There are two drama studios as well.
• Learning Facilities: Brighton has a dedicated forest school outdoor learning facility, three libraries and breakout spaces outside classrooms.
• Additional Facilities: The school also has a medical clinic and a cafeteria for parents and teachers.

Brighton College Al Ain is based in Zakher. The school is close to Makani Mall.

Brighton College Al Ain is an all-through, co-educational institute offering classes from Foundation Stage 1 to Year 13. The school operates from a 28-acre purpose-built campus that houses the latest amenities. The academically rigorous curriculum is complemented by a rich extra-curricular program aiming at the holistic development of every student.

The school was rated Outstanding by the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge. Brighton focuses on the individual child’s development and provides students with a supportive atmosphere. The community fostered at the school is multicultural, tolerant and open-minded.

Brighton College Al Ain is part of the global family of Brighton schools. The school draws from the experience of its parent school in the UK and its sister-schools Brighton College Abu Dhabi, Brighton College Dubai and Brighton Singapore.

Brighton College Al Ain offers classes from Foundation Stage 1 to Year 13. All classes are divided into four sections.

Brighton College Al Ain delivers the Brighton College Curriculum based on the National Curriculum of England and Wales. Students start with the UK Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum, then prepare for the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and A-levels through the British National Curriculum.

The curriculum provides students with a quality education aligned with the Brighton College experience embedded with a local cultural context.

Early Years Curriculum

The Early Years curriculum sets the foundation for the child’s academic journey. For Foundation Stage 1 and Foundation Stage 2, students learn through active play, exploring, creative and critical thinking– both indoors and outdoors.

Children have access to the school’s unique forest school outdoor learning facility. Prime areas of development and learning are:

• Communication and language
• Physical development
• Personal, social and emotional development

These prime areas of learning assist in subject areas students explore at this level. Additional subjects are:

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the world
• Expressive arts and design

Prep School Curriculum

Once students progress to Year 1, they learn the National Curriculum of England and Wales besides the Ministry of Education subjects (Arabic, Islamic and Social Studies). Traditional academic topics explored at this level (Year 1 to 5) are:

• English language
• English literature
• Maths
• History
• Geography
• Science

Students also benefit from specialist lessons in music, French, physical education and swimming.

Senior School Curriculum

From Year 6 to Year 8 (Middle School), students learn:

• Science
• English
• Maths
• Humanities

Students also develop their language skills through:

• Arabic
• French
• Spanish

Year 6 students have the unique opportunity to study the performing arts and music. They can later showcase it during the end-of-year production.

The curriculum is specific to the year group for Upper School students (Year 9 to Year 11). Year 9 students are taught the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) syllabus.

For Year 10 and Year 11 students, the curriculum covers subjects such as Maths, Science, Humanities and Music studies relevant to GCSE and IGCSE preparations. Students also learn Arabic, Islamic (for applicable students) and UAE Social Studies.

Compulsory subjects include:

• Mathematics
• English language
• English literature
• Science (Biology, Chemistry and Physics modules)

Students can also choose from:

• Art & Design
• History
• Business Studies
• Music BTEC
• ICT
• Physical Education
• Drama
• Psychology
• Geography
• Spanish
• French
• Triple Science

Sixth Form Curriculum

During Year 12 and Year 13, students prepare to take three A-level subjects over two years. A-level subjects are taught by specialist teachers that prepare students for life beyond school. Students can select from the following options:

• English Literature/Maths
• Biology/Chemistry
• Physics/French
• Spanish/Arabic
• History/Geography
• Economics/Business
• Psychology/ICT
• Computer Science/Drama
• Art/Music

Students who wish to apply to universities within the UAE have to sit for the Emirates Standardised Assessment Tests (EMSATs) in English, Arabic, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Computer Science.

The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) is responsible for licensing all private education institutes and monitoring their service as per regulations. Through the Irtiqaa Programme, they carry out periodic evaluations of all schools based on six basic criteria:

1. Quality of students’ achievement.
2. Quality of personal and social development as well as innovation skills of the students.
3. Quality of teaching and assessment.
4. Quality of curriculum.
5. Quality of student safety and well-being and the guidance and support provided to them.
6. Quality of school leadership and management.

Brighton College Al Ain was rated Outstanding for its overall effectiveness in the inspection during 2018-2019. According to the report, key areas of strength are:

• Students’ overall achievement and their learning skills in all phases
• Students’ appreciation and respect of Islamic values, UAE culture and heritage
• Innovative approaches to teaching and learning
• The identification and support of SEN and G&T students in lessons
• The strategic vision and direction of the school and its distributive leadership

However, the school could further improve by:

• Raising students’ achievement in Arabic subjects.

The academic year at Brighton College, Al Ain is split into three terms. Term dates are as follows:

• The first term starts in the last week of August and ends in the second week of December, followed by a 3-week winter break.
• The second term commences in the first week of January and ends in the last week of March, followed by a 2-week spring vacation.
• The final term begins in the second week of April and concludes in the first week of July. The school closes for a 2-month summer holiday before the start of the next academic session.

The school acknowledges the importance of choosing the right school for each student and suggests parents book a virtual tour or visit the college to check if it’s the right fit for their child.

Brighton College Al Ain admissions process is as follows:

• Step 1: Complete and submit the online application form. Please note that the school does not process incomplete applications.
• Step 2: Submit the following documents via email or in person:
  • Student’s passport copy
  • Student’s UAE residence visa and Emirates ID copies (if already based in the UAE)
  • Last academic year’s school reports
  • Medical, Education Psychologist Report, IEPs (where applicable)
• Step 3: Once the admissions team reviews the documents, they initiate contact to:
  • Invite the child to attend stay-and-play sessions (FS1/FS2)
  • Arrange a class visit/entry assessment at the college (Year 1 – Year 13)
• Step 4: Once the assessment is complete, the school will communicate its decision within 5-7 working days. If the child is awarded a seat, parents have to submit these documents:
  • 1 passport-size photograph of the student with a white background
  • Birth certificate and immunisation records
  • Parent’s passports, UAE Residence Visa, Emirates ID
  • Family book (UAE Nationals only)
  • Before the first day of attendance, pupils must submit a transfer certificate (TC) and their final school report, signed and stamped by a school official (for Year 2 and above only).
• Step 5: If parents accept the offer letter, they must remit a registration fee of 5% of the total tuition fee. This can be paid directly to the college by cash, cheque or bank transfer. They must send a copy of the transfer slip to finance@brightoncollegealain.ae and admissions@brightoncollegealain.ae.

Click here to download a sample of the transfer certificate with the format and attestations required by the school.

Parents can contact the admissions manager at admissions@brightoncollegealain.ae for further clarity. Parents can also sign up to get a call back from the admissions team.

Parents are advised to ensure that their child meets the age requirements before enrolment:

This is based on the age of the students on 31st August (for the school beginning in September). Source: Brighton College Al Ain

Here’s a breakdown of the Brighton College Al Ain fees structure.

Tuition fees are not inclusive of uniform, food services, transportation charges, extra-curricular activities, students’ individual use of laptops/tablets/computers, and the expenses incurred. Parents should settle fees before the first day of each term.

The school is offering bursaries for September 2022 applicants based on their financial needs at the time of registration. It ranges from 5% to 25% off full fees.

Brighton College works with Food Nation to provide healthy, nutritious and balanced meals prepared using high-quality ingredients.

The school offers a different menu every day, with the options changing every two weeks. Students have access to drinks, break-time snacks, sandwiches and salads and can buy their meals for AED 22 per day with their ID cards.

Parents can top-up their child’s account or set daily allowance limits and auto-reminders through Food Nation’s online payment platform and mobile app. To register, click here.

Brighton College, Al Ain has a contract with Emirates Transport to provide door-to-door transport service for students. Parents should pay charges before the start of the term. To enrol your child for the school bus service, call +971-50-452-0109.

Brighton College offers a comprehensive sports programme. It includes practice sessions, intramural sports, sports teams and inter-school competitions. Students participate in football, netball and swimming. Sports facilities include:

• Two gymnasiums
• Full-sized IAFF accredited athletics track
• Two multi-use sports courts
• All-weather football pitch
• 25-metre swimming pool

Brighton Al Ain has an extensive range of co-curricular activities to encourage students to pursue their skills and interests. Students gather a well-rounded educational experience through this programme.

The school has a house system in place. Students are allotted one of the four houses– Chichester, Fenwick, Hampden and Ryle. The houses have housemasters/housemistresses who lead inter-house competitions, house events, trips and other social events. Students can pursue their passion for sports, arts, drama or music.

The school organises art exhibitions, winter concerts**, summer concerts, tunes, teatime** and the senior school show.

Students interested in theatre can participate in drama clubs, plays, musicals and other productions. Brighton also encourages creative arts amongst students. Students can engage in:

The school has a fully equipped music technology suite, rehearsal rooms and an extensive music-listening library.

Athletically inclined students can participate in football, netball, track or swimming.

Brighton College has a Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) programme that offers students a wide range of activities.

Students in Years 1 to 5 participate in two activities per week. The programme is altered every six weeks to include more activities. Senior School students can opt for:

Students attending Brighton Al Ain get educational experiences extending beyond the classroom. The school organises many trips aimed at enhancing classroom learning. Students have the opportunity to view ancient relics, scuba dive in the ocean or learn a new language in a European city. Students also visit art exhibitions and museums to view traditional, modern and contemporary art up-close.

Students participate in international trips where they volunteer to improve communities. One such occasion was a trip to Kenya in 2018, where students from Years 10, 11, 12 and 13 volunteered with The Nasio Trust.

Brighton College has a Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) programme that offers students a wide range of activities. Some of these take place after school hours.

The school has a clinic managed by fully-trained medical staff, including two full-time nurses. You can contact the college clinic through schoolnurse@brightoncollegealain.ae.

Brighton College believes that the school can progress effectively through active parental engagement. Friends of Brighton College is a committee run by elected parents’ representatives.

The school keeps the parents informed regarding news and events through its website or social media.

• Telephone:
  • Admissions: +971-50-452-0109
  • Reception: +971-3-713-3999
• Email: admissions@brightoncollegealain.ae
• Brighton College Al Ain Website
• Brighton College Al Ain Facebook

Note that the cover image belongs to Brighton College Al Ain